I think this is the most realistic answer to the Questions.

What are 'we' trying to do? Educate, Inform, Change Minds? Who/What is the Target Audience? What would they respond best to, given those prior questions?

I think that a Flashback format might work well. A modern-day college student, perhaps presenting their Doctoral Thesis, describing virtually ALL of the problems that Everyone Today is bitching about (especially ineffective/counterproductive government, for example...) and then flashing back to what he/she shows were the Root Causes of today's Crises.

I believe that until basic questions like mine are examined and decided, the format or time-frame of the Series should not be pre-decided based on who or what we like.

Marketing and Target Market questions should be considered long before the first digital camera boots up.