The American Future: A History
{{short description|2008 British television documentary series)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{Infobox television
| image = The American Future - A History.jpg
| caption = DVD cover
| runtime = 60 minutes
| creator =
| country = United Kingdom
| writer = Simon Schama
| director = {{Plainlist|
- Sam Hobkinson
- Ricardo Pollack
}}
| presenter = Simon Schama
| channel = BBC Two
| first_aired = {{Start date|2008|10|10|df=yes}}
| last_aired = {{End date|2008|10|31|df=yes}}
| num_episodes = 4
}}
The American Future: A History is a four-part documentary series written and presented by Simon Schama which aired on BBC Two in the UK during October 2008, in the run up to the 2008 US presidential election. The first episode was broadcast on BBC Two at 9:00pm on 10 October 2008, and it was shown over four consecutive Fridays.
The series saw Schama travelling through the United States as he investigated the conflicts from its past in order to understand the country's contemporary political situation.{{cite web|url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7657473.stm|title= Challenges for changing America|publisher= BBC|date= 9 October 2008|accessdate= 4 November 2008}} Schama presents and discusses both presidential candidates, Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain, from a historical point of view, emphasizing strongly the former. The documentary takes the viewer on an epic journey through the history of the modern United States, but it also reveals why Schama personally believed Barack Obama would be the ideal choice as the next president of the United States.
Episodes
{{Episode table |background=#A6262F |total_width=70 |overall=6 |title=30 |airdate=20|episodes=
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 1
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2008|10|10|df=yes}}
| Title = American Plenty
| ShortSummary = A look at America's waning belief in the infinite possibilities of its land and resources.
| LineColor = A6262F
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 2
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2008|10|17|df=yes}}
| Title = American War
| ShortSummary = A look at how different the US attitude to war is from what outsiders assume it to be.
| LineColor = A6262F
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 3
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2008|10|24|df=yes}}
| Title = American Fervour
| ShortSummary = How faith has shaped American political life.
| LineColor = A6262F
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 4
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2008|10|31|df=yes}}
| Title = What is an American?
| ShortSummary = The bitter conflict over immigration in America.
| LineColor = A6262F
}}
}}
International broadcast
In the United States and Australia, this programme aired with the re-worked title, The American Future: A History By Simon Schama:
- US viewers saw all four episodes combined into two parts on BBC America at 8pm ET/PT from 19 January until 20 January 2009.{{cite web | url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20081124bbca01 | title =BBC America Brings You, The American Future: A History By Simon Schama | website=The Futon Critic | accessdate=27 October 2010}}
- Australian viewers saw these episodes in their original four parts on ABC1 each Thursday at 9:30pm from 27 May until 17 June 2010.{{cite web | url=http://www.abc.net.au/tv/guide/netw/201005/programs/ZX0357A001D2010-05-27T213000.htm | title =ABC1 Programming Airdate: The American Future: A History By Simon Schama (episode one) | publisher=ABC Television Publicity | accessdate=27 October 2010}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{BBC programme}}
- {{IMDb title|id=1215974|title=The American Futire: A History}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20090313103801/http://www.bbcamerica.com/content/348/index.jsp The American Future] at the [http://bbcamerica.com BBC AMERICA]
{{Simon Schama}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:American Future, The}}
Category:BBC television documentaries about history during the 18th and 19th centuries
Category:2008 British television series debuts
Category:2008 British television series endings
Category:2000s British documentary television series
Category:British English-language television shows
Category:Documentaries about historical events
Category:Television series about the history of the United States
Category:British travel television series
Category:BBC television documentaries about history during the 20th Century
Category:BBC television documentaries about history during the 21st Century
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