Premieres Monday, March 30, 2026 from 9 - 11 p.m. on KPBS TV + Tuesday, March 31 at 9 p.m. / Stream with KPBS+
Henry David Thoreau helped define modern environmentalism and nonviolent resistance, yet his life has been obscured by myth. The author of "Walden" and "Civil Disobedience," he was brilliant but flawed, idealistic but opinionated. A writer, scientist and activist, his words resonate urgently with today’s challenges as humanity looks for ways to live in harmony with nature—and each other.
EPISODE GUIDE:
Episode 1: "Who Are We?" airs Monday, March 30 at 9 p.m. on KPBS TV - Henry David Thoreau’s early life unfolds as a changing nation struggles to live up to its ideals, while industry threatens the landscape. After attending Harvard College, he was inspired by Ralph Waldo Emerson to become a writer. Then, a family tragedy deepens his bond with nature, and, disillusioned with society, he builds a cabin in the woods to live simply, deliberately, quietly—and write.
Episode 2: "Being Alive" airs Monday, March 30 at 10 p.m. on KPBS TV - Living at his cabin at Walden Pond, Thoreau finds solace in "wild" nature and pours himself into his journal, laying the groundwork for one of two books he writes there. His two-year stay includes regular trips to town, a transformative journey to Maine, and a night in jail in protest of a government that permits slavery—experiences that redefine his understanding of freedom.
Episode 3: "Several More Lives to Live" airs Tuesday, March 31 at 9 p.m. on KPBS TV - After completing his two-year experiment at Walden Pond, Thoreau returns to society to test what he has learned about living responsibly. He undertakes new “experiments” as a surveyor, scientist, and abolitionist, and takes two more trips to Maine—uncovering even deeper truths about life and the world. He writes with a new urgency as a lifelong illness begins to catch up with him.
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Credits: A Ewers Brothers Production, in partnership with Florentine Films and WETA Washington, D.C. Directed by Erik Ewers and Christopher Loren Ewers. Written by David Blistein. Produced by Julie Coffman and Susan Shumaker, Producers Christopher Loren Ewers and Erik Ewers. Director of Photography Christopher Loren Ewers. Edited by Erik Ewers and Ryan Gifford. Co-Produced by Cauley Powell. Original Music Score by David Cieri. Narrated by George Clooney. Voice of Thoreau by Jeff Goldblum, and other voices by Ted Danson, Meryl Streep and Tate Donovan. The executives in charge for WETA are John F. Wilson (posthumously) and Kate Kelly. Executive Producers are Ken Burns and Don Henley.
