It’s quite a task to create a list of Ken Burns films in order, because the American filmmaker has worked as Producer, Director, Cinematographer, Writer, Actor, Musical Director, and Creative Consultant on so many.
Let’s start with a list of films directed by Ken Burns, and then move to a timeline of all films listing Ken Burns as part of the cast or crew.
TV Documentaries & Films Directed by Ken Burns
- 1981 Brooklyn Bridge (Documentary)
- 1984 The Shakers: Hands to Work, Hearts to God (Documentary)
- 1985 Huey Long (Documentary)
- 1985 The Statue of Liberty (Documentary)
- 1988 The Congress (TV Movie documentary)
- 1988 Thomas Hart Benton (TV Movie documentary)
- 1990 The Civil War (TV Mini Series documentary) (9 episodes)
- 1991 Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio (Documentary)
- 1994-2010 Baseball (TV Mini Series documentary) (11 episodes)
- 1997 Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery (TV Movie documentary)
- 1997 Thomas Jefferson (TV Mini Series documentary) (2 episodes)
- 1998 Frank Lloyd Wright (Documentary)
- 1999 Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony (TV Series documentary) (1 episode)
- 2001 Jazz (TV Mini Series documentary) (10 episodes)
- 2001 Mark Twain (TV Movie documentary)
- 2003 Horatio’s Drive: America’s First Road Trip (TV Movie documentary)
- 2004 Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson (Documentary)
- 2007 The War (TV Mini Series documentary) (co-director – 7 episodes)
- 2009 The National Parks: America’s Best Idea (TV Mini Series documentary) (6 episodes)
- 2011 Prohibition (TV Mini Series documentary) (3 episodes)
- 2012 The Central Park Five (Documentary)
- 2012 The Dust Bowl (TV Mini Series documentary) (4 episodes)
- 2014 The Address (TV Movie documentary) (attached)
- 2014 The Roosevelts: An Intimate History (TV Mini Series documentary) (7 episodes)
- 2016 Defying the Nazis: The Sharps’ War (Documentary)
- 2016 Jackie Robinson (TV Mini Series documentary) (2 episodes)
- 2017 The Vietnam War (TV Mini Series documentary) (10 episodes)
- 2017 Vietnam (TV Mini Series)
- 2018 The Mayo Clinic, Faith, Hope and Science (TV Movie documentary) (co-director)
- 2019 Country Music (TV Mini Series documentary) (8 episodes)
- 2020 Mark Twain (TV Mini Series documentary)
- 2021 Hemingway (TV Mini Series documentary) (3 episodes)
- 2021 Muhammad Ali (TV Mini Series documentary)
Muhammad Ali (2021)
Ken Burns Films & TV Documentary Credits
Brooklyn Bridge (1981)
In the 1981 documentary Brooklyn Bridge, Ken Burns is credited with his roles as
- Director
- Producer
- Cinematographer
The Shakers: Hands to Work, Hearts to God (1984)
In the 1984 documentary The Shakers: Hands to Work, Hearts to God, Ken Burns is credited with his roles as
- Director
- Producer
- Cinematographer
Huey Long (1985)
In the 1985 documentary Huey Long, Ken Burns is credited with his roles as
- Director
- Producer
- Cinematographer
The Statue of Liberty (1985)
In the 1985 documentary The Statue of Liberty, Ken Burns is credited with his roles as
- Director
- Producer
- Cinematographer
The Congress (1988)
In the 1988 TV Movie documentary The Congress, Ken Burns is credited with his roles as
- Director
- Producer
- Cinematographer
Thomas Hart Benton (1988)
In the 1988 TV Movie documentary Thomas Hart Benton, Ken Burns is credited with his roles as
- Director
- Producer
- Cinematographer
American Experience (1990)
In the 1990 TV Series documentary American Experience, Ken Burns is credited with his roles as
- Co-producer for 1 episode
- Senior creative consultant for 3 episodes
- Additional cinematographer for 1 episode (Lindbergh)
The Civil War (1990)
In the 1990 TV Mini Series documentary The Civil War, which had 9 episodes, Ken Burns is credited with his roles as
- Director
- Executive Producer
- Cinematographer
- Writer
- Musical Director
- Music Direction for 8 of the 9 episodes
Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio (1991)
In the 1991 documentary Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio, Ken Burns is credited with his roles as
- Director
- Producer
- Writer
- Musical Director
Gettysburg (1993)
In the 1993 feature film, Gettysburg, about the American Civil War battle there in 1863, Ken Burns appeared as an actor playing Hancock’s Aide.
The Making of ‘Gettysburg’ (1993)
In the 1993 Video documentary The Making of ‘Gettysburg’ Ken Burns appeared in the commentary.
Baseball (1994 & 2010)
The TV Mini Series documentary Baseball aired its first nine episodes in the fall of 1994 during a World Series strike cancellation. A further two episodes aired in 2010.
Ken Burns is credited with his roles in Baseball as
- Director for all 11 episodes
- Executive Producer for 9 episodes
- Producer for 3 episodes
- Cinematographer for all 11 episodes
- Writer for all 11 episodes
- Musical Director for 9 episodes
The West (1996)
In the 1996 TV Mini Series documentary The West, which had 9 episodes, Ken Burns is credited with his roles as
- Executive Producer for 9 episodes
- Senior Producer for 8 episodes
- Series Producer for 1 episode
- Additional Cinematography for 9 episodes
Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery (1997)
In the 1997 TV Movie documentary Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery, Ken Burns is credited with his roles as
- Director
- Executive Producer/Producer
- Cinematographer
- Writer
Thomas Jefferson (1997)
In the 1997 TV Mini Series documentary Thomas Jefferson, which had two episodes, Ken Burns is credited with his roles as
- Director
- Producer
- Cinematographer
- Senior Creative Consultant
Frank Lloyd Wright (1998)
In the 1998 Documentary film Frank Lloyd Wright, Ken Burns is credited with his roles as
- Director
- Executive Producer/Producer
- Cinematographer
Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony (1999)
In the 1999 TV Series documentary Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony, Ken Burns is credited with his roles as
- Director
- Producer
- Cinematographer
Biography (2000)
In the year 2000 TV Series documentary Biography, Ken Burns was the Executive Producer.
Jazz (2001)
In the 2001 TV Mini Series documentary Jazz, which had ten episodes, Ken Burns is credited with his roles as
- Director for all 10 episodes
- Producer for all 10 episodes
- Cinematographer for 4 episodes
Mark Twain (2001)
In the 2001 TV Movie documentary Mark Twain, Ken Burns is credited with his roles as
- Director
- Producer
- Cinematographer
Horatio’s Drive: America’s First Road Trip (2003)
In the 2003 TV Movie documentary Horatio’s Drive: America’s First Road Trip, Ken Burns is credited with his roles as
- Director
- Producer
- Cinematographer
The Simpsons (2003)
In 2003, the voice of Ken Burns was heard in an episode of The Simpsons, called Pray Anything.
Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson (2004)
In the 2004 documentary Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson, Ken Burns is credited with his roles as
- Director
- Producer
- Music arranger for “Levee Low Moan”
- Music Producer
The Life and Times of Frida Kahlo (2005)
Ken Burns worked as a consultant for the 2005 TV Movie documentary The Life and Times of Frida Kahlo.
Clifford’s Puppy Days (2005)
In 2005, the voice of Ken Burns was heard in an episode of popular kids TV series Clifford’s Puppy Days, called Lights, Camera, Action/Basketball Babysitter.
The War (2007)
In the 2007 TV Mini Series documentary The War, Ken Burns is credited as Director and co-director.
The National Parks: America’s Best Idea (2009)
In the 2009 TV Mini Series documentary The National Parks: America’s Best Idea, which had six episodes, Ken Burns is credited with his roles as
- Director for all 6 episodes
- Executive Producer for all 6 episodes
- Producer for all 6 episodes
- Cinematographer for all 6 episodes
- Camera Operator for 1 episode
Prohibition (2011)
In the 2011 TV Mini Series documentary Prohibition, which had 3 episodes, Ken Burns is credited as the Director.
The Simpsons (2011)
In 2011, Ken Burns was heard once again in the hit comedy animation series The Simpsons, in an episode called The Ned-Liest Catch.
The Central Park Five (2012)
In the 2012 Documentary The Central Park Five, which had two episodes, Ken Burns is credited with his roles as
- Director
- Executive Producer for Florentine Films for 2 episodes
- Producer for 1 episode
- Writer
The Dust Bowl (2012)
In the 2012 TV Mini Series documentary The Dust Bowl, which had four episodes, Ken Burns is credited as
- Director for 4 episodes
- Executive for 4 episodes
- Producer for 2 episodes
The Simpsons (2012)
In 2012, the voice of Ken Burns was heard in The Simpsons for the third time. The episode was called Moonshine River.
The Address (2014)
In the 2014 TV Movie documentary The Address, Ken Burns is credited as
- Director
- Writer
- Additional Cinematographer
The Roosevelts: An Intimate History (2014)
In the 2014 TV Mini Series documentary The Roosevelts: An Intimate History, which had seven episodes, Ken Burns is credited as
- Director for 7 episodes
- Executive Producer for 5 episodes
- Producer for 3 episodes
- Writer for 5 episodes
The Mindy Project (2014)
In the 2014 TV series The Mindy Project, Ken Burns appears as himself in the episode called Christmas.
Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies (2015)
In the three-episode 2015 TV Mini Series documentary, Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies, Ken Burns is credited as
- Executive Producer
- Writer
- Senior creative consultant
Defying the Nazis: The Sharps’ War (2016)
In the 2016 Documentary Defying the Nazis: The Sharps’ War, Ken Burns is credited as
- Director
- Executive Producer / Producer
Krebs: Eine Biografie (2016)
Ken Burns was the Executive Producer for 2016 TV Mini Series documentary Krebs: Eine Biografie.
Jackie Robinson (2016)
In the 2016 TV Mini Series documentary Jackie Robinson, which had two episodes, Ken Burn was credited as
- Director
- Executive Producer
- Producer
Difficult People (2016)
In 2016, Ken Burns appeared as himself in an episode of TV Series Difficult People, called Blade Stallion.
The Vietnam War (2017)
In the 2017 TV Mini Series documentary, which had ten episodes, Ken Burns was credited as
- Director
- Producer
Vietnam (2017)
Ken Burns was the Director for the 2017 TV Mini Series Vietnam.
Walden (2017)
Ken Burns was Executive Producer for the 2017 Documentary short Walden.
The Mayo Clinic, Faith, Hope and Science (2018)
In the 2018 TV Movie documentary The Mayo Clinic, Faith, Hope and Science, Ken Burns was credited as
- Co-director
- Director
College Behind Bars (2019)
For 2019 TV Series documentary College Behind Bars, Ken Burns was credited as
- Executive Producer)
- Senior Creative Consultant
The Simpsons (2019)
2019 saw another voice appearance for Ken Burns in hit comedy animation series The Simpsons, this time for an episode called Woo-Hoo Dunnit?
2019 Country Music (2019)
For the 2019 TV Mini Series documentary Country Music, which had eight episodes, Ken Burns was credited as
- Director
- Producer
Country Music: Live at the Ryman – A Concert Celebrating the Film by Ken Burns (2019)
Ken Burns was the Executive Producer and Producer for the 2019 TV Special Country Music: Live at the Ryman – A Concert Celebrating the Film by Ken Burns.
2020 Mark Twain (2020)
Ken Burns was the Director for 2020 TV Mini Series documentary Mark Twain.
East Lake Meadows: A Public Housing Story (2020)
Ken Burns was the Executive Producer for 2020 TV Movie documentary East Lake Meadows: A Public Housing Story.
Ken Burns Presents: The Gene (2020)
Ken Burns was the Executive Producer for the 2020 TV Series documentary Ken Burns Presents: The Gene.
2021 Hemingway (2021)
In the 2021 TV Mini Series documentary Hemingway, which had 3 episodes, Ken Burns was credited as
- Director
- Producer
Muhammad Ali (2021)
For the 2021 TV Mini Series documentary Muhammad Ali, Ken Burns was credited as
- Director
- Executive Producer
- Writer
Looking for a Ken Burns New York Documentary?
Some people believe there is a Ken Burns New York documentary. However, the eight episode 1999 TV Mini series New York: A Documentary Film was directed by Ric Burns, the brother of Ken Burns.
