Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial

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Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial is an award winning NOVA documentary on the case of Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District, which concentrated on the question of whether or not intelligent design could be viewed as science and taught in school science class. It aired in on PBS in November 2007 and features interviews with the judge, witnesses, and lawyers as well as re-enacted scenes (no cameras were allowed in court).^[1]

It was produced by NOVA and Vulcan Productions, in association with the Big Table Film Company. The senior executive producer was Paula S. Apsell, the executive producer was Richard Hutton, and the producers were Joseph McMaster, Gary Johnstone, and Vanessa Tovell. The senior producer was Susanne Simpson. Johnstone and McMaster served as directors, and McMaster was the writer.^[2]

In April 2008 the documentary won a Peabody Award (an international award for excellence in radio and television broadcasting).^[3]

[edit] Response

The documentary was praised by Nature,^[4] and described as accurate by the National Center for Science Education.^[5]^[6] Variety magazine also gave the documentary a positive review, and said it was one of the year's most important television projects, that should be shown in every United States high school, and as well as in places of worship.^[2]

In contrast to the positive reception the film has been given, creationist and intelligent design supporters have criticized the documentary. The Discovery Institute produced a website critical of the broadcast.^[7]^[8] Answers in Genesis claimed the evidence for evolution presented by scientists in Judgment Day was fallacious^[9]^[10] The Institute for Creation Research (ICR) also claimed the film was not balanced.^[11]

WKNO-TV, the local PBS affiliate in Memphis decided not to air the documentary because of the "controversial nature" of the subject, but has since promised to broadcast it in 2008.^[12]