Series synopsis
The American Buffalo is an American documentary crime war & politics television series that premiered on PBS on October 16, 2023. It ended on October 17, 2023. It stars N. Scott Momaday, Peter Coyote, Adam Arkin and Tantoo Cardinal.
The dramatic story of America's national mammal, which sustained the lives of Native people for untold generations, being driven to the brink of extinction, before an unlikely collection of people rescues it from disappearing forever. Ken Burns recounts the tragic collision of two opposing views of the natural world—and the unforgettable characters who pointed the nation in a different direction.
Premise
The dramatic story of America's national mammal, which sustained the lives of Native people for untold generations, being driven to the brink of extinction, before an unlikely collection of people rescues it from disappearing forever. Ken Burns recounts the tragic collision of two opposing views of the natural world—and the unforgettable characters who pointed the nation in a different direction.
Premise: Spirit of a people. A story of resilience.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- N. Scott Momaday as Narrator (voice)
- Peter Coyote as Narrator (voice)
- Adam Arkin as (voice)
- Tantoo Cardinal as (voice)
- Tim Clark as (voice)
- Tokala Black Elk as (voice)
- Jeff Daniels as (voice)
- Hope Davis as (voice)
Supporting cast
- Paul Giamatti as (voice)
- Murphy Guyer as (voice)
- Michael Horse as (voice)
- Derek Jacobi as (voice)
- Gene Jones as (voice)
- Carolyn McCormick as (voice)
- Craig Mellish as (voice)
- Jon Proudstar as (voice)
- Chaske Spencer as (voice)
- Richard Ray Whitman as (voice)
Episodes
This series spans 2 seasons with 4 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 0 | 2 | August 14, 2023 | August 14, 2023 |
| Season 1 | 2 | October 16, 2023 | October 17, 2023 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The American Buffalo: A Story of Resilience Judy Woodruff moderates a one-hour conversation with filmmaker Ken Burns and three experts: Jason Baldes, Rosalyn LaPier, and Dan Flores. The discussion explores lessons from the film - the early history and special relationship between native American people and the buffalo; its relation to the larger grassland and prairie ecosystems; and Tribal contributions to restoration of the buffalo today. |
August 14, 2023 |
| 2 |
Homecoming Homecoming chronicles the efforts of those working to rebuild Native American communities’ enduring relationship to the buffalo. At the turn of the last century, Yellowstone National Park helped to save the nation’s buffalo population from extinction. Now, in the 21st century, their Bison Conservation and Transfer Program is supporting buffalo restoration to the Plains and to the Indigenous people whose lives, spiritually and physically, were inextricably linked to the bison for thousands of years. |
August 14, 2023 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Blood Memory For untold generations, America's national mammal sustained the lives of Native people, whose cultures were intertwined with the animal. Newcomers to the continent bring a different view of the natural world, and the buffalo are driven to the brink of extinction. |
October 16, 2023 |
| 2 |
Into the Storm By the late 1880s, the buffalo that once numbered in the tens of millions is teetering on the brink of extinction. But a diverse and unlikely collection of Americans start a movement that rescues the national mammal from disappearing forever. |
October 17, 2023 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | PBS |
|---|---|
| First aired | October 16, 2023 |
| Last aired | October 17, 2023 |
| Status | ended |
| Schedule | Tuesday at 20:00:00 |