Series synopsis
The Dust Bowl is an American documentary television series that premiered on PBS on November 18, 2012. It ended on November 19, 2012. It stars Patricia Clarkson, Peter Coyote and Carolyn McCormick.
Chronicles the worst man-made ecological disaster in American history, in which the frenzied wheat boom of the Great Plow-Up, followed by a decade-long drought during the 1930s nearly swept away the breadbasket of the nation.
Premise
Chronicles the worst man-made ecological disaster in American history, in which the frenzied wheat boom of the Great Plow-Up, followed by a decade-long drought during the 1930s nearly swept away the breadbasket of the nation.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Patricia Clarkson as Hazel Lucas Shaw
- Peter Coyote as Peter Coyote
- Carolyn McCormick as Caroline Henderson
Episodes
This series spans 1 season with 2 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 2 | November 18, 2012 | November 19, 2012 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Great Plow Up The grasslands of the southern Plains were rapidly turned into wheat fields. Then following the early years of the drought, storms killed crops and livestock and literally rearranged the landscape. The worst storm of them all was on April 14, 1935—Black Sunday—a searing experience for everyone caught in it, including a young songwriter from Pampa, Texas, named Woody Guthrie. |
November 18, 2012 |
| 2 |
Reaping the Whirlwind Black Sunday was only halfway through the decade-long crisis. The storms continued. The Great Depression still affected people. Government programs were instituted to help. Learn what FDR’s administration did to try to keep the southern Plains from becoming a North American Sahara desert. Find out why some residents finally decided they had to give up and move somewhere else and how some held on. |
November 19, 2012 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | PBS |
|---|---|
| First aired | November 18, 2012 |
| Last aired | November 19, 2012 |
| Runtime | 118 minutes |
| Status | ended |
| Schedule | Monday, Sunday at 20:00:00 |