As a former teacher in the public school system for ten years, Diane Preston Reilly was able to personally witness how young people idolized television characters. In the late 70’s while Diane was working on her doctorate in education the volume of research data she unmasked concerning television’s impact on youth and society, was very indicting.

The sobering results of her research, coupled with a deep burden and dedication to challenge young people, motivated Diane in the fall of 1980 to found Challenger Films, an Atlanta-based independent film production company. The mission of Challenger Films was (and still is) to produce wholesome programming for our nation’s youth by profiling positive, real-life role models.

THE WINNING EDGE made its debut on CBN in the fall of 1982. This inaugural airing consisted of vignettes or profiles of young achievers of varying lengths. They were used as "fillers" at the end of movies. It was then extended and developed as a Youth Study Program, emphasizing character qualities such as honesty, loyalty, self-discipline, faith, excellence, etc.

In 1986, Word, Inc. released a 12-part video format of THE WINNING EDGE. In 1987, WINNING EDGE “spots” were produced and aired on Turner Broadcasting. During this same period, Challenger Films began to develop a proposed TV series. The pilot program was aired on select stations in 1987.

THE WINNING EDGE pilot program was fully developed into a 13-week series which was accepted by ESPN in June of 1992. Two programs in the series, sponsored by Dominos Pizza, Wrigley’s Gum, and Burger King, were aired in August of 1992. The program received good Nielsen ratings by ESPN standards and ESPN received more letters requesting them to continue the series than any series they’ve run since 1986.

The next thrust of this thirteen week series was to prove this series would work with a “mainstream” audience. The series subsequently aired on many network (CBS, Fox, Paramount, WB, etc.) affiliates. Each station or broadcaster or sponsor involved with it reported it to be a very positive experience. Over the course of the next eight years, the series generated a tremendous amount of support mail (and good Nielsen ratings).

It is Dr. Preston-Reilly’s present desire to have a fresh new series produced that will air at the same time in all time zones in the country on a network with impressive youth demographics. She has embarked on a special initiative to bring this about.

Thirteen weeks of this new series, THE REAL WINNING EDGE, are now complete, and recently aired on Fox 50 in Raleigh Durham and on the WB affiliate in Charlotte, NC. Both of these stations were impressed with the success of the airing, and wrote a letter endorsing the series.

Challenger Films is now producing the second thirteen weeks of THE REAL WINNING EDGE series, so it will be ready for national distribution by the fall of ‘08.