Can 'Country Music' Beat 'Sunday Night Football?'

Philadelphia at Atlanta on NBC's "Sunday Night Football" will be seen by millions. What will the audience be for Ken Burns' epic look at Country music on PBS?

First, it would be a safe bet many will DVR it and time shift like almost every other TV show on these days. How will the PBS stations get the urban-based cities with little Country music appetite to watch? The goal is to get eyeballs, and history is not everyone's cup of tea. That's a sad statement, but true. I remember when pop radio ran Bill Drake's "The History of Rock & Roll." Anyone else around for that?

The "History of Rock & Roll "first aired on the weekend of February 21-23, 1969 on 93 KHJ Los Angeles, hosted by Robert W. Morgan. It aired for 48 hours and was later syndicated. I bought it for my college radio station in the early '70s. It had some parts I didn't care about, but overall I loved it and would love to hear it again today, actually.

I think this Ken Burns epic documentary, "Country Music," will be consumed in all kinds of ways and times. NPR writer Ken Tucker says Burns goes wide but not deep (just like Bill Drake did way back in the late '60s).

What this will do is make Country music seem like an important part of America's story and culture. This film's story ends in the mid '90s, so they don't need to try and explain "Bro Country" in a scholarly way. It begins in the 1920s and goes through the first reign of King Garth. We will all learn a lot. The big stories of Cash, Nelson, Parton, Haggard, Kristofferson, and Lynn are all in it. Patsy Cline, Hank Sr., Minnie and Roy -- all the big names are too.

It's going to be fun, and maybe it will motivate people to seek out the classic music that lies below the surface like diamonds in a mine. Imagine big city folks getting turned on by some of the greats that have roamed Nashville for the past 100 years.

Burns' "National Parks" epic was my favorite, but everyone has theirs: "The Civil War," "Baseball," "Vietnam," "Jazz" ... all of them.

Vince Gill has helped promote the series because he knows what potential good can come from it.

Not everyone will be happy with the outcome: What got left out or what angles were and were not explored. I've read a few things already.

NPR's Tucker said, "Burns has traveled down Hank Williams' 'Lost Highway' with a busted GPS." Guess we will all have to wade through this rich story told with good intentions.

It a really big story, but so were the other Burns documentary projects. They will short sheet a few stars and players, and that will make some folks mad. Historical interpretation is just that: A group of facts that are taken and put into a story. You can't say everything or you won't say anything.

I've heard each musical selection or cue in the film rarely lasts over 20 seconds, so don't expect this to be a concert film. It's a visual adventure for people who may not know or care very much about the subject. It's using an old reference more like the World Book Encyclopedia than the Britannica.

How many people are going to make this must-see TV? It's on PBS, and it's against prime time programming and high-rated sports. I guess there will be some attempt to get a rating report. This is a long game event. When this film goes on sale on September 17th, more will see it just like they have Burns' other projects.

Eight two-hour episodes is a lot of Country music history on TV. But I hope a mass audience sees it so everyone can talk about it.

PBS plans to stream it, and some may even see it on their new iPhone 11 Pro. How far have we gone since Country music began in the 1920s, a parallel history to flight and the motion picture?

Country music has touched everyone and every race in this country. I think Burns will show that, the good and the bad actors, warts and all. Or you would hope so. Otherwise, it's fake history.

Everyone's waiting for Sunday Night, and I'm not talking about watching the Eagles flap around with the Falcons. It's Country music taking the center stage. I hope it's good!