Genre: TV Series
Grade: A-
Notable People: Ben Franklin et al Created by: Ken Burns
Title: Ben Franklin
Review: It’s hard not to be bowled over by any Burns documentary and the only slight here is that there is nothing live except a bunch of historians rambling on in present- pluperfect tense that they seem to be enamored with. Unfortunately, there are no survivors to interview for this one. Still, what a story! Franklin (with the brilliant choice of voice over from Mandy Potemkin) was a giant of his time; often believed to be the most famous man the world, from his scientific proclivities to statesmanship to his wicked sense of humor in his writings. Poor Richard’s Almanac may have been the first great piece of satire and he alternately wrote columns pretending to be an elderly preacher, an indentured slave and a cranky old widow. His creativity knew no bounds, and he may be the single person most responsible for the formation of our country and its independence from British tyranny. But, he was also enigmatically quite complex: a committed slave owner well into his last years, an absentee father and husband and a bit of a dirty old man. He discovered and became a lightning rod in all sorts of ways, and the incomparable Burns presents them all. In two- two hour segments that I recommend limiting to an hour at a time of watching-it’s a lot to absorb- but fascinating stuff.