Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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Ken Burns is one of America’s most celebrated storytellers. From The Civil War and The Vietnam War to explorations of jazz, baseball, and country music, his acclaimed documentaries have helped define how we understand our nation’s past. Working from his home in New Hampshire, Burns continues to reveal the depth, complexity, and contradictions of the American story.

His latest project, The American Revolution—a six-part, 12-hour documentary—premieres on Ocean State Media and other PBS stations on November 17. In this interview, Ian Donnis sits down with Burns to discuss the enduring relevance of the Revolution, the lessons it offers for today’s divided times, and the challenges of telling history in the age of social media.

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