Two documentaries and an interview worth watching

EASTERN WASHINGTON — The Eastern Washington Public Broadcasting Station, KSPS, will present “Crime and Punishment in America,” a four-part, eight-hour documentary from Executive Producers Ken Burns and Sam Pollard. Directed by Lynn Novick, the series premieres Monday, Nov. 16, and runs through Nov. 19.

The story covers criminal justice from the colonial era to the present day. It is considered by historians as the first documentary project to comprehensively explore how Americans have addressed crime, the purpose of punishment, and the meaning of justice.

Following the last segment of the series on Nov. 19, PBS will present an in-depth examination of criminal justice in Eastern Washington with a panel discussion on Spokane’s challenges.

Host Dana Haynes will speak with community leaders to discuss the issues, including jail overcrowding, lack of mental health and drug options, and taxpayer costs.

On October 23, I was fortunate to attend a live interview with Ken Burns in New York City. The discussion was part of the New Yorker Festival, an annual event hosted by the magazine. Editors, journalists, and contributors to the “New Yorker Magazine” interview remarkable people from a variety of fields, including politics, film, music, arts, and technology.

At the event with Ken Burns, “The New Yorker” staff writer Michael Lao interviewed him for an hour in front of a live audience, who were also given the opportunity to ask questions at the end. The discussion focused on Burns’s recent documentary series on the American Revolutionary War.

Here is a quote from the documentary “If we must erect an independent government in America, a republic will produce strength, hardiness, activity, courage, fortitude, and enterprise. But there is so much rascality, so much venality and corruption, so much avarice and ambition, such a rage for profit and commerce among all ranks and degrees of men, even in America. But I sometimes doubt whether there is public virtue enough to support a republic,” – John Adams.

“The American Revolution” is a six-part, 12-hour PBS documentary that premiered on November 16, 2025 on PBS. It is available to stream at pbs.org.

The full hour-long New Yorker Festival interview with Ken Burns is available to watch for free at https://tinyurl.com/53fvwhsn.