Filmmaker Woody Allen, whose career was hindered by sexual abuse allegations made in 1992 by his daughter, Dylan Farrow, gave a rare interview that will be broadcast on Paramount Plus as part of a broader “CBS Sunday Morning” package.
CBS News says the interview, recorded in July last year, represents Allen’s first in-depth interview on television in nearly three decades. Lee Cowan, a national correspondent and surrogate anchor for “Sunday Morning,” who conducted the interview, will present the special, entitled “The Woody Allen Interview”, which will be available on Paramount Plus from March 28. The program will also include an interview with Dylan Farrow conducted by Gayle King in 2018 and a new segment by Erin Moriarty that examines what happens when artists are accused of morally questionable acts.
“Lee Cowan spoke to Woody Allen in July 2020, following the release of his memoirs for what would be Allen’s first significant television interview in nearly three decades. The interview, which took place last summer during an active news cycle, is now being presented due to renewed interest in the controversy surrounding the filmmaker, ”CBS News said in a statement. “The Paramount Plus exclusive offers the ability to explore Allen, his career and the claims in context and with the depth that this story requires.”
CBS News did not provide details on the subjects covered by Allen in the interview, nor did he provide information on any of his responses. Allen, 85, has long denied his daughter’s allegations. He was never charged with a crime by a court.
But the charges against him have followed him for years. They resurfaced with the premiere of a four-part documentary series, “Allen v. Farrow, ”which was released earlier this year on WarnerMedia’s HBO. In this series, Dylan Farrow speaks to the camera for the first time about his experiences. The series includes home movies from Allen’s former partner, Mia Farrow, which include Dylan at age 7, describing what Allen allegedly did to her. Audio recordings of Mia Farrow from telephone conversations with Allen are also featured. Allen is married to Soon-Yi Previn, the eldest daughter of his ex-partner.
Allen did not participate in this project and is not expected to address it in the interview, which took place more than half a year ago. The interview with Allen was conducted several months after the Hachette Book Group said it would not publish Allen’s autobiography, “Apropos of Nothing”, in which he denies Dylan Farrow’s allegations and discusses the sadness he feels about his withdrawal from his daughter . The book was launched on the market by Arcade Publishing. The interview was also taped while the country struggled with the coronavirus pandemic and a national protest against the death of George Floyd while in the custody of the Minneapolis police, two events that probably occupied CBS News executives and news production resources at the time. .
The decision to present the program through the newly launched streaming service may be surprising. The special at the moment seems unlikely to be broadcast on the traditional CBS network, due to its length, subject and desire to show the interview with the segments that accompany it.
ViacomCBS made news a basic offering from Paramount Plus, using the phrase “Breaking news” in the marketing slogan for the new service. The CBSN live streaming news service, which offers a live feed, as well as feeds from CBS-owned stations, is part of Paramount Plus. The same is true of “60 Minutes Plus”, an offshoot of the venerable program of CBS News Sunday magazine, which presents a new set of correspondents that can present segments ranging from 20 to 30 minutes.
“Sunday Morning” has been on the air since 1979. Originally conceived as the television equivalent of a Sunday morning newspaper, the program has become part of a weekend ritual for many of its viewers. In addition to the occasional special or anniversary program, however, “Sunday Morning” did not regularly extend to other properties (it was in 2018 at the center of a theatrical event with tickets that put anchor Jane Pauley in front of a live audience). Paramount Plus’ debut suggests other formats that may be under consideration on ViacomCBS for some of its more well-known news properties.