COUNTRY MUSIC
PBS, 8:00 p.m. ET
CONCLUSION. This is Episode 8, the concluding chapter of Ken Burns’ newest documentary epic. He and writer Dayton Duncan have opted to end their series in the year 1996, so it doesn’t cover the most recent 23 years of country music history. But its historical perspective does linger just long enough to present the start of the final chapter of Johnny Cash’s amazing artistic journey – when, in 1994, he teamed with producer Rick Rubin for American Recordings, the first of his acclaimed series of stripped-bare songs and covers, including, on the first release, haunting recordings of “The Beast In Me” and “Bird on the Wire.” Check local listings.