The Civil War (1990)

The Civil War is an acclaimed documentary film created by Ken Burns about the American Civil War. It was first broadcast on PBS on five consecutive nights from Sunday, September 23 to Thursday, September 27, 1990. Forty million viewers watched it during its initial broadcast, making it the most-watched program ever to air on PBS, to this day remaining one of the most popular shows broadcast by PBS. The visitorship to Civil War battlefields and memorial sites measurably increased the summer following the series first airing, a result of the documentary's influence on viewers. Considered to be Ken Burns' magnum opus, it was awarded more than 40 major television and film honors. The film was remastered on the twelfth anniversary of its release, and a book following the movie has also been released.