7.6 /10 1 Votes7.6
8.6/10 Final episode date 1973 | 6.6/10 First episode date 1972 Executive producer Michael Gill | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Awards British Academy Television Richard Dimbleby Award Nominations Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama, British Academy Television Award for Best Factual Series Similar Civilisation, America: The Story of Us, The American Future: A, 10 Days That Unexpect, The Century: America's |
America: A Personal History of the United States is a 13-part television series about the United States and its history, commissioned by the BBC and made in partnership with Time-Life Films. It was written and presented by Alistair Cooke, and first broadcast in both the United Kingdom and the United States in 1972. The producer was Michael Gill, who had the idea for the series and chose the presenter. It was followed by a book, Alistair Cooke's America, which sold almost two million copies.
The series was a great success in both countries and was nominated for both a Golden Globe Award and a BAFTA. It also resulted in Cooke's invitation to address the joint Houses of the United States Congress as part of the Bicentennial celebrations. Cooke said that, of all his work, America was what he was most proud of; it is the result and expression of his long love for the country. (Once, asked how long it took him to make the series, Cooke replied "I do not want to be coy, but it took 40 years.")