Six-part docu-series on American Motors Corporation moves to Monday nights following strong audience demand
PITTSBURGH, PA —WQED is bringing back The Last Independent Automaker for an encore run — this time in primetime. Beginning Monday, October 6th at 7:30 p.m., the six-part documentary series returns to the schedule after strong viewer response to its initial Saturday afternoon broadcast.
The series tells the story of American Motors Corporation (AMC) — the scrappy “fourth automaker” behind the Rambler, Gremlin, and Pacer. At half the size of Ford, GM, and Chrysler, AMC had to innovate constantly to survive. Its factories offered opportunity and a path to the middle class for thousands of minorities, women, and immigrants. Ultimately, though, a perfect storm of economic pressures, mismanagement, and betrayal brought the company down.
Produced by Westminster College alumni Joe Ligo and Jimm Needle, the documentary has deep ties to western Pennsylvania. “Pittsburgh knows something about grit, resilience, and reinvention,” said Jason Jedlinski, WQED President & CEO. “This series echoes the same blue-collar determination that built our own city.”
Ligo and Needle began developing the series in 2017, inspired by a shared love of automotive history. Eight years later, their passion project is drawing new audiences across PBS stations and online. They also sat down with WQED-FM’s Anna Singer to share behind-the-scenes stories, AMC’s footprint in Pennsylvania, and which cars were their personal favorites. Listen to the podcast here.
For more on the series, visit lastindependentauto.com.
Encore Broadcast Details
- Encore airings: Mondays at 7:30 p.m. on WQED-TV (Channel 13)
- Streaming: All six episodes available free on PBS Passport or YouTube
[Correction: An earlier version of this announcement misstated the start date for this second run. It’s Monday, October 6th. WQED apologizes for the inconvenience.]