Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, is pictured in an undated photo. “Abraham Lincoln” debuts Sunday, Feb. 20, 7-9:30 p.m. CST on History. CNS photo/Library of Congress
The life of the 16th president is given a rich dramatization in the three-part miniseries “Abraham Lincoln.”
The first episode of the program — which is further bolstered by scholarly commentary — debuts Sunday, Feb. 20, 7-9:30 p.m. CST on History. The remaining installments will air in that timeslot nightly through Tuesday, Feb. 22.
Among the principal figures providing context for the re-creation is presidential historian and author Doris Kearns Goodwin. Directed by Malcolm Venville, the show is based on Goodwin’s 2018 book “Leadership: In Turbulent Times.”
Other participants include Princeton University’s Allen C. Guelzo, the University of Virginia’s Caroline E. Janney, Edna Greene Medford of Howard University and Hunter College’s Harold Holzer. Viewers may be most intrigued, however, by the observations of former president Barack Obama.
Graham Sibley plays Honest Abe in convincing fashion as the narrative lays out the complex makeup of his fascinating personality. Considerable attention also is given to the life and work of formerly enslaved abolitionist Frederick Douglass (Stefan Adegbola).
Based on show’s first chapter — titled “The Railsplitter,” it takes Lincoln from his impoverished childhood through the outbreak of the Civil War — this detailed profile is not without its slightly corny moments, especially as the future president begins to court frontier socialite Mary Todd (Jenny Stead). But, overall, it’s a well-balanced and informative biography.
Given its educational value, some parents may not care for the fact that the series includes a scene in which Lincoln regales some friends with an anecdote capped off by a crass punchline. Add to that the straightforward discussion of the brutalities of slavery and of Lincoln’s potentially suicidal spell of depression in early life, and it’s clear that the program is not for little kids.
Teens and their elders, however, will find “Abraham Lincoln” an entertaining introduction to one of history’s most engaging personalities. They’ll also be treated to a broad-canvas panorama of the crucial times in which he lived.
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