Ken Burns: movies and TV shows
Ken Burns has 164 credits in the archive: 61 films and 103 TV series, from 1952 to 2026. Highest rated: Interstellar (8.5/10).
Career timeline
1952 – 2026 · busiest year: 2010 (10 credits)
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Full filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Type | Rating | Age then |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Henry David Thoreau | TV | 1.0 | 72 | |
| 2026 | Henry David Thoreau | TV | 1.0 | 72 | |
| 2026 | Henry David Thoreau | TV | 1.0 | 72 | |
| 2026 | Henry David Thoreau | TV | 1.0 | 72 | |
| 2026 | Henry David Thoreau | Film | 9.3 | 72 | |
| 2025 | The American Revolution | TV | 5.9 | 71 | |
| 2025 | The American Revolution | TV | 5.9 | 71 | |
| 2025 | The American Revolution | TV | 5.9 | 71 | |
| 2024 | In the Know | Self | TV | 6.5 | 70 |
| 2024 | Leonardo da Vinci | TV | 7.6 | 70 | |
| 2024 | Leonardo da Vinci | TV | 7.6 | 70 | |
| 2024 | Leonardo da Vinci | TV | 7.6 | 70 | |
| 2024 | Ken Burns: One Nation, Many Stories | Film | — | 70 | |
| 2023 | The American Buffalo | TV | 7.4 | 69 | |
| 2023 | The American Buffalo | TV | 7.4 | 69 | |
| 2023 | The American Buffalo | TV | 7.4 | 69 | |
| 2023 | Homecoming | Film | — | 69 | |
| 2023 | Spirit of Golf | Self | Film | — | 69 |
| 2022 | Benjamin Franklin | TV | 7.7 | 68 | |
| 2022 | Benjamin Franklin | TV | 7.7 | 68 | |
| 2022 | The U.S. and the Holocaust | TV | 8.3 | 68 | |
| 2022 | The U.S. and the Holocaust | TV | 8.3 | 68 | |
| 2022 | The U.S. and the Holocaust | TV | 8.3 | 68 | |
| 2022 | Hiding in Plain Sight: Youth Mental Illness | TV | — | 68 | |
| 2022 | The Unmaking of a College | Self | Film | 8.0 | 68 |
| 2021 | The Problem with Jon Stewart | Self | TV | 7.2 | 67 |
| 2021 | Hemingway | TV | 7.5 | 67 | |
| 2021 | Hemingway | TV | 7.5 | 67 | |
| 2021 | Muhammad Ali | TV | 8.0 | 67 | |
| 2021 | Muhammad Ali | TV | 8.0 | 67 | |
| 2021 | Muhammad Ali | TV | 8.0 | 67 | |
| 2021 | Back on the Record with Bob Costas | Self | TV | 6.0 | 67 |
| 2021 | De la poussière et des hommes | TV | 8.0 | 67 | |
| 2020 | The Gene: An Intimate History | TV | 8.0 | 66 | |
| 2020 | East Lake Meadows: A Public Housing Story | Film | 7.0 | 66 | |
| 2020 | East Lake Meadows: A Public Housing Story | Film | 7.0 | 66 | |
| 2020 | Ken Burns: Here & There | Himself | Film | — | 66 |
| 2020 | Here For A Good Time | Self | Film | — | 66 |
| 2019 | Country Music | TV | 7.3 | 65 | |
| 2019 | Country Music | TV | 7.3 | 65 | |
| 2019 | College Behind Bars | TV | 6.5 | 65 | |
| 2019 | Very Ralph | Self | Film | 6.3 | 65 |
| 2019 | Henry Louis Gates Jr.: Uncovering America | Self - Director and Producer | Film | — | 65 |
| 2018 | Firing Line with Margaret Hoover | TV | 8.0 | 64 | |
| 2018 | Firing Line with Margaret Hoover | Self | TV | 8.0 | 64 |
| 2018 | The Mayo Clinic | Film | 7.0 | 64 | |
| 2018 | The Mayo Clinic | Film | 7.0 | 64 | |
| 2018 | The Mayo Clinic | Film | 7.0 | 64 | |
| 2017 | The Vietnam War | TV | 8.2 | 63 | |
| 2017 | The Vietnam War | TV | 8.2 | 63 | |
| 2017 | The Vietnam War | TV | 8.2 | 63 | |
| 2017 | Walden | Film | 9.0 | 63 | |
| 2016 | Jackie Robinson | TV | 7.9 | 62 | |
| 2016 | Defying the Nazis: The Sharps' War | Film | 6.9 | 62 | |
| 2016 | Defying the Nazis: The Sharps' War | Film | 6.9 | 62 | |
| 2015 | The Late Show with Stephen Colbert | Self - Guest | TV | 6.1 | 61 |
| 2015 | The Late Show with Stephen Colbert | Self | TV | 6.1 | 61 |
| 2015 | Difficult People | Ken Burns | TV | 6.3 | 61 |
| 2015 | Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies | TV | 7.7 | 61 | |
| 2014 | The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon | Self - Guest | TV | 5.8 | 60 |
| 2014 | Interstellar | Film | 8.5 | 60 | |
| 2014 | The Roosevelts: An Intimate History | TV | 7.7 | 60 | |
| 2014 | The Roosevelts: An Intimate History | TV | 7.7 | 60 | |
| 2014 | The Roosevelts: An Intimate History | TV | 7.7 | 60 | |
| 2014 | The Address | Film | 5.8 | 60 | |
| 2014 | OETA's On the Record: Ken Burns | Self | Film | — | 60 |
| 2013 | Yosemite — A Gathering of Spirit | Narrator (Voice) | Film | — | 59 |
| 2013 | Yosemite — A Gathering of Spirit | Film | — | 59 | |
| 2013 | Yosemite — A Gathering of Spirit | Film | — | 59 | |
| 2013 | Yosemite — A Gathering of Spirit | Film | — | 59 | |
| 2013 | After the Central Park Five | Film | — | 59 | |
| 2013 | After the Central Park Five | Film | — | 59 | |
| 2012 | The Mindy Project | Ken Burns | TV | 6.3 | 58 |
| 2012 | Finding Your Roots | Self | TV | 6.5 | 58 |
| 2012 | The Central Park Five | Film | 7.0 | 58 | |
| 2012 | The Central Park Five | Film | 7.0 | 58 | |
| 2012 | The Central Park Five | Film | 7.0 | 58 | |
| 2012 | The Dust Bowl | TV | 7.9 | 58 | |
| 2012 | The Dust Bowl | TV | 7.9 | 58 | |
| 2012 | Plimpton! Starring George Plimpton as Himself | Himself | Film | 7.7 | 58 |
| 2011 | Prohibition | TV | 7.9 | 57 | |
| 2011 | Prohibition | TV | 7.9 | 57 | |
| 2011 | Prohibition | TV | 7.9 | 57 | |
| 2011 | Prohibition | TV | 7.9 | 57 | |
| 2010 | Baseball: The Tenth Inning | TV | 10.0 | 56 | |
| 2010 | Baseball: The Tenth Inning | TV | 10.0 | 56 | |
| 2010 | Baseball: The Tenth Inning | TV | 10.0 | 56 | |
| 2010 | Baseball: The Tenth Inning | TV | 10.0 | 56 | |
| 2010 | Baseball: The Tenth Inning | TV | 10.0 | 56 | |
| 2010 | Baseball: The Tenth Inning | TV | 10.0 | 56 | |
| 2010 | Baseball: The Tenth Inning | Film | 8.0 | 56 | |
| 2010 | Baseball: The Tenth Inning | Film | 8.0 | 56 | |
| 2010 | A Hall for Heroes: The Inaugural Hall of Fame Induction of 1939 | Film | — | 56 | |
| 2010 | Seeing, Searching, Being: William Segal | Film | — | 56 | |
| 2009 | The National Parks: America's Best Idea | TV | 7.9 | 55 | |
| 2009 | The National Parks: America's Best Idea | TV | 7.9 | 55 | |
| 2009 | MLB: Baseball's Seasons | Self - Filmmaker | TV | — | 55 |
| 2007 | The War | TV | 8.1 | 53 | |
| 2007 | The War | TV | 8.1 | 53 | |
| 2007 | Craft in America | Himself | TV | — | 53 |
| 2006 | Wordplay | Self | Film | 7.0 | 52 |
| 2005 | The Colbert Report | Self | TV | 6.9 | 51 |
| 2005 | The Colbert Report | Self (uncredited) | TV | 6.9 | 51 |
| 2005 | The Tim McCarver Show | TV | 5.0 | 51 | |
| 2005 | Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson | TV | — | 51 | |
| 2005 | Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson | TV | — | 51 | |
| 2004 | The Tony Danza Show | Self | TV | 6.4 | 50 |
| 2004 | Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson | Film | 7.2 | 50 | |
| 2003 | Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip | Film | 7.7 | 49 | |
| 2002 | Mark Twain | TV | — | 48 | |
| 2002 | Mark Twain | Film | 7.1 | 48 | |
| 2002 | Mark Twain | Film | 7.1 | 48 | |
| 2002 | Mark Twain | Film | 7.1 | 48 | |
| 2001 | Jazz | TV | 7.5 | 47 | |
| 2001 | Jazz | TV | 7.5 | 47 | |
| 2000 | Chuck Jones: Extremes and In-Betweens - A Life in Animation | Self | Film | 7.0 | 46 |
| 1999 | Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony | TV | 7.5 | 45 | |
| 1999 | Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony | TV | 7.5 | 45 | |
| 1998 | Frank Lloyd Wright | TV | 7.4 | 44 | |
| 1998 | Frank Lloyd Wright | TV | 7.4 | 44 | |
| 1997 | The View | Self | TV | 4.3 | 43 |
| 1997 | Lewis & Clark - The Journey of the Corps of Discovery | TV | 7.6 | 43 | |
| 1997 | Lewis & Clark - The Journey of the Corps of Discovery | TV | 7.6 | 43 | |
| 1997 | Thomas Jefferson | TV | 7.5 | 43 | |
| 1997 | Thomas Jefferson | TV | 7.5 | 43 | |
| 1996 | The Daily Show | Self | TV | 6.4 | 42 |
| 1996 | The West | TV | 8.4 | 42 | |
| 1994 | Baseball | TV | 7.5 | 40 | |
| 1994 | Baseball | TV | 7.5 | 40 | |
| 1994 | Baseball | TV | 7.5 | 40 | |
| 1994 | Baseball | TV | 7.5 | 40 | |
| 1994 | Baseball | TV | 7.5 | 40 | |
| 1993 | Late Show with David Letterman | Self - Guest | TV | 6.4 | 39 |
| 1993 | Late Night with Conan O'Brien | Self - Guest | TV | 7.3 | 39 |
| 1991 | Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio | Film | 7.6 | 37 | |
| 1991 | Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio | Film | 7.6 | 37 | |
| 1991 | Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio | Film | 7.6 | 37 | |
| 1991 | Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio | Film | 7.6 | 37 | |
| 1991 | Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio | Film | 7.6 | 37 | |
| 1990 | The Civil War | TV | 7.9 | 36 | |
| 1990 | The Civil War | TV | 7.9 | 36 | |
| 1990 | The Civil War | TV | 7.9 | 36 | |
| 1990 | The Civil War | TV | 7.9 | 36 | |
| 1990 | Lindbergh | Film | 7.0 | 36 | |
| 1989 | The Simpsons | Ken Burns (voice) | TV | 8.0 | 35 |
| 1989 | Thomas Hart Benton | Film | 7.8 | 35 | |
| 1989 | Thomas Hart Benton | Film | 7.8 | 35 | |
| 1989 | The Congress | Film | 7.6 | 35 | |
| 1985 | Huey Long | Film | 7.2 | 31 | |
| 1985 | Huey Long | Film | 7.2 | 31 | |
| 1985 | The Statue of Liberty | Film | 6.9 | 31 | |
| 1985 | The Statue of Liberty | Film | 6.9 | 31 | |
| 1985 | The Statue of Liberty | Film | 6.9 | 31 | |
| 1984 | The Shakers: Hands to Work, Hearts to God | Film | 7.2 | 30 | |
| 1984 | The Shakers: Hands to Work, Hearts to God | Film | 7.2 | 30 | |
| 1984 | The Shakers: Hands to Work, Hearts to God | Film | 7.2 | 30 | |
| 1981 | This Week | TV | 9.0 | 27 | |
| 1981 | Brooklyn Bridge | Film | 7.5 | 27 | |
| 1981 | Brooklyn Bridge | Film | 7.5 | 27 | |
| 1981 | Brooklyn Bridge | Film | 7.5 | 27 | |
| 1980 | CNN Special Report | Self | TV | 6.7 | 26 |
| 1968 | 60 Minutes | Self | TV | 6.5 | 14 |
| 1962 | The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | Self | TV | 7.5 | 8 |
| 1952 | Today | Self | TV | 5.6 | 1 |