Watch New York: A Documentary Film(1999) Online Free, New York: A Documentary Film All Seasons

Seasons & Episodes

EP1 The Country and the City (1609–1825) Nov 14, 1999

The series begins by identifying the key themes that shaped New York's history: commerce and capitalism, diversity and democracy, transformation and creativity. The episode charts the development of the city founded by the Dutch as a purely commercial enterprise, first as New Amsterdam, a freewheeling enclave of trade and opportunity; then as the British New York, a colony fueled by slavery which was bestowed as a birthday gift upon the Duke of York by his brother, King Charles; soon after as a strategically pivotal locale in the American Revolution; and ultimately as the city of New York: the nation's first capital and the place destined to define urban life in America -- and American ideals.

EP2 Order and Disorder (1825–1865) Nov 15, 1999

Already established as America's premier port, New York City swelled into the nation's greatest industrial metropolis as a massive wave of German and Irish immigration turned the city into one of the world's most complex urban environments, bringing with it a host of new social problems. Episode Two reveals how the city's artists, innovators and leaders, from poet Walt Whitman to Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux (the designers of Central Park) grappled with the city's growing conflicts -- which culminated in the catastrophic Civil War Draft Riots of 1863.

EP3 Sunshine and Shadow (1865–1898) Nov 16, 1999

Now the spotlight shines on the growth, glamour and grief of New York during America's giddy postwar "Gilded Age." Exploring the incomparable wealth of the robber barons and the unabashed corruption of political leaders, such as Tammany Hall boss William M. Tweed, the episode examines the era when the expansion of wealth and poverty -- and the schism between them -- built to a crescendo. The program ends as the city itself dramatically expands its boundaries, annexing Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island into a single massive metropolis -- Greater New York.

EP4 The Power and the People (1898–1918) Nov 17, 1999

As New York spilled into the new century, the extraordinary interplay of capitalism, democracy and transformation surged to a climax. During a single generation, over 10 million immigrants arrived in New York. The city itself became an even more dramatic lure with the construction of the first subways and skyscrapers. And arising from the plight of New York's most exploited citizens came landmark legislation that would eventually transform the lives of all Americans.

EP5 Cosmopolis (1919–1931) Nov 18, 1999

In this short but dazzling period, New York became the focal point of an extraordinary array of human and cultural energies, reaching its highest levels of urban excitement and glamour. In just over a decade, New York gave birth to its signature skyscrapers, the Chrysler and Empire State Buildings, and to artistic creations like F. Scott Fitzgerald's THE GREAT GATSBY, George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue," and to the jazz compositions of Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong. Along the way, Harlem emerged as the undisputed capital of the African- American experience and the new media industries of advertising, radio networks, public relations, and magazines found their homes in midtown Manhattan.

EP6 City of Tomorrow (1929–1941) Sep 30, 2001

In little more than ten years, immense new forces were unleashed in New York, from the Depression itself to the New Deal, which permanently altered the city and the country. Along the way, two of the most remarkable New Yorkers of all time came to the fore: Mayor Fiorello La Guardia and master builder Robert Moses, both of whom attempted to create, in the darkest of times, a bold new city of the future. The episode examines their careers in detail, as well as the immense public works that transformed the city in the '30s. Also explored are the demise of Mayor Jimmy Walker, the coming of the New Deal, the fate of Harlem during the Depression, and the increasingly complex impact of the automobile on the city.

EP7 The City and the World (1945–2000) Oct 01, 2001

In exploring the social, economic and physical forces that swept through the city in the post-war period, Episode Seven examines the great African-American migration and Puerto Rican immigration of the '40s, '50s, and '60s; the beginnings of white flight and suburbanization; and the massive physical changes wrought by highways and urban renewal -- all of which were directed, to a surprising degree, by one man: Robert Moses. The film comes to a climax with the destruction of Penn Station, the battle over the Lower Manhattan Expressway, the social and fiscal crises of the '60s and '70s, and New York's miraculous revival in the last quarter-century.

EP8 The Center of the World (1946–2003) Sep 08, 2003

Examines the rise and fall of the World Trade Center -- from its conception in the post-World War II economic boom, through its controversial construction in the 1960s and 1970s, to its tragic demise in the fall of 2001 and extraordinary response of the city in its aftermath.

9.1| 0h30m| en| More Info

Released: 14 November 1999 Ended

Producted By: GBH

Country:

Budget: 0

Revenue: 0

Official Website: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/newyork/

Synopsis

This eight-part, 16½-hour television event explores New York City's rich history as the premier laboratory of modern life. A sweeping narrative covering nearly 400 years and 400 square miles, it reveals a complex and dynamic city that has played an unparalleled role in shaping the nation and reflecting its ideals.

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Cast

David Ogden Stiers , Mike Wallace

Director

Producted By

GBH

Trailers & Images

Top Credited Cast
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Crew

David Ogden Stiers as Narrator

Mike Wallace as Self - Commentator

Reviews

kopilot111 This is a history of New York, and by extension a history of the U.S. It is a loving history of a great city, beautifully executed. Like a sibling or parent of a flawed man, the historians and other contributors see the flaws but love the subject despite them. A serious history of New York, like of the U.S., reflects the contradictions that go back to the very early days of this city and this country: A melting pot where people of many classes, nationalities, languages and religions learned to live and get along in close proximity – and where many people hated everyone unlike them, or who resented or oppressed everyone whose group arrived in a wave after their own. Where a spirit of democracy, community, equality, public service and a hand up for everyone who needed it resided side-by-side with unbridled greed, indifference to the suffering of others not doing as well as oneself, stupendous corruption, exploitation of slaves and virtual (wage) slaves.Some of the other reviews seem to miss the message by a mile – the historians and other contributors provide useful insights – and accurate ones. I don't know if every numeric and temporal statement is dead-on accurate, but the thrust and the many, many details and nuances discussed throughout the series are correct. From the first line uttered by the narrator in Episode 1: "On September 2, 1609, Henry Hudson…" The superlatives, too, are on the mark. Like it or not, New York has not only been a city of all kinds of "firsts" and "biggests" and "bests" but also has a more dynamic and interesting history than most others -- which is why these superlatives are so frequently present. If some day Burns chooses to make a documentary about St. Petersburg or London or Beijing, I'm sure there will be a lot of talk about those cities to the exclusion of all others. In other words, this is a documentary about New York, not a city in Australia, Egypt, France or Russia - where the 19th Century rural peasants DID live much as they had in the Middle Ages.How anyone watching this series and paying attention, could miss the many, many more things Burns covers besides race, class and greed – is surprising. That the series discusses these frequently is not surprising – since long before Hudson sailed up the river later named for him – all 3 have been factors in the history of New York from 1609 to today. To ignore this fact would have been to whitewash the truth. Watch "Rambo" or "X-Men" if you want fiction. Burns and his contributors report these truths – and extol the many virtues – or strengths of New Yorkers famous and anonymous by way of explaining the evolution and rise to the top of the city.Too slow? Really? It covers 400 years , an hour and a half per century for heaven's sake. Personally, I couldn't get enough.

gonzofilms In addition to the excellent documentary work that Ric Burns did on the original New York series, I am here to review the latest installment; Part 8" Warning: Spoilers Ric Burns is an vibrant documentalist. In the first part of Volume 8, the documentary gives incredible depth to all aspects relating to the concept and erection of the Twin Towers. It further caputres the essence of the public sentiment before, during, and after its completion. Mr. Burns ability to not only recount events factually, but to also "breath" life into his film by delicately interweaving feelings and opinions from important figures, truly takes you back in time. And that's just the first two hours.In the last hour, the documentary takes on the extremely sensitive nature of what truly has become New York's tragedy, or rather, one of the worst man-made moments in world history. He portrayes it with a intensely private, personal angle that it truly deserves.Volume 8 "towers" above as landmark television, as its central focal point towers among the other skyscrapers. Additionally, it also stands out from the rest of the volumes in this incredible series as well. The lack of thoroughness and rushed atmosphere that volume 7 created was instantly erased with this offering. Kudos again to Ric Burns and James Sanders for writing this episode that spans from carefully laying out the foundation of the World Trade Center, to its still unthinkable end. Here in volume 8, everything is told, nothing is held back, and history is respectfully preserved. I highly recommend this film.

Jakeroo This is a wonderful documentary. My only regret is that it stopped in 1931. So many things have happened since that I would like to have seen covered: Robert Moses' public works, effects of World War II and the Korean War, the explosion of air travel and the development of LaGuardia and Kennedy airports. There's been much history in the 70 years since 1931. A great piece of work, though.

edgarpoe As a native New Yorker, and one who's very knowledgeable of this fine city's history, I was intrigued by this documentary series when I happened upon it on TV one lazy Saturday morning. There were familiar stories being told about the first settlers on the southern tip of Manhattan to the magnificent art deco era skyscrapers. But there was so much information, so many historical stories and significances that I had not known about until I watched this. It gives one (especially New Yorkers) a finer understanding of New York.True, the series is rather long (FIVE TAPES NO LESS!) but it grasped me so much that I couldn't stop watching. It has the interesting stories accompanied by excellent narratives by anyone and everyone, and fine archival photos and film. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to know how this city came to be. I think it would be especially of interest for historians, architects, and urban environment scholars.