In honor of its 30th anniversary, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) the leading authority in classic film, unveiled today the themes, spotlights, and stars to be featured in the 2024 programming slate and tentpole events. Heading into the 15th annual TCM Classic Film Festival in April, the beloved network will honor film historian Jeanine Basinger with the esteemed Robert Osborne Award and pay tribute to actor Billy Dee Williams and makeup artist Lois Burwell. Additionally, The Plot Thickens, TCM’s official podcast about movies and the people who make them, will debut later in the year following the release of Talking Pictures: A Movie Memories Podcast, TCM’s latest podcast in tandem with Max.
Buy TCM’s The Essentials – 52 Must-See Movies and Why They MatterExtending beyond the screen, Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood will introduce a WB/TCM Classic Movie Tour in April.
Mike De Luca and Pamela Abdy, Co-Chairs & CEOs, Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group said, “With the 30th year of TCM upon us, we both look back at all that’s been built over the last several decades and look ahead at what is undoubtedly one of the most exciting times in TCM’s history. TCM’s collaboration with Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg and Paul Thomas Anderson has infused an even greater love of cinema into our programming and inspired us to expand what TCM offers across a wide array of mediums for fans of classic movies to dive even deeper into the films and stories they cherish.”
Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg and Paul Thomas Anderson, the three filmmakers who entered into a one-year advisory agreement in June of 2023, recently reaffirmed their original commitment to TCM commencing in January and extending through the end of 2024.
The Film Foundation, a longstanding TCM partner, is the film preservation organization founded by Scorsese in 1990; Spielberg and Anderson serve on the organization’s board.
Hosts Ben Mankiewicz, Alicia Malone, Dave Karger, Jacqueline Stewart and Eddie Muller will continue to provide their unique insights into beloved classic films and interviews with a wide range of special guests.
Here’s what’s happening with TCM in 2024:
2024 Programming Slate
Earlier this month, TCM premiered the all-new original 6-part documentary series, The Power of Film, hosted by Dave Karger and filmmakers Doug Pray and Laura Gabbert and curated by UCLA film professor Howard Suber examining what makes popular American films so memorable and why audiences connect to them.
In April, TCM will introduce a new franchise, Two for One, with prominent filmmakers co-hosting a double-feature of their choice each Saturday night. Special guests will include Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Paul Thomas Anderson, Spike Lee, Patty Jenkins, Olivia Wilde, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Ethan Hawke, Todd Haynes, Maggie Gyllenhaal and more.
This Fall, TCM will partner with The New Republic to highlight films from their list, The 100 Most Significant Political Films of All Time. Guests from the journalism, political and film worlds will come together to co-host a different film from the list.
Later this year, a new documentary executive produced by Martin Scorsese about the legendary filmmaking team Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, Made in London, will make its U.S. television premiere on TCM.
As always, TCM will celebrate a different star every month, including Marlon Brando and Lauren Bacall on what would be their 100th birthdays, as well as Eva Marie Saint, on her 100th birthday. Other stars featured throughout the year include Debbie Reynolds, Bela Lugosi, Ruth Roman and Gregory Peck. In addition, TCM will spotlight special Fox stars including Marilyn Monroe, Tyrone Power and Victor Mature.
Special themes that TCM will explore this year include: comparing pre- and post-code films in commemoration of the 90th anniversary of the Hays Code; extensive programming devoted to great film composers; a look at how women in the workforce have been portrayed throughout the years; the 80th anniversary of D-Day, including a rare showing of Saving Private Ryan; an in-depth discussion about ageism in film; a special month of Kid Fans, with children co-hosting a favorite classic movie; and key cultural celebrations, including Black History Month, Asian-American and Pacific Islander Month, Pride Month and Hispanic Heritage Month.
Throughout the year, TCM will celebrate key anniversaries in the film world, including the 100th anniversary of Columbia in January and MGM’s 100th anniversary in April. In addition, TCM is celebrating its 30th anniversary in April, with special programming to highlight much of its history. TCM will premiere brand new film restorations, including some films that have never aired on television.
TCM Classic Film Festival
Movie lovers will once again be invited to descend upon Hollywood Boulevard for one-of-a-kind programming set within the theme “Most Wanted: Crime and Justice in Film” at the TCM Classic Film Festival on April 18-21, 2024. Over four packed days and nights, attendees will be treated to an extensive lineup of great movies, appearances by legendary stars, panel discussions, special events, and more. The festival also welcomes academic and author Jeanine Basinger as the Robert Osborne Award recipient, which recognizes an individual who has helped keep the cultural heritage of classic film alive for future generations. Basinger, who is the Corwin-Fuller Emerita Professor of Film Studies at Wesleyan University and founder of the Wesleyan Cinema Archives, will be the fifth honoree to receive this award. Additionally, each year the event pays tribute to a select group of individuals whose work in Hollywood has left a lasting impact on film. This year’s tributes will include legendary leading man Billy Dee Williams and Academy Award-winning makeup artist Lois Burwell.
Featured films announced thus far include:
- “Law and Order” (1932)
- “Only Yesterday” (1933)
- “The Sin of Nora Moran” (1933)
- “It Happened One Night” (1934)
- “The Mad Miss Manton” (1934)
- “The Good Fairy” (1935)
- “White Heat” (1949)
- “On the Waterfront” (1954)
- “That’s Entertainment!” (1974)
- 50th Anniversary Screening of “Chinatown” (1974)
- 70th Anniversary Screening of “Rear Window” (1954)
- 100th Anniversary Screening of “Sherlock Jr.” (1924) preceded by short film, “The Goat” (1921)
- World Premiere Restoration of “The Searchers” (1956) in 70mm
- World Premiere Restoration of “North by Northwest” (1959)
Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood
In April, Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood will introduce a WB/TCM Classic Movie Tour featuring bespoke clips from TCM hosts, visits to areas of the lot that are not part of the regular tour (including the Property Department and Rose Garden), and TCM-branded tour carts. The Warner Bros. Studio Store will also carry unique TCM-branded products.
TCM Classic Cruise
Announced last fall, the TCM Classic Cruise will once again set sail from Fort Lauderdale, FL aboard the Disney Magic from October 26-31, 2024. The ship will travel along the Western Caribbean with stops in Cozumel, Mexico and Castaway Cay, Disney’s luxurious private island paradise in the Bahamas. Along with classic movies on the big screen, the TCM Classic Cruise welcomes a star-studded lineup of special guests, starting with TCM’s own Ben Mankiewicz, Alicia Malone, Dave Karger, Jacqueline Stewart and Eddie Muller. They will serve as hosts for engaging interviews with special talent still to be announced, hour-long conversations, and film introductions throughout the voyage.
Podcasts
Max and Turner Classic Movies will debut their newest collaboration Talking Pictures: A Movie Memories Podcast on January 16, 2024. TCM host Ben Mankiewicz joins iconic filmmakers and actors as they discuss their earliest film memories, favorite movies, creative influences, and guilty pleasures. Special guests to include Nancy Meyers (Something’s Gotta Give, The Holiday, It’s Complicated), Patty Jenkins (Wonder Woman, Monster), Mel Brooks (Blazing Saddles, The Producers, Young Frankenstein), and more.
Later this year, TCM’s award-winning podcast The Plot Thickens returns for its fifth season. Exploring film history, each season of the fan-favorite podcast explores the behind-the-scenes stories and insight into the industry. Previous seasons centered around Peter Bogdanovich, Pam Grier, Lucille Ball and the production of The Devil’s Candy.
