New York: A Documentary Film Returns with Two New Episodes

New York, September 3, 2026, Ric Burns’ acclaimed documentary series, New York: A Documentary Film, is back with two new episodes premiering Monday, September 21 and Tuesday, September 22 at 9 PM on PBS, pbs.org, and the PBS App. Produced by Steeplechase Films and directed by Burns, these films delve into the evolution and transformation of New York City over the past half-century.

Shadows of the Past, the first episode, explores the forces that shaped the city from the second half of the 20th century through the early 21st century. It chronicles how New York plunged into a period of decline and disorder before rising again, thanks to a dramatic drop in crime. The episode concludes with the city, now remarkably safe and secure, unaware that a new threat would soon emerge.

The second episode, The Future of Cities, follows New York’s recovery efforts post-9/11 under Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. It covers the aftermath of 9/11, the 2008 financial crisis, Superstorm Sandy, and the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Despite these challenges, the city rebuilt itself on a dramatic scale, economically, physically, and demographically, thanks to an influx of newcomers from around the world. The episode concludes with the inauguration of Mayor Zohran Mamdani in January 2026.

Narrated by Tony Award-winning actor Robert Sean Leonard and featuring an original score by Emmy Award-winning composer Brian Keane, the films are presented in high-definition 4K video and sound. They combine original cinematography, archival footage, still photography, and interviews with leaders in government, academia, and journalism. Notable interviewees include former mayors David Dinkins, Michael R. Bloomberg, Bill de Blasio, and Eric Adams, as well as experts such as Adam Gopnik, Kenneth Jackson, and Andrew Ross Sorkin.

According to Ric Burns, “New York City has been the supreme laboratory of modern life for four hundred years. Its story over the past fifty years has been one of almost constant challenge and self-reinvention, testifying to the extraordinary resilience and boundless collective energies that have kept it at the forefront of world culture. We’re thrilled to welcome viewers back for these amazing recent chapters in the city’s history.”

James Sanders, co-writer and co-producer of the new films, echoed, “Not only are there compelling stories to tell about the city’s last half-century, some surprisingly little-known, but many of the greatest themes of the original eight episodes, immigration, globalization, and the city’s astonishing capacity for economic and physical reinvention, have powerfully reasserted themselves in recent decades, often at a scale and with a force never before seen.”

The original eight-part series, which traced the history of the city from 1624 to the present, was the recipient of two Emmy Awards, four additional nominations, the CINE Golden Eagle, and the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University award. It became one of the most-watched presentations in public television history. A revised edition of the series' bestselling companion volume, New York: An Illustrated History, features two new chapters corresponding to the new episodes.

Corporate funding for the new episodes was provided by Hudson River Trading, with major support from the American Express Foundation, the Simons Foundation, the Rosalind P. Walter Foundation, and Google.org through the Tides Foundation, among others.

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