| Narrated: | Richard Basehart |
| Country: | Canada |
| Language: | English |
| Num Episodes: | 26 |
| Executive Producer: | Michael Maclear |
| Producer: | Ian McLeod |
| Runtime: | pilot: 52 minutes, regular episodes: 26 minutes |
| Network: | CBC |
Vietnam: The Ten Thousand Day War, a 26-part half-hour Canadian television documentary about the Vietnam War, was produced in 1980 by Michael Maclear. The series aired in Canada on CBC Television, in the United States on NBC, and the United Kingdom on Channel 4.
Maclear visited Vietnam during the production of the series and while he was there, he was granted access to film material. He was the first Western journalist to be allowed to visit Vietnam since the end of the war.
The documentary series was consolidated into 13 hour-long episodes for American television syndication.[1] The series was released on videocassette format by Embassy and won a National Education Association award for best world documentary.[2]
Series writer Peter Arnett was an Associated Press reporter in Vietnam from 1962 to 1975.
CBC only aired 18 of the 26 episodes during the 1980–81 season because the production of the series was incomplete. The remaining 8 episodes were broadcast during CBC's 1981–82 season. British audiences saw the series during Channel 4's 1984–85 season.
List of episodes:[3]
| Episode title | CBC airdate | Channel 4 airdate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | America in Vietnam | 16 October 1980 | 15 October 1984 | |
| 2 | France in Vietnam | 22 October 1984 | ||
| 3 | Dien Bien Phu | 29 October 1984 | ||
| 4 | Early Hopes | 23 October 1980 | 12 November 1984 | |
| 5 | Assassination | 19 November 1984 | ||
| 6 | Days of Decision | 30 October 1980 | 26 November 1984 | |
| 7 | Westy's War | 3 December 1984 | ||
| 8 | Uneasy Allies | 5 November 1980 | 7 January 1985 | |
| 9 | Guerilla Society | 14 January 1985 | ||
| 10 | The Trail | 12 November 1980 | 21 January 1985 | |
| 11 | Firepower | 28 January 1985 | ||
| 12 | The Village War | 19 November 1980 | 4 February 1985 | |
| 13 | Air War | 11 February 1985 | ||
| 14 | Siege | 26 November 1980 | 18 February 1985 | |
| 15 | Tet! | 10 December 1980 | 25 February 1985 | |
| 16 | Frontline America | 17 December 1980 | 4 March 1985 | |
| 17 | Soldiering On | 31 December 1980 | 11 March 1985 | |
| 18 | Changing the Guard | 7 January 1981 | 18 March 1985 | |
| 19 | Wanting Out | 25 March 1985 | ||
| 20 | Bombing of Hanoi | 14 January 1981 | 1 April 1985 | |
| 21 | Peace and Consequence | 8 April 1985 | ||
| 22 | The Prisoners | 21 January 1981 | 15 April 1985 | |
| 23 | The Unsung Soldiers | 22 April 1985 | ||
| 24 | Final Offensive | 4 February 1981 | 29 April 1985 | |
| 25 | Surrender | 13 May 1985 | ||
| 26 | Vietnam Recalled | 11 February 1981 | 20 May 1985 |