The Daily Sunday Special: A Sea of Streaming Docs
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Nov 16, 2025 
Join James Poniewozik, chief television critic for The New York Times, and Alissa Wilkinson, movie critic and documentary expert, as they dive into the booming world of streaming documentaries. They discuss Ken Burns's contribution to the genre, recount personal memories of PBS documentaries, and explore the rise of true crime. From the poignant storytelling in 'The Last Dance' to recommendations like 'Pee-wee as Himself' and the introspective 'Camera Person,' this conversation highlights the evolution and variety of documentary filmmaking today.
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Broadening The Revolution Story
- Ken Burns expands the Revolution narrative to include Native Americans and enslaved people, using 12 hours to broaden scope beyond textbook stories.
- His films aim to create a shared American historical canon that engages contemporary cultural debates.
Pledge Drive Childhood Memories
- Alissa Wilkinson recalls growing up watching Ken Burns on PBS during pledge drives and learning history from those films.
- Her homeschooling used those documentaries as primary history lessons and shaped her idea of the form.
Documentaries As Canon-Building
- Burns's documentaries do more than inform; they stake an idea about America and its institutions, often engaging current political questions.
- His work functions as public-TV canon-building that feels both radical and quaint today.