''The Dust Bowl'' is a 2012 American
television documentary
Television documentaries are televised media productions that screen documentaries.
Television documentaries exist either as a television documentary series or as a television documentary film.
*Television documentary series, sometimes called d ...
miniseries
A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format h ...
directed by
Ken Burns
Kenneth Lauren Burns (born July 29, 1953) is an American filmmaker known for his documentary film, documentary films and television series, many of which chronicle United States, American History of the United States, history and Culture of the ...
which aired on
PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...
on November 18 and 19, 2012. The four-part miniseries recounts the impact of the
Dust Bowl on the United States during the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
of the 1930s.
The series features the voices of
Patricia Clarkson
Patricia Davies Clarkson (born December 29, 1959) is an American actress. She has starred in numerous leading and supporting roles in a variety of films ranging from independent film features to major film studio productions. Her accolades incl ...
,
Peter Coyote, and
Carolyn McCormick
Carolyn Inez McCormick (born September 19, 1959) is an American actress who played Dr. Elizabeth Olivet in the ''Law & Order'' franchise.
Life and career
McCormick was born and raised in Midland, Texas, and graduated first in her class from ...
.
Episodes
#Episode One: The Great Plow-Up
#Episode Two: Dust to Eat
#Episode Three: Reaping the Whirlwind
#Episode Four: The Hardy Ones
Other uses
Interviews from the documentary were used in the 2014 film ''
Interstellar'', that deals with massive dust storms in a near future.
Critical reception
''The Dust Bowl'' has received generally positive reviews from television critics and parents of young children. Robert Lloyd of the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' wrote, "Timely...exceptional." Historians on the other hand raised concerns about some of the evidence and research ignored by the film makers.
See also
*
Caroline Henderson
*
Sanora Babb – works referenced in series
*
''American Experience'' (season 10) – ''Surviving the Dust Bowl'' aired on PBS in 1998
*''
The Plow That Broke the Plains'' (1936 documentary by
Pare Lorentz
Pare Lorentz (December 11, 1905 – March 4, 1992) was an American filmmaker known for his film work about the New Deal. Born Leonard MacTaggart Lorentz in Clarksburg, West Virginia he was educated at Buckhannon High School, West Virginia Wesl ...
)
References
External links
Series's official website at PBS*
Video Preview at PBSPBS press release announcing ''The Dust Bowl'' (April 11, 2012)
2010s American documentary television series
Works about the Dust Bowl
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