You know that feeling when you're flipping through channels or scrolling through a streaming app and you just want to understand how we got here? Not the political fighting of today, but the actual DNA of the decades that shaped us. Most people just call it the Tom Hanks Americas series, though if you're being technical, it’s that massive, multi-year collaboration between Playtone, Herzog & Company, and CNN. It started with The Sixties back in 2014 and just kept rolling.
Honestly, it changed how cable news handled history.
Before this, documentary series were often dry, academic, or weirdly obsessed with grainy reenactments. But Hanks and his long-time producing partner Gary Goetzman realized something basic: we don't just want dates. We want the music. We want the fashion. We want to see the actual news footage that made our parents or grandparents gasp in their living rooms.
The series—covering the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and 2000s—became a cultural touchstone because it didn’t feel like school. It felt like a curated time machine.
What People Get Wrong About the Tom Hanks Americas Series
A lot of folks think Tom Hanks is the one narrator or the guy writing every script. He isn't. His role is more of a "visionary-in-chief." Along with Goetzman and Mark Herzog, he set the tone. The goal wasn't to provide a revisionist history or a deep-state conspiracy theory. It was about archival preservation.
The Tom Hanks Americas series works because it relies almost entirely on "found" footage. You aren't watching a historian talk for forty minutes while 10 seconds of B-roll plays. It’s the opposite. You’re seeing the Moon Landing, the fall of the Berlin Wall, or the O.J. Simpson chase exactly as it appeared to the public at the time.
It’s immersive. It's loud. It’s colorful.
Critics sometimes argue that the series is "history lite." They say it skims the surface. Sure, you can't cover the entire Vietnam War in a one-hour episode of The Sixties. That’s impossible. But what the series does better than almost anyone else is capture the vibe of the era. It explains the "why" behind the culture shifts.
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Breaking Down the Decades
The project didn't just stop at one decade. It became a franchise.
The Sixties was the big gamble. CNN wasn't known for high-end documentary filmmaking at the time. They were the "breaking news" network. But the 2014 premiere was a massive hit. It tackled the JFK assassination, the British Invasion, and the Civil Rights movement with a frenetic energy.
Then came The Seventies. This is arguably the best one. Why? Because the 70s are usually treated like a joke—all disco balls and bell bottoms. The Tom Hanks Americas series took it seriously. It looked at the hangover of the 60s, the paranoia of Watergate, and the grim reality of the energy crisis. It showed a country losing its innocence.
By the time they reached The Eighties and The Nineties, the series had a formula. They would dedicate specific episodes to "The Tube" (television) or "The Reagan Revolution" or "The Digital Revolution."
The 2000s and the Challenge of "New" History
Writing about the 2000s is hard. It’s too recent. We haven't fully processed it yet. When the series tackled this decade, it felt different. You were watching things like 9/11, the 2008 financial crash, and the rise of the iPhone.
It’s weirdly jarring to see high-definition footage in a "history" documentary. We're used to the grain of the 1960s. Seeing the 2000s reminds you that history isn't just something that happened to people in black-and-white photos. It’s happening right now.
Why Playtone and CNN Made a Power Couple
The involvement of Playtone is the "secret sauce." If you recognize that name, it’s because it’s the same production company behind Band of Brothers and The Pacific. Tom Hanks has this deep, almost obsessive love for American history. He’s a guy who collects vintage typewriters and reads massive biographies for fun.
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That passion bleeds into the work.
The production value is insane. The music licensing alone must have cost a fortune. Think about it—you can't tell the story of the 1990s without Nirvana or the story of the 1960s without The Beatles. Most documentaries use "sound-alike" music because they’re cheap. Not this one. The Tom Hanks Americas series uses the real deal. It hits you in the gut.
The E-E-A-T Factor: Why We Trust This Lens
In an era of "fake news" and "alternative facts," the pedigree of this series matters. The producers consulted with legitimate heavyweights. We're talking about Pulitzer Prize-winning historians and journalists who were actually in the room when these events happened.
When you watch the episode on the Cold War, you aren't just getting a Wikipedia summary. You’re getting perspectives from people like Robert Dallek or Douglas Brinkley. These aren't just "talking heads"; they are the architects of our modern understanding of the past.
It’s also important to note that the series doesn't shy away from the ugly parts. It looks at the failures of leadership. It looks at systemic racism. It doesn't pretend that America is a perfect project. It presents the country as a work in progress.
The Visual Language of the Series
One thing you'll notice if you binge-watch these back-to-back is the editing style. It’s fast. It’s snappy. It uses split screens—a nod to the 1960s and 70s filmmaking styles—to show multiple perspectives at once.
It also uses a lot of "television about television."
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The series acknowledges that most Americans experienced history through their TV screens. So, the documentary often shows you the TV set itself. It shows the news anchors—Walter Cronkite, Dan Rather, Peter Jennings—who were the "voices of God" for their respective generations. It makes the viewer feel like they are sitting in a shag-carpeted living room in 1974.
How to Watch the Tom Hanks Americas Series Today
If you're looking to dive in, it’s a bit of a scavenger hunt depending on where you live.
Originally aired on CNN, the various "Decades" series have hopped around streaming platforms. For a long time, they were the crown jewels of Netflix’s documentary section. Then, as the streaming wars heated up, they migrated.
Currently, your best bets are:
- Max (formerly HBO Max): Since CNN is under the Warner Bros. Discovery umbrella, this is the most consistent home for the series.
- CNN Creative Class / CNN Go: Sometimes available for cable subscribers.
- Amazon / Apple TV: You can usually buy individual seasons or episodes if you want to own them forever.
I’d honestly recommend starting with The Seventies. It’s the most surprising. You think you know that decade, but you probably don't. You'll learn about the "Me Decade," the rise of the serial killer phenomenon in the media, and how television became "relevant" with shows like All in the Family.
Actionable Steps for the Ultimate History Deep-Dive
If you want to get the most out of the Tom Hanks Americas series, don't just put it on in the background while you're folding laundry. It’s too dense for that.
- Watch by Theme, Not Just Chronology: If you’re a music fan, watch the "Music" episodes from all five series in a row. It’s fascinating to see the evolution from Dylan to Disco to Grunge to Napster.
- Check the Credits: Look at the historians interviewed in the episodes. If one of them sparks your interest, go find their books. For example, if you like the political analysis in The Eighties, look up books by Rick Perlstein.
- Use it as a Gateway: These documentaries are designed to be broad. When an episode mentions something you’ve never heard of—like the Iran-Contra affair or the 1968 Democratic National Convention—stop the video. Go read a long-form article about that specific event.
- Compare and Contrast: Watch The Sixties and then watch The 2000s. You’ll start to see patterns. The protest movements of the late 60s have weirdly specific echoes in the movements of the early 21st century.
The real value of the Tom Hanks Americas series isn't just nostalgia. It’s a map. It shows us the roads we’ve already traveled so we don't act so surprised when we hit a pothole today. It’s a reminder that the "good old days" were often just as chaotic, scary, and revolutionary as the present moment.
History isn't over. We're just in the middle of the next season.
Next Steps for Your Viewing: Check your Max subscription status to see which "Decades" are currently streaming. If you are a teacher or a student, look for the educational companion guides that CNN released alongside the series; they provide excellent primary source links and discussion questions that go deeper than the footage itself. For the most immersive experience, start with The Sixties episode titled "The World on the Brink" to see how the series handles high-stakes tension like the Cuban Missile Crisis.