Jacob Ant
The Great American Buffalo is a two-part documentary by Ken Burns that originally premiered on PBS in October 2023 under the title of “The American Buffalo” and is now streaming for free on BBC iPlayer in the UK.
The documentary is based on bison, America’s national mammal, which is crucial to Native American cultures that nearly became extinct. It describes how a varied group of people worked to save it and explores the clash between differing views on nature.
We have mentioned all the necessary steps you need to follow in order to watch The Great American Buffalo in USA for free. Let’s get started.
How to watch The Great American Buffalo in USA for free?
Watching The Great American Buffalo on BBC iPlayer in USA won’t be directly possible due to regional restrictions, that is why you will have to rely on a premium VPN service with IP-changing capabilities.
If you are new to using VPNs, don’t worry because we’ll be guiding you through every step of the process.
Just follow the quick instructions mentioned below and watch The Great American Buffalo in USA for free:
1- Get ExpressVPN for BBC iPlayer (12+3 month free special deal with a 30-day money-back guarantee)
2- Download the VPN app on your device (PC, MacOS, Linux, Android, etc.)
3- Select a British server from the country list
4- Open BBC iPlayer website or app
5- Search for The Great American Buffalo on BBC iPlayer
6- Enjoy
Why do you need a VPN to watch The Great American Buffalo in USA for free?
BBC iPlayer is the designated streaming service for the UK release of The Great American Buffalo, and unfortunately, this platform is not accessible in USA or any other country outside the UK due to geographic restrictions.
This limitation is a result of licensing agreements and legal constraints that restrict the BBC iPlayer’s availability within British borders.
So, what is the most viable option to circumvent this digital barrier and watch The Great American Buffalo in USA for free? The answer you are looking for is none other than VPNs.
VPNs serve the purpose of altering your IP address, effectively simulating a location change to a preferred country or region. Now, as we are talking about accessing a UK-exclusive platform, you will have to connect to a British server via a trustable premium VPN service, such as ExpressVPN.
This will virtually relocate you to the UK and enable access to region-specific content or services, such as The Great American Buffalo in USA for free on BBC iPlayer.
Why is ExpressVPN the best choice to watch The Great American Buffalo in USA for free?
When we talk about the best VPN services for bypassing the geo-restrictions that might limit access to your desired content, like The Great American Buffalo in USA for free on BBC iPlayer, ExpressVPN is, without a doubt, the ace of the game.
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Testing NordVPN to watch The Great American Buffalo in USA for free
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With the help of NordVPN’s blazing-fast optimized servers, we were successfully able to watch our desired region-locked titles like Death and Other Details, Self Reliance, and Grantchester Season 8 without any issues, proving its efficiency as a worthy alternative to ExpressVPN.
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Where to watch The Great American Buffalo in USA for free?
The Great American Buffalo is available to stream online for free on BBC iPlayer in the UK. You can watch this informative documentary with the help of a premium VPN service like ExpressVPN or NordVPN.
Unfortunately, Ken Burns’ documentary based on the American national animal is currently only accessible on BBC iPlayer in the UK, and none of the major American TV networks or streaming platforms are offering it for free.
That is why we suggest you connect to a British server, get an IP address based in the UK via a VPN service, and get unrestricted access to all BBC iPlayer content, including The Great American Buffalo in USA for free.
The Great American Buffalo – Release Date
The Great American Buffalo first premiered on October 16 and 17, 2023, on PBS in the United States under the original title of The American Buffalo. The two-part documentary is currently rated 8.5/10 on IMDb and has a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Great American Buffalo – Official Trailer
The Great American Buffalo – What to Expect from the Documentary series?
The Great American Buffalo explores over 10,000 years of history in North America. This series takes viewers through various iconic landscapes of the continent, focusing on the evolutionary journey of the buffalo (bison bison), its crucial role in the lives of Indigenous peoples, and its brush with extinction.
The documentary highlights the intricate relationship between these majestic creatures and the Native American tribes, including the Southern Plains’ Kiowa, Comanche, and Cheyenne, and the Northern Plains’ Lakota, Salish, Kootenai, Mandan-Hidatsa, and Blackfeet, among others.
It delves into how these tribes have depended on the buffalo for sustenance and shelter, respecting and venerating the animal even as they hunted it. The series also covers the recent efforts to save these magnificent animals from disappearing entirely.
The Great American Buffalo – Episode Details
The Great American Buffalo is a four-hour documentary split into two parts. We have mentioned the confirmed details about both the episodes of the documentary series to provide you with a brief overview of what this informative piece of media has to offer:
Episode 1 – Blood Memory
Release Date: January 9, 2024
Runtime: 1 hour 52 minutes
Synopsis: For countless generations, the bison, America’s national mammal, has been central to the existence and cultures of Native American communities. However, with the arrival of new settlers in America, there emerged a contrasting perspective towards nature, leading to the near extinction of the buffalo.
Episode 2 – Into the Storm
Release Date: January 16, 2024
Runtime: 1 hour 54 minutes
Synopsis: In the late 1880s, the buffalo population, once in the tens of millions, is dangerously close to extinction. However, a varied and unexpected group of Americans initiated a campaign that saved the national mammal from vanishing entirely.
The Great American Buffalo – Who is the maker of the Documentary series?
Ken Burns, the renowned American filmmaker famous for his documentary films and TV series that often explore American history and culture is the maker of The Great American Buffalo.
He frequently collaborates with WETA-TV and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Some of his most recognized documentary series are The Civil War (1990), Baseball (1994), The National Parks: America’s Best Idea (2009), and Country Music (2019).
Burns’s documentaries have been nominated for two Academy Awards for Brooklyn Bridge in 1981 and The Statue of Liberty in 1985 and have received multiple Emmy Awards and other distinctions. In 2007, Burns entered into a long-term deal with PBS, committing to produce content for the network well into the future.
As reported by The New Yorker in 2017, Burns and his company, Florentine Films, have lined up a series of documentary topics expected to be released by 2030. These subjects include explorations of Mayo Clinic, Muhammad Ali, Ernest Hemingway, and key figures like Barack Obama and Winston Churchill.
The Great American Buffalo – Who is the narrator of the Documentary series?
Peter Coyote is the narrator of The Great American Buffalo. He is renowned for his multifaceted career in the American entertainment industry. He is an accomplished actor, director, screenwriter, author, and a well-known narrator for various mediums including films, theater, television, and audiobooks.
Coyote has an impressive filmography, having played roles in notable films such as E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), Jagged Edge (1985), Patch Adams” (1998), A Walk to Remember (2002), and Femme Fatale (2002).
In addition to his acting, Coyote’s distinctive voice has been a significant part of his career. He is especially recognized for his narration work, which includes the opening ceremony of the 2002 Winter Olympics. His voice also lent gravitas to the PBS series The Pacific Century (1992), for which he received an Emmy Award.
Further acclaim came in 2015 when he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Narrator for his contribution to Ken Burns’s documentary miniseries The Roosevelts: An Intimate History.
The Great American Buffalo – Review
According to Robert Lloyd of Los Angeles Times, The Great American Buffalo is not just about the buffalo as a species, but rather uses it as a lens to view human actions. It delves into the bison’s characteristics and its integral role in the ecosystems.
The documentary doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities of the past, including the senseless slaughter of bison and its impact on Native American communities. Narrated by Peter Coyote, the documentary features chronological progression, insightful commentary, and a wealth of visual records.
The Great American Buffalo on Twitter
Judy Woodruff moderates a one-hour conversation with filmmaker Ken Burns and three experts: Jason Baldes, Rosalyn LaPier, and Dan Flores. The American Buffalo | A Story Of Resilience. Saturday, Jan 6th @ 10:30 PM. pic.twitter.com/opoMrO0xGB
— WTVI PBS Charlotte (@wtvipbsclt) January 7, 2024
FAQs
1- Is The Great American Buffalo available in USA for free?
Unfortunately, none of the local streaming platforms offer the informative documentary series by Ken Burns, The Great American Buffalo in USA for free.
This two-part series is only streaming for free on BBC iPlayer in the UK, and you will have to change your IP address to access it from USA or anywhere else due to geo-restriction barriers.
You can rely on a premium VPN like ExpressVPN or NordVPN, and they will allow you to seamlessly access The Great American Buffalo in USA for free on BBC iPlayer.
2- Did the American buffalo ever go extinct?
American bison, often referred to as buffalo, are not extinct. They came dangerously close to extinction, but their numbers have since recovered significantly. Today, the American bison is classified as Near Threatened, reflecting its successful comeback from near extinction.
3- What is the filming location of The Great American Buffalo?
The Great American Buffalo was mainly filmed in Montana, with the production team visiting several sites. These included First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Bison Range, Fort Belknap Reservation, Ted Turner’s Flying D Ranch, the American Prairie conservation area, the Great Northern Plains Museum in Fort Benton, and Yellowstone National Park.
4- Who is the producer of The Great American Buffalo?
The Great American Buffalo is produced by Ken Burns and Julie Dufney. They both have worked together on several documentaries including The Civil War and Country Music.
5- Who is the writer of The Great American Buffalo?
Dayton Duncan, the two time Primetime Emmy award winner, is the writer of The Great American Buffalo. He is also known for writing for docuseries like Benjamin Franklin, The Dust Bowl, and The West.
6- Who is the narrator of The Great American Buffalo?
Peter Coyote is the narrator of The Great American Buffalo. The renowned American actor is known for his roles in A Man in Love, Sphere, and Kika.
7- What is the genre of The Great American Buffalo?
The Great American Buffalo is a Documentary series of History genre.
Wrap Up
The Great American Buffalo is nothing less than a masterpiece by Ken Burns, that offers a detail look at the American bison’s history. This two-part documentary is streaming on BBC iPlayer in the UK for free serving as a reminder of the deep ties between nature and culture, particularly within Native American communities.
While geo-restrictions may pose a challenge for viewers in USA, the use of a highly trusted VPN service like ExpressVPN can provide seamless access to this captivating docuseries. Experience the perfect blend of historical depth, cultural significance, and cinematic brilliance, and watch The Great American Buffalo in USA for free on BBC iPlayer today!
