Scott Craig, a versatile and award-winning producer of television documentaries for two Chicago television stations, passed away after a brief illness on April 18 at Munson Medical Center in Traverse City, Michigan.
Known as a consummate documentarian, Craig was described by former Ch. 2 News anchor Bill Kurtis as someone who embodied the definition of documentary filmmaking, comparing it to making a movie without a script.Born William Scott Craig in Ohio, Craig grew up with a passion for theater, later earning master’s and doctoral degrees in the field from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Despite his theater background, he began his career in broadcasting as a radio disc jockey in 1957, transitioning to television in 1959 at WCIA-TV in Champaign.
Inspired by old Depression-era documentaries, Craig and his associates started producing mini-documentaries. In 1963, he arrived in Chicago to work for Channel 2, where he made a name for himself with his insightful documentaries on various topics, including the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, overlooked Illinois natives, and the complexities of Cook County’s judicial system.
In 1965, Craig moved to Channel 5, where he began winning local Emmy awards for his documentaries. His early subjects included a historical exploration of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, a spotlight on overlooked Illinois natives, and an examination of Cook County’s unified circuit court system following judicial reforms in 1964.
In 1975, Craig returned to Channel 2 as an executive producer, also starting his own production company the same year. His first documentary for Channel 2 was a one-hour special on Chicago musician Oscar Brown Jr.
Craig’s work was highly regarded for its compelling narratives and ability to keep viewers engaged. Kathy Giangreco, who worked with Craig for many years, recalled his exceptional storytelling skills, noting that he always had a story to tell about whatever was happening and knew how to captivate an audience.
Molly Bedell, a former producer at Channel 2, highlighted Craig’s willingness to tackle controversial topics. One of their collaborations, a two-part documentary titled “A Matter of Policy,” examined the close relationships between large insurance companies and state legislators.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Craig’s documentaries explored various social issues, including postpartum depression, America’s inland waterways, the condition of Chicago’s public schools, pollution, and the impact on widows of men who served in the Vietnam War.
Craig’s work garnered critical acclaim, earning him a Peabody Award in 1983 for “Studebaker: Less Than They Promised” and a duPont-Columbia Award for “Once a Priest,” a documentary about the religious and personal fates of ten priests who graduated from a seminary in 1957.
One of Craig’s most controversial documentaries, “Watching the Watchdog,” aired in 1981 and took on ABC’s “20/20” program, correspondent Geraldo Rivera, and the reporting methods of the Chicago Sun-Times and Better Government Association.
Craig also produced individual documentaries on Chicago luminaries Studs Terkel, Jane Byrne, and Irv Kupcinet. Later in his career, he produced programs for HGTV and PBS, including “Lost in Middle America,” narrated by actor Hal Holbrook.
Over his distinguished career, Craig won 32 Emmy awards from the Chicago Chapter of the Television Academy. Reflecting on his career in 1988, Craig acknowledged his longevity in the field and the role of prestige in Chicago’s television landscape.
After retiring from television production in 2004, Craig moved full-time to Michigan, where he created a radio program called “The Story Next Door” on Interlochen Public Radio. He also compiled short vignettes about people from northern Michigan into a book of the same name and wrote two plays adapted from works by authors in northern Michigan.
Scott Craig’s legacy as a documentary producer is one of exceptional storytelling, thought-provoking content, and a commitment to examining critical social issues. His work has left an indelible mark on Chicago television and continues to inspire and inform audiences to this day.
