News

April 3, 2025

WMHT Hosting Ken Burns in Advance of PBS Series Premier

WMHT Public Media, a multichannel public communications organization serving Eastern New York and Western New England, today announced plans to host a filmmaker event in Albany featuring award-winning producer and director Ken Burns in conjunction with his latest production, The American Revolution, co-directed by Burns, Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt and premiering Sunday, Nov. 16 on PBS. Timed with the 250th anniversary of the start of the Revolutionary War, the six-part, 12-hour documentary series explores the country’s founding and its eight-year War for Independence.

The American Revolution, an Evening with Ken Burns is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 10 at 7 p.m.  at the Palace Theater. The event will feature an intimate conversation with Burns and Botstein, as well as a clip reel from the documentary series, which was in production for eight years and shot at nearly 100 locations, including a number of New York sites that played a critical role in the struggle for independence. Tickets go on sale Thursday, April 3 at noon ET, and may be purchased here.

The American Revolution, an Evening with Ken Burns will cap off a daylong visit by Burns and Botstein to the Capital Region.

“We’re very excited to join WMHT and everyone in the Capital Region to share an early look at The American Revolution,” said Ken Burns. “The Capital Region is hugely important to our country’s founding and plays a major role in our upcoming film. Public television stations are gathering places for impactful conversations about history and its relevance today, so we are of course hugely appreciative of all WMHT is doing to share this story with teachers, students and life-long learners throughout the region and the state.”

“We are delighted to extend a warm welcome to Ken Burns and Sarah Botstein, and excited to host them for a preview and discussion of their latest landmark film, The American Revolution,” said Anthony V. Hayes, President and CEO of WMHT Public Media and Board Chair of the Association for Public Broadcasting Stations (APBS), which represents public broadcasters statewide. “Given the prominent role of people and places in the Capital Region and New York state during the Revolutionary War, this documentary offers a unique opportunity to explore our region’s stake in our nation’s history. Under the keen eye and recognized excellence of these esteemed filmmakers, our audience will gain knowledge and perspective that remains timely and relevant 250 years later.”

WMHT is planning an ambitious schedule of programs and activities in concert with The American Revolution and 250thanniversary of the start of the war, including:

  • On Sunday, April 6, WMHT will host a special screening of the film NOVA Revolutionary War Weapons, followed by a discussion with Fort Ticonderoga Curator Matthew Keagle, Ph.D., New York State Museum Senior Historian Aaron Noble, and SUNY Maritime College Senior Lecturer David Allen. The free event begins at 3 p.m. at the museum’s Huxley Theater. More information and registration are available here.
  • WMHT is producing a 30-minute special episode of the multiplatform series Field Trip to air in November. WMHT producers Nicole Van Slyke Kubisch and Matt Rogowicz will immerse themselves in interactive educational activities at prominent historical institutions from the Capital Region to Fort Ticonderoga, examining the role of Indigenous People, contributions of women, and Black families’ experiences.
  • Utilizing WMHT’s paid summer internship program, students will join the Field Trip production team to explore key Revolutionary landmarks and film their own original short-form digital content to start conversations among their age group.
  • The 161 public libraries in WMHT’s coverage area will be invited to participate in a library display contest in which they create displays featuring books and other library resources relevant to the American Revolution.
  • Post-broadcast screenings and discussions will be held at the New York State Museum’s Huxley Theatre and at partner libraries throughout WMHT’s coverage area. Details will be announced in the coming months.
  • And, in 2026, WMHT will explore the Revolutionary Era through a one-hour documentary that will lead viewers on a journey of discovery that showcases a nation in search of its identity and future through a culinary perspective.