Ken Burns on World War II (1 Viewer)

[jazzeum]

I saw an article in today's New York Times talking about a documentary that Ken Burns is working on about World War II, from a veterans view point, scheduled to be aired in September 2007. The article was about the larger controversy involving the fines that the FCC has been handing out for obscenity and how programmers are trying to respond to this. The upcoming documentary will be controversial from that point of view because it will show soldiers cursing during battles. Under FCC guidelines there can be no obscenity (or you subject yourself to fines) between the hours of 6 and 10. Ken Burns wants to show his program at 8 and there is speculation how the FCC will handle this in view of anticipated veterans objections to censor their language in the course of defending freedom.

While I don't think he did a great job on the Jazz series, his Civil War documentary was fantastic and I'm looking forward to seeing his treatment of World War II.

 

[ucla1967]

If his World War II series is as good as his Civil War series, I can hardly wait. It was, along with Band of Brothers, the best I have seen in 50 years of watching televison. Brad, I didn't watch the jazz series---not my cup of tea.

 

[jazzeum]

The problem with the Jazz series was that he used as experts a lot of people who are self promoters, such as Wynton Marsalis, and focused a little too much on the Swing era, to the detriment of the 50s and beyond.

 

[gk5717]

I also agree about the Civil War series, excellent.
Disappointed with his baseball series, it was as if the only teams were the ones on the east coast.
Gary

 

[jazzeum]

I also agree about the Civil War series, excellent.
Disappointed with his baseball series, it was as if the only teams were the ones on the east coast.
Gary

Are there any others?

 

[Louis Badolato]

After seeing his Civil War series, I am really looking forward to his WWII series, curses and all!

 

[Firebat]

Brad, I didn't watch the jazz series---not my cup of tea.

Hey Brad, I play a mean Guitar, I hope you are into Led Zepplin, because that is mostly what I play. Alex

Louis

I just picked up a book. Avenging Eagles By Mark Bando a leading Airborne Historian. This is a ground Breaking book as far as Forbidden tales of warfare www.101airborneww2.com. This guy has fantastic books with rare pictures and stories....Alex

 

[Combat]

There is something about Burns that just doesn't work for me. Not sure exactly why - since I enjoyed the civil war - but maybe its his superficial feel good point of view for the subject matter. Similar to Stephen Ambrose in that respect. Can be entertaining but also very shallow.