Lincoln’s death subject of National Geographic’s first scripted
special The assassination of Abraham Lincoln on the evening of
April 14, 1865, remains a defining event in American history.
Every schoolkid knows that Lincoln was shot at Ford’s Theater by
John Wilkes Booth. Many know that the play the Lincolns were
watching was called “Our American Cousin.” It’s safe to say that
few events in our history have been as thoroughly researched as
the assassination of the nation’s 16th president. In other
words, nothing new is revealed in the National Geographic
Channel’s first scripted special, “Killing Lincoln,” airing
Sunday night. But that doesn’t mean the decently-written and
adequately performed docudrama is unwelcome. Narrated by Tom
Hanks and adapted by Erik Jendresen from the book by newsman
Bill O’Reilly, the film details the events leading up to that
night in April, as well as the aftermath during which the
government launched an extensive manhunt for Booth and his co-
conspirators, leading to Booth’s death