PBS documentary on War of 1812 certain to surprise some viewers

Two centuries after the fact, a PBS-TV producer has decided to set the record straight on the War of 1812 for an American audience.

Larry Hott's two-hour documentary, The War of 1812, airing Monday at 9 p.m. on Detroit Public TV, Channel 56, promises to open a lot of eyes south of the border about what is a forgotten and ignored war in American history books.

It was a learning experience for the filmmaker himself.

"When we were asked to make this film, all we knew about the war was that it happened in 1812," said Hott, who co-produced and directed the film for the Buffalo, N.Y., PBS affiliate, WNED-TV .

To Americans, the War of 1812 is little more than a footnote.

"It's really misunderstood," said Hott. "If you see it mentioned at all in books, it's usually about the mythology that came out of it."...