Almost 50 years after the Chappaquiddick scandal that derailed Senator Ted Kennedy's presidential ambitions, a new television series is set to revisit the tragic events of July 18, 1969. The upcoming episode of ABC's '1969' will focus on the night when Kennedy drove his car off a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island, resulting in the death of 28-year-old Mary Jo Kopechne.
Kopechne, who worked on Robert F. Kennedy's 1968 presidential campaign and helped draft speeches, has often been overshadowed by the political fallout for Ted Kennedy. The show aims to highlight her story, which has 'largely been lost to history,' according to a news release about the programme.
Questions still surround the incident, particularly why Kennedy waited ten hours to report the crash to police. He was charged with leaving the scene of an accident and received a suspended sentence. The series will also explore other major events of 1969, including the moon landing, which diverted media attention from the scandal.
The six-part series '1969' airs on ABC on Tuesday, May 7, and examines a year marked by triumph and turmoil, from Woodstock to the Vietnam War protests.
