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Whirlybird: Live above LA

A Storyville documentary that revisits how a daring husband-and-wife team became the first journalists to invest in a helicopter, changing the way the news is covered forever.

Flying high above Los Angeles in a whirling news helicopter, Marika Gerrard and Zoey Tur (then known as Bob) spent the 80s and 90s capturing the city鈥檚 most epic breaking news stories. Before the advent of the 24-hour news cycle, this daring husband-and-wife team invested in a helicopter and pilot鈥檚 licence, taking their cameras to the sky and changing broadcast news forever.

The cameras not only captured the adrenaline of live news culture, but also the subsequent strain on their relationship and an identity struggle that eventually culminated in a major life transition for Zoey.

A wholly unique take on the story of Los Angeles, told through stunning aerial footage and remarkable home videos, Whirlybird reframes many of the city鈥檚 pivotal moments of the 1990s, including the OJ Simpson pursuit and the 1992 riots.

1 hour, 29 minutes

Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • 01:28

    Fred Neil

    The Dolphins

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Role Contributor
Director Matt Yoka

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