Legends & Lies

This series is ironically named "Legends & Lies," for it not only perpetuates lies and myths but it is notable for its many important omissions. In fact, it is on the level of a school book primer. For example, the episode on Jesse James doesn't mention his association with a KKK-like white supremacist group for which his robberies were fund raisers. This is a glaring omission and reveals the lack of knowledge of its writers, narrators and researchers. If you don't know about this side of James, you know nothing, because it was his sole motivation before, during and after the Civil War - to help this organization create a slave empire and see the South rise again. It did not mention his joining Quantrill's Raiders, either - a vicious and barbaric guerrilla group noted for its atrocities. Nor did it mention the millions in gold he'd accumulated to fund his cause, which is reputedly still out there to be found. Also not mentioned - terribly important - is the fact that the man buried as James looks nothing like him and was just a fall guy enabling James to make a clean escape from justice. Just examine the photo of the man said to be James in death and compare it to his known photos and you can see this for yourself. Yet O'Reilly and his associates seem totally unaware of this side of the story. I could go on but I think I've made my point. And this kind of thing is true of all the episodes I've seen so far - but I have another gripe, too. The acting is horrible. (Likely non-union, by the way.) It is so corny as to distract from the story and present an inaccurate picture of true events. The narration is monotone and often overshadowed by the overly loud background noise and annoying music score. This series is the worst of all supposed Western era expose shows popping up everywhere on cable TV these days and - shame on you, Bill O'Reilly - reflects a lack of proper research and respect for the documentary genre itself. This is sophomoric stuff, to be kind, with the pompous pretense of presenting much more. There is much more to reveal but this show doesn't begin to get at the truths rarely told about the legendary characters it chooses to showcase. In fact, I haven't seen one new fact presented on this show. This series is just a dull rehash of familiar and faulty fairy tales.

I was very disappointed in the Jesse James episode of Legends & Lies, as were other Missouri residents I've spoken to who know his history better than most. WHO were your "experts?" People from places I've never even heard of. Not one from Missouri. Was there any contact with personnel from the James Farm, where there is an extensive museum with extensive information on - Jesse James. No. And what about the law enacted in Missouri that "barred from voting, civil offices, and even the pulpit anyone who could not swear that they had not engaged in any one of a list of 86 forbidden acts of rebellion." (cited from the American Experience website at www.PBS.com) In other words, men who had fought for the Confederacy. It wasn't even mentioned. And Zerelda as a driving force in what made them bad guys? Really? And it wasn't mentioned, as is cited in another review, that Jesse and Frank rode with Quantrill and his raiders, which is a HUGE oversight. Poorly done and sadly researched in my opinion.

I didn't see the first season, but only the two following ones. What's striking to me is what has already been expressed a few times here. It pretends to go beyond the common narrative. But in fact, it totally gives in to the common narrative! And doesn't go any deeper. It's well made and it's good, but only skin deep. The title is only a pretense, a bait. I don't dislike O'Reilley. He's the type of guy whom you can call "wholesome". He comes in all square. The series here are the same: no subtleties, but interesting nonetheless and fun to watch.

Come on folks. Every single historical book, movie or series has people come out who are self proclaimed experts in one way or another in the target subject, decrying the lacking of something factual or the inclusion of something non-factual. Historians don't all agree on everything...consumers of media and literature certainly wont.

History is written by those who control the printing presses of the news of the time, or by those who research the records of the time...records which were written by humans who often have agendas or biases.

Today is no different. Media bias is as bad as it ever was, and full of lies mixed with facts, misinformation and blatant acts of omission in order to shape the history of the future with the news of the day.

That said, anyone who 100% believes anything they didn't see or do themselves could easily be a fool.

This is a great series and is intended for the ignorant masses who know little about history...which is the vast majority of humans walking the earth, let alone Americans. It's a little glimpse in to the past assembled in an entertaining way and the target audience is people who are interested in a little "light" learning while being entertained.

The History Channel does this all the time and this series is comparable to anything the History Channel does, and the graphics and HD quality is first rate. I watch on a 1080P screen and watch Blue Ray DVDs, and this series straight off of Dish HD from FOX Business Channel is first rate production...in my "consumer" opinion.

Having done military history for over 40 years, and been involved in multiple movie, documentary, and museum productions, I can truthfully say saddles and bridals were wrong, total wrong firearms used, with a complete mismatched hodgepodge mess of them in a same scene or even shot. Principal actors cannot act, and they cannot ride at all. Background setups were totally inappropriate for the era and area.

Your history lesson is close, but not correct. If you're going to teach history, which I assume is what you're trying to do, you failed horribly.

Truthfully the only thing pleasant about this episode was the narrator's calm voice.

You set documentary making back 50 years.