West, The (TV Series)

Aroview: Steered by a protégé of documentary-guru Ken Burns (JAZZ), this epic TV-study of the conquest and reshaping of the American West shares Burns’ voice-over style, depth of research and self-conscious grandiosity.

Dealing reasonably fairly with the legacies of colonisation and subjugation of various Native Indian tribes, as well as with the many waves of migration and development, the series is perhaps most fascinating in examining the mytho-religious dimensions of the idea of ‘The West’ in American culture and society.