A new documentary about the suffering of the Willie and Martin handcart companies in 1856 was among the top five most-watched shows on the Public Broadcasting Service in December.
"Sweetwater Rescue: The Willie and Martin Handcart Story" was rated No. 5 for the month. Another LDS-related program, "Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Featuring Renee Fleming and Claire Bloom," was No. 2 for the same time period, as reported in last week's Church News.
"Sweetwater Rescue" was produced by Lee Groberg, who co-wrote the script and a companion book with Heidi Swinton. They are Church members who have collaborated on past PBS documentaries with Church-history topics. This latest documentary was one of a number of events in 2006 commemorating the sesquicentennial of the handcart chapter in Church history.