Benjamin Franklin

Ken Burns is THA MAN! We're so down with Burns documentaries in our house that we actually have a harder time paying attention to non-Burns history documentaries. The only reason I rated this a 9 instead of 10 is because I think some of his others rank a little higher within his own portfolio of work. (His Civil War is an exalted masterpiece among documentaries and his Roosevelt's piece is probably our household fave).

If you love Franklin though, this is the best way to absorb his story. Burns keeps you captivated with a cast of historians who are usually the top experts in their field who have written books of their own on the subject. He also is known for getting famous actors to portray the voices. Paul Giamatti reprises his role as John Adams in this, which is cool. The enormous compilation of images are expertly strung together to portray the story of Franklin's life. My 10-yr old sat and watched this whole thing with us.

A slaveholder who was its evil late in the game. A scientist of Nobel-quality and a great inventor who allowed his inventions to benefit the public while not milking them for profit. A committed Briton who essentially lost his son because Franklin started to see himself as an American. Yet, he 'saves' that same sons' out-of-wedlock child. A man so in tune with others but whom effectively abandoned his wife. Probably the best diplomat and possibly the best politician to ever serve our nation.

Ken Burns has again brought to light the subject's complexity, enlightening us on many facets of his life that our schools history abbreviated, to our school childrens' detriment.

OK, his link to the FreeMasons wasn't mentioned. Maybe Ken Burns will do a series on that.

Your Civil War series years ago was great. Your narrators who of black back along with critical race theory (CRT) today is trying to diminish Benjamin Franklin. These people should embrace his ideas that resulted in ridding slavery. But he did not go far enough.

Worse yet there were Irish and Slavic slaves during the times of the colonies but black person mentioned that either.

When doing narrations as much as I understand the black narrators point of view they fail in understanding another's point of view and you left no one to counter these views with positive views.

I was in Manchester England in 2012 at a contractors facility and I got a full taste of how English think Irish and Scots are sub human. They forgot with my Irish last name and American accent that I am 6 generations Irish from the time of the potato famine. Maybe your black narrators should do their research in lieu of promoting CRT.

Countless of merely very interesting to very important and informative details in this brilliant work is not surprising and yet astonishing still. Mr. Burns is as prolific a biographer as Mr. Franklin was a Statesman, inventor, printer, humorist, publisher, liaison, and INNATE American. I am a die-hard fan of both and grateful to see such eloquence in showing Mr Franklin's genius as well as his faults and humanness.

Excellent is an understatement. Bravo again Mr. Burns.

"Benjamin Franklin" is Ken Burn's latest documentary, and it is a fine addition to his extensive catalog of American historical films. With fine narration by Peter Coyote, supplemented by solid commentary from the "talking heads" (notably historian H. W. Brands), "Ben Franklin" is a must-see for any student or enthusiast of American history.

If you've seen any of Ken Burn's other films, then you know the drill. Some of the music in this film, in fact, seems to have been recycled from earlier Ken Burns films, including "Thomas Jefferson" and "Lewis and Clark." But overall, "Benjamin Franklin" entertains and enlightens, befitting the classic Ken Burns documentary style.

Paul Giamatti makes a cameo appearance as the voice of you-know-who. 😉

Aloha 😊🤙🏼👏🏼

8/10.