The New York Times
January 2008
Locally focused programming and community ties have emerged as the core of Neal Shapiro’s vision for WNET. When he wanted companion programming to Ken Burns’ history of World War II that would examine New Yorkers’ war memories, the station elicited $455,608 from individual viewers and larger sponsors for "New York Goes to War" and "New York War Stories."
"We’ve never had a performance like that, ever", Mr. Shapiro said of the 1.9 million viewers who watched. A local documentary, “The Jews of New York,” was also commissioned to accompany the national series "The Jewish Americans". "The Jews of New York" and one of the war documentaries were produced with a quick turnaround time by Julie Cohen, a former NBC News colleague.
The Wall Street Journal
September 2008
The Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival’s production of "Twelfth Night", which I praised without stint when it opened in July, will be paired with an hour-long backstage documentary called, “Shakespeare on the Hudson” hosted by Kristin Chenoweth. If you’ve never seen my favorite outdoor summer Shakespeare festival in action, these excellent programs will give you a taste of what you’ve been missing.
NY Daily News
May 2009
The same way folks like George Gershwin and Irving Berlin personified the golden age of popular songwriting in New York, Frankie Manning personified the golden age of swing dance. Manning died last month...but his presence remains vivid in this new documentary by Julie Cohen...
The Journal News (A GANNETT publication)
September 2008
When independent filmmaker Julie Cohen went to see “As You Like It” at the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival in Garrison last summer, she had Channel 13 on her mind…
New York Magazine
January 2008
The Jews of New York was as good as we had hoped. One highlight is an extended interview with Anne Russ Federman and Hattie Russ Gold, the two surviving daughters from Russ & Daughters, talking about the Lower East Side back in the day. Keep an eye out for an image of Katz’s in its original incarnation!
NY Daily News
September 2008
“Shakespeare on the Hudson”, a look at how the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival assembled this summer’s production of “Twelfth Night,” is a lot of fun. It has charm, it has humor, and it has dashes of poignancy…
