Review: CNN's 'Decades'

I have recently discovered a CNN series loosely tiled ‘Decades’. The series features 5 seasons, each consisting of 8 documentary episodes detailing the major social, cultural and political history of the 5 most recent decades.

Told from an American perspective with a US-centric focus (understandable given it was made by CNN), the series is a great overview for anyone (like me) interested in history, but not old enough to have lived through many of the most consequential moments and stories of the last 50 years.

Particularly illuminating episodes comes in the form of the music and entertainment themed episodes for each season. It is fascinating to see the evolution of culture from relatively conformist and certainly ethnically homogenous to diverse, vibrant and transgressive over the past five centuries.

The political episodes also bring their own sense of wonder. It can be shocking to notice that while steps have been made, such as the thrilling election of Barack Obama in 2008, so little has changed in both American and global politics. While the dominant players and countries may have changed, there is certainly some truth to the old saying that history is more repetitious than we might like to admit.

The series certainly benefits from its inclusion of verite style narrators, often in the form of key players and actors of the era. The show is impressive in detailing the broad sweep of history but maintaining a sense of nuance and depth uncommon even in more specific and discreet documentaries. I’d recommend the series for both history fans and those just wanting to know a bit more about our how our world got to where it is today.