Video: Long form

ABC’s effort took a unique look at a problem that would make any parent shudder. But more remarkable than the crew’s ability to explain childhood schizophrenia was its ability to gain the confidence of these families, who became willing to share their most intimate moments -- moments often filled with desperation. The team deserves special recognition for the trust it was able to cultivate from these struggling mothers, fathers and children. That trust enabled the viewer to get an extraordinary look at mental disease that clearly has no obvious cure.

Compelling stories and fluid story-telling drive this sharp documentary on the lack of affordable health care. The issue affects so many in this country and has been told so often, but Public Policy Productions reports these harrowing tales in an extraordinarily intimate way. The program offered comprehensive follow-up materials through community engagements and lesson plans; the availability of online materials and tie-ins to the 2008 presidential campaign; and a mash-up map that enables viewers to locate health services for the uninsured in their area.

This piece shows the impact of teachers such as Ms. Groves, whose devotion to underprivileged students improves their chances for productive futures. It took impressive commitment for Dateline to follow this young, relatively untrained educator for an entire school year. The one-hour program captures the struggles facing teachers and students alike, yet maintains a sense of optimism about the state of education in our country.

Stories about foster children are usually predictable in their storylines, but this documentary takes the unusual step of looking inside the courtrooms that rule the children’s lives. The producers provide a thorough and unflinching portrait of families involved in foster care. Happy endings seem elusive, but this production allows outsiders to perhaps understand why.

The producers created a sensitive portrayal of a family in crisis because of a mother's drug addiction.