Biographie
Primetime Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Peter Jones began his career as a broadcast journalist. A graduate of Stanford University (BA in American Studies) with a Master's Degree in Journalism from Northwestern University, Jones served as Washington correspondent for KOTV (CBS) in Tulsa, OK; a news and feature reporter for KVUE (ABC) in Austin, TX; a reporter/anchor/weatherman for WSLS (NBC) in Roanoke, VA; and an assignment editor for KCBS-TV in Los Angeles. Jones won numerous honors, including several Outstanding Achievement Awards from United Press International and The Associated Press.
In 1987, he formed Peter Jones Productions, originally specializing in documentaries related to the history of the Hollywood film industry. Since then, his Los Angeles-based company has produced more than 120 hours of programming on a variety of subjects.
For several years, he produced, wrote and hosted the short-form series, "Only In Hollywood", which aired on Showtime, The Movie Channel, The Disney Channel, TNT, AMC and Encore. In 1992, the segments premiered in broadcast syndication as a half-hour magazine-style series. From 1990-96, he produced, directed, wrote and hosted the short-form series, "AMC in Hollywood with Peter Jones". The 80 segments produced for the series are available for distribution under the banner "Classic Hollywood with Peter Jones".
In 1994, Peter Jones Productions became a contracted producer for the iconic A&E series, "Biography". During a 10-year association in which his company produced 85 profiles, Jones became well known for securing previously unattainable rights while relinquishing no editorial control. Subjects include rock 'n' roll pioneer Sam Phillips; Beach Boy Brian Wilson; comedic genius Charlie Chaplin; beloved children's author Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel); artist Georgia O'Keeffe and husband/photographer Alfred Stieglitz.
Jones wrote and directed "Beyond the Rainbow", a 2-hour special on Judy Garland that won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Informational Series (1997) - A&E's first-ever Primetime Emmy. His 2-hour special, "Ozzie and Harriet: Adventures of America's Favorite Family" (1998), became the highest-rated documentary in the network's history, earning a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Non-Fiction Series. For his work on "Biography", he was a 2-time recipient of the Producer of the Year Award from the Producers Guild of America. His documentary feature "Goldwyn" (2001), launched the 17th season of the critically acclaimed PBS series, "American Masters".
Jones conceived, produced and directed "Sunset Junction" (2003), a feature-length verite documentary about a Beverly Hills hairdresser who becomes an unlikely father figure to gang members and the children of undocumented immigrants. The film had its world premiere at The Los Angeles International Film Festival (AFI FEST).
In 2006, "Stardust: The Bette Davis Story" premiered on Turner Classic Movies (TCM), garnering Jones a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for Nonfiction Programming, and an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Nonfiction Special.
"Inventing LA: The Chandlers and Their Times" (2009), a documentary about the single-family reign of four publishers of the Los Angeles Times newspaper, premiered as a national prime time special on PBS. The film earned Jones and his team the prestigious Peabody Award.
"Johnny Carson: King of Late Night" (2012) remains the highest rated documentary film in the nearly four-decade history of PBS's iconic series, "American Masters". Jones received a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing For Non-Fiction Programming and a nomination for Television Writing Achievement by the Writers Guild of America.
"Angeleno" (2015) is a 7-part series in which each episode profiles two residents of Los Angeles, linked together by a common theme and told exclusively in their own words. It aired on PBS SoCal and earned a nomination for Independent Programming by the Los Angeles area Emmy Awards.
"Blue Sky Metropolis" (2019), a 4-part series written and directed by Jones, chronicles the emergence of Southern California as the aviation and aerospace capital of the world. Commissioned by KCET and distributed to PBS stations, one episode was recognized as Best TV Documentary by the Radio and Television News Association.
"ALL MAN: The International Male Story" (2022) is a feature-length documentary about the International Male clothing catalog, which had an unlikely but lasting impact on fashion, masculinity, and sexuality in America. Written and produced by Jones, it will premiere in summer 2022.
Jones and his team are currently producing "The Reunion" (2024), an 8-part documentary series about a group of graduates from a former military academy turned elite prep school. The class reconnected over Zoom during the Covid-19 pandemic. As they prepare for their 50th reunion and attempt to find their former classmates, the members of the class of '74 reflect on the past 50 years, affording them enough perspective on their lives to finally make some sense of them.
