PBS to air high-definition version of ‘The Civil War’ this fall

PBS announced Thursday that it will air a high-definition version of Ken Burns’ “The Civil War” this fall, a quarter century after the documentary’s debut. The newly restored “Civil War” will air on five consecutive nights in September. According to Daniel J. White (who was involved in the restoration process), viewers will be able to see more details in the film’s images. In a recent statement, filmmaker Burns said that the up-to-date version is “truly remarkable.” When it first premiered in Septmber 1990, “The Civil War” proved to be a bonafide blockbuster, drawing an audience of nearly 40 million. It remains the highest-rated PBS series broadcast to date. The announcement of the documentary’s re-broadcast coincides with the 150th anniversary of President Lincoln’s 1865 assassination, and the end of the Civil War.