

New York: A Documentary Film
1999– · PBS · 120 min · 1 season
S01E10 · The Future of Cities (2001-2026)
Wed, 23 Sept, 2:00 am
The Future of Cities explores the city's quarter-century evolution post-9/11, touching on modern governance, climate change, the pandemic, and social justice.
About
In New York: A Documentary Film, Ric Burns (brother of the famed documentarian Ken Burns) presents an exhaustive history of New York City from the settling of the area by the Dutch to the attack by terrorists nearly 400 years later. Told in a sentimental tone, Burns weaves a lyrical tale of the great metropolis that encompasses not only the city's streets, but also that of the history of America. Through around fourteen hours in length, this epic documentary presents a thoughtful, entertaining look at our relatively young country.
Episodes
- E01
The Country and the City (1609-1825)
Mon, 15 Nov· 120 min - E02
Order and Disorder (1825-1865)
Tue, 16 Nov· 120 min - E03
Sunshine and Shadow (1865-1898)
Wed, 17 Nov· 120 min - E04
The Power and the People (1898-1918)
Thu, 18 Nov· 120 min - E05
Cosmopolis (1919-1931)
Fri, 19 Nov· 120 min - E06
City of Tomorrow (1929-1941)
Mon, 1 Oct· 120 min - E07
The City and the World (1945-2000)
Tue, 2 Oct· 120 min - E08
The Center of the World (1946-2003)
Tue, 9 Sept· 120 min - E09
Shadows of the Past (1965-2001)
Tue, 22 Sept· 120 minShadows of the Past covers the late 20th-century struggles of New York City, from postwar decline and economic crisis to its stunning rebound by the early 2000s.
- E10
The Future of Cities (2001-2026)
Wed, 23 Sept· 120 minThe Future of Cities explores the city's quarter-century evolution post-9/11, touching on modern governance, climate change, the pandemic, and social justice.
Cast
John Steele Gordon
Commentator
Kenneth Jackson
Commentator

Robert Sean Leonard
Narrator

David Ogden Stiers
Narrator