Ted Turner turns 86 later this month, but his legacy is already being celebrated in a new documentary series.

“Call Me Ted” explores the media mogul’s life in six episodes, spanning Turner’s childhood, the founding of his cable companies and CNN and his later work as a philanthropist.

On Tuesday evening, a crowd gathered at the Atlanta History Center for a special preview. Those in attendance included civil rights icon and former UN Ambassador Andrew Young and CNN Chairman and CEO Mark Thompson.

David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, which now owns the networks Turner founded, led those in attendance in a rendition of “Happy Birthday” for Turner, who appeared briefly via Zoom and was surrounded by some of his family members.

In his remarks, Zaslav praised Turner as “someone to whom many of us, almost all of us in this industry, owe our careers.” He reflected on Turner’s vision of bringing the world together, emphasizing the historic nature of CNN’s coverage of the events of 1991. Gulf War on a 24-hour news network, the first of its kind.

“He really changed the world,” Zaslav said. “He changed the lives of many of us who were able to align with him and experience this great journey in the cable and media industry.”

Turner revealed in 2018 that he was living with Lewy body dementia and currently resides on his ranch in Montana.

Legendary entertainer and civil rights activist Xernona Clayton was also at Tuesday’s event. She praised Turner, who in the 1980s made her the first black female business executive at TBS after making her director and vice president of public affairs.

Clayton told CNN he was invaluable when she founded the Trumpet price in 1993 and Turner aired the show on his TBS network.

“I just love him,” she said. “He was always available to people in need and he was very honest in his answers. When you asked him questions, he would give you an honest answer, even if you didn’t like the answer.

Viewers of the docuseries will be able to witness some of this frankness as Turner serves as both subject and narrator. His children and actress Jane Fonda, formerly married to Turner, also appear.

“Call Me Ted” was written and directed by Keith Clarke and produced by Joni Levin. The series debuts Wednesday on Max and HBO, which, like CNN, are part of Warner Bros. Discovery.

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