Ken Burns

Directing

Ken Burns

Born

1953-07-29 (73)

Place of birth

Brooklyn, New York, USA

Known for

Directing

Credits

74 titles

Ken Burns (born 1953) is a highly celebrated American documentarian who gradually amassed a considerable reputation and a devoted audience with a series of reassuringly traditional meditations on Americana. Burns' works are treasure troves of archival materials; he skillfully utilizes period music and footage, photographs, periodicals and ordinary people's correspondence, the latter often movingly read by seasoned professional actors in a deliberate attempt to get away from a "Great Man" approach to history. Like most non-fiction filmmakers, Burns wears many hats on his projects, often serving as writer, cinematographer, editor and music director in addition to producing and directing. He ac…

Known for

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson poster
7.6

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under The Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night. For its first ten years, Carson's Tonight Show was based in New York City with occasional trips to Burbank, California; in May 1972, the show moved permanently to Burbank, California. In 2002, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson was ranked #12 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

1962

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon poster
5.8

After Jay Leno's second retirement from the program, Jimmy Fallon stepped in as his permanent replacement. After 42 years in Los Angeles the program was brought back to New York.

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

2014

The Simpsons poster
8.0

Set in Springfield, the average American town, the show focuses on the antics and everyday adventures of the Simpson family; Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie, as well as a virtual cast of thousands. Since the beginning, the series has been a pop culture icon, attracting hundreds of celebrities to guest star. The show has also made name for itself in its fearless satirical take on politics, media and American life in general.

The Simpsons

1989

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert poster
6.1

Stephen Colbert brings his signature satire and comedy to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the #1 show in late night, where he talks with an eclectic mix of guests about what is new and relevant in the worlds of politics, entertainment, business, music, technology, and more. Featuring bandleader Jon Batiste with his band Stay Human, the Emmy Award-nominated show is broadcast from the historic Ed Sullivan Theater.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

2015

The Daily Show poster
6.4

The World's Fakest News Team tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and pop culture.

The Daily Show

1996

Late Show with David Letterman poster
6.5

David Letterman uses mature humor to appeal to his audience in this weeknight series, which gets its music from a house band led by Paul Shaffer. Among the show's most-famous segments are the Top Ten List and Stupid Pet Tricks, the latter of which subsequently led to an additional recurring segment called Stupid Human Tricks.

Late Show with David Letterman

1993

Film credits

2020s · 5 titles

The Unmaking of a College poster
8.0

In THE UNMAKING OF A COLLEGE, students at Hampshire College confront a new president's underhanded attempt to shut down their school and discover that a powerful institution is bullying an inexperienced administration into giving up the independence of one of the most experimenting colleges in the United States. A raucous ode to democracy in action, this film evokes the courage required to stand up to power at a time when many liberal arts colleges are failing.

The Unmaking of a College

2022

Ken Burns: One Nation, Many Stories poster
NR

Explore the acclaimed filmmaker's more recent work in new interviews with Burns and his colleagues. Featuring excerpts from Country Music, Muhammad Ali, Benjamin Franklin, The U.S. and the Holocaust, The American Buffalo, The Vietnam War and others.

Ken Burns: One Nation, Many Stories

2024

Here For A Good Time poster
NR

Here For A Good Time tells the story of Hampshire College, a tiny liberal arts school in Western Mass with a reputation for really knowing how to party.

Here For A Good Time

2020

Ken Burns: Here & There poster
NR

Explore the filmmaker’s life and career in interviews with colleagues, friends and Burns himself. The importance of place emerges as a theme as he reflects on his own geographic touchstones, from the Brooklyn Bridge to small-town New Hampshire.

Ken Burns: Here & There

2020

Spirit of Golf poster
NR

In his new film, Spirit of Golf, photographer and documentary filmmaker Christopher Felver traces his personal 20-year odyssey in search of the essence of the “auld Scots game.” Inspired by Michael Murphy’s book, Golf in the Kingdom, he travels to many of golf’s historic, fabled courses: St Andrews, Pebble Beach, Augusta National, among others. He interviews many of the game’s great champions and more than a few colorful characters, who are asked the question, “What is the spirit of golf?” We hear from Arnold Palmer, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Johnny Miller, the wonderfully unique Moe Norman, Kathy Whitworth and Nancy Lopez, and notable teachers such as David Leadbetter, “Butch” Harmon and commentators Herbert Warren Wind, Jack Whitaker, and Jim Nantz. All the answers are marvelously diverse, funny, and poetic… just like the game itself.

Spirit of Golf

2023

2010s · 6 titles

Very Ralph poster
6.3

The first documentary portrait of fashion icon Ralph Lauren, reveals the man behind the icon and the creation of one of the most successful brands in fashion history.

Very Ralph

2019

Plimpton! Starring George Plimpton as Himself poster
7.7

Plimpton! tells the story of writer, editor, amateur sportsman and friend to many, George Plimpton. Using Plimpton’s own narration – along with thoughts and stories from friends, family and contemporaries – the film is a joyful celebration of a life lived fully, richly, strangely, and, at times, a life that is hard to believe was actually lived by just one man.

Plimpton! Starring George Plimpton as Himself

2012

No artwork available
NR

Actor Courtney B. Vance hosts this special celebrating Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr.'s work with focus on his five quintessential documentary series about American, African and African American history for PBS.

Henry Louis Gates Jr.: Uncovering America

2019

Yosemite — A Gathering of Spirit poster
NR

Burns’ Yosemite: A Gathering of Spirit, a documentary film produced to honor the 150th anniversary of the landmark act signed by Abraham Lincoln. This act preserved Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias.

Yosemite — A Gathering of Spirit

2013

A Hall for Heroes: The Inaugural Hall of Fame Induction of 1939 poster
NR

A history of the origin of National Baseball Hall of Fame and its first induction ceremony in 1939.

A Hall for Heroes: The Inaugural Hall of Fame Induction of 1939

2010

No artwork available
NR

Award-winning filmmaker Ken Burns sits down with OETA's Dick Pryor to discuss his latest documentary, "The Dust Bowl,' upcoming projects, and the thrill of filming America's history.

OETA's On the Record: Ken Burns

2014

2000s · 2 titles

Series credits

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson poster
7.6

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under The Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night. For its first ten years, Carson's Tonight Show was based in New York City with occasional trips to Burbank, California; in May 1972, the show moved permanently to Burbank, California. In 2002, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson was ranked #12 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

1962

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon poster
5.8

After Jay Leno's second retirement from the program, Jimmy Fallon stepped in as his permanent replacement. After 42 years in Los Angeles the program was brought back to New York.

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

2014

The Simpsons poster
8.0

Set in Springfield, the average American town, the show focuses on the antics and everyday adventures of the Simpson family; Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie, as well as a virtual cast of thousands. Since the beginning, the series has been a pop culture icon, attracting hundreds of celebrities to guest star. The show has also made name for itself in its fearless satirical take on politics, media and American life in general.

The Simpsons

1989

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert poster
6.1

Stephen Colbert brings his signature satire and comedy to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the #1 show in late night, where he talks with an eclectic mix of guests about what is new and relevant in the worlds of politics, entertainment, business, music, technology, and more. Featuring bandleader Jon Batiste with his band Stay Human, the Emmy Award-nominated show is broadcast from the historic Ed Sullivan Theater.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

2015

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert poster
6.1

Stephen Colbert brings his signature satire and comedy to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the #1 show in late night, where he talks with an eclectic mix of guests about what is new and relevant in the worlds of politics, entertainment, business, music, technology, and more. Featuring bandleader Jon Batiste with his band Stay Human, the Emmy Award-nominated show is broadcast from the historic Ed Sullivan Theater.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

2015

The Daily Show poster
6.4

The World's Fakest News Team tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and pop culture.

The Daily Show

1996

Late Show with David Letterman poster
6.5

David Letterman uses mature humor to appeal to his audience in this weeknight series, which gets its music from a house band led by Paul Shaffer. Among the show's most-famous segments are the Top Ten List and Stupid Pet Tricks, the latter of which subsequently led to an additional recurring segment called Stupid Human Tricks.

Late Show with David Letterman

1993

The Colbert Report poster
7.0

The Colbert Report is an American satirical late night television program. It stars political humorist Stephen Colbert, a former correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. The Colbert Report is a spin-off from and counterpart to The Daily Show that comments on politics and the media in a similar way. The show focuses on a fictional anchorman character named Stephen Colbert, played by his real-life namesake. The character, described by Colbert as a "well-intentioned, poorly informed, high-status idiot", is a caricature of televised political pundits.

The Colbert Report

2005

The Colbert Report poster
7.0

The Colbert Report is an American satirical late night television program. It stars political humorist Stephen Colbert, a former correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. The Colbert Report is a spin-off from and counterpart to The Daily Show that comments on politics and the media in a similar way. The show focuses on a fictional anchorman character named Stephen Colbert, played by his real-life namesake. The character, described by Colbert as a "well-intentioned, poorly informed, high-status idiot", is a caricature of televised political pundits.

The Colbert Report

2005

The View poster
4.3

ABC Daytime's morning chatfest, currently featuring Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, Sara Haines, Alyssa Farah Griffin, and Ana Navarro discussing the most exciting events of the day. Hot topics in the news, the best experts in their field, celebrity interviews and general entertainment are all part of The View.

The View

1997

Late Night with Conan O'Brien poster
7.3

Stepping into the late-late slot vacated by David Letterman, Conan O'Brien stars in a show that far outdoes its competition in sheer strangeness. Along with the celebrity interviews and musical numbers typical of late-night talk shows, this program make frequent use of odd walk-on characters and frequent "visits" from celebrity guests.

Late Night with Conan O'Brien

1993

60 Minutes poster
6.5

America's popular television News magazine in which an ever changing team of CBS News correspondents contribute segments ranging from hard news coverage to politics to lifestyle and pop culture.

60 Minutes

1968

The Mindy Project poster
6.3

Obstetrician/gynecologist Mindy Lahiri tries to balance her personal and professional life, surrounded by quirky co-workers in a small medical practice in New York City.

The Mindy Project

2012

Face the Nation poster
8.5

Face The Nation with Margaret Brennan is an American Sunday morning political interview show, which premiered on the CBS television network. It is one of the longest-running news programs in television history, having debuted in 1954.

Face the Nation

1954

Today poster
5.6

Today is a daily American morning television show that airs on NBC. The program debuted on January 14, 1952. It was the first of its genre on American television and in the world, and is the fifth-longest running American television series. Originally a two-hour program on weekdays, it expanded to Sundays in 1987 and Saturdays in 1992. The weekday broadcast expanded to three hours in 2000, and to four hours in 2007. Today's dominance was virtually unchallenged by the other networks until the late 1980s, when it was overtaken by ABC's Good Morning America. Today retook the Nielsen ratings lead the week of December 11, 1995, and held onto that position for 852 consecutive weeks until the week of April 9, 2012, when it was beaten by Good Morning America yet again. In 2002, Today was ranked #17 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest Television Shows of All Time.

Today

1952

No artwork available
6.4

The Tony Danza Show was a daytime variety talk show that premiered on September 13, 2004 in syndication and was distributed by Buena Vista Television.

The Tony Danza Show

2004

Firing Line with Margaret Hoover poster
8.0

Join author, activist and commentator Margaret Hoover for a public affairs talk show that delivers a civil and engaging contest of ideas among the brightest minds and voices from across the ideological spectrum.

Firing Line with Margaret Hoover

2018

Firing Line with Margaret Hoover poster
8.0

Join author, activist and commentator Margaret Hoover for a public affairs talk show that delivers a civil and engaging contest of ideas among the brightest minds and voices from across the ideological spectrum.

Firing Line with Margaret Hoover

2018

Finding Your Roots poster
6.5

Noted Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr. has been helping people discover long-lost relatives hidden for generations within the branches of their family trees. Professor Gates utilizes a team of genealogists to reconstruct the paper trail left behind by our ancestors and the world’s leading geneticists to decode our DNA and help us travel thousands of years into the past to discover the origins of our earliest forebears.

Finding Your Roots

2012

Difficult People poster
6.3

Life is really tough for Julie Kessler and Billy Epstein, two thirty-something aspiring comics living and working in New York City. While their friends and acquaintances move on to find success and love, they continue to struggle with careers and relationships, getting more bitter by the day.

Difficult People

2015

The Problem with Jon Stewart poster
7.2

It's easy to feel overwhelmed by the world's problems. It's harder to pinpoint the systems responsible for creating them. In this series, Jon Stewart brings together people impacted by different parts of a problem to discuss how we come up with change.

The Problem with Jon Stewart

2021

This Week poster
9.0

ABC's Sunday morning political affairs program, currently hosted by George Stephanopoulos.

This Week

1981

CNN Special Report poster
6.7

In hour-long, in-depth explorations, CNN hosts examine extraordinary individuals, unexpected events and controversial subjects through interviews, stories, images and videos.

CNN Special Report

1980

Craft in America poster
NR

Explore the vitality, history and significance of the craft movement in the United States and its impact on our nation's rich cultural heritage. Capturing the beauty, creativity and originality of craftsmanship, the show highlights artists and explores the inter-relationship of what they do, how they do it and why they have chosen a life of creating art.

Craft in America

2007

MLB: Baseball's Seasons poster
NR

Baseball's Seasons is a documentary series on MLB Network. Each episode takes a look at a season in the history of Major League Baseball. It first aired January 7, 2009 in the first week of the network's existence. Like a lot of the network's other original programming, Baseball's Seasons airs during baseball's offseason.

MLB: Baseball's Seasons

2009

In the Know poster
6.5

Lauren Caspian is public radio's third most popular host. He's a well-meaning, hypocritical nimrod, just like you and me. He's also a stop motion puppet. Each episode follows the making of an episode of Lauren's show In the Know, in which Lauren conducts in-depth interviews with real world human guests. Lauren collaborates with a diverse crew of NPR staff. They are also puppets and nimrods.

In the Know

2024

Back on the Record with Bob Costas poster
6.0

In-depth interviews with the biggest names in sports, entertainment, and popular culture, and discussions led by Bob Costas that addresses the most topical issues in sports.

Back on the Record with Bob Costas

2021

The Joe Rogan Experience poster
NR

A free-form, long-form audio and video podcast hosted by American comedian, UFC commentator, and television presenter Joe Rogan.

The Joe Rogan Experience

2009

No artwork available
5.0

The Tim McCarver Show is a syndicated sports show hosted by Tim McCarver featuring interviews with athletes, coaches, managers, authors, and sportscasters, from every type of sport.

The Tim McCarver Show

2005

Behind the camera

The Mayo Clinic poster
7.0

The Mayo Clinic tells the story of a unique medical institution that has been called a "Medical Mecca," the "Supreme Court of Medicine," and the "place for hope where there is no hope." The Mayo Clinic began in 1883 as an unlikely partnership between the Sisters of Saint Francis and a country doctor named William Worrall Mayo after a devastating tornado in rural Minnesota. Since then, it has grown into an organization that treats more than a million patients a year from all 50 states and 150 countries. Dr. Mayo had a simple philosophy he imparted to his sons Will and Charlie: "the needs of the patient come first." They wouldn't treat diseases...they would treat people. In a world where healthcare delivery is typically fragmented among individual specialties, the Mayo Clinic practices a multi-specialty, team-based approach that has, from its beginnings, created a culture that thrives on collaboration.

The Mayo Clinic

2018

The Mayo Clinic poster
7.0

The Mayo Clinic tells the story of a unique medical institution that has been called a "Medical Mecca," the "Supreme Court of Medicine," and the "place for hope where there is no hope." The Mayo Clinic began in 1883 as an unlikely partnership between the Sisters of Saint Francis and a country doctor named William Worrall Mayo after a devastating tornado in rural Minnesota. Since then, it has grown into an organization that treats more than a million patients a year from all 50 states and 150 countries. Dr. Mayo had a simple philosophy he imparted to his sons Will and Charlie: "the needs of the patient come first." They wouldn't treat diseases...they would treat people. In a world where healthcare delivery is typically fragmented among individual specialties, the Mayo Clinic practices a multi-specialty, team-based approach that has, from its beginnings, created a culture that thrives on collaboration.

The Mayo Clinic

2018

The Central Park Five poster
7.0

In 1989, five black and Latino teenagers from Harlem were arrested and later convicted of raping a white woman in New York City's Central Park. They spent between 6 and 13 years in prison before a serial rapist confessed that he alone had committed the crime, leading to their convictions being overturned. Set against a backdrop of a decaying city beset by violence and racial tension, this is the story of that horrific crime, the rush to judgment by the police, a media clamoring for sensational stories and an outraged public, and the five lives upended by this miscarriage of justice.

The Central Park Five

2012

The Central Park Five poster
7.0

In 1989, five black and Latino teenagers from Harlem were arrested and later convicted of raping a white woman in New York City's Central Park. They spent between 6 and 13 years in prison before a serial rapist confessed that he alone had committed the crime, leading to their convictions being overturned. Set against a backdrop of a decaying city beset by violence and racial tension, this is the story of that horrific crime, the rush to judgment by the police, a media clamoring for sensational stories and an outraged public, and the five lives upended by this miscarriage of justice.

The Central Park Five

2012

The Central Park Five poster
7.0

In 1989, five black and Latino teenagers from Harlem were arrested and later convicted of raping a white woman in New York City's Central Park. They spent between 6 and 13 years in prison before a serial rapist confessed that he alone had committed the crime, leading to their convictions being overturned. Set against a backdrop of a decaying city beset by violence and racial tension, this is the story of that horrific crime, the rush to judgment by the police, a media clamoring for sensational stories and an outraged public, and the five lives upended by this miscarriage of justice.

The Central Park Five

2012

Mark Twain poster
7.1

Largely considered to be the greatest American author, Mark Twain is celebrated in this exhaustive documentary by filmmaker Ken Burns.

Mark Twain

2002

Mark Twain poster
7.1

Largely considered to be the greatest American author, Mark Twain is celebrated in this exhaustive documentary by filmmaker Ken Burns.

Mark Twain

2002

Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson poster
7.2

The story of Jack Johnson, the first African American Heavyweight boxing champion.

Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson

2004

The Statue of Liberty poster
6.9

For more than 100 years, the Statue of Liberty has been a symbol of hope and refuge for generations of immigrants. In this lyrical, compelling and provocative portrait of the statue, Ken Burns explores both the history of America’s premier symbol and the meaning of liberty itself. Featuring rare archival photographs, paintings and drawings, readings from actual diaries, letters and newspapers of the day, the fascinating story of this universally admired monument is told. In interviews with Americans from all walks of life, including former New York governor Mario Cuomo, the late congresswoman Barbara Jordan and the late writers James Baldwin and Jerzy Kosinski, The Statue of Liberty examines the nature of liberty and the significance of the statue to American life. Nominated for both the Academy Award ® and the Emmy Award ®, The Statue of Liberty received the prestigious CINE Golden Eagle, the Christopher Award and the Blue Ribbon at the American Film Festival.

The Statue of Liberty

1985

The Statue of Liberty poster
6.9

For more than 100 years, the Statue of Liberty has been a symbol of hope and refuge for generations of immigrants. In this lyrical, compelling and provocative portrait of the statue, Ken Burns explores both the history of America’s premier symbol and the meaning of liberty itself. Featuring rare archival photographs, paintings and drawings, readings from actual diaries, letters and newspapers of the day, the fascinating story of this universally admired monument is told. In interviews with Americans from all walks of life, including former New York governor Mario Cuomo, the late congresswoman Barbara Jordan and the late writers James Baldwin and Jerzy Kosinski, The Statue of Liberty examines the nature of liberty and the significance of the statue to American life. Nominated for both the Academy Award ® and the Emmy Award ®, The Statue of Liberty received the prestigious CINE Golden Eagle, the Christopher Award and the Blue Ribbon at the American Film Festival.

The Statue of Liberty

1985

Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip poster
7.7

In the spring of 1903, on a whim and a fifty-dollar bet, Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson set off from San Francisco in a 20-horsepower Winton touring car hoping to become the first person to cross the United States in the new-fangled "horseless carriage." Most people doubted that the automobile had much of a future. Jackson's trip would prove them wrong.

Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip

2003

The Shakers: Hands to Work, Hearts to God poster
7.1

They called themselves the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing, but because of their ecstatic dancing, the world called them Shakers. Ken Burns creates a moving portrait of this particularly American movement, and in the process, offers us a new and unusually moving way to understand the Shakers.

The Shakers: Hands to Work, Hearts to God

1984

The Shakers: Hands to Work, Hearts to God poster
7.1

They called themselves the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing, but because of their ecstatic dancing, the world called them Shakers. Ken Burns creates a moving portrait of this particularly American movement, and in the process, offers us a new and unusually moving way to understand the Shakers.

The Shakers: Hands to Work, Hearts to God

1984

Brooklyn Bridge poster
7.5

Today it's a symbol of strength and vitality. 135 years ago, it was a source of controversy. This documentary examines the great problems and ingenious solutions that marked the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge. From conception to construction, it traces the bridge's transformation from a spectacular feat of heroic engineering to an honored symbol in American culture.

Brooklyn Bridge

1981

The Congress poster
7.6

For 200 years, the United States Congress has been one of the country's most important and least understood institutions. In this elegant, thoughtful and often touching portrait, Ken Burns explores the history and promise of this unique American institution. Using historical photographs and newsreels, evocative live footage and interviews with David Broder, Alistair Cooke, Cokie Roberts, Charles McDowell and others, the award-winning film chronicles the personalities, events and issues that have animated the first 200 years of Congress and, in turn, our country.

The Congress

1989

Defying the Nazis: The Sharps' War poster
6.9

Join an American couple’s courageous mission in 1939 to help refugees escape Nazi-occupied Europe. Over the course of two years, the pair will risk their lives so that hundreds can live in freedom.

Defying the Nazis: The Sharps' War

2016

Baseball: The Tenth Inning poster
8.0

In an age of globalization and deregulation, a cataclysmic strike over money and power brings baseball to the brink; dazzlingly talented Latin players transform the sport; Cal Ripken becomes baseball's new Iron Man; and Ken Griffey, Jr. and Barry Bonds are simply dazzling. The Braves dominate the National League while the Yankees build a new dynasty. As home run totals soar, sluggers Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa smash one of the game's most hallowed records. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, players on every team must make life altering decisions about how far they are willing to go to succeed.

Baseball: The Tenth Inning

2010

Baseball: The Tenth Inning poster
8.0

In an age of globalization and deregulation, a cataclysmic strike over money and power brings baseball to the brink; dazzlingly talented Latin players transform the sport; Cal Ripken becomes baseball's new Iron Man; and Ken Griffey, Jr. and Barry Bonds are simply dazzling. The Braves dominate the National League while the Yankees build a new dynasty. As home run totals soar, sluggers Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa smash one of the game's most hallowed records. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, players on every team must make life altering decisions about how far they are willing to go to succeed.

Baseball: The Tenth Inning

2010

Henry David Thoreau poster
9.3

Henry David Thoreau helped define modern environmentalism and nonviolent resistance, yet his life has been obscured by myth. The author of Walden and Civil Disobedience, he was brilliant but flawed, idealistic but opinionated. A writer, scientist and activist, his words resonate urgently with today’s challenges as humanity looks for ways to live in harmony with nature—and each other.

Henry David Thoreau

2026

Yosemite — A Gathering of Spirit poster
NR

Burns’ Yosemite: A Gathering of Spirit, a documentary film produced to honor the 150th anniversary of the landmark act signed by Abraham Lincoln. This act preserved Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias.

Yosemite — A Gathering of Spirit

2013

Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio poster
7.6

For 50 years radio dominated the airwaves and the American consciousness as the first “mass medium.” In Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio, Ken Burns examines the lives of three extraordinary men who shared the primary responsibility for this invention and its early success, and whose genius, friendship, rivalry and enmity interacted in tragic ways. This is the story of Lee de Forest, a clergyman’s flamboyant son, who invented the audion tube; Edwin Howard Armstrong, a brilliant, withdrawn inventor who pioneered FM technology; and David Sarnoff, a hard-driving Russian immigrant who created the most powerful communications company on earth.

Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio

1991

Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio poster
7.6

For 50 years radio dominated the airwaves and the American consciousness as the first “mass medium.” In Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio, Ken Burns examines the lives of three extraordinary men who shared the primary responsibility for this invention and its early success, and whose genius, friendship, rivalry and enmity interacted in tragic ways. This is the story of Lee de Forest, a clergyman’s flamboyant son, who invented the audion tube; Edwin Howard Armstrong, a brilliant, withdrawn inventor who pioneered FM technology; and David Sarnoff, a hard-driving Russian immigrant who created the most powerful communications company on earth.

Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio

1991

Huey Long poster
7.2

Ken Burns' portrait of Louisiana governor and U.S. senator Huey Long.

Huey Long

1985

Huey Long poster
7.2

Ken Burns' portrait of Louisiana governor and U.S. senator Huey Long.

Huey Long

1985

East Lake Meadows: A Public Housing Story poster
7.0

The history of the East Lake Meadows public housing project in Atlanta and the people who lived there from 1970 to its demolition in 2000, with special emphasis on the activism of Eva Davis asserting the rights of the tenants.

East Lake Meadows: A Public Housing Story

2020

Lindbergh poster
7.0

Charles Lindbergh lived a life of absolutes, never doubting his own abilities or the altitude of his own moral high ground. His extraordinary character brought him unparalleled accomplishment but also public humiliation and lonely isolation, as his faith in genetic determinism could barely conceal his narrow, naive, and racist social and political views.

Lindbergh

1990

Thomas Hart Benton poster
7.8

Thomas Hart Benton's paintings were energetic and uncompromising. Today his works are in museums, but Benton hung them in saloons for ordinary people to appreciate.

Thomas Hart Benton

1989

Thomas Hart Benton poster
7.8

Thomas Hart Benton's paintings were energetic and uncompromising. Today his works are in museums, but Benton hung them in saloons for ordinary people to appreciate.

Thomas Hart Benton

1989

The Address poster
5.8

The Gettysburg Address is the subject of a new documentary by Ken Burns. The documentary tells the story of students at the Greenwood School whose study of the Gettysburg Address brings new understanding to the speech.

The Address

2014

After the Central Park Five poster
NR

The Central Park Five talk about what the film means to them, how they met Sarah Burns, and what the screenings have been like.

After the Central Park Five

2013

After the Central Park Five poster
NR

The Central Park Five talk about what the film means to them, how they met Sarah Burns, and what the screenings have been like.

After the Central Park Five

2013

Seeing, Searching, Being: William Segal poster
NR

Acclaimed filmmaker Ken Burns directs this engrossing documentary trilogy about the life and work of writer, philosopher, painter and publisher William Segal, a lifelong student of Eastern thought and Western spiritual traditions. The first film in the series shadows Segal in his home art studio; the second follows him to the Vézelay basilica in France; the third accompanies him on the streets of Paris as he prepares for a gallery exhibition.

Seeing, Searching, Being: William Segal

2010