| Sons of Liberty | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Historical drama |
| Written by |
|
| Directed by | Kari Skogland |
| Starring | |
| Theme music composer | Hans Zimmer |
| Composer | Lorne Balfe |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 3 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producers |
|
| Production locations | Buftea, Romania |
| Cinematography | George Steel |
| Editor | Paul Trejo |
| Running time | 84–86 minutes |
| Production companies | Stephen David Entertainment Stillking Films A+E Studios |
| Original release | |
| Network | History Channel |
| Release | January 25 (2015-01-25) – January 27, 2015 (2015-01-27) |
Sons of Liberty is an American televisionHistory Channel miniseries dramatizing the earlyAmerican Revolution events inBoston, Massachusetts, the start of theRevolutionary War, and the negotiations of theSecond Continental Congress which resulted in drafting and signing the 1776United States Declaration of Independence inPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania. The three-part miniseries premiered on January 25, 2015, directed byKari Skogland. The theme music was composed byHans Zimmer.[1][2]
The miniseries is set in the years 1765–1776, prior to start of theAmerican Revolutionary War. It focuses on historical figures and pivotal events between theThirteen Colonies andGreat Britain, particularly the events that led to resistance to the crown and creation of theSons of Liberty. The actions of the Sons of Liberty were the beginnings of theContinental Army, and these take place mostly aroundBoston in theProvince of Massachusetts Bay.
Various American Revolutionary figures are protagonists in episodes, such asSamuel Adams,John Adams,Benjamin Franklin,John Hancock,Paul Revere,George Washington and the British GeneralThomas Gage. The episodes depict the creation of theContinental Congress, theDeclaration of Independence and the outbreak of the Revolutionary War.
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | U.S. viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "A Dangerous Game[4]" | Kari Skogland | Kirk Ellis and Stephen David &David C. White | January 25, 2015 (2015-01-25) | 3.29[5] | |
Still a group of colonies living under British oppression in 1765, local gangs fight each other over turf in the streets of Boston, much less thinking of starting a revolution. When tax collector and pub owner Sam Adams doesn't pay his own taxes, the Crown puts out a warrant for his arrest, leading to the destruction of Royal Governor Thomas Hutchinson's mansion. Wealthy businessman John Hancock, and Adams, establish a black-market smuggling operation and boycott all goods fromTory shops, identifying them with a "T" painted on their storefronts. But an altercation between a loyalist and a Colonist mob lead to a young boy's murder. Then, in 1770, after a conflict escalates with the Redcoats turn into amassacre, the wheels are put in motion to start a resistance against British tyranny. | ||||||
| 2 | "The Uprising" | Kari Skogland | Stephen David & David C. White | January 26, 2015 (2015-01-26) | 2.83[6] | |
After the Colonistsdestroy 600,000 pounds of tea into theBoston Harbor in 1773,King George sends General Thomas Gage to Boston to remove Governor Hutchinson from office and restore balance. Sam, Hancock, and John Adams set off for Philadelphia to gather arms and support at thePennsylvania State House, and meet the intense George Washington, a delegate from Virginia. Hancock financially supports Sam and his recruits to begin training their own rebel army on a rural farm outside the city. When the British catches wind of it, they order their capture, leadingPaul Revere to set out on his famous ride to warn of the Redcoats coming into Lexington in 1775. Meanwhile, the newly formed Colonial militia clash with the British Army in theshot heard round the world. | ||||||
| 3 | "Independence" | Kari Skogland | Story by : Stephen David & David C. White and Kirk Ellis Teleplay by : Stephen David & David C. White | January 27, 2015 (2015-01-27) | 3.30[7] | |
The start of theAmerican Revolution begins as the Redcoats and the Massachusetts militia continue to fight at theBattles of Lexington and Concord. Now that the battles develop into a full-blownwar, Sam and Hancock enlist Ben Franklin to help them convince state delegates to support their cause for freedom. Meanwhile, General Gage chargesBunker Hill, causing the Patriots to suffer a major defeat. The loss inspires a document—theDeclaration of Independence—written up by Thomas Jefferson, is signed by theSecond Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. Colonists celebrate theevacuation of British troops in Boston. The newly formedContinental Army, led by General Washington will be put to the test when the Royal Navy's ships attackNew York Harbor. | ||||||
According toThe Hollywood Reporter, production onSons of Liberty began in the summer of 2014.[8] The miniseries was also going to feature the minor story lines ofBenedict Arnold andPatrick Henry.[9]
The first teaser trailer was released on September 1, 2014, duringHoudini, which incorrectly revealed a December 2014 release date and featuredThe Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black".[10]
In Australia,Sons of Liberty aired onSBS One from February 5, 2015, as a six-part series.[11]
In the United Kingdom,Sons of Liberty aired onHistory Channel from June 2, 2015, also as a six-part series.
Sons of Liberty was released on DVD and Blu-ray on May 26, 2015.
The History Channel billed the series as a "dramatic interpretation of events"[12] and a work of "historical fiction", arguing the goal of the miniseries was "to capture the spirit of the time, convey the personalities of the main characters, and focus on real events that have shaped our past".[12] The series has attracted significant criticism for its historical inaccuracies and highly dramatic caricaturing of historical personalities.[13][14]
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