Origin Stories:

Epic Tales of America’s Favorite Foods

A Six Part, One-Hour Series

They’re bigger than Beyoncé. More beloved than The Boss. And they may be the only things this country can agree on. We’re talking about America’s favorite foods: Pizza. Fried Chicken. Tacos. Sushi. Believe it or not, we spend as much on any one of these dishes each year than on movies and music combined. In a culture increasingly obsessed with what we eat, these are the foods that define us. 

The proof is in the polling. Across red states and blue, most of us agree that pizza is the one food we could eat every day for the rest of our lives. We also have a taste for fried chicken, the top online order of 2019, according to Uber Eats - and the only sandwich to spark near riots when a certain chicken chain ran out.

Origin Stories is a six-part series celebrating not just the foods we love, but the very definition of what it means to be American. Like most of us, our favorite dishes have roots in other lands. Their journeys begin in Italy, Scotland, Mexico, Japan – countries where men and women looking for a break set their sights on our shores. The family stories are legendary, filled with dazzling opportunity, unexpected danger and profound cultural pride. And as each generation battled their way into the mainstream, they and the tastes of their homeland were transformed. Forged in a fire of hard work, hustle and boundless innovation, they became something uniquely American. 

The transformation didn’t stop there. Today’s chefs are digging into their own roots - and dipping into others - to reimagine the classics.  From Korean tacos to adobe-seasoned fried chicken courtesy of Guatemala, the resulting mashups offer taste sensations that transcend borders. 

Hosted by a prominent American chef with diverse cultural roots, each one-hour episode of Origin Stories will focus on a single dish. Take pizza, for example. Today, pizza is basically a party in a box. But in the centuries before America’s first pizza makers opened shop in New York’s Little Italy, the Italian treat was a considered a dangerous street food, one associated with poverty and plague. In interviews with old school masters like New York’s Pasquale “Patsy” Grimaldi and professional “pizza enthusiasts,” we’ll retrace pizza’s journey from the mean streets of Naples to its rise as the iconic food of the world’s greatest city – and a universal symbol of fun.

Whatever the dish, the stories are personal, many of them family legends passed down like recipes from generation to generation. Origin Stories offers viewers a seat at the family table. We’ll pour over rare family photos, unearth little known tales of triumph and sacrifice and see the masters at work as they make their signature dishes. We’ll also hear from recognized foodies who know the dish best - from food writers and restaurant critics to the hot new chefs and online influencers shaping trends today. Together they’ll deliver a hot take on a multibillion dollar food industry - and the American Dream. 

PRODUCTION TEAM

As a broadcast journalist and documentarian, Tracy has written and produced non-fiction series and news programs for several major networks, including NBC, CNN, ABC and PBS. As a field producer for CNN’s “The Next List,” Tracy traveled to England, Kenya, Brazil, Guatemala, Costa Rica and throughout the U.S. to produce a series of half-hour profiles of the scientists, activists and other “agents of change” whose innovations are revolutionizing the way we live. Working with the independent film company, The Duncan Group, she produced two longform documentaries: the 3-part nonpartisan series “The Reagan Presidency,” and the 1-hour documentary “Landslide: A Portrait of President Herbert Hoover,” both for PBS. She also produced “Battle for the Classroom,” an oral history funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation documenting the Indian Controlled Schools Movement.

In addition to her work in the field, Tracy has written and produced for a host of daily network and cable news programs, including Good Morning America, AC360, Real Money with Ali Velshi and Erin Burnett OutFront.

As CEO and Founder of RER Entertainment, Inc, Robert Riesenberg provides strategic advice and support to networks, media companies, brands, producers and publishers.

Prior to RER he was founder and CEO of Full Circle Entertainment (FCE), an operating unit of Omnicom Media Group and, preceding that, founded Magna Global Entertainment, a business unit of IPG. At these two companies he developed and produced award winning content serving the needs of a multitude of national advertisers and influencing today’s trend to branded content. 

In his capacity as program executive and producer, his credits include the Emmy and Golden Globe winning branded franchises Johnson & Johnson Spotlight Presentation (TNT) and Chrysler Showcase Theater (CBS), as well as series such as The Restaurant (NBC), Young Americans (WB), Ultimate Fighter (Spike), Bound for Glory (ESPN), and Blowout (Bravo). He received an NAACP Image Award nomination for Bojangles (Showtime), starring Gregory Hines and a Golden Globe award for Escape from Sobibor (CBS) starring Alan Arkin and Rutger Hauer.

As a New York City based producer/director and an Alumni at NYU’s Graduate Film School program, Mark has created and maintained Lumina Films for the last 20 years. Creating global content for a diverse collection of clients including IBM, CNN, A&E, BBC4, HBO and others. With Mark at the helm, this boutique filmmaker's production & editorial company has developed award winning content from narrative feature films, documentaries, music videos and webisodes collecting over 45 awards for his outstanding work along the way.

Mark’s passion for filmmaking and producing quality, commercial entertainment content began under the tutelage of Martin Scorsese during his film studies at NYU.

Glen is an award-winning Cinematographer with world-class credentials. He have lensed over 700+ productions in 17 countries across 5 continents. In addition to TV commercials, Glen has helmed long-and-short form content, corporate videos, documentaries, reality TV shows, Food competition shows, branding & sales videos and still images for a vast array of clients. He has worked with a diversity of specialty talent including A-list celebrities & musicians, professional athletes, “real people”, CEOs and a US President. Glen has collaborated together with director Mark Richardson for over 12 years and six countries.

By nature, Nicole is a connector of people and ideas. In her current role at NBCUniversal, she creates cross promotional synergy across multiple business units to maximize awareness and viewability for their programs and properties. With over 14 years of experience in unconventional content marketing, she brings a unique and informed perspective to all of her professional endeavors. 

More importantly, Nicole has decades of pizza experience. As a founding member of Team Pizza, she manages all social media, creative marketing and branding. 

Laura is a sales and marketing veteran who builds brands and creates original content for Fortune 100 companies. A former executive at HBO, The Daily Beast, Magna Global Entertainment and Warner Bros., Laura has successfully grown start-ups and created new revenue-generating divisions for top media companies. With a passion for music, food & spirits, sports & entertainment, she’s also an executive producer of live media. Laura has a track record of creating authentic festivals, conferences and experiences. Credits: The Comedy Festival (HBO),USCAF (HBO), Hard Rock Live presented by American Express (Warner Bros/VH1), Sessions at West 54th (Warner Bros/PBS), Emmy-nominated Johnson & Johnson Spotlight Presentation film series (Magna Global/TNT), co-founder of the Après Ski Cocktail Classic in Aspen, and co-creator of the Women in the World Summit (The Daily Beast).

Origin Stories Sizzle Reel

Lumina Films 2020 DOCUMENTARY REEL