Behind the story

By TOM JONES, Times Staff Writer
Published October 6, 2007

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ESPN will air a documentary Sunday morning at 9:30 on the story of Jim Jones Jr and Rob Jones - the son and grandson of infamous Peoples Temple founder Jim Jones. Jonestown: The Game of Their Lives will be seen on the network's Outside the Lines.

The story has been in production since January and the Outside the Lines crew was only the third camera crew to visit the Jonestown site since 1979. The piece features never-before-seen photographs obtained by home video, personal photos from those who lived there and even from the FBI.

"Until you literally machete through the bush and arrive on the site, you just don't get it," said ESPN's Jon Fish, who produced the piece. "And you get there and you think: 'They built a basketball court in the middle of this?' That's when the story came together."

Chris Connelly hosts the story and said, "I'm 50, and like most people my age, you remember what happened at Jonestown and how shocking it was. But then you learn the story of Rob and Jim that came out of this. Rob and Jim are extraordinary people."

The 19 1/2-minute feature will be aired without commercials. ESPN Vice President Craig Lazarus said the network is considering making it a longer feature to be broadcast in the future.

Outside the Lines also is aired on ESPNews at noon.