Appalachia: A History of Mountains and People

Appalachia: A History of Mountains and People
Genre	Documentary
Written by	Ross Spears; Jamie Ross
Directed by	Ross Spears
Narrated by	Sissy Spacek
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	4
Production
Producer	Jamie Ross
Running time	50 minutes
Release
Original network	PBS
Picture format	HD
Audio format	5.1 surround
Original release	April 9 –; ; April 30, 2009
External links
	Website
	Production website

Appalachia: A History of Mountains and People is a four-part American documentary television series that premiered April 9, 2009, on PBS. The series explores the natural and human history of the Appalachian Mountains region.

Background

Most of the people featured in the series come from, or live in, the Appalachian region, including the narrator Sissy Spacek. Some of the other people featured include Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Barbara Kingsolver, E. O. Wilson, Nikki Giovanni, Robert Coles, Wilma Dykeman, Charles Hudson, Denise Giardina, Mary Lee Settle, John Ehle, Sharyn McCrumb, and Gurney Norman.

Reception

Appalachia was selected as the "Top of the List 2010" by Booklist, and heralded by reviewer Candace Smith as a "sterling four-part series". She commented: "Beautifully shot and vast in scope, this stellar series combines science, history, and arts in a tribute to Appalachia that offers hope for the future." [1]
Diana Nelson Jones of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette called the series "engrossing and beautifully filmed and illustrated". Jones suggested that with enough viewers Appalachia "could be the beginning of a cure for society's malignant attitude about the region".[2]
Jeff Biggers of The Huffington Post stated "Appalachia takes viewers on a breakthrough journey through our nation's burning ground of discovery, colonization, industrial development, social revolutions, and cultural and artistic endeavors", lauding the series as "a landmark event for television" that "transcends the usual media portraits of poverty, pity, depravity and the picturesque in America's most misunderstood and maligned region, and delivers a breathtaking view of Appalachia's extraordinary role in shaping our country." [3]
Steven Rosen of the Cincinnati CityBeat graded the series a C saying that it "takes way too long getting to the state of this region in the 20th and 21st centuries and then skims over critical material". "Instead, it allows a lot of romantic musings from several writers and scientists about the land".[4]
In a review in The Journal of Southern History, Mary Ella Engel praised Appalachia's "hypnotic storytelling", "sensory delight", and "smooth narration", dubbing it a "powerful and provocative introduction...[that] provides the perfect vehicle with which to express sorrow for the region's past and hope for Appalachia's future." [5]
Donald Edward Davis, Author of Where There Are Mountains: An Environmental History of the Southern Appalachians referred to it as a "ground-breaking documentary", which "beautifully documents the environmental history of Appalachia, illustrating the many ways the mountain landscape has, for centuries, shaped the destinies of those who have called the region home."
Professor of History at the University of Kentucky, Ron Eller, commended filmmakers Jamie Ross and Ross Spears on "[producing] a new standard for documentary films about Appalachia and [providing] a new framework for understanding the mountains and our relationship to them", calling Appalachia "a truly powerful piece of work".

Awards

Best Video of the Year 2010, The American Library Association, Booklist
Mountain Hero Award 2009, The Mountain Institute

Episodes

#	Title	Original air date
1	"Time and Terrain"	April 9, 2009 (2009-04-09)
The area's natural history is explored from its origins 500 million years ago, to the arrival of European explorers.
2	"New Green World"	April 16, 2009 (2009-04-16)
Native Americans and European settlers clash over control of the region.
3	"Mountain Revolutions"	April 23, 2009 (2009-04-23)
The American Civil War hastens the decline of an agrarian way of life in favor of new industrial development.
4	"Power and Place"	April 30, 2009 (2009-04-30)
The Appalachian region through the 20th century.

References

General

"PBS Pressroom – Appalachia: A History of Mountains and People". Retrieved on 2009-04-12

Specific

Smith, Candace. "Appalachia: A History of Mountains and People". Booklist. Booklist. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
Jones, Diana Nelson (April 7, 2009). "PBS's 'Appalachia' examines region's heart and soul". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2009-04-12.
Biggers, Jeff (May 25, 2011). "Diane Sawyer: You Should Watch Tonight's Big PBS Series on Why Appalachian Mountains Matter". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
Rosen, Steven (April 8, 2009). "PBS series looks at the region's history and mystery". Cincinnati CityBeat. Archived from the original on June 13, 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-12.
Engel, Mary Ella (May 1, 2011). "Appalachia: A History of Mountains and People". The Journal of Southern History. 77 (2): 506. Retrieved 23 October 2014.

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[1] Smith, Candace. "Appalachia: A History of Mountains and People". Booklist. Booklist. Retrieved 23 October 2014.

[2] Jones, Diana Nelson (April 7, 2009). "PBS's 'Appalachia' examines region's heart and soul". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2009-04-12.

[3] Biggers, Jeff (May 25, 2011). "Diane Sawyer: You Should Watch Tonight's Big PBS Series on Why Appalachian Mountains Matter". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 23 October 2014.

[4] Rosen, Steven (April 8, 2009). "PBS series looks at the region's history and mystery". Cincinnati CityBeat. Archived from the original on June 13, 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-12.

[5] Engel, Mary Ella (May 1, 2011). "Appalachia: A History of Mountains and People". The Journal of Southern History. 77 (2): 506. Retrieved 23 October 2014.