The Civil War (1990) — TV Show | MyListZone

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The Civil War

TV ShowEndedPBSDocumentaryWar & Politics

The Civil War

1990 · 45m per ep · TV-14 · English · United States of America

A documentary on the American Civil War narrated by Ken Burns, covering the secession of the Confederacy to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

7.9(97 reviews)

6.4903% popularity

At a glance

Details

First air date: Sep 23, 1990
Last air date: Sep 27, 1990
Status: Ended
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 9
Episode runtime: 45m
Original language: English
Country: United States of America
Network / platform: PBS
Creator / showrunner: —
Certification: TV-14
Production companies: Florentine Films, American Documentary Films Inc., Kenneth Lauren Burns, WETA, Time-Life Video

Where to watch

Streaming availability has not been added yet.

Keywords

civil warslaveryminiseriesamerican civil war19th centuryamerican historical foundationamerican historywar documentaryhistorical documentaryhistorical events

Seasons & episodes

Miniseries

Miniseries

1990 · 9 episodes

Photographs, period paintings, lithographs and headlines of the Civil War are combined with moving newsreel footage of Civil War veterans, interviews with distinguished historians and first-person accounts in this award-winning documentary by filmmaker Ken Burns. The miniseries vividly embraces the entire sweep of the war: the complex causes and lasting effects of America's greatest and most moving calamity, the battles and the homefronts, the generals and the private soldiers, the anguish of death in battle and the grief of families at home.

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Cast

DM

David McCullough

Narrator (voice)

SW

Sam Waterston

Abraham Lincoln (voice)

JH

Julie Harris

Mary Chestnut (voice)

JR

Jason Robards

Ulysses S. Grant (voice)

MF

Morgan Freeman

Frederick Douglass / John Boston (voice)

PR

Paul Roebling

Joshua Chamberlain (voice)

GK

Garrison Keillor

Walt Whitman (voice)

GB

George Black

Robert E. Lee (voice)

AM

Arthur Miller

William Tecumseh Sherman (voice)

CM

Christopher Murney

Elisha Hunt Rhodes (voice)

CM

Charles McDowell

Samuel R. Watkins (voice)

HF

Horton Foote

Jefferson Davis (voice)

GP

George Plimpton

George Templeton Strong (voice)

PB

Philip Bosco

Horace Greeley (voice)

TC

Terry Courier

George B. McClellan (voice)

JP

Jody Powell

Stonewall Jackson / Various (voice)

ST

Studs Terkel

Benjamin Butler / Various

HA

Hoyt Axton

Various (voice)

JH

John Hartford

Various (voice)

CD

Colleen Dewhurst

Various (voice)

SF

Shelby Foote

Various (voice)

RG

Ronnie Gilbert

Various (voice)

JI

Jeremy Irons

Various (voice)

GJ

Gene Jones

Various (voice)

DJ

Derek Jacobi

William Russell / Various (voice)

Media

No trailer available

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7.9

97 community reviews

AR
Alex Rivera6.9/103/18/2026
Binge-worthy
Every episode leaves you wanting more. The character arcs are exceptional.
52 found helpful
JK
Jordan Kim7.9/103/14/2026
Peak television
One of the best shows in its genre — tightly written and beautifully acted.
44 found helpful
SP
Sam Patel8.9/103/10/2026
Must-watch series
The season finales alone are worth the watch.
36 found helpful
ML
Morgan Lee6.9/103/6/2026
Brilliant writing
Gripping from the first scene. Already recommending to everyone.
28 found helpful
CW
Casey Wong7.9/103/2/2026
Slow burn payoff
Takes a few episodes to hit stride, then it's unstoppable.
20 found helpful

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