WCTE PBS is excited to invite our community to join us for one of three free screenings of Ken Burns’ highly anticipated new series, The American Revolution, which premieres later this fall.

Join us for this special opportunity to see a sneak preview of the series before its national broadcast. Experience the stories, struggles, and triumphs that shaped the birth of our nation—told through the lens of America’s most acclaimed documentary filmmaker.

Screening Dates & Locations:

October 8 – Cumberland County Playhouse | 11:00 AM
October 13 – Cedar Hills, Cookeville, TN | 2:00 PM
November 10 – Cookeville Performing Arts Center | 6:00 PM

Reserve Seats for Cumberland County Screening

Reserve Seats for Cookeville Perf. Arts (CPAC) Screening

All screenings are free and open to the public. Seating is limited, so we encourage you to arrive early. Don’t miss this chance to engage with history, community, and public media at its best.

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION examines how America's creation turned the world upside-down. Thirteen British colonies on the Atlantic Coast rose in rebellion, won their independence, and established a new form of government that radically reshaped the continent and inspired centuries of democratic movements around the globe. The much-anticipated series, which has been in production for eight years, was directed and produced by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt and written by long-time collaborator Geoffrey C. Ward. The filmmakers and PBS scheduled the broadcast for 2025, the 250th anniversary of the start of the war, which began in the spring of 1775, more than a year before the Declaration of Independence.

The American Revolution Trailer

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, a new six-part, 12-hour documentary series that explores the country's founding and its eight-year War for Independence, will premiere on Sunday, November 16 at 7pm and air for six consecutive nights on WCTE PBS. The full series can be streamed on PBS.org and on the PBS App.

Click here to learn more about the film

Corporate funding for THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION was provided by Bank of America. Major funding was provided by The Better Angels Society and its members Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine with the Crimson Lion Foundation; and the Blavatnik Family Foundation. Major funding was also provided by David M. Rubenstein; The Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Family Foundation; Lilly Endowment, Inc.; and the following Better Angels Society members: Eric and Wendy Schmidt; Stephen A. Schwarzman; and Kenneth C. Griffin with Griffin Catalyst. Additional support for THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION was provided by: The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations; The Pew Charitable Trusts; Gilbert S. Omenn and Martha A. Darling; Park Foundation; and the following Better Angels Society members: Gilchrist and Amy Berg; Perry and Donna Golkin; The Michelson Foundation; Jacqueline B. Mars; Kissick Family Foundation; Diane and Hal Brierley; John H. N. Fisher and Jennifer Caldwell; John and Catherine Debs; The Fullerton Family Charitable Fund; Philip I. Kent; Gail Elden; Deborah and Jon Dawson; David and Susan Kreisman; The McCloskey Family Charitable Trust; Becky and Jim Morgan; Carol and Ned Spieker; Mark A. Tracy; and Paul and Shelley Whyte. THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION was made possible, in part, with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.