Sundance Film Festival 2026 – Initially, the thought of a documentary about a public access TV station doesn’t seem all that interesting. However, director David Shadrack Smith’s film Public Access is a fascinating look at the rise of Manhattan Cable. It also overlaps with a cultural history of New York City during an influential and groundbreaking wave of artistic expression in the 1970s and 1980s.
Like any good documentary, the film digs into the background and history of Manhattan Cable, and in turn, a history of New York City’s cultural and arts scenes in the late 1960s, into the 1970s. There’s mention of Andy Warhol and CBGBs. There are clips of Patti Smith, The Ramones, and Richard Hell. The city was a mecca for artists during that period, and Manhattan was actually affordable.
Manhattan Cable aired videos that viewers sent in with no editorial interference. This ranged from funny skits to more serious news segments, to footage of the bands that rocked CBGBs. Eventually, Manhattan Cable’s reputation grew, leading to more videos and a wider audience for the public access TV station.
The documentary also explores the controversy that the company ran into. Because it was owned by Time Warner, the bigwigs weren’t exactly pleased with everything that aired on the station. For instance, porn producer Al Goldstein continually sent in videos that the station had to air, since it promised no editorial interference. At one point, Time Warner demanded the station cease playing Goldstein’s content. This resulted in a lawsuit and a battle over the First Amendment. Goldstein eventually won. There’s also mention of the character “Ugly George” (George Urban) who continually sent the station misogynistic segments. While a lot of the staff absolutely detested his videos, they had to play them, due to the station’s promised mission.
The documentary really succeeds when it shows the parallels between New York City’s booming art scene at the time and also the overlap between historical and cultural events. The middle of the documentary focuses on the gay rights movement and how Manhattan Cable pioneered queer TV programming through shows like “The Emerald City” and segments produced by Lou Maletta. It’s eye-opening to learn just how progressive Manhattan Cable was in launching queer programming.
There’s emphasis on the AIDs crisis and how Maletta, who created the Gay Cable Network through Manhattan Cable, helped to educate the public about AIDs, including how to keep safe. This helped to dispel the worst myths about the pandemic. While this documentary traces Manhattan Cable’s evolution and growth, it also addresses a much deeper history, including queer history.
Public Access is a riveting look at New York City in the late 1970s into the 1980s. It traces Manhattan Cable’s growth and the power and controversy of the public access TV station. Overall, the documentary is a celebration of self-expression, bolstered by an array of colorful personalities that made New York City a haven for artists and freethinkers at the time.
