“Travels with Darley: France’s Western Front” Debuts on PBS, Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of WWI
Emmy-nominated host Darley Newman experiences WWI history and contemporary culture with locals as the guides
September 28, 2017: A new, fourth season of TRAVELS WITH DARLEY on PBS features two half hours of “France’s Western Front”, taking viewers through historic sites and communities in Northeastern France still today affected by The Great War.
The “Travels with Darley” series enlists local experts to lead viewers to jaw-dropping locations and share stories of cultures with rich traditions and cuisine, inspiring viewers to appreciate the diversity of our world. In Part I of “France’s Western Front,” Darley cycles through battlefields and forts at Verdun with local guide Guillaume Moizan to learn about one of the most important battles for French. The two also visit Braquier to see how the dragee, a traditional candy that has been held in high regard through the centuries, is made with meticulous care. Authentic regional foods are sampled before a visit to Chateau des Monthairons, which was used as a hospital for American troops and a base for ambulance corps during The Great War.
“Locals like Guillaume Moizan and Jean-Paul de Vries share stories of WWI that are still intimate one hundred years later,” said Darley. “Their passion for the area and its history help keep alive not only the past, but how we can all participate in it, wherever we are from, and honor those who fought and died.”
The first half hour also takes viewers to battle sites in the Argonne Forest and to pay tribute to those who fought at the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery. Darley explores Metz with its historic covered market and goes inside the unique Romagne 14-18 Museum with owner Jean-Paul de Vries, whose life’s work has been collecting WWI artifacts around the village of Romagne-sous-Montfaucon.
“We are so pleased that in this anniversary year of WWI and to commemorate next year’s 100th anniversary of the end of the ‘Great War’ to have two wonderful episodes,” said Anne-Laure Tuncer, the U.S. Director of Atout France in New York. “These episodes not only highlight American & allied memorial sites, but also showcase the regions of the Western Front in Northern France. Darley has delightfully and respectfully combined the WWI sites and with visiting the regions’ other notable locations, including where to experience their gastronomic specialties and wines.”
“France’s Western Front Part II” explores Belleau Wood and the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery with local guides, who make clear the terrible toll still being paid nearly a century after the conclusion of The Great War.
Viewers also learn about how the champagne industry weathered the War and made use of their deep cellars. Darley explores Champagne Pannier’s cellars and historic underground quarries along the Chemin des Dames, including Caverne du Dragon, which became an subterranean battlefield. Above ground, Darley learns of champagne’s regional importance from Vitalie Taittinger, before diving into American Anne Morgan’s influential life as she worked to save lives during and after The Great War.
Episodes debut on PBS stations starting in October and can be previewed at http://eqkk.us/iz7h
Follow filming for the next season on social: Twitter @darleynewman Instagram @darleynewman Facebook.com/TravelswithDarley
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About Travels with Darley Produced by the Emmy Award-winning team at DCN Creative, the “Travels with Darley” series started as digital shorts on AOL and MSN in 2014 and went to broadcast on PBS in early 2016. Created by the same team as “Equitrekking,” an award-winning PBS series hosted by Darley and distributed to networks in over 85 nations, Darley continues the theme of immersive storytelling with “Travels with Darley,” as she travels with residents and guides to inspiring, adventurous, and quirky locations as they reveal the authenticity and appeal of their home areas. DCN Creative is based in Washington, DC and produces web series and digital originals for leading digital publishers including AOL, MSN, and Scripps Networks Interactive. Learn more at TravelswithDarley.com.