Where to watch Lulu Gribbin on NBC’s ‘Great American’ tonight, Aug. 7
Reading time: 3 minutes
One of Birmingham’s own is about to share screen time with the likes of Billie Jean King, Michael Phelps, Ruby Bridges and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
NBC News is profiling Mountain Brook’s Lulu Gribbin tonight (Friday, Aug. 7) as part of its “Great Americans” series hosted by Tom Llamas, which features people who’ve left a mark on their communities as the country celebrates its 250th anniversary.
Lulu joins 15 other highlighted individuals:
- Michael Phelps — Olympic swimmer + mental health advocate
- Billie Jean King — Tennis legend and equality activist
- Jesse Cole — Founder of the Savannah Bananas
- Brad Paisley — Country music icon
- Lt. Colonel William Swenson — Medal of Honor recipient
- Ruby Bridges — Civil rights icon
- John Grisham — Bestselling legal thriller author
- Andrés Cantor — Legendary sports commentator
- Misty Copeland — Trailblazing ballerina
- Alex Cole — Representation advocate with the Legacy Flight Academy
- Eileen Collins — Retired NASA astronaut + first female shuttle commander
- John Leguizamo — Actor, playwright + activist
- Rick Steves — Travel writer + public television host
- Emeril Lagasse — Renowned celebrity chef
- Debbie Miller — Dedicated curator of the Liberty Bell
When 17-year-old Lulu joins this impressive lineup, she will become the first teenager and youngest person featured in the “Great American” series since its April 2026 launch.
Lulu Gribbin’s shark attack recovery + advocacy work, explained
In June 2024, Lulu was attacked by a bull shark, losing her left hand and part of her right leg. Her first words after surgery — “I MADE IT” — became the rallying cry for everything that’s followed.
Since then, Lulu has:
- Helped pass the Lulu Gribbin Shark Alert System Act here in Alabama
- Championed Lulu’s Law (S.1003), a bipartisan federal bill signed into law on June 26, 2026
- Founded the Lulu Strong Foundation, a nonprofit working to make AI-powered prosthetics, VR therapy and other rehab tech more accessible and affordable for amputees
- Spoken to crowds as large as 19,000 people, including stops at the Alabama State Legislature and TEDx Youth
- Appeared on Good Morning America and CBS Mornings, and now, NBC Nightly News
This will not be the first time Lulu has appeared on Tom Llamas’ nightly news segment on NBC. In July, she appeared for an interview when Llamas covered the introduction of the shark attack national warning system.
How to watch Lulu Gribbin on WVTM 13 tonight
- What: NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Llamas interviews Lulu Gribbin for the “Great Americans” series
- When: Tonight, Friday, Aug. 7, at 5:55PM Central
- Where:
- Locally on WVTM 13, Birmingham’s NBC affiliate
- Top Story with Tom Llamas via YouTube and NBC News Now
- Extended interview posts online at NBCNews.com/GreatAmericans shortly after it airs
How to support the Lulu Strong Foundation
You can follow Lulu’s continued advocacy on Instagram, or text “Lulu” to 91999 to support the Lulu Strong Foundation.
