By JAMES FINK
jfink@bizjournals.com | 716-541-1611

On the eve of the bicentennial celebration of the War of 1812, a new documentary that was produced in part by Buffalo's WNED-TV will hit the PBS airwaves Oct. 10.

The two-hour program covers the genesis and history of the war that saw U.S. military forces battle their counterparts from Britain, along with Canadian colonists and Native American warriors. Locally, it is best known for the burning of portions of Buffalo's Riverside neighborhood in late 1812. The three-year-long battle served as the backdrop for Francis Scott Key's "The Star Spangled Banner," which he wrote as Fort McHenry was the centerpoint of a Chesapeake Bay skirmish.

A binational alliance between Southern Ontario representatives and Western New Yorkers is planning several events next year. The documentary may help draw more attention to those events.

"We have proudly created 'The War of 1812' for both nations," said Donald Boswell, WNED president and CEO. "This timely examination of a shared history allows us to celebrate our past together and renew the bond of our present and future as national neighbors."

WNED put the documentary together with WETA in Washington, D.C. Actor Joe Mantegna is narrator.

The film traces the events leading up to the war. The conflict saw several historic figures emerge, including Shawnee Nation leader Tecumseh, future U.S. President William Henry Harrison and Canada's Laura Secord.

Tim Tielman is executive director of the Campaign for Greater Buffalo History, Architecture & Culture. He said he hopes the documentary will re-ignite local interest in the War of 1812 and, specifically, the central role of Buffalo and the Niagara Region of Southern Ontario.

"Right now, it's sort of buried," Tielman said. "In fact, it is almost impossible to overstate the ignorance there is around here when it comes to the War of 1812. We have to do a lot better. I hope this does raise some awareness."

The documentary features interviews with 26 war experts and historians and ties in with a companion book, "The War of 1812: A Guide to Battefields and Historic Sites" by John Grant and Ray Jones.

The documentary will air at 9 p.m., Oct. 10 on WNED and other PBS stations nationwide.