TV alert: Ken Burns' National Parks epic
In case you don't watch much TV, you might not have heard - a new Ken Burns epic debuts this weekend - "The National Parks, America's Best Idea."
If you love parks, the outdoors or history, you'll probably want to check it out. Burns, who's filmed histories of the Civil War, baseball, jazz, the West, the Second World War and more, spent six years compiling footage and stories from national parks in every corner of the land - Acadia, Alaska, the Everglades, the Grand Canyon and Yosemite, to name just some.
It airs on PBS over six nights, starting Sunday Sept. 27 at 8 p.m. If you can't wait, or want to know more, go here for a preview and here to get a snapshot of the parks' history.
Comments
I just saw Ken's interview with Matt Lauer on the 'Today Show ' and can't wait to see this series, gonna be something! Thank you Ken for sharing your experience with the world.
Posted by: Deborah Morrison | September 25, 2009 10:26 AM
I just saw Mr. Burns on the Today Show promoting his new film about America's National Parks.
Would someone PLEASE inform Mr. Burns that we are a REPUBLIC..and not a DEMOCRACY?
Thank You
Posted by: May | September 25, 2009 10:27 AM
We've got a series of iPhone apps we're releasing in parallel with the series.
Posted by: Alan Oppenheimer | September 25, 2009 11:40 AM
I am very excited for this release that is coordinated with National Public Lands Day on Saturday. Hopefully, it will get a lot of attention and remind the American public just how valuable our parks are.
My only complaint is that it appears Mr. Burns has limited his coverage to the major and well-known "natural" National Parks, omitting the other, more plentiful parks known as National Historical Parks, National Battlefields, National Historic Sites, National Monuments, National Memorials, National Cemeteries, and National Preserves.
The large, scenic and natural parks - like Yosemite, Yellowstone, Everglades, and Arcadia - are wonderful, but usually require a large travel commitment to visit. The other parks are more plentiful and usually located closer to our heavily populated areas.
I am excited for the Burns special and I am sure it will be terrific. But, I would have loved to see him take the chance to remind the city-folk that funding for the National Park Service goes to every state and everybody can easily get out to see one of your more local parklands.
Posted by: C Gates | September 25, 2009 12:34 PM