Emmy-winning producer David McCourt spoke at SXSW about his upcoming PBS docuseries 'Amerigo,' which examines the state of the American Dream as the United States nears its 250th anniversary in 2026. Drawing from his grandfather's immigrant success story, McCourt questioned whether similar opportunities remain available today. He highlighted corporate practices and societal challenges based on conversations across the country.
During a fireside chat at SXSW on March 13, 2026, hosted by filmmaker George Nolfi at Brazos Hall in Downtown Austin, David McCourt, an Irish-American entrepreneur and producer with Granahan McCourt Capital, delved into the themes of his forthcoming PBS docuseries 'Amerigo.' The series explores whether the American Dream persists, inspired by McCourt's grandfather, who arrived in the US at 16 years old, uneducated, worked as a janitor, raised a family, bought a home, and died debt-free.
McCourt posed a central question: "And if [they’re] not possible, is that the country we want to live in?" To investigate, he traveled across the country, listening to Americans express their views without a political agenda. He described the experience as “eye-opening,” noting that people felt “something was broken, but not all of America,” with reasons for optimism amid evident issues.
McCourt attributed many problems to corporate actions. From World War II to 1970, corporate profits as a percentage of GDP rose from 6% to 18%, yet companies reduced the labor force by 6% instead of lowering prices, sharing gains with workers, or supporting communities. He criticized measuring national health solely by GDP, stating, “Comparing everything to GDP is really unhealthy,” and added that a strong stock market benefits equity owners but means little to a plumber: “If you’re a plumber, it doesn’t mean sh*t.”
These challenges affect most people, not just the working class, and require a mentality shift toward sharing profits, as “When a company becomes more profitable, it’s because you either charged the consumer more or the people working did a better job. And [the wealth] needs to be shared.” McCourt called the opposite approach “not the best way to run a country, not the fairest way to run the country, not a moral way to run the country.” He also pointed to lobbying influence, with 22 registered lobbyists per member of Congress and possibly three times as many unregistered, contributing to voter disillusionment.
Additionally, McCourt addressed workers' lack of time leading to mental health issues, the dangers of slashed publicly-funded media eroding trust in information, and the potential for AI to intensify these problems. He advocated for a “fact-based” conversation to break down issues like algebra: “You’re going to grow to love it because it’s the only thing where you can learn to look at an impossible problem and break it down into small pieces.”
To foster dialogue, McCourt launched a website initiative aiming to collect hopes for America's future from a million people, distributing videos to 350 PBS stations to build consensus on necessary changes.
