Biographical documentaries were big in 2025 with profiles of everyone from Jerry Springer, Sly Stone, Charlie Sheen, Martin Scorsese, Led Zeppelin, Dick Van Dyke and Eddie Murphy also in the mix. The following ten films, with links to longer reviews, are the ones I liked best. Pee-wee as Himself (HBO Max; Crave). What if the
Are Canadians up for watching The American Revolution? Ken Burns latest docuseries, is a six-part, 12-hour, deep dive into a long, bloody birth of a nation. Co-directed by frequent collaborator Sarah Botstein (The Vietnam War; Jazz), it sticks to the immersive style of storytelling Burns has mastered over decades of documentary filmmaking. With no actual
The Television Critics Association, of which I am a long time member, is soldiering on this week with its semi-annual network press tour. There were hopes things would revert back to a live gathering but they were dashed at the last minute as new COVID variants, especially in California, started packing emergency rooms. The last
Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns has turned his attention of late to 20th century subjects such as Muhammad Ali and Ernest Hemingway. Besides the usual mix of historians and voice-over performances by actors, this has allowed for those stories, through film clips and other recordings, to be told by the actual subjects. This week, Burns and
In some ways, Ken Burns takes on his toughest opponent with “Muhammad Ali.” His four-part, eight-hour documentary series about the late, great heavyweight champion and civil rights icon premieres Sunday and airs over four nights through September 22 on PBS. It is, in Burns’ words, a documentary that is “soup to nuts comprehensive in terms
Do not ask for whom the bell tolls. It tolls for Ken Burns. PBS’ master documentarian and the public broadcaster itself have both drawn criticism of late. “To truly reflect diversity, PBS must end its overreliance on Ken Burns as ‘America’s Storyteller’ read a recent headline. Independent filmmaker Grace Lee argues that: The decades-long interdependence
Another month full of high-energy TV hijinx is comin’ ‘atcha. We can’t keep up with all this Peak TV, so check back weekly for updates. THURS/APRIL 1 Staged (Hollywood Suite). BBC One describes this eight episode series as “two bickering actors making a drama out of a crisis. Can their fragile egos survive working from
Today is the first of three days of PBS coverage on the Television Critics Association virtual winter press tour. The American publc broadcaster, coming off its 50th season, has packed a lot into today’s agenda, including the usual (but always appreciated) access to President and CEO Paula Kerger. Much of the rest of today and