The Civil War miniseries by Ken Burns
My dad made me watch this when I was nine-years-old and at home with the flu. Because of my fever induced haze, I don’t have the fondest memories of this 11 hour 30 minute documentary, but it is a classic and I’m ready to give it another shot. If a nearly 12 hour documentary doesn’t sound up your alley, listed below are some more lighthearted fare.
Foyle’s War
A warning, the beginning of this series looks like it was shot in the 1970s, not the 2000s, but here I am eight seasons deep and loving it. Set during World War II in Britain, Christopher Foyle, played by Michael Kitchen, a scrupulously honest and brilliant detective works to solve murders in the beautiful seaside town of Hastings, England. It starts out slow, but trust. If you like a good ‘ol British detective series, this one is for you.
Deutschland 83
East meets West in this Cold War thriller. Actor Jonas Nay plays a 24-year-old East German soldier, Martin Rauch, who is sent to West Germany to gather intelligence on NATO. You get romance, Cold War drama and intrigue, and some appearances by President Ronald Reagan. It’s a must watch as you slowly meld and become one with your couch.
Line of Separation
Jonas Nay is back in this series that follows the breakup of the German town of Tannbach as it’s split between American and Soviet spheres of influence following the end of World War II. It also leaves viewers wondering if there are only several German actors out there and if they just rotate between projects.
Generation Kill
Generation Kill
Follow Marines of the First Reconnaissance Battalion – and a young Alexander Skarsgård – during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Robert Bianco of USA Today summed it up nicely when he wrote, “the seven-part Generation Kill is what you’d hope for from the people behind The Wire: an honest, barely adorned, sometimes painfully vivid representation of life as we live it now. It’s journalism converted to art, with both benefiting.”