Prohibition
  • Network: PBS
  • Series Premiere Date: Oct 2, 2011
Metascore
86

Universal acclaim - based on 19 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 19
  3. Negative: 0 out of 19
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Critic Reviews

  1. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Robert Lloyd
    Oct 3, 2011
    50
    At something more than five hours, Prohibition, while interesting from moment to moment, is longer than it needs to be, and made even longer by Burns' habitual stateliness.
  2. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Hank Stuever
    Oct 3, 2011
    50
    It's rare for Burns and Novick to get lost in their own material, but it happens here.

Awards & Rankings

8
#8 Best TV Season of 2011
42
#42 Most Shared TV Season of 2011

User Reviews

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User Score
8.4

Universal acclaim- based on 18 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 18
  3. Negative: 1 out of 18
  1. Shortfuse
    Dec 21, 2011
    10
    Fascinating, as usual. Ken Burns is a master, and this is another masterpiece. As is his staple, he breaks the subject into logical,Fascinating, as usual. Ken Burns is a master, and this is another masterpiece. As is his staple, he breaks the subject into logical, manageable chunks, and turns even the dry (read: boring) parts of the story into a dramatic, engaging piece of television. If you like this, I strongly recommend any other Ken Burns documentary (especially Baseball). At a time when "American Idol" passes for respectable content, do yourself a favour and invest some time in PBS.… Full Review »
  2. CritiqueGirl
    Oct 4, 2011
    7
    Bottom Line: I know all of this already. It seems Burns has pieced together a lot of other documentaries, statements, photos, footage andBottom Line: I know all of this already. It seems Burns has pieced together a lot of other documentaries, statements, photos, footage and such already readily available. I don't think I saw or heard anything that has not been brought out on other programs through the years. Not that history changes but really his other works are so much better. It is like he used wiki for his main source of information. I watched it because there was nothing else on. Watching the behind the scenes footage made me cringe. Actors are full of themselves and I could care less about how much fun they had and the talent and insight for so and so. I wish Tom Hanks would just go away.… Full Review »
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