National Geographic's documentary, Hasselhoff vs. the Berlin Wall made it's television debut earlier this month, and is now available for pre-order on National Geographic's website. The DVD is $19.95 and ships October 2.Order here
The National Geographic Channel has set a date for the documentary, "Hasselhoff vs. The Berlin Wall." It is set to air September 1 at 10pm Eastern in the USA.The air date in Germany is not scheduled yet.National Geographic recently posted some clips from the show.
We've known for awhile about David's National Geographic Documentary on the Berlin Wall, but we finally have some press coverage to share!
Germany was united in song in December of 1989 when David was there singing "Looking for Freedom." Later this year will mark the historic 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall in the National Geographic Documentary, Hasselhoff vs. The Berlin Wall.David Hasselhoff will retrace the history of the wall by meeting people affected by the barrier and recall experiences of performing there on New Year's Eve 1989. The special will be one hour.
"Looking for freedom behind the Berlin Wall, I discovered so much more," David said."I witnessed firsthand the horror and the pain the East Germans experienced throughout their unwavering fight for freedom. They are an inspiration to us all, and I am proud beyond words to present their saga to the world in partnership with National Geographic Channel."
Hamish Mykura, executive vice president and head of international content for NatGeo, added: "Hasselhoff vs The Berlin Wall brings to life the extraordinary triumph over tyranny that sent the wall crashing down, while also weaving together an inspiring and surprisingly personal narrative of how David's unique story fits into the Berlin Wall's big picture."
The documentary will look at David's personal experience of the historic event on November 9, 1989 and his connections to Germany. David Hasselhoff used his Knight Rider success to launch a music career there, and became very popular. "Looking for Freedom" became a hit, going triple platinum and an unofficial anthem of the reunited nation of Germany.“David didn’t just witness one of the 20th century’s most historic moments, his song "Looking for Freedom" also provided the soundtrack," said Simon Young, an executive producer at shingle DSP, which is producing the documentary for National Geographic. "Through David’s journey, and the powerful stories he uncovers, the startling human cost of the wall is laid bare. And it becomes clear why David’s song meant so much to so many."Hasselhoff vs. the Berlin Wall will premiere in the U.S. on National Geographic later this year and air in 171 countries worldwide.
There's a second documentary with David on the Berlin Wall called, Mr. Hasselhoff, Tear Down This Wall.
BERLIN — David Hasselhoff put his name behind a campaign to preserve one of the few remaining sections of the Berlin Wall, calling it a "sacred" monument to cheers Sunday from Germans who fondly remember his schmaltzy hit "Looking for Freedom" as one of the soundtracks to their peaceful 1989 revolution.The actor, best known for starring in "Knight Rider" and "Baywatch," joined ordinary Berliners in protesting a real estate developer's plans to move part of the wall to make way for an access path for a luxury housing development."It's like tearing down an Indian burial ground. It's a no-brainer," said Hasselhoff, before recounting his own memories of visiting East Germany – grim cities, grim food – shortly before unification.Plans to move part of the East Side Gallery – a 1.3 kilometer (3/4 mile) stretch of wall painted by artists after the fall of communism and popular with tourists – sparked angry protests earlier this month. Activists have denounced it as part of a wider trend of steamrolling Berlin's tumultuous history to make way for gleaming but soulless developments in the heart of the city.At least 136 people died between 1961 and 1989 trying to cross the wall that divided the communist-run East Berlin from West Berlin. Most of the wall has since been destroyed, with only two large sections remaining as memorials."It's a stupid idea to rip parts of the wall out for luxury apartments," said Roland Junge, one of thousands of locals who accompanied Hasselhoff on an impromptu walk along the wall Sunday."This last piece of the wall is really sacred," Hasselhoff told reporters. "It's about people and it's about hearts that were broken, hearts that were torn apart and lives that were lost. That's what we're talking about today, not a piece of real estate."Asked if he thought his song – belted out by a million people on both sides of the wall during a New Year's Eve concert in 1989 – had played any role in bringing down the most visible section of the Iron Curtain, Hasselhoff said: "Whether it had anything to do with anything, it's a song about freedom and it stuck in their head because it had a good hook."Berliners can prepare for a reprise if talks involving the developers, authorities and campaigners fail to reach a compromise next week."If it goes to the next step, we'll come back with a huge concert and really rock Berlin," said 'The Hoff.'
Today, David Hasselhoff was a guest on Huffington Post Live about the recent protests over the Berlin Wall being taken down. He says the best way to fight money is with money, and would be willing to do whatever it takes to keep the wall, even if that means doing a concert. He wants to raise enough money to even buy back the property from developers.President Reagan famously told Gorbachev to "tear it down," but Berliners (and guest David Hasselhoff) want to stop the demolition of the last parts of the Berlin Wall.Sign the petition here.
In the past he has compained that his role in helping the Berlin Wall come down has been overlooked.Now David Hasselhoff has joined a campaign calling for the longest remaining part of the barrier to stay standing.The US actor, who is adored by fans in Germany after his 1989 performance of his song Looking for Freedom on top of the Wall, told his Twitter followers that he would sign a petition opposing the demolition of a section beside Berlin's East Side Gallery to make way for a bridge leading to a block of flats.The Baywatch and Knight Rider star tweeted on Monday morning: "How can you tear down the wall that signifies freedom, perseverance and the sacrifice of human life?", along with a link to the petition, which has already been signed by more than 62,000.The partial demolition of the 0.8-mile (1.3km) stretch in the district of Friedrichshain has triggered outrage and led thousands to protest at the site on Sunday.A 1.5-metre (5ft) section of the wall was removed before the first protests on Friday. Another 18.5 metres is due to be dismantled, but public fury has brought the work to a temporary halt until 18 March when representatives of the developers Living Bauhaus are to meet Berlin's senate and district government.Volker Thoms, a spokesman for Maik Uwe Hinkel, the project's investor, said the pieces were being removed to make way for the rebuilding of a bridge destroyed during the second world war, not for the flats themselves. He said the removal was being carried out on behalf of Berlin's district authorities but that the bridge would also provide access to the apartments being developed."Mr Hinkel doesn't need it [the wall] to be removed. He would also be happy if another solution could be found. It has to be discussed," Thoms said.Alex Klausmeier, director of the Berlin Wall Memorial association, said he was surprised by the strong public reaction, but happy that the issue was being given so much attention."The wall is such an important part of Berlin's history and that people are in the streets demonstrating ... shows that the wall is something special," he said. "It's important to keep it as it is."
Will only be available for 7 days, so listen while you can!
As Radio 2 continues to mark the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, Richard Herring irreverently intertwines the fall of communism with the rise of David Hasselhoff.In 1989, David Hasselhoff was between jobs. Knight Rider had been cancelled a few years earlier; Baywatch had yet to rescue his career, so he decided to become a pop star. And had some success. His single, Looking For Freedom, reached number one in Austria, Switzerland, and West Germany, helped by his bright idea of taking the talking car from Knight Rider on stage with him.Meanwhile, the wheels of history turned. Communist Hungary removed its travel restrictions with Austria, allowing thousands of East German tourists to escape to Austria and enter West Germany. While weekly protests grew, Hasselhoff's song pumped away relentlessly in the discos of West Berlin. On 9 November 1989 the Wall fell. To ring in the New Year, there was no question as to who would best symbolize a new beginning and freedom - The Hoff. After spending almost two months at number one, David Hasselhoff performed Looking For Freedom live on top of the Berlin Wall in front of hundreds of thousands of Germans - and walked into the history books.Richard Herring casts an eye back over this extraordinary episode in modern history. He gets into the GDR swing of things by taking a ride in a Trabant and learning the Lipsi Dance, the German Democratic Republic's official answer to rock n' roll. We speak to key figures in the Berlin music scene including the Klaus Renft Combo, who were banned by GDR authorities, and Berliners whose lives were affected by the Wall. And we track down the producer of Looking for Freedom, fans who witnessed Hasselhoff atop the Wall, and of course, The Hoff himself.
David was on the show "Frost Over the World" on Al Jzeera Channel a few days ago and talked about how he came to perform "Looking for Freedom" on the Berlin Wall, and the people he's met.
David was on the View this morning. He touched on Susan Boyle, American Idol paychecks and AGT. He also talked about going to the Berlin Wall for the 20th Anniversary and his daughters' singing career.