'When You're Strange: A Film About the Doors' on PBS

THE DOCUMENTARY "When You're Strange: A Film About the Doors"

WHEN | WHERE Wednesday night at 9 on WNET/13

REASON TO WATCH 2009 Sundance documentary on the band, narrated by Johnny Depp.

WHAT IT'S ABOUT Together from 1965 to 1971 the Doors were John Densmore (percussion), Robby Krieger (guitar), Ray Manzarek (keyboard) and Jim Morrison - the latter needs no introduction, but for the moment "voice" will do. Obsessed in his youth with William Blake and Elvis Presley, Morrison dropped out of film school but not before he hooked up with Manzarek.

They started a band, and for its name, Morrison channeled Blake: "If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, infinite." New members joined . . . gigs followed . . . record contracts were signed . . . "Light My Fire" . . . world fame . . . drugs . . . insanely wild concert appearances. And that's just in the first five minutes.

Then . . . booze . . . arrests/ brawls at concerts, including an incident in Miami that resulted in a felony charge for public indecency . . . Morrison's final break with the band, to write poetry in Paris . . . death, at age 27.

This film, by indie filmmaker Tom DiCillo, eschews commentators in favor of scripted observations by Depp such as, "the music . . . carries the listener into the shadowy realms of dreams. Part of the strangeness comes from their lack of a bass player."

MY SAY With the exception of The Beatles, there may be no story in the entire span of rock and roll better known than Morrison's, which has been consecrated in a movie (Oliver Stone's), books and by classic rock radio stations that would pretty much go belly-up without "L.A. Woman" or "Hello, I Love You." Frankly, it's all kind of a drag by now. If a yarn can be too well known, then maybe poor Jim Morrison's qualifies. "When You're Strange" has no interest in dispelling the myth of The Lizard King or adding fresh context or insight. People were dropping acid and rebelling in the '60s. So was Jimbo (and how).

However, this film is so richly documented and so well narrated by Depp that the tired old story somehow still feels entirely fresh and new.

BOTTOM LINE Incredible footage, and if this movie thing doesn't work out, Depp might think about doing PBS commentary full time.

GRADE A-