The American Revolution, a new six-part, 12-hour documentary series that explores the country’s founding struggle and its eight-year War for Independence, premieres on Sunday, November 16 and airs for six consecutive nights through Friday, November 21st at 8:00-10:00 p.m. ET on PBS and WKAR-TV. The full series will be available to stream beginning Sunday, November 16 at PBS.org and on the PBS App.
The American Revolution examines how America’s founding turned the world upside-down. Thirteen British colonies on the Atlantic Coast rose in rebellion, won their independence, and established a new form of government that radically reshaped the continent and inspired centuries of democratic movements around the globe.
WKAR Public Media has released Before America as a companion to The American Revolution and part of the America 250 project. Before America is a five-part digital series reframing Revolutionary-era history through Native perspectives. Centered in the Great Lakes, it explores Indigenous resistance, memory, and sovereignty—where the fight for freedom truly began.
Audiences nationwide will be able to watch The American Revolution live in high definition streamed from their local PBS station, or – for the first time ever – stream it in breathtaking 4K Ultra HD on the PBS App on supported devices. This milestone marks a new era for PBS streaming, offering audiences the chance to see the film exactly as the filmmakers intended with exceptional clarity, depth, and detail. The 4K UHD presentation not only honors the artistry behind Burns’s storytelling but also opens the door to a new generation of viewers who expect cinematic quality in their streaming experiences.
The much-anticipated series, which has been in production for more than nine years, was directed and produced by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt and written by long-time collaborator Geoffrey C. Ward. The filmmakers and PBS scheduled the broadcast for 2025, the 250th anniversary of the start of the war, which began in the spring of 1775, more than a year before the Declaration of Independence.