Jessica Savitch

Jessica Savitch

Jessica Beth Savitch (February 1, 1947 – October 23, 1983) was an American television journalist who was the weekend anchor of NBC Nightly News and daily newsreader for NBC News during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Savitch was one of the first women to anchor an evening network newscast solo, following in the footsteps of Marlene Sanders of ABC News and Catherine Mackin of NBC News. She also hosted PBS's public affairs program Frontline from its January 1983 debut until her death as a passenger in an automobile accident later that year. Shortly before her death in October 1983, Savitch gave a broadcast of NBC News Digest in which her delivery was erratic and she appeared to be under the influence of an illicit substance. The incident caused widespread speculation that she was abusing drugs. Savitch died three weeks later by drowning after the car she was riding in as a passenger was accidentally driven into a canal during a heavy rainstorm. No drugs and very little alcohol were present in either her system or that of her friend who was driving. In life, Savitch was renowned for her audience appeal and her skill as an on-camera news reader, although she drew criticism for her relative lack of journalism experience. Prior to joining NBC News, she was a popular local anchorwoman in Philadelphia and before that, while working at a Houston television station, she was the first female news anchor in the South. Posthumously, Savitch became the subject of two biographies, television documentaries, and a television film entitled Almost Golden: The Jessica Savitch Story. The 1996 feature film Up Close & Personal starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert Redford was very loosely based on her life. Savitch's experiences as a pioneer anchorwoman also helped inspire Will Ferrell to make the 2004 film Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.

  • Title: Jessica Savitch
  • Popularity: 5.521
  • Known For: Acting
  • Birthday: 1947-02-01
  • Place of Birth: Wilmington, Delaware, USA
  • Homepage:
  • Also Known As:
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Jessica Savitch Movies

  • 2020
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    Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind

    Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind

    6.362 2020 HD

    Explore the personal and professional triumphs and challenges of actor Natalie Wood, which have often been overshadowed by her premature death.

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  • 2002
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    Bowling for Columbine

    Bowling for Columbine

    7.524 2002 HD

    This is not a film about gun control. It is a film about the fearful heart and soul of the United States, and the 280 million Americans lucky enough...

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  • 2018
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    Jonestown: The Women Behind the Massacre

    Jonestown: The Women Behind the Massacre

    7 2018 HD

    The story of four women in Jim Jones’ inner circle who helped plan the 1978 Jonestown Massacre, one of the largest murder-suicide events in...

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  • 1983
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    88 Seconds in Greensboro

    88 Seconds in Greensboro

    1 1983 HD

    "James Reston investigates the role of a police informant in the 1979 murder of five civil rights demonstrators by a group of Klan and Nazi Party...

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  • 1977
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    Nasty Habits

    Nasty Habits

    5.5 1977 HD

    In a Philadelphia convent, two nuns battle it out to be elected to the position of head abbess, and neither is about to let anything stand in the way...

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  • 1993
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    Intimate Portrait

    Intimate Portrait

    4.5 1993 HD

    Intimate Portrait is a biographical television series on the Lifetime Television cable network focusing on different celebrities, which includes...

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  • 1983
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    Frontline

    Frontline

    7.4 1983 HD

    Since it began in 1983, Frontline has been airing public-affairs documentaries that explore a wide scope of the complex human experience. Frontline's...

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  • 2016
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    The Eighties

    The Eighties

    7.6 2016 HD

    The third installment from executive producers Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman and Mark Herzog, following in the footsteps of critically-acclaimed series...

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  • 2015
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    The Seventies

    The Seventies

    7.5 2015 HD

    A documentary series focusing on the ongoing Vietnam War, the Watergate scandal, evolving music industry, the Iran Hostage Crisis, the sexual...

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  • 1982
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    Late Night with David Letterman

    Late Night with David Letterman

    5.88 1982 HD

    Late Night with David Letterman is a nightly hour-long comedy talk show on NBC that was created and hosted by David Letterman. It premiered in 1982...

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  • 1970
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    NBC Nightly News With Lester Holt

    NBC Nightly News With Lester Holt

    6.192 1970 HD

    NBC Nightly News is the flagship daily evening television news program for NBC News, the news division of the NBC television network in the United...

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  • 2019
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    The Movies

    The Movies

    6.366 2019 HD

    Explore American cinema through the decades and the cultural, societal and political shifts that framed its evolution.

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