The National Parks: America's Best Idea (2009)

Simultaneously a biography of both historical and contemporary characters and a uniquely American idea, this 12-hour, six-part documentary, directed by Ken Burns and co-produced with writer Dayton Duncan, traces the evolution of national parks beginning in the mid-1800s and follows it over the next 150 years. It's narrated by actor Peter Coyote and features first-person historical accounts, read by actors including Tom Hanks, Andy Garcia, Eli Wallach, Sam Waterston, John Lithgow and Adam Arkin, of people who helped create the parks and save them from destruction.