This past week the much-hyped Ken Burns’, The American Revolution, six-part documentary ran on PBS. So, being clueless on streaming, I googled and figured out how to add the PBS app to my Roku listing. I have older TVs and use a Roku stick, my sister recommended I buy, and one of my sons set it up for me. That was the first small problem solved, but as I watched the first episode a much bigger problem hit me.
I wanted to give rave reviews to this documentary, because every American should be celebrating and happy to learn more about America’s founding.
This documentary was well-researched, had an array of prominent historians explaining events and had a famous cast of actors for the voices of famous historical figures, but I found it very boring to watch still images of historical documents being read by voice actors or renowned historians popping up to give history lectures. If I had watched something like this before the digital age, I probably would have not been as bored, so I admit my criticism is about how I have changed and not solely about Burns’ documentary.
A shorter version of this presented in a couple podcasts would have been much more enjoyable for me, than to sit there looking at the TV screen with little action beyond actors reading famous quotes and letters and historians giving history lectures. I rewatched, the 2000 movie, The Patriot, recently and I sat there for almost three hours and never had my attention wander for a minute. Watching the Burns documentary, I fell asleep during the first episode, tried the second episode the next night and fell asleep again, then I gave up.
I’ve found some good history podcasts that are engaging and I think Burns’ presentation would have worked better shortened as a podcast. And since Burns is very energized about the Trump policy to end federal subsidies for NPR and PBS, well, he got involved in partisan politics when doing interviews about this documentary, which was unfortunate.. I would be willing to bet most of the people ranting about “we must save PBS” could not stay focused through six 2-hour episodes of this documentary. I love early American history, but I struggled to sit there staring at the TV screen with nothing much happening – lectures and still images. I can guarantee if teachers use this 6 part documentary to teach kids about the American Revolution almost every kid will lose interest quickly.
Giving this negative review on Burns’ documentary isn’t about politics or his expertise as a producer of documentaries, it’s more I think times have changed and I’ve changed. I am working to become a better listener, to improve my attention span listening to audiobooks. I am working to improve my attention span reading written material too, since I know digital media has impaired my attention span with reading. That said I should probably have downloaded the PBS app on my cell phone and tried to listen to this documentary with ear buds, while working on some craft project. I would have stayed awake that way, even if my mind likely would have drifted at times.
And that I’ve spent more time thinking about what would have improved my chances of staying awake through 12 hours of a much-hyped PBS extravaganza probably tells a story in itself about why PBS is not the wave of the future to educate young people.
Oh, one other annoying thing about this PBS app I added to my streaming menu is there was a list of other highly-acclaimed Ken Burns documentaries offered, but most of them require a PBS passport subscription – so you have to pay for them. Something feels wrong about calling it “public broadcasting” & then Americans have to pay for access to some of it, yet then supporters of public funding counter with the argument only a tiny amount of its costs are from government funding. I felt like even “public broadcasting” gets you coming or going – tax dollars and subscription services.
Despite my disappointment with this Burns documentary, I am still enthused about celebrating America’s 250 Anniversary,
I loved reading the John Jakes American Revolution series during the American Bicentennial and I hope to read those again, as part of my personal 250th American Anniversary celebration. I don’t know what on earth happened to my paperback set, but I remember using babysitting money to buy each one. My Hoopla via my local library has the entire series and I already added them to my favorites list,
FYI, I have found some very good history podcasts by Wondery , especially their American History Tellers and Tides of History series.
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