Prohibition (miniseries)
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}{{Infobox television
| image = PBS_Prohibition_Miniseries_logo.jpg
| image_size =
| image_alt =
| caption =
| genre = Documentary
| creator =
| based_on =
| writer = Geoffrey C. Ward
| screenplay =
| story =
| director = Ken Burns
Lynn Novick
| starring =
| narrated = Peter Coyote
| theme_music_composer =
| composer = Wynton Marsalis
| country = United States
| language =
| num_episodes = 3
| producer = Sarah Botstein
Lynn Novick
Ken Burns
| editor = Tricia Reidy
Erik Ewers
Ryan Gifford
| cinematography = Buddy Squires
with:
Allen Moore
Stephen McCarthy
| runtime = 5 1/2 hours
| company = Florentine Films
WETA
Prohibition Film Project
National Endowment for the Humanities
| budget =
| network = PBS
| first_aired = {{Start date|2011|10|2}}
| last_aired = {{End date|2011|10|4}}
}}
Prohibition is a 2011 American television documentary miniseries directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick with narration by Peter Coyote. The series originally aired on PBS between October 2, 2011 and October 4, 2011.[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1950799/episodes List of episodes on IMDb] It was funded in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities. It draws heavily from the 2010 book Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition by Daniel Okrent.[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2011-oct-01-la-et-prohibition-20111001-story.html "A long and sober look at Prohibition history"], Los Angeles Times, October 1, 2011
Synopsis
Prohibition describes how the consumption and effect of alcoholic beverages in the United States were connected to many different cultural forces including immigration, women's suffrage, and the income tax. Eventually the Temperance movement led to the passing of Prohibition, the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Widespread defiance of the law, uneven and unpopular enforcement, and violent crime associated with the illegal trade in alcohol caused increasing dissatisfaction with the amendment, eventually leading to its repeal 13 years later.
Episodes
{{Episode table|overall=|title=|airdate=|country=US|titleR={{cite web|title=Prohibition: Episode Guide|url=https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/prohibition/about/episode-guide/|publisher=PBS}}|episodes={{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber=1
| Title=A Nation of Drunkards
| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2011|10|02}}
| ShortSummary=The episode describes how immigration, alcoholism, women's suffrage and the temperance movements led up to the passing of the 18th Amendment, Prohibition. Runtime: 96 minutes
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber=2
| Title=A Nation of Scofflaws
| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2011|10|03}}
| ShortSummary=This episode addresses how the enforcement of Prohibition was inconsistent and caused unintended consequences, including making criminals of a large portion of the population. Runtime: 112 minutes
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber=3
| Title=A Nation of Hypocrites
| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2011|10|04}}
| ShortSummary= This episode follows the gradual swing towards repeal of Prohibition as the Great Depression focuses attention on other priorities. Runtime: 106 minutes
}}}}
Cast
=Voice actors=
{{Div col|colwidth=22em}}
- Adam Arkin
- Philip Bosco
- Patricia Clarkson (Carrie Nation)
- Kevin Conway
- Peter Coyote (narrator)
- Blythe Danner
- Paul Giamatti (George Remus)
- Tom Hanks (Newspaper, Roy Olmstead)
- Jeremy Irons
- Samuel L. Jackson
- John Lithgow (H. L. Mencken)
- Josh Lucas
- Amy Madigan
- Carolyn McCormick
- Oliver Platt (Al Capone)
- Campbell Scott (F. Scott Fitzgerald)
- Frances Sternhagen
- Joanne Tucker
- Sam Waterston (newspaper)
{{div col end}}
=Interviewed consultants=
{{Div col|colwidth=22em}}
- Zeke Alpern
- Jonathan Eig
- Noah Feldman
- Pete Hamill
- Edwin T. Hunt Jr
- Michael Lerner
- William Leuchtenburg
- Martin E. Marty
- Catherine Gilbert Murdock
- Daniel Okrent
- Ruth P. Smith
- John Paul Stevens
- Margot Loines Wilkie
- Joshua M. Zeitz
{{div col end}}
Critical response
- "You can hear history talking directly to the Americans of 2011 all through 'Prohibition,' an absorbing five-and-a-half-hour documentary by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick ... Especially now, the story of America's disastrous experiment with banning alcoholic beverages seems made for Santayana's phrase about learning from the past or being condemned to repeat it."{{spaced ndash}}Neil Genzlinger, New York Times[http://tv.nytimes.com/2011/10/01/arts/television/prohibition-a-ken-burns-documentary-on-pbs-review.html "Bellying Up to the Time When America Went Dry"], Neil Genzlinger, New York Times, September 30, 2011
- "Burns has the similar gift of that rare history professor who can captivate even the most reluctant student by bringing the material to life."{{spaced ndash}}Hank Stuever, Washington Post[https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/review-of-ken-burnss-prohibition/2011/09/22/gIQAbTeH8K_story.html "Ken Burns takes a sip of 'Prohibition{{'"}}], Hank Stuever, Washington Post, September 29, 2011
- "Prohibition provides a very fine analytic survey of the noble experiment."{{spaced ndash}}Troy Patterson, Slate[https://www.slate.com/articles/arts/television/2011/09/ken_burns_prohibition_reviewed_a_fascinating_series_about_the_no.html "Prohibition: A fascinating Ken Burns series about the noble experiment"], Troy Patterson, Slate, September 30, 2011
- "Another piece of wonder by Ken Burns."{{spaced ndash}}Tim Goodman, Hollywood Reporter{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/bastard-machine/10-post-tca-broadcast-buzz-221560|title=10 Post TCA Broadcast Buzz Shows|last=Goodman|first=Tim|date=August 10, 2011|website=The Hollywood Reporter|language=en|access-date=2019-12-08}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/prohibition PBS: Prohibition]
- [https://www.florentinefilms.com/ Florentine Films]
- {{IMDb title|1950799|Prohibition}}
{{Ken Burns|state=expanded}}
{{Prohibition}}
Category:2011 in American television
Category:2010s American documentary television series
Category:2010s American television miniseries