Turner Classic Movies' Ben Mankiewicz Knows the Power of 'Nostalgia' (Newsweek)

(Jeffrey Freeman for TCM)

BY H. ALAN SCOTT ON 12/13/23 AT 6:00 AM EST

"Nostalgia is a really powerful and important emotion. It is the emotion that connects us to our past."
In 2024, the beloved cable channel Turner Classic Movies will turn 30, and for host Ben Mankiewicz—who recently celebrated his 20th anniversary at the helm—he still feels "so unbelievably fortunate to be associated with the channel." It's one of those rare networks where "it's a little bit part of your identity" and "the only channel where the channel itself matters to people." Part of the network's charm is that it taps into nostalgia. "Nostalgia is a really powerful and important emotion. It is the emotion that connects us to our past. And our past can mean so much—family, friends, school, where you were at a time of your innocence." In addition to the films, TCM offers a festival, the new podcast Talking Pictures, even a themed cruise. But for Mankiewicz, recommending just three films for newer fans of classic cinema is difficult. "I'll just give them three off the top of my head, I'd tell them to watch Casablanca, Paths of Glory and Three Days of the Condor." But he's quick to add that those movies could change depending "on the day and the mood."

(Interview follows.)

Full link: https://www.newsweek.com/2023/12/22/turner-classic-movies-ben-mankiewicz-knows-power-nostalgia-1851111.html