Oliver Thornton

Winner of the 2021 Broadcast Excellence Award from the MAB (Michigan Association of Broadcasters) in the Cultural Programming category

Oliver Thornton worked in LA during the summer of 2021 to produce “Open a Book; Open the World: The Library of Congress National Book Festival,” hosted by LeVar Burton.

The festival premiered on Sunday, Sept.12, at 6:00 p.m. on Detroit Public TV (PBS) and featured 20 of the nation’s leading literary voices discussing their newest books and speaking to the festival theme. 

In this powerful and inspiring program produced by FTVM’s own Oliver Thornton, over two dozen of American Literature’s most creative minds join book lovers across the country to celebrate American ingenuity at a time when we need it most -- discussing what it means to them, how it fires their imaginations and why books are so important to us, now more than ever.

Making School Matter - University Liggett School and the Academic Research Program premiered at 7:30 p.m., Monday, January 27, 2020, on Detroit Public Television.

The film is the culmination of a four-year documentary project that followed four students attending University Liggett School in Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan. All high school-aged students at University Liggett School participate in the Academic Research Program, a four-year curriculum that takes a subject they are passionate about and turns it into an in-depth research project that teaches them the skills they...

Oliver Thornton's new documentary, Orchestra Hall – A Centennial Celebration premiered on Detroit Public Television on Wednesday, October 23, 2019. The series will tell the story of Orchestra Hall across six 7-8-minute “webisodes” that will be distributed every week across DPTV’s broadcast and social media platforms to coincide with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s centennial efforts. This series will culminate in a 90-minute pledge event to air on Detroit Public Television December 2, 2019.

In a new documentary, Mackinac – Our Famous Island, Detroit Public TV and Mackinac State Historic Parks takes viewers along its many shores and trails to experience the natural beauty of the island, visit landmarks that reveal its earliest history and introduce the people who still work to preserve this special place. There is far more to this sacred island than horses and fudge, and DPTV cameras capture the landscape and beauty while connecting us to the diverse communities and people who have been stewards of Mackinac Island throughout its history.

Oliver Thornton's documentary Inside Grand Hotel premiered on March 2, 2017, on Detroit Public T.V. The film explores some of the Grand Hotel’s most iconic spaces - including rooms, suites, the kitchen, and other staff areas - not normally experienced by the masses. Additionally, it documents the hotel's unique business story, revealing the individuals behind the scenes who create the magic of Grand Hotel’s experience and disclosing the day-to-day operations behind this island tourist destination. 

Inside Grand Hotel worked with Detroit Public Television...

An Uncommon Education – Celebrating 200 Years of the University of Michigan is a short-form documentary series to air on Detroit Public Television (DPTV) throughout 2017 as part of a multimedia effort of recognize 200 years of the University’s role as an educator and institution in the state, nation, and world.

Written and produced by Oliver Thornton (assisted by Associate Producer Matthew Stinson, SAC '10 and Carly Keyes, SAC '16), this series is spread over ten broadcast and web vignettes; each vignette will attempt to track the evolution of how the institution ignited the sparks...

Thornton's documentary, Pioneer Family - On Van Hoosen Farm, recently premièred at the Rochester Hills Emagine Theater; its broadcast première occurred on December 6, 2016, on Detroit Public Television at 8:00 p.m. On Van Hoosen Farm explores how five generations of Taylors and Van Hoosens raised their families and worked the land: "There are countless stories of the families who established the communities we live in today, but seldom is there a story as unique, incredible and engaging as the story of Van Hoosen Farm in Rochester Hills. Settled among&nbsp...