About Quest Productions
Since its creation over thirty-five years ago, Quest Productions
has been a leading producer of documentary specials and series
for PBS, cable and network television. The impressive resume of
Quest's films represents a broad spectrum of subjects and
exemplifies Quest's continuing commitment to produce television
that is innovative, informative and intensely personal.

The Quest Productions Team
BILL JERSEY, Director / Producer
SHIRLEY KESSLER, Executive Administrator & Producer
MAX SALOMON, Editor & Co-Producer
MARK PAGE
TURID LARSEN

Awards
The National Arts Club Gold Medal
DuPont-Columbia Silver Baton (2)
National Emmy Award, Best Director

5 National Emmy Award Nominations
2 Academy Award Nominations

George Foster Peabody Award
NEA National Education Award

S.F. Int. Film Festival - Golden Gate Awards (2)
Chicago Int. Film Festival - Silver Hugos (2)
New York Festivals - Gold World Medals (3)

Regional Emmy Awards (3)
Golden Apples (7)
Cine Gold Eagles (20)
Telly Awards (3)
Cindy Awards (5)


Filmography
THE RISE AND FALL OF JIM CROW
Episode 3 - "Don't Shout Too Soon"
Episode 4 - "Terror and Triumph"
Chronicling the struggle of African-Americans in America from the end of the Civil War in 1886 to the beginning of the Civil Right Movement of the 1960's, this four-part series bridges the gap between Ken Burn's Civil War series and Eyes On the Prize. Through a blending of first person interviews, archival photography and historical artifacts, Quest produced the final 2 episodes of this dramatic landmark PBS series.
Recipient of the coveted 2002 George Foster Peabody Award. A Quest Production in association w/ Videoline Inc. and Thirteen / WNET, New York.
George Foster Peabody Award, 2002
Special Jury Remi Prize, Houston International Film Festival, 2003
Broadcast nationally on PBS in October, 2002

THE MAKING OF AMADEUS
Milos Foreman and Saul Zaentz with Tom Hulce and other stars of the Academy Award winning cinema classic AMADEUS look back their turbulent months in Communist controlled Prague. This is the story of dedication and distress, conflicts and resolutions as a now classic film was being created.
Telly Award, 2002; Mill Valley Film Festival 2002
Special Jury Remi Prize, Houston International Film Festival, 2003
Best DVD Documentary Feature - Nomination, DVD Premiere Magazine Awards, 2002
Released internationally on DVD in September 2002

EVOLUTION: WHAT ABOUT GOD?
The final hour of the 7-part NOVA series Evolution explores the continuing conflict between creationists and evolutionists in schools, churches and colleges.
A Quest Production for WBGH, Boston and Clear Blue Sky Productions, Seattle.
Nationally aired on PBS in 2001 and 2002.

THE NEXT BIG THING?
A one-hour documentary for PBS based on the book, BEYOND ENGINEERING by Robert Pool that looks at how social and other non-technical forces influence the development of technology.
A Quest/Kikim co-production. Funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
Nationally broadcast on PBS in 2001.

STOPWATCH
A one-hour documentary for PBS based on the book, THE ONE BEST WAY: Frederick Winslow Taylor and the Enigma of Efficiency by Robert Kanigel that tells the story of Taylor's life, times and career to reveal how his pioneering work in scientific management and efficiency studies shaped - and continue to shape - our world and our lives.
A Quest/Kikim co-production. Funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
Nationally broadcast on PBS in 1999.

SCI-SQUAD
A national weekly half-hour television series presenting scientific, technological and environmental themes in an entirely new and engaging format. Targeted for children eight to ten years old, with a special focus on girls, SciSQUAD helps kids learn about science and technology, as it motivates them to step outside and explore the world around them.
Initially broadcast on the Discovery Channel in 1998 & 1999.

NAKED TO THE BONE
Based on the book NAKED TO THE BONE: Medical Imaging in the Twentieth Century by Bettyann Holtzmann Kevles. Recounting the story of medical imaging from the discovery of X-rays in 1896 through the development of fluoroscopy, Ultra Sound, CT Scanning and MRI, this one-hour documentary reveals the power of medical imaging as it is used in medicine today.
A Quest/Kikim co-production. Funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
Nationally broadcast on PBS in 1997.

CRIME & PUNISHMENT IN AMERICA
A two hour documentary adaptation of Crime and Punishment in American History by Lawrence Friedman, the Marion Rice Kirkwood Professor of Law at Stanford University. By focusing on individuals whose actions have resulted in changes to our criminal justice system, the series makes history relevant in an era in which crime is America's number one public concern.
Broadcast nationally on PBS in 1997.

CROSSROADS
A half-hour documentary revealing the impact of changing trends in transportation on a small community on the western edge of Oakland, California. Through interviews, archival photos and film, and recent footage, CROSSROADS traces the evolution of West Oakland as it is shaped and reshaped by the arrival of ships, trains, ferry boats and ultimately, the automobile.

THE WAY IT WAS
A one-hour special taking a nostalgic look at some of the vanished places that helped to make San Francisco the most popular city in the American west. Using interviews with over 25 native San Franciscans, previously unpublished photos and a wide array of stock footage, The Way It Was revives the romance of San Francisco's past.
A Quest Production for KQED-TV. Broadcast premiere April 29, 1995.

LOYALTY AND BETRAYAL: THE STORY OF THE AMERICAN MOB
A four-hour history of organized crime in the United States, from its earliest beginnings in the teeming slums of America's cities in the 1890's, to the fall of the last godfather, John Gotti, in the early 1990's. Analyzing the social impact of American crime from the days of prohibition to today's drug wars, Loyalty and Betrayal reveals the roots of American crime in American society itself.
A Pileggi/Couturie production in assoc. w/ Quest Productions for Fox Broadcasting.
Nationally broadcast on the Fox Television Network in 1994.

RENAISSANCE
A five-part series for PBS funded by IBM and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Using actors, great works of art and historical recreations Renaissance explores the emergence of modernity during one of the most turbulent periods in the history of the world. Titles in the series include: The Prince, The Warrior, The Dissenter, The Scientist, and The Artist.
PBS broadcast premiere January-February, 1993.
National Emmy nomination, Best Historical Series, 1994

ABRAHAM LINCOLN: A NEW BIRTH OF FREEDOM
Narrated by Andrew Young, this one hour documentary for PBS presents an intricate portrait of the man who led our nation from the brink of collapse to a "new birth of freedom." Modern day figures such as Governor Mario Cuomo, Secretary Jack Kemp, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, Congressman John Lewis, and ABC NIGHTLINE anchor Ted Koppel explore the importance of Lincoln's legacy in confronting today's "House Divided."
PBS broadcast premiere December, 1992.

THE GLORY AND THE POWER
A three-part series in association with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and WETA. With stories from communities in Israel, Egypt and South Carolina this series provides an in depth, personal look at the global phenomenon of religious fundamentalism.
PBS broadcast premiere June, 1992.

MAYA ANGELOU: RAINBOW IN THE CLOUDS
A one-hour PBS special featuring the noted activist and author, Maya Angelou explores the importance and impact of faith in people's lives by taking us to San Francisco's Glide Memorial Church and Mount Zion Baptist church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
PBS broadcast premiere May, 1992

SUPER CHIEF: THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF EARL WARREN
Justice William Brennan first called Earl Warren "Super Chief". Controversial despite his gracious and gentle demeanor, Warren molded an activist Supreme Court - and changed a nation. The Warren Court decisions radically affected American education, law enforcement, the rights of the accused, guarantees of free speech and the role of the court. 90 min.
World premiere: Telluride Film Festival, 1989
PBS broadcast premiere Oct. 1989.
National Emmy Award Nomination, 1989
Academy Award Nomination - Best Feature Length Documentary, 1989

WE THE PEOPLE
A series of four one-hour documentaries about the American Constitution and its impact on the lives of the American people today. Hosted by Peter Jennings.
A Quest Production for KQED, San Francisco.
Broadcast nationally on PBS in 1987

FACES OF THE ENEMY
A one-hour special for PBS examines how thoughts and images of the enemy lead to violence and war. The central character is a 28-year-old man who murdered four people in Seattle on Christmas Eve because he thought they were communists.
A Quest Production.
Broadcast nationally on PBS, May 1987.
National Emmy Nomination, 1987

PORTRAIT OF AMERICA
An award-winning series, each program takes a fond look at a state and the people who make it special. Jersey produced and directed four episodes: Utah, and Vermont in 1984-85, Minnesota and Colorado in 1985-86.
A Quest Production for Turner Broadcasting

THE FIRST FIFTY YEARS: REFLECTIONS ON U.S. - SOVIET RELATIONS
A one-hour television special documenting the history of U.S. -Soviet relations through Soviet and American footage and interviews with key Americans such as Richard Nixon, George Kennan and Averell Harriman. Hosted by Harrison E. Salisbury, the program explores the human stories behind the world events and political dynamics that shaped the superpower relationship during five of the most important decades in the history of the world.
Broadcast nationally on PBS in 1984.
duPont-Columbia Silver Baton, 1985.

CHILDREN OF VIOLENCE
This Emmy winning one-hour documentary is an intimate cinema-verite portrait of a Chicano family and a juvenile gang in Oakland, California, and the complex web of teenage violence in which they are trapped.
A Quest Production for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Broadcast nationally on PBS in 1983.
National Emmy Award: Bill Jersey, Best Director, 1983

FIGHTING MINISTERS
The Pittsburgh steel mills close, and the tragic stories of personal loss move a group of ministers to protest.
A Quest Production in association with David Soul.
Broadcast nationally on PBS, 1983.

THE SECOND AMERICAN REVOLUTION
The dramatized story of the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution in America.
Hosted by Tony Randall.
A Quest Production for CBS.
Broadcast nationally on CBS, 1980.

SIX AMERICAN FAMILIES: THE KENNEDYS
One-hour documentary portrait of a family with a mentally retarded child as it confronts issues of retardation, women's liberation, competition and family relations.
A Quest Production for Westinghouse Broadcasting.
duPont-Columbia Silver Baton, 1979.

SEASONS CHANGE (America Against Itself)
A cinema-verite classic set in Chicago, 1968. America's youth demonstrates and agitates. Mayor Daly and the Chicago police react. Violence ensues. A personal story told by those who lived through it.
Broadcast nationally on PBS in 1968.

A TIME FOR BURNING
A cinema-verite classic. Racial tension in an Omaha church forces the minister to resign. Academy Award Nomination 1967

MANHATTAN BATTLEGROUND
A social worker, Dan Morrow, leaves his home to work on 111th Street. His departure is dramatic and revealing. One-hour documentary for NBC's duPont Show of the Week.
National Emmy Award Nomination

INCIDENT ON WILSON STREET
The story of a special education teacher in Brooklyn who faces a crisis when one of her students assaults another teacher. The story involves parents, teachers and students as they gain an understanding of the causes of the crisis.
Broadcast nationally on NBC in 1964.

PRISONER AT LARGE
A young repeat offender is released on parole. The program examines the relationships between the parolee, the parole officer and the criminal justice system when the parolee commits yet another crime.
Broadcast nationally on NBC in 1963.

Contact info
We're always eager to hear your response to our work, though please understand that we do not always have the time to reply to all inquiries.

If you'd like to order a copy of one of our films, please contact
The Catticus Corporation toll free at 877-352-6213, 9am-4pm PST.

Quest Productions does not currently have any job openings.
Please do not send unsolicited resumes.