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3w ago

Ken Burns’ ‘The American Revolution’ Sets PBS Premiere for Nov. 16–21

The decade-long series reframes the founding as a violent, contested story that foregrounds slavery, Native dispossession and the costs of nation-building.

A John Trumbull painting of the death of General Hugh Mercer at the Battle of Princeton in 1777
The 1851 painting by Emanuel Leutze titled "Washington Crossing the Delaware." Ken Burns is back with “The American Revolution,” a six-part, roughly 12-hour documentary that debuts on WTTW-Ch. 11 and carries on over the next five nights. (The Metropolitan Museum of Art)
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Overview

  • The six-part, roughly 12-hour docuseries will air across a single week on PBS, with local listings indicating nightly broadcasts beginning Nov. 16.
  • Burns directs with Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt after ten years of work, supported by a budget topping $30 million.
  • The production draws on nearly 20,000 archival items and extensive reenactments filmed across the original 13 colonies.
  • Peter Coyote narrates, with voice performances from actors including Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep and Josh Brolin as George Washington.
  • Pre-release questions about political slant have surfaced, as Burns calls the project nonpartisan and “not woke,” emphasizing an unsentimental, evidence-driven retelling.