I'm a documentary nerd, as well as a Chinese history buff, and I would definitely nominate the recently aired PBS documentary on Chinese history. You'd think, what a yawner. However, the brilliant approach was to use travel and commentary on the 5000 year history of China using mostly sights and sounds from China today. As a proposal, I would have said this wouldn't work at all. In fact, I would expect it to be somewhat comical in effect. But the commentary is brilliantly written, such that you mentally juxtapose the ancient events over the current land and cityscapes, and it comes across amazingly well. Of course they include paintings and architecture from the remote past, but in well considered juxtaposition. It's the best documentary on any subject about China I've seen. It is more upbeat and non-critical than some might want, but to get a mass audience to watch a history documentary, I think this is successful. If it doesn't win an Emmy, I will not be pleased, which will send the TV world into a tailspin, I'm certain. I should explain that my interest in China started in a high school world history class where I did a paper on China of that time. While in the Navy, I made port at both Taiwan and Hong Kong, having vivid experiences both places. I've taken one of the Great Courses series on CD about the history of China and read the most expansive bio of Mao. Etc.
