PBS is airing a seven-part documentary series (14 hours worth of programming), called The Roosevelts: An Intimate History. It started Sunday on the PBS affiliates in Austin and San Antonio. The series is directed by one of the best documentary makers ever: Ken Burns. Burns has created for PBS series on The Civil War, World War II, The Brooklyn Bridge, Mark Twain, The Dust Bowl, The Jazz Age, Baseball, The National Parks System and more. He never disappoints in how he tells a story combining voice talent who read the words of the people shown in his documentaries. He selects music that fits the era for which the documentary depicts. Notable actors like Meryl Streep and Paul Giamatti will be heard in this one. Burns, in effect, immerses the viewer in the era. With this latest documentary, we'll learn more about the lives of Theodore Roosevelt who ascended to the president upon the assassination of William McKinley in 1901. At age 42, he was the youngest president in American history. Theodore was a Republican who encouraged a progressive movement that led to trust busting and greater regulation of industry. His distant cousin, Franklin Roosevelt, was elected president in 1932 during the Great Depression -- a time of great hardship and high unemployment in America. FDR ushered in many new programs to help the poor and the elderly. He also led America through World War II -- a war the nation entered after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. His wife, Eleanor, was a woman of conscience. She, in effect, led the women's movement in her era. These three people had a profound impact on America in the 20th century. I think it'll be a series worth watching.
Executive Producer: Paul Barnes
Director: Ken Burns
http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/films/the-roosevelts
