A humane look at moments in the history of the 20th century.
Marshall, Texas, Marshall, Texas
Bill Moyers visits his hometown. Long-time residents describe the town as being "a Tom Sawyer sort of place" on one hand and a town formerly divided by racial segregation on the other.
The Arming of the Earth
How the machine gun, the submarine, and the airplane revolutionized the conduct of war, and vastly increased the death toll.
"The finest anti-war program we have ever seen."
– Daily News
The Reel World of News
A look at how newsreels grew into a unique 20th-century institution that informed and entertained whole generations.
WWII: The Propaganda Battle
How America enlisted Frank Capra to fight the Nazis with film, and how Hitler and Goebels called on the Fritz Hippler, creator of the hate film “The Eternal Jew,” to produce films to support the Nazi cause.
The Imagemakers
The nascent use of images to manipulate public opinion, as seen through the eyes of Edward Bernays, who coined the term “public relations", and Ivy Lee, known to his enemies as “Poison Ivy,” whose job it was to improve the image of John D. Rockefeller.
Emmy Award - Primetime
Emmy Award - News and Documentary
"I'd be surprised if there were a more interesting documentary on public television this season, or one filled with more vivid and compelling human history.
– American Heritage