Tom Hanks is bringing a fresh perspective to American history with The American Experiment, a five-part Netflix documentary series that is quietly emerging as one of 2026’s most talked-about television events. Rather than presenting a conventional celebration of the United States’ 250th anniversary, the series explores the American Revolution and the making of the Constitution through a broader examination of democracy, compromise, division and the enduring idea on which the nation was founded.
According to ScreenRant, the documentary uses the country’s 250th anniversary as a starting point for reflection rather than celebration. It encourages viewers to reconsider the relevance of the past and examine how the ideas established by the founding fathers continue to shape modern society.
Directed by Brian Knappenberger, the series challenges the familiar narrative of America’s birth by highlighting how uncertain every major turning point actually was. Instead of moving quickly through well-known historical events, it focuses on the fragile moments when independence remained uncertain, the Constitutional Convention nearly collapsed and the young republic struggled to survive.
By emphasising these moments of doubt and negotiation, the documentary presents the “American experiment” as an idea that was never guaranteed to succeed.
Actor Martin Sheen lends his voice to George Washington’s letters, while cinematic re-enactments recreate key battles, congressional debates and defining moments of the Revolutionary era. Alongside these dramatic sequences, the series explores the disagreements, negotiations and compromises that shaped the nation.
The documentary portrays George Washington as a pivotal yet imperfect leader. It takes a similar approach to Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton and other founding figures, presenting them as talented but flawed individuals confronting unprecedented political challenges.
It also addresses the contradictions embedded in the nation’s founding, including slavery, unequal representation and the limits of liberty, arguing that many of today’s political and social debates have existed since the country’s earliest days.
