1. Brooklyn
   Michigan
2. Long Island

Burns was born in Brooklyn, although he now lives in New Hampshire.

1. architecture
   film
2. history

Although at Hampshire College — Burns' alma mater — there weren't strict disciplines for study.

1. Big History Films
   Florentine Films
2. Docs for Dough Films

The company was founded in 1976.

1. James Madison
   the Adirondack chair
2. the Brooklyn Bridge

The famous bridge became Burns' first muse.

1. 19
   28
2. 40

Burns had begun working on the project years before, but the result aired in 1981.

1. VHS tapes passed around by friends
   indie cinema
2. PBS

The movie aired on PBS, starting a lifelong partnership between Burns and the Public Broadcasting System.

1. the Quakers
   the Shakers
2. the Amish

"The Shakers: Hands to Work, Hearts to God" traced the history and principles of the Shaker religion.

1. the Statue of Liberty
   the Vietnam Memorial
2. the Washington Monument

"The Statue of Liberty" aired on PBS in 1985.

1. Stephen Ambrose
   Doris Kearns Goodwin
2. David McCullough

McCullough's book about the Brooklyn Bridge also inspired Burns' interest in it.

1. Diego Rivera
   Jackson Pollock
2. Thomas Hart Benton

Benton's work depicted a rough and tumble version of American life.

1. James Baldwin
   Jack Johnson
2. Miles Davis

The turn-of-the-century boxer was voiced by Samuel L. Jackson in the film.

1. radio
   screenprinting
2. textile art

"Empire of the Air" traced the history and decline of the airwaves through three of its pioneers.

1. Huey Long
   Thomas Jefferson
2. Harry Truman

But hey, give him time.

1. 5
   12
2. 9

The nine-part series aired in 1990.

1. 5,000
   16,000
2. 1 million

One of the first military engagements fought after the advent of photography, Burns and his crew scoured the historical record for images.

1. 15 million
   25 million
2. 40 million

The airing was a significant network event.

1. "Ashokan Farewell"
   "War Is Hell"
2. "Battle Scars"

Fiddliest Jay Ungar wrote the tune before the series, but presented it to Burns when composing the soundtrack for the film.

1. Shelby Foote
   Doris Kearns Goodwin
2. Barbara J. Fields

Foote's gentle Southern drawl proved extremely popular with viewers.

1. Sam Waterston
   Tom Cruise
2. Jerry Orbach

The veteran actor gave necessary gravitas to Lincoln's written words.

1. 5
   9
2. 12

Nine innings, nine episodes.

1. Steven Spielberg
   Tom Hanks
2. Billy Crystal

The comedian is a life-long Yankees fan.

1. omitting mention of internment camps
   omitting mention of Pearl Harbor
2. not including Latino, Native American and female experiences

Burns later added in footage of Native American and Latino soldiers.

1. Jazz
   Rock and roll
2. Swing

"Jazz" was a study of both the genre and cultural history behind it.

1. They were arrested again.
   New York City finally agreed to a multi-million dollar settlement for them.
2. They were freed from jail.

The men had filed a civil suit in 2003.

1. "The West"
   "Baseball"
2. "Jazz"

In "Baseball: The Tenth Inning," Burns updated the last two decades of MLB history.

1. the Roosevelt family
   the Addams family
2. the Kennedy family

Centered on Theodore, Eleanor and Franklin, the film explained the tumultuous history that accompanied the family's place in political power.

1. Prohibition
   the Dust Bowl
2. the history of the phone book

Although if anyone could make the phone book come to life. . .

1. an Academy Award
   MacArthur "Genius" Award
2. Peabody, Emmy and Grammy Awards

Among other awards and citations, he's also been nominated for two Academy Awards.

1. executive producer, senior consultant and writer
   writer
2. producer

Burns' also took a producing credit on 1996's "The West."

1. Jaime Foxx
   David Oyelowo
2. John Boyega

This is the first work Foxx has done with Burns.