“The War Of 1812 is simply enthralling. It’s got everything from
superbly staged sea battles to bloody conflicts along the Niagara frontier to
an unforgettable cast of characters.”
—James Bawden, James Bawden Blog, October 2, 2011
“Many of
the misconceptions on both sides are corrected in the two hour The War of 1812. Mixing re-enactments and narration with
animation, illustration and commentary from more than 20 experts, Hott’s
$1-million doc is a lively, scrupulously balanced account . . . .”—James Adams, The Globe and Mail, October 8, 2011
“It’s time to do a review
of the CBC when PBS does a better job relating Canadian history than the Corp.” —Ken Gray,
Ottawa Citizen, October 13, 2011
“Hott and Garey use re-enactors as well I have ever
seen them used. And I would urge anyone who categorically rejects
re-enactments, a hotly contested issue for folks who take their history
seriously, to check out the deft use of them in ‘The War of 1812.’ Hott has
thought long and hard about the matter.”
—David Zurawik, The
Baltimore Sun, October 9, 2011
“One of the most exciting
projects that WNED-TV (the PBS television station in Buffalo) has ever
undertaken is ‘The War of 1812’ that will air nationwide Oct. 10.” —Don Glynn , Niagara Gazette, September 25, 2011
“It’s strange to think that
here is the best TV production about Canada on TV this fall. Because it comes
from an American station.” —James
Bawden, James Bawden Blog, October 2, 2011
“The War of 1812 is a masterfully woven yarn of historic first-hand
accounts, interviews with dozens of modern experts, artful animation and
dramatic re-enactments. More than a catalog of battles and the commanders who
fought them, the documentary tells in rich detail of an ambiguous war fought
for questionable reasons by generals who were as often pitifully inept as they
were spectacularly heroic. It’s a truly great story.”—Mark Roessler, Valley
Advocate, September 8, 2011
“Nor was
it a small point that the documentary, which kicks off festivities on both sides
of the border, was being commissioned by WNED, Buffalo’s PBS station, whose
membership is 65 per cent Canadian”—Kenneth
Kidd, The Toronto Star, October 8,
2011
“From
a producer’s point of view, I must say that The War of 1812 is a
stellar example of what happens when intelligent and creative people come
together to create what I call ‘smart art.’”
—Michael Aubrecht,BLOG, or DIE., August 9, 2011
“For
those of you who were very impressed with Monday’s WNED-PBS production of the War
of 1812 (and I was among them), did any of you notice who made the
two-hour extravaganza? . . . . You know, it’s bad enough that PBS routinely
does a better job of public broadcasting than the CBC, but now the network’s
Buffalo affiliate does a better job of relating Canadian history than the CBC.”
—Ken Gray, Ottawa Citizen, October 13,
2011
“In the
hands of filmmaker Hott, history comes to life.” —Alex Strachan, Postmedia News/Calgary
Herald, October 10, 2011
“The War of 1812 is rich with detail
about a period in Canada’s history that is not often discussed.”
— Scott Stinson, National
Post, October 6, 2011
“A new PBS
documentary, airing Monday night on all of the U.S. network’s affiliates
serving the Canadian market, is a useful primer for citizens of both countries on
the eve of the bicentennial.”
—Konrad Yakabuski, The Globe and Mail, October 9, 2011
“Like most
Canadians, I learned about the War of 1812 in school. But when you’re going over something so rapidly (and perhaps
not paying close attention), it never made geographic sense to me . . . .
Having seen this documentary, I now understand what happened, and where, and
why, much better than I did before.”—Bill
Harris, Toronto Sun, October 9, 2011
“Extensive research and
interviews expose a war rife with foibles and blunders that have been swept
under the rug as far as many history books are concerned. Not to worry, PBS is prepared to set
the record straight — not only with the documentary, but also with a wealth of
educational resources besides.”
—Kyla Brewer, TV Media/San Antonio Express-News, October 9, 2011
“[A]s
the new documentary The War of 1812 from PBS makes clear, the conflict
is one that should be better remembered and more thoroughly studied.”—Gerald Swick, HistoryNet, October 4, 2011
“This documentary on The War of 1812 — made by Canadians and Americans in a production
that straddled the border — hopes to set the record straight, end all the name
calling and shed light on what remains the only invasion ever on Canadian soil.”—Bill Brioux, The Canadian Press/The Toronto Star, October 7, 2011
“Two
centuries after the fact, a PBS-TV producer has decided to set the record
straight on the War of 1812 for an American audience . . . . [The War of 1812] promises to open a lot
of eyes south of the border about what is a forgotten and ignored war in
American history books.” —Ted Shaw, The Windsor Star, October 8, 2011
“‘The War
of 1812,’ a two-hour PBS documentary created by WNED-TV Buffalo/Toronto,
explores the battles, reveals some blunders and describes the human toll taken
by the war.”—Jane Kwiatkowski,
The Buffalo
News, October 9, 2011
“The
War of 1812 (PBS, 9 p.m.) is
must-see TV. And how interesting that PBS should be the first to mark the
anniversary of the war with this fine, thoughtful and provocative
documentary-drama. In the U.S. the production will probably be approached as an
earnest piece of educational TV, but filmmaker Lawrence Hott’s work with this
production is much more than that. It’s superb historical excavation (the
narrator is Joe Mantegna) and in some ways, an exposé. Here in Canada, we have a very narrow
sense of that war and in the U.S. there is almost no sense of it. We’re told
much in the doc, in vivid and colourful detail, about the origins of the
conflict and its vast scope. If you want to know why it was fought and why it
mattered in the very long term — to Canada, the U.S. and to Canada’s natives —
it’s all here.”
—John Doyle, The Globe and Mail, October 10, 2011
“[The War of 1812] is a meticulously
detailed production, and more of a history lesson than a harrowing drama, but The War of 1812 shares one key element
with modern Hollywood depictions of battle, from The Pacific to The Hurt
Locker: The theme that warfare is less about glory than it is survival.”
— Scott Stinson, National
Post, October 6, 2011
“As a historian and
documentary film producer, I feel that I have a broad understanding of what
goes on in front of — and behind the camera. No doubt the biggest challenge
when making historical films like this is finding a balance between education
and entertainment. Great filmmakers can do this without compromising either
side and I am pleased to say that the folks who produced this film exemplified
this concept.” —Michael
Aubrecht, BLOG, or DIE., August 9, 2011
“It’s an
intriguing presentation . . . and should be essential viewing for Canadians.”
—Peter Worthington, Toronto Sun, October 5, 2011
“Producers Lawrence R. Hott
and Diane Garey have created a very watchable and informative documentary . . .
one well worth viewing as the bicentennial of this war approaches.” —Gerald Swick, HistoryNet, October 4, 2011
“Most of us have only the
foggiest notion of what really happened in the War of 1812, even
though a lot of it took place within 100 miles of us. That will change at 9
p.m., when WNED-TV, Channel 17, and the rest of the Public Broadcasting System,
airs the documentary WNED produced about the war. For good measure, WNED also
is offering a companion book, a DVD and a website with more details about the
conflict.” —BuffaloNews.com,
October 10, 2011
“A Buffalo
public television station has produced a documentary on the War of 1812 that
includes educational lesson plans for classrooms and a companion book about
battle sites.” —Chris Brock, Watertown Daily Times, October 6, 2011
“The War Of 1812 has everything — true life adventure, superb
winners and tragic losers (like the great warrior Tecumseh), and a story line
that explains how Canadians began developing as a separate people.” —James Bawden, James Bawden Blog, October
2, 2011
“‘The War of 1812,’ produced
by WNED in Buffalo, N.Y., helps viewers understand the whys and wherefores of
the war that saw one of its earliest actions in Michigan . . . .”—Barbara Krolak, Monroe News, October 10, 2011
“As
millions sink deeper and deeper into video game addictions and online
obsessions, it appears fewer people have been hitting the books. Indeed, there are those who believe
television has also been rotting the brains of North Americans for years. However, not all TV is created
equal. While there’s an abundance
of mindless entertainment in prime time, one network has forged a reputation
for enlightening fare. Once again,
PBS aims to inform and educate viewers in ‘The War of 1812’ . . . .” —Kyla Brewer, TV Media/San Antonio Express-News, October 9,
2011
“So this
[documentary] becomes a primer, War of 1812 101, and it’s a course worth taking
if only because it reminds us that war had a chilling familiarity even when we
were a very different country.”
—David Hinckley, New
York Daily News, October 10, 2011
“Lawrence Hott and Diane
Garey directed and Ken Chowder wrote it and they’re likely to be nominated come
Emmy time.” —James Bawden, James Bawden
Blog, October 2, 2011
“The
film does a very good job of explaining the roots of the war as well as
covering its major campaigns and battles.”
—Robert McNamara, About.com 19th Century History, October
10, 2011
“The War of 1812 is full of . . .
interesting historical nuggets.”— Scott
Stinson, National Post, October 6,
2011
“The War of 1812 . . . is a riveting
account of a struggle that pitted Canadian, Indian and British forces against
American expansionism, effectively forging the destiny of an entire continent.”—Kenneth Kidd, The Toronto Star, October 8, 2011
“The War of 1812 is eye-filling and
glorious in the way it brings historical characters to life.”
—Alex Strachan, Postmedia News/Calgary Herald, October 10, 2011
“After
watching The War of 1812 I feel that I have a much better
grasp on this event, and more importantly, a broader understanding of how
American-British-and Canadian history intersects.”
—Michael Aubrecht,BLOG, or DIE., August 9, 2011
“[The War of 1812] utilizes the now-familiar documentary formula that
blends paintings and drawings with live-action re-enactments, maps,
authoritative-but-personable experts (26 of them), and professionally done
readings taken from diaries and letters. But if this formula is familiar, it is
handled very well in War of 1812, and the information presented is
informative, at times fascinating, and a welcome insight into a long-neglected
topic. It is also balanced, presenting multiple viewpoints . . . .”
—Gerald Swick, HistoryNet, October 4, 2011
“To
its credit, the reenactments in the film avoid superficial visual effects which
have lately crept into historical documentaries.” —Robert McNamara, About.com 19th Century History, October 10, 2011
“It’s
a key component of history education in Canada but ask people in the United
States or the U.K. about the War of 1812 and you’ll probably get blank stares.
Tonight, the American public — and Canadians who pick up PBS — get a lesson
with the documentary ‘The War of 1812’ . . . .”
—Michael
Oliveira, The Canadian Press, October 10, 2011
“The
[National War Museum] event introduced about 150 guests to the documentary film
of that war between friends, and its producers found an indisputable way to
make it balanced. It was made by public broadcaster WNE[D] — located in Buffalo
and Toronto. —Dave Brown, Ottawa Citizen, October 3, 2011
“On
the eve of the bicentennial celebration of the War of 1812, a new documentary
that was produced in part by Buffalo’s WNED-TV will hit the airwaves Oct. 10.” —James Fink, Buffalo Business First, October 6, 2011
“The
opening shot in the War of 1812 will be fired at 9 o’clock on Monday night.” —Buffalo
Business First, October 10, 2011
“This film will certainly
spark an interest when it airs nationwide.” —Brian Merret, CEO of the Niagara 1812 Legacy Council, as quoted in the Niagara Gazette, September 25, 2011
“Why was the Battle of the
River Raisin and the subsequent massacre in January, 1813, a pivotal moment in
the war’s early months? How did the war even get started and who were the
combatants? How long did it last and who were the winners and losers? Those questions are among those
explored in a new two-hour PBS documentary to be aired at 9 tonight . . . .” —Barbara Krolak, Monroe News, October 10, 2011
“Yes,
we ‘Civil War people’ are caught up in stuff from 150 years back. But I
don’t see why we can’t observe both historical time lines. I’ll even go
as far to challenge my Civil War oriented readers to go visit a War of 1812
site in the next couple of years. If you live east of the Mississippi, likely
one or more of these sites are within day-trip range. Earn your
bicentennial quals along with your sesquicentennial badge!”—Craig Swain, To the Sound of the Guns:
Civil War Artillery, Battlefields and Historical Markers, September 24, 2011
“I
know very little about the war of 1812. But thanks to a new documentary called,The War of 1812, a groovy new app (which is free), an e-book, and
companion guide with lots of pretty pictures to look at, all that is going to
change.”—Daniel
Beyfuss, inReads, October 13, 2011
“Random ‘Jay Walk’ers
interviewed by Jay Leno doubtless have forgotten the War of 1812, if indeed
they learned about it at all, but Marylanders know all about it, don’t we? Let’s see, there’s the (original)
British Invasion, Fort McHenry, Francis Scott Key and “The Star-Spangled
Banner,” Defenders Day, the White House in flames . . . Alas, that’s about as far as most can
go, even here near the geographic center of all the action, which extended from
Canada to New Orleans. But just as the bicentennial of the conflict approaches,
filmmaker Lawrence Hott comes along with his two-hour documentary production of
‘The War of 1812,’ to be aired nationwide on PBS Monday, Oct. 10. Even luckier,
Baltimore is one of a few select markets where a personalized preview will be
offered.” —Lane Page,The Baltimore Sun, September 22, 2011
“Along with fascinating
characters and fiery action, Hott and Garey found more than 30 experts on
different aspects of the war and interviewed each at length. . . . The
dimension these scholars add and the context they provide shines a stark light
on the many myths that grew up around the war. “
—Mark
Roessler, Valley Advocate, September 8, 2011
“The two hour production
looks very luxuriant with elaborately staged battle recreations.”
—James Bawden, James Bawden Blog, October 2, 2011
“The
history is solid . . . . It’s worth watching, so check your local listings.”—Robert McNamara, About.com 19th
Century History, October 10, 2011
“I
highly recommend this documentary for anyone who wishes to learn about America’s
forgotten war in an educational and entertaining way.” —Michael Aubrecht, BLOG,
or DIE., August 9, 2011
