Best Documentary Ever (?) (movies, commercials, films, series)

[AleeGee]

I am just finishing up an 18 hour, 10 part series about Vietnam, titled "Vietnam" on Netflix. It is award worthy, and I'm wondering if anyone else has watched it?

[loves2read]

Then why did your banner ask something totally different???

Best documentary ever
The Civil War
Second best
Hoop Dreams

[DontH8Me]

Dear Zachary.

[greenvillebuckeye]

I'll second Hoop Dreams.

[Coney]

Any of the documentaries made by the Burns brothers are excellent.

Almost all of the documentaries on American Experience and American Masters

Then there are the nostalgic documentaries about neighborhoods and food. I really enjoyed the "Walking Series" with David Hartman and Barry Lewis.

Albert and David Maysles, Grey Gardens, The Beatles, etc. all really well made. The Beatles Anthology. Impossible to name the "best."

[redplum33]

Ken Burns' Baseball

[OhioJB]

Off the top of my head the one that comes to mind is: WWII: The Road to Victory hosted by John Eisenhower, (Dwight's son).

Wasn't able to watch all episodes before it disappeared from Hulu a year or two ago. What I did see was very good though. Amazon has it free for their Prime members or 99 cents/episode.

Have seen plenty of good documentaries, I favor them to movies. The only Ken Burns documentary I've watched that didn't show a slanted viewpoint was Civil War which was great. Haven't seen the one on baseball. Knowing what I know now about his documentaries if I watched Civil War again I might have a different opinion.

Enjoyed watching Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead. Not saying it was the best I've ever watched but it was good.

[greatblueheron]

Any Ken Burn's Films....

[Bureaucat]

My top 10 would include these:

Ken Burns’ The Civil War (PBS)
Ken Burns’ Baseball (PBS)
Ken Burns’ Jazz (PBS)
Ken Burns’ The War (PBS)
Ken Burns’ The Vietnam War (PBS)
Planet Earth (BBC)
The British WW2 Doc series: The World At War (Thames TV 1974)

2 golden oldie WW2 Doc series: Victory At Sea (NBC 1952) and Winston Churchill: The Valiant Years (ABC 1961). The Valiant Years followed the Victory At Sea formula. 30 minute episodes (sans commercials) using black and white war footage with narration. Richard Burton voiced Churchill’s words. Burton, the son of a Welsh miner and an avowed Laborite, said that it was this project that reminded him why he hated Winston Churchill.

There are probably some nature docs that I’m neglecting, but it’s hard to beat the drama of a well crafted war documentary.

[Bureaucat]

Originally Posted by Bureaucat

My top 10 would include these:

Ken Burns’ The Civil War (PBS)
Ken Burns’ Baseball (PBS)
Ken Burns’ Jazz (PBS)
Ken Burns’ The War (PBS)
Ken Burns’ The Vietnam War (PBS)
Planet Earth (BBC)
The British WW2 Doc series: The World At War (Thames TV 1974)

2 golden oldie WW2 Doc series: Victory At Sea (NBC 1952) and Winston Churchill: The Valiant Years (ABC 1961). The Valiant Years followed the Victory At Sea formula. 30 minute episodes (sans commercials) using black and white war footage with narration. Richard Burton voiced Churchill’s words. Burton, the son of a Welsh miner and an avowed Laborite, said that it was this project that reminded him why he hated Winston Churchill.

There are probably some nature docs that I’m neglecting, but it’s hard to beat the drama of a well crafted war documentary.

Just wanted to add that Victory At Sea and The Valiant Years also shared the fact that both were scored with original music by Richard Rodgers of Broadway fame (Rodgers and Hart/Rodgers and Hammerstein).