List of Frontline (American TV program) episodes
Frontline is an investigative journalism television program from PBS (Public Broadcasting Service), producing in-depth documentaries on a variety of domestic and international stories and issues, and broadcasting them on air and online. Produced at WGBH-TV in Boston, Massachusetts, and distributed through PBS in the United States, the critically acclaimed program has received every major award in broadcast journalism.[1] Its investigations have helped breathe new life into terrorism cold cases,[2] freed innocent people from jail, prompted U.N. resolutions, and spurred both policy and social change.[3]
As of November 21, 2023,[update] 813 episodes of Frontline have aired.
Series overview
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | |||
| 1 | 25 | January 17, 1983 | July 18, 1983 | |
| 2 | 15 | January 16, 1984 | June 18, 1984 | |
| 3 | 30 | October 9, 1984 | May 28, 1985 | |
| 4 | 30 | January 21, 1986 | September 9, 1986 | |
| 5 | 15 | January 27, 1987 | June 23, 1987 | |
| 6 | 22 | December 14, 1987 | June 28, 1988 | |
| 7 | 19 | October 10, 1988 | June 20, 1989 | |
| 8 | 17 | November 28, 1989 | June 12, 1990 | |
| 9 | 28 | September 11, 1990 | July 15, 1991 | |
| 10 | 22 | October 15, 1991 | June 23, 1992 | |
| 11 | 22 | October 13, 1992 | July 21, 1993 | |
| 12 | 20 | October 12, 1993 | June 21, 1994 | |
| 13 | 19 | October 18, 1994 | June 13, 1995 | |
| 14 | 18 | October 17, 1995 | June 4, 1996 | |
| 15 | 18 | October 8, 1996 | June 17, 1997 | |
| 16 | 16 | October 7, 1997 | June 2, 1998 | |
| 17 | 19 | September 21, 1998 | June 29, 1999 | |
| 18 | 16 | September 28, 1999 | May 23, 2000 | |
| 19 | 17 | October 2, 2000 | June 5, 2001 | |
| 20 | 23 | September 13, 2001 | June 27, 2002 | |
| 21 | 21 | September 3, 2002 | July 3, 2003 | |
| 22 | 16 | October 9, 2003 | June 17, 2004 | |
| 23 | 16 | September 7, 2004 | June 21, 2005 | |
| 24 | 15 | October 4, 2005 | June 20, 2006 | |
| 25 | 18 | October 3, 2006 | June 19, 2007 | |
| 26 | 14 | October 16, 2007 | June 17, 2008 | |
| 27 | 16 | October 14, 2008 | June 16, 2009 | |
| 28 | 17 | October 13, 2009 | August 25, 2010 | |
| 29 | 17 | October 11, 2010 | July 26, 2011 | |
| 30 | 20 | September 6, 2011 | July 24, 2012 | |
| 31 | 23 | September 18, 2012 | July 30, 2013 | |
| 32 | 18 | September 17, 2013 | July 29, 2014 | |
| 33 | 18 | September 9, 2014 | July 21, 2015 | |
| 34 | 17 | September 29, 2015 | June 28, 2016 | |
| 35 | 19 | September 13, 2016 | July 18, 2017 | |
| 36 | 19 | September 12, 2017 | August 14, 2018 | |
| 37 | 17 | September 11, 2018 | May 28, 2019 | |
| 38 | 25 | September 10, 2019 | August 11, 2020 | |
| 39 | 23 | September 8, 2020 | July 20, 2021 | |
| 40 | 16 | September 7, 2021 | August 9, 2022 | |
| 41 | 18 | September 6, 2022 | September 5, 2023 | |
| 42 | TBA | September 26, 2023 | TBA | |
Episodes
Season 1 (1983)
Frontline's the first season, in 1983, was the only season to have Jessica Savitch as its host (Savitch died in October of that year).
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Topic(s) | Running time | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "An Unauthorized History of the NFL" | Sports | 60 minutes | January 17, 1983 | 101 |
|
A look at the connections between organized crime, gambling and professional football in the United States. | ||||||
| 2 | 2 | "88 Seconds in Greensboro" | Extremism, violence | 60 minutes | January 24, 1983 | 102 |
|
James Reston Jr. investigates a police informant's involvement with a group of Ku Klux Klan and American Nazi Party members who killed 5 civil rights demonstrators in a November 1979 incident in Greensboro, North Carolina. | ||||||
| 3 | 3 | "In the Shadow of the Capitol" | Poverty | 60 minutes | January 31, 1983 | 103 |
|
Charlie Cobb explores a rarely seen side of Washington, D.C., where poverty is widespread among the population (75% of which is black). | ||||||
| 4 | 4 | "A Chinese Affair" | Asian politics | 60 minutes | February 7, 1983 | 104 |
| 5 | 5 | "God's Banker" | Finance | 60 minutes | February 14, 1983 | 105 |
|
Jeremy Paxman explores the career of banker Roberto Calvi, his relations with the Holy See and secret Italian society, and the mystery of his June 1982 death. | ||||||
| 6 | 6 | "Pentagon, Inc." | Finance; military | 60 minutes | February 21, 1983 | 106 |
|
An investigation into the power of the Pentagon as a business and economic force in U.S. economy. | ||||||
| 7 | 7 | "Gunfight USA" | Firearms | 60 minutes | February 28, 1983 | 107 |
|
An exploration into the underlying fears that make gun control an emotional issue in the U.S. | ||||||
| 8 | 8 | "Children of Pride" | Biographies | 60 minutes | March 7, 1983 | 108 |
|
The story of Kojo Odo, a 42-year-old single black man who opened his home to 21 children with physical or mental handicaps. | ||||||
| 9 | 9 | "A Journey To Russia" | Diplomacy | 60 minutes | March 21, 1983 | 109 |
|
A young, three-person debate team from America travels to the Soviet Union to meet young Russians whose world views contradict their own. | ||||||
| 10 | 10 | "Daisy: Story of a Facelift" | Health | 60 minutes | March 28, 1983 | 110 |
|
A look into the world of plastic surgery focuses on a 55-year-old woman's desire to undergo a facelift. | ||||||
| 11 | 11 | "Space: The Race For High Ground" | Science; military | 60 minutes | April 11, 1983 | 111 |
|
A look at the battle between the U.S. and Soviet Union to turn outer space from a world of exploration to one of strategic defense, including the then-recent introduction by U.S. President Ronald Reagan of the Strategic Defense Initiative. | ||||||
| 12 | 12 | Abortion Clinic | Health | 60 minutes | April 18, 1983 | 112 |
|
An intimate look at the values and decisions both sides hold in the abortion debate. | ||||||
| 13 | 13 | "Crisis in Zimbabwe" | African politics | 60 minutes | April 25, 1983 | 113 |
|
Charlie Cobb explores how a rift between two of Zimbabwe's leaders threatens to divide the country among tribal lines. | ||||||
| 14 | 14 | "Air Crash" | Transportation | 60 minutes | May 2, 1983 | 114 |
|
How human greed and legal machinations led to the July 1982 crash of Pan Am Flight 759. | ||||||
| 15 | 15 | "Looking For Mao" | Asian politics | 60 minutes | May 9, 1983 | 115 |
|
A look at a new cultural revolution inside China, one that finds political and social relaxations that run counter to Mao Zedong's anti-capitalist dictates. | ||||||
| 16 | 16 | "Israel: Between The River and The Sea" | Biographies | 60 minutes | May 16, 1983 | 116 |
|
The story of Rafik Halabi, the only Arab reporter working in the Hebrew section of Israeli Television, and how his identity and loyalty became a national controversy. | ||||||
| 17 | 17 | In Our Water | Health | 60 minutes | May 23, 1983 | 117 |
|
This Oscar-nominated documentary looks at the Kaler family's 6-year battle with local and federal officials over contamination (from a nearby landfill) of their water well in South Brunswick, New Jersey. | ||||||
| 18 | 18 | "Vietnam Memorial" | Military; psychology | 60 minutes | May 30, 1983 | 118 |
|
A look at the October 1982 dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the pain and emotions that survivors, parents, and friends of the memorialized still feel about the war. | ||||||
| 19 | 19 | "For the Good of All" | Land development | 60 minutes | June 6, 1983 | 119 |
|
Jessica Savitch looks at the National Park Service's controversial reclamation of land to make way for the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area in Ohio. | ||||||
| 20 | 20 | "The Russians Are Here" | Foreign diplomacy | 60 minutes | June 13, 1983 | 120 |
|
A look at Russian emigrants to the U.S. and their difficulties in adjusting to American society. | ||||||
| 21 | 21 | "Who Decides Disability?" | Health | 60 minutes | June 20, 1983 | 121 |
|
A look at the Reagan administration's effort to remove tens of thousands of people from Social Security disability rolls. | ||||||
| 22 | 22 | "Crossfire El Salvador" | Central America | 60 minutes | June 27, 1983 | 122 |
|
A look at the deadly civil war in El Salvador, where death, torture, and disappearances are everyday occurrences. | ||||||
| 23 | 23 | "Sanctuary" | Central America | 60 minutes | July 4, 1983 | 123 |
|
A look at the plight of people seeking refuge from US-allied governments in Central America focuses on a Guatemalan family's journey through a new "underground railroad." | ||||||
| 24 | 24 | "Moneylenders" | Finance | 60 minutes | July 11, 1983 | 124 |
|
Anthony Sampson looks at the difficulties developing countries have in repaying loans to Western banks, who fear financial catastrophe as a result. | ||||||
| 25 | 25 | "Klaus Barbie: The American Connection" | Criminal justice; war | 60 minutes | July 18, 1983 | 125 |
|
A collaboration with the BBC looks into how U.S. intelligence relied on Klaus Barbie in their anti-Communist efforts, and whether the government was culpable in protecting the former Gestapo officer from being brought to justice for his crimes in World War II.[4] | ||||||
Season 2 (1984)
Season 2 of Frontline saw Judy Woodruff become the show's host after Jessica Savitch's death.
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Topic(s) | Running time | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | 1 | "Crisis at General Hospital" | Health | 60 minutes | January 16, 1984 | 201 |
|
An examination of how many investor-owned, for-profit hospital chains aggressively market themselves to treat only insured or wealthy patients. | ||||||
| 27 | 2 | "We Are Driven" | Business/economy/financial | 60 minutes | January 23, 1984 | 202 |
|
A look at the tough management style employed by Nissan Motor Company at its operations in both Japan and Smyrna, Tennessee. | ||||||
| 28 | 3 | "The Old Man and the Gun" | Foreign affairs | 60 minutes | February 6, 1984 | 203 |
|
A look at the support Irish Americans have for the IRA and its violent strategy in Northern Ireland's catholic-Protestant conflict. | ||||||
| 29 | 4 | "Give Me that Big Time Religion" | Religion | 60 minutes | February 13, 1984 | 204 |
|
An investigation into whether money raised by televangelists goes toward "God's work" or towards keeping the preachers on the air. | ||||||
| 30 | 5 | "The Campaign for Page One" | Politics; media | 60 minutes | February 27, 1984 | 205 |
|
An inside look at the candidates in the presidential campaign and the reporters who cover them. | ||||||
| 31 32 | 6 7 | "The Mind of a Murderer (Parts 1 and 2)" | Criminal justice | 60 minutes | March 19, 1984 March 26, 1984 | 206 207 |
|
A two-part look into the case of Kenneth Bianchi, who committed murders in Los Angeles (as one of the "Hillside Stranglers") and Bellingham, Washington yet sought to avoid trial by claiming mental incompetence. | ||||||
| 33 | 8 | "The Struggle for Birmingham" | Politics | 60 minutes | April 2, 1984 | 208 |
|
A look at the modern-day black political power focuses on Birmingham, Alabama, a key battlefield in the civil rights struggle of the 1960s. | ||||||
| 34 | 9 | "Captive in El Salvador" | Foreign affairs | 60 minutes | April 16, 1984 | 209 |
|
Ofra Bikel looks at the politics and people of El Salvador that the U.S. lends support to. | ||||||
| 35 | 10 | "Chasing the Basketball Dream" | Sports | 60 minutes | April 23, 1984 | 210 |
|
Charlie Cobb looks at the successes and failures of inner-city blacks seeking to make it big by playing basketball. | ||||||
| 36 | 11 | "The Other Side of the Track (rebroadcast as King of the World)" | Sports | 60 minutes | May 7, 1984 | 211 |
|
A look at two racetracks on opposite ends of the thoroughbred racing spectrum, the famed Belmont Park in suburban New York and the struggling Great Barrington Fair in Western Massachusetts. | ||||||
| 37 | 12 | "Return of the Great White Fleet" | Military | 60 minutes | May 14, 1984 | 212 |
| 38 | 13 | "Warning from Gangland" | Social issues | 60 minutes | May 21, 1984 | 213 |
|
A look at efforts to counter the street gang problem in Los Angeles, where violent conflicts have claimed the lives of gang members and innocent bystanders alike. | ||||||
| 39 | 14 | "Bread, Butter, and Politics" | Social issues | 60 minutes | June 4, 1984 | 214 |
|
A look at the human and political aspects of hunger in the United States. | ||||||
| 40 | 15 | "Man's Best Friends" | Health & medicine | 60 minutes | June 18, 1984 | 215 |
|
A look at the medical necessities of and ethical arguments over animal testing in American laboratories, hospitals, and medical schools. | ||||||
| 41 | 16 | "So You Want to Be President" | Politics | 120 minutes | October 9, 1984 | 216 |
|
A look at the unsuccessful presidential campaign of Colorado Senator Gary Hart. | ||||||
| 42 | 17 | "Welcome to America" | Biographies | 60 minutes | October 16, 1984 | 217 |
| 43 | 18 | "Not One of the Boys" | Politics | 60 minutes | October 23, 1984 | 218 |
|
Judy Woodruff looks at the political role of women during the 1984 election season. | ||||||
| 44 | 19 | "Living Below the Line" | Business/economy/financial | 60 minutes | October 30, 1984 | 219 |
|
A profile of Farrell Stallings, newly laid off from his place of employment and venturing into the bureaucratic maze of the welfare system. | ||||||
| 45 | 20 | "The Arab and the Israeli" | Foreign affairs | 60 minutes | November 13, 1984 | 220 |
|
Two men (one Palestinian, the other Israeli) journey to America to promote a solution for the hotly debated West Bank territory. | ||||||
| 46 | 21 | "Better Off Dead?" | Health & medicine | 60 minutes | November 20, 1984 | 221 |
|
An intimate look into the issues doctors, lawyers, and parents face regarding medical treatment for infants born with severe physical and mental injuries. | ||||||
| 47 | 22 | "Cry, Ethiopia, Cry" | Health; foreign affairs | 60 minutes | November 27, 1984 | 222 |
| 48 | 23 | "Red Star Over Khyber" | Foreign affairs; Middle East | 60 minutes | December 11, 1984 | 223 |
| 49 | 24 | "Marshall High Fights Back" | Education | 60 minutes | December 18, 1984 | 224 |
|
A look at Chicago's Marshall Metropolitan High School and its struggles to upgrade its academic standards. | ||||||
Season 3 (1984-85)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Topic(s) | Running time | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 1 | "Vietnam Under Communism" | Asian affairs | 60 minutes | January 15, 1985 | 301 |
| 51 52 | 2 3 | "Shootout on the Imperial Highway (Parts 1 and 2)" | Criminal justice; gang violence | 60 minutes | January 22, 1985 January 29, 1985 | 302 303 |
|
A two-part report on gang wars in the Watts section of Los Angeles. Part 1 focuses on the efforts of James Hawkins, Sr. and his family to combat youth gangs and their criminal activities. Part 2 focuses on how gangs form and the threat they pose to the general public. | ||||||
| 53 | 4 | "The Lifer and the Lady" | Prison reform | 90 minutes | February 5, 1985 | 304 |
|
The story of the relationship between convicted murder Ron Cooney and prison volunteer Lesley Earl. | ||||||
| 54 | 5 | "The Child Savers" | Family/children | 60 minutes | February 12, 1985 | 305 |
|
A profile of New York's Emergency Children's Service and their efforts to confront child abuse cases. | ||||||
| 55 | 6 | "Down for the Count" | Sports | 60 minutes | February 19, 1985 | 306 |
|
A look at the world of boxing; the fighters, promoters, and fans who love it; and the critics who want to ban it. | ||||||
| 56 | 7 | "Retreat from Beirut" | Foreign affairs | 60 minutes | February 26, 1985 | 307 |
|
One year after the U.S. withdrawal from Lebanon (which followed the 1983 Beirut barracks bombings), William Greider examines the withdrawal and its repercussions. | ||||||
| 57 | 8 | "Buying the Bomb" | Foreign affairs | 60 minutes | March 5, 1985 | 308 |
|
Seymour Hersh tells the story of a Pakistani businessman who tried to ship electrical devices which can be used as nuclear bomb triggers out of the US to Pakistan. | ||||||
| 58 | 9 | A Class Divided | Social issues; education | 60 minutes | March 26, 1985 | 309 |
|
William Peters follows up on his 1970 TV documentary Eye of the Storm, which chronicled Jane Elliott's dividing her otherwise homogeneous 3rd grade class by their eye color in a lesson on discrimination. | ||||||
| 59 | 10 | "Potomac Fever" | Politics | 60 minutes | April 2, 1985 | 310 |
|
Profiles of two freshmen members of the United States House of Representatives, Pete Visclosky and Tom DeLay | ||||||
| 60 | 11 | "Crisis in Central America Part 1: Yankee Years" | Foreign affairs | 60 minutes | April 9, 1985 | 311 |
|
Part 1 of a 4-part look at the history of US relations in Central America and the Caribbean profiles American preeminence in the region from the Spanish–American War in the 1890s through the mid-1950s. | ||||||
| 61 | 12 | "Crisis in Central America Part 2: Castro's Challenge" | Foreign affairs | 60 minutes | April 10, 1985 | 312 |
|
A profile of the Cuban Revolution and the communist country's troubled relations with the United States. | ||||||
| 62 | 13 | "Crisis in Central America Part 3: Revolution in Nicaragua" | Foreign affairs | 60 minutes | April 11, 1985 | 313 |
|
A look at the U.S. involvement in and struggle for control of the Nicaraguan Revolution. | ||||||
| 63 | 14 | "Crisis in Central America Part 4: Battle for El Salvador" | Foreign affairs | 60 minutes | April 12, 1985 | 314 |
|
A look at the evolution of the Salvadoran Civil War and U.S. relations with El Salvador. | ||||||
| 64 | 15 | "Men Who Molest" | Family/children; criminal reform | 60 minutes | April 16, 1985 | 315 |
|
An examination of a Seattle program aimed at adults who sexually abuse children and the issue of whether they should be punished, treated, or both. | ||||||
| 65 | 16 | "Catholics in America: Is Nothing Sacred?" | Religion | 60 minutes | April 23, 1985 | 316 |
|
A look at the conflict American Catholics have with church doctrine. | ||||||
| 66 | 17 | "The American Way of War" | Military | 60 minutes | April 30, 1985 | 317 |
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The relationship between the United States Army, its doctrine in modern warfare, and the American government and citizens. | ||||||
| 67 | 18 | "Memory of the Camps" | History | 60 minutes | May 7, 1985 | 318 |
|
The premiere of footage from an unfinished 1945 documentary made by British and American filmmakers (Alfred Hitchcock among them) who followed Allied armies into Nazi concentration camps to capture post-liberation images. | ||||||
| 68 | 19 | "You Are in the Computer" | Housing | 60 minutes | May 14, 1985 | 319 |
|
Robert Krulwich investigates computerized information systems and their roles in landlords denying rentals to prospective tenants. | ||||||
| 69 | 20 | "What About Mom and Dad?" | Family; health | 60 minutes | May 21, 1985 | 320 |
|
A profile of the decisions and issues adult children face in caring for their aging parents.[5] | ||||||
| 70 | 21 | "Breaking the Bank" | Finance | 60 minutes | May 28, 1985 | 321 |
|
Judy Woodruff investigates the cases of Oklahoma City-based Penn Square Bank and Chicago-based Continental Illinois and their implications on the broader U.S. banking system. | ||||||
Season 4 (1986)
During its fourth season, Frontline presented Comrades, a 12-part documentary series that originally aired on the BBC in Great Britain. Comrades profiled everyday life in and citizens of the Soviet Union through interviews and fly on the wall filming. Frontline's presentation of Comrades featured "wraparound" segments where host Judy Woodruff interviewed Richard Denton and other Comrades producers about the episode's background.[6]
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Topic(s) | Running time | Original air date | Prod. code | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 71 | 1 | "Hostage in Iran" | History; recollections | 60 minutes | January 21, 1986 | 401 | ||||||
|
Five years after their release, those held hostage in Iran by Islamic revolutionaries tell the story of their 444-day ordeal. | ||||||||||||
| 72 | 2 | "Sue the Doctor?" | Health | 60 minutes | January 28, 1986 | 402 | ||||||
|
An inside look at the battle between doctors and lawyers over medical malpractice suits. | ||||||||||||
| 73 | 3 | "Growing Up Poor" | Social issues | 60 minutes | February 4, 1986 | 403 | ||||||
|
Profiles of children in Chester, Pennsylvania who are growing up in impoverished conditions. | ||||||||||||
| 74 | 4 | "Russia: Love It or Leave It" | Foreign relations | 60 minutes | February 11, 1986 | 404 | ||||||
|
A group of American tourists escape a government-managed tour of the Soviet Union in an effort to gain insight from everyday Soviets. | ||||||||||||
| 75 | 5 | "Tobacco on Trial" | Health | 60 minutes | February 18, 1986 | 405 | ||||||
|
Judy Woodruff looks at a trio of lawsuits filed by lifelong smokers seeking damages from tobacco companies over their declining health. | ||||||||||||
| 76 | 6 | "Divorce Wars" | Family/children | 60 minutes | February 25, 1986 | 406 | ||||||
|
Profiles of the couples, lawyers, judges, and children caught in divorce proceedings. | ||||||||||||
| 77 | 7 | "Who's Running this War?" | Foreign affairs | 60 minutes | March 18, 1986 | 407 | ||||||
| 78 | 8 | "AIDS: A National Inquiry" | Health | 120 minutes | March 25, 1986 | 408 | ||||||
|
A look into the AIDS crisis begins with the case of a homosexual prostitute who, before he succumbed to the disease, continued to have unprotected sex with several men. In the second hour, Harvard Law School professor Charles Nesson moderates a discussion on issues of civil liberties, public safety, education, and medical progress about AIDS. | ||||||||||||
| 79 | 9 | "Standoff in Mexico" | Foreign affairs | 60 minutes | April 1, 1986 | 409 | ||||||
|
A look at growing unrest in Mexico caused by election fraud and corruption involving the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party. | ||||||||||||
| 80 | 10 | "Inside the Jury Room" | Criminal justice | 60 minutes | April 8, 1986 | 410 | ||||||
|
An exclusive look inside a jury room during deliberations in a criminal trial in Wisconsin. | ||||||||||||
| 81 | 11 | "Taxes Behind Closed Doors" | Politics | 60 minutes | April 15, 1986 | 411 | ||||||
|
William Greider offers a behind-the-scenes look at Congressmen and lobbyists involved in the politics of tax reform. | ||||||||||||
| 82 | 12 | "The Disillusionment of David Stockman" | Economics | 60 minutes | April 20, 1986 | 412 | ||||||
|
Former OMB Chairman David Stockman offers a candid look at the "free lunch fiscal policy" of the Reagan Administration. | ||||||||||||
| 83 | 13 | "Vision of Star Wars" | National defense | 60 minutes | April 22, 1986 | 413 | ||||||
|
Bill Kurtis heads a Frontline/NOVA collaboration examining the scientific and political implications of the Strategic Defense Initiative. | ||||||||||||
| 84 | 14 | "Hollywood Dreams" | Entertainment | 60 minutes | May 13, 1986 | 414 | ||||||
|
A look into the fantasy and reality of the multibillion-dollar motion picture industry. | ||||||||||||
| 85 | 15 | "The Bloods of 'Nam" | Military; discrimination | 60 minutes | May 20, 1986 | 415 | ||||||
|
Wallace Terry interviews black veterans of the Vietnam War who fought three battles—against Communist forces, discrimination in the military, and post-war disillusionment at home. | ||||||||||||
| 86 | 16 | "A Matter of the Mind" | Health | 60 minutes | May 27, 1986 | 416 | ||||||
|
An examination of mental illness from the point of view of residents in a St. Paul home, who deal with not only their psychological demons but also social stigma. Audio clips from this episode were featured in the Pearl Jam song "Stupid Mop". | ||||||||||||
| 87 | 17 | "Holy War, Holy Terror" | Foreign affairs | 60 minutes | June 3, 1986 | 417 | ||||||
|
John Laurence examines how Iran's war with Iraq is a steeping stone in spreading a radical brand of Islam throughout the world. | ||||||||||||
| 88 | 18 | "Will There Always Be an England?" | Economics | 60 minutes | June 10, 1986 | 418 | ||||||
|
Ofra Bikel looks at the strained social structure in Great Britain, where unemployment is common in northern areas but power and privilege prevail in the south of the country. | ||||||||||||
| 89 | 19 | "Assault on Affirmative Action" | Social issues | 60 minutes | June 17, 1986 | 419 | ||||||
|
A look into the 20-year conflict over affirmative action policies in the U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Comrades documentary | ||||||||||||
| 90 | 20 | Comrades I: The Education of Rita | Biography | 60 minutes | July 1, 1986 | COM101 | ||||||
|
The life and ambitions of a Komsomol member and school graduate as she begins her first teaching job in Moscow. | ||||||||||||
| 91 | 21 | Comrades II: Hunter and Son | Biography | 60 minutes | July 8, 1986 | COM102 | ||||||
| 92 | 22 | Comrades III: All that Jazz | Music | 60 minutes | July 15, 1986 | COM103 | ||||||
|
A look at musical subcultures (jazz and rock) unapproved by Soviet government features the performances of Sergey Kuryokhin. | ||||||||||||
| 93 | 23 | Comrades IV: The Trial of Tamara Russo | Criminal justice | 60 minutes | July 22, 1986 | COM104 | ||||||
|
The Soviet justice system is examined through the trial of a hospital orderly accused of theft and the female judge presiding over the case. | ||||||||||||
| 94 | 24 | Comrades V: Master of Samarkand | Religion | 60 minutes | July 29, 1986 | COM105 | ||||||
|
A look at Muslim life in the USSR focuses on a master craftsman of Uzbek heritage who for 35 years has been restoring the great Islamic mosques in Samarkand. | ||||||||||||
| 95 | 25 | Comrades VI: Pacific Outpost | Biography | 60 minutes | August 5, 1986 | COM106 | ||||||
|
A profile of a workaholic communist official; her husband, who cares for their two daughters; and their lives in the Soviet Pacific coast town of Nakhodka. | ||||||||||||
| 96 | 26 | Comrades VII: Steel Mill Soccer | Biography; sports | 60 minutes | August 12, 1986 | COM107 | ||||||
|
The lives of players on a factory soccer team in Azerbaijan as they fight for the town championship. | ||||||||||||
| 97 | 27 | Comrades VIII: Doctor in Moscow | Biography | 60 minutes | August 19, 1986 | COM108 | ||||||
|
A day in the life of a successful, well-to-do Moscow eye surgeon reveals what life is like for privileged Soviet citizens. | ||||||||||||
| 98 | 28 | Comrades IX: Baltic Chic | Culture | 60 minutes | August 26, 1986 | COM109 | ||||||
| 99 | 29 | Comrades X: Soldier Boy | Biography | 60 minutes | August 26, 1986 | COM110 | ||||||
|
A look at the exertion and boredom of basic Soviet military training focuses on an 18-year-old recruit and his parents who worry he may be sent to fight in Afghanistan. | ||||||||||||
| 100 | 30 | Comrades XI: October Harvest | Biography | 60 minutes | September 2, 1986 | COM111 | ||||||
|
Collective farm life in southern Russia as seen through one family's work during harvest time. | ||||||||||||
| 101 | 31 | Comrades XII: Leningrad Movie | Entertainment | 60 minutes | September 9, 1986 | COM112 | ||||||
|
A profile of a director in the state-funded Soviet film industry who controversially dares to depart from the state-approved script. | ||||||||||||
Season 5 (1987)
The end of Frontline's 5th season featured the documentary Apartheid. Spanning over 3 centuries, the 5-part historical documentary looked into the background and practice by South Africa's government of apartheid, the institutionalized form of racial segregation that favored the country's white minority at the expense of its indigenous black population.
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Topic(s) | Running time | Original air date | Prod. code | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 102 | 1 | "The Real Stuff" | Science | 60 minutes | January 27, 1987 | 501 | ||||||
|
A look at the problems and politics plaguing NASA one year after the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. | ||||||||||||
| 103 | 2 | "The Earthquake Is Coming" | Science | 60 minutes | February 3, 1987 | 502 | ||||||
|
A look at the wide-ranging effects that could occur if and when a devastating earthquake strikes California. | ||||||||||||
| 104 105 | 3 4 | "Stopping Drugs" | Health | 60 minutes | February 10, 1987 February 17, 1987 | 503 504 | ||||||
|
A two-part examination of America's War on Drugs. Part 1 looks at the effectiveness of drug treatment programs and addicts' struggles. Part 2 looks into the effectiveness of anti-drug efforts in schools. | ||||||||||||
| 106 | 5 | "The Nazi Connection" | Science, foreign affairs | 60 minutes | February 24, 1987 | 505 | ||||||
|
An examination of Operation Paperclip, in which the US Government brought scientists, engineers, and technicians from Nazi Germany after World War II for government projects, and whether some of their connections to the Nazi government were "sanitized." | ||||||||||||
| 107 | 6 | "Desperately Seeking Baby" | Family/children | 60 minutes | March 3, 1987 | 506 | ||||||
|
A look into the practice of childless couples turning to private adoption deals brokered by lawyers and counselors, and the ambiguity and heartbreak that can result. | ||||||||||||
| 108 | 7 | "Street Cop" | Criminal justice | 60 minutes | March 31, 1987 | 507 | ||||||
|
A look at street cops in one of Boston's busiest and most violent police districts. | ||||||||||||
| 109 | 8 | "The Secret File" | National security | 60 minutes | April 14, 1987 | 508 | ||||||
|
The story of Penn Kimball and his efforts to clear his name after the US Government had branded him a national security risk. | ||||||||||||
| 110 | 9 | "War on Nicaragua" | Foreign affairs | 60 minutes | April 21, 1987 | 509 | ||||||
|
William Greider looks into how the US Government began and continues its support of Contra rebels in Nicaragua. | ||||||||||||
| 111 | 10 | "The Bombing of West Philly" | Law enforcement, race | 60 minutes | May 5, 1987 | 510 | ||||||
|
A look into tensions between Philadelphia's police and the black liberation group MOVE, which led to a May 1985 standoff that ended with police bombing MOVE's compound. | ||||||||||||
| 112 | 11 | "In Search of the Marcos Millions" | Financial | 60 minutes | May 26, 1987 | 511 | ||||||
|
An investigation into where Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos hid millions of dollars after the former Philippine first couple left in exile in 1986. | ||||||||||||
| 113 | 12 | "Israel: The Price of Victory" | Middle East | 60 minutes | June 2, 1987 | 512 | ||||||
|
A look into Israel's struggles with image and democracy on the 20th anniversary of the Six-Day War. | ||||||||||||
| 114 | 13 | "Death of a Porn Queen" | Biographies | 60 minutes | June 9, 1987 | 513 | ||||||
|
Al Austin examines the life and suicide of a young girl involved in the porn industry. | ||||||||||||
| 115 | 14 | "Keeping the Faith" | Religion, race | 60 minutes | June 16, 1987 | 514 | ||||||
|
Roger Wilkins looks at the evolution of the Black church in a time of a growing Black middle class. | ||||||||||||
| 116 | 15 | "The Politics of Greed" | Politics | 60 minutes | June 23, 1987 | 515 | ||||||
|
A look at the effects of corruption on a city government's day-to-day operations. | ||||||||||||
| Apartheid documentary | ||||||||||||
| 117 | 16 | "Apartheid Part 1: 1652–1948" | History, race/multicultural | 60 minutes | December 14, 1987 | 516 | ||||||
|
A look at the precursors to apartheid in South Africa, from colonial times to the rise of the ANC, Afrikaner nationalism, and practices of white favoritism by governments. | ||||||||||||
| 118 | 17 | "Apartheid Part 2: 1948–1963" | History, race/multicultural | 60 minutes | December 14, 1987 | 517 | ||||||
|
A white nationalist government implements strict segregational practices (racial classifications, separate-and-unequal schooling, forcible relocation of Blacks) and gives it the name "apartheid" — but not without facing a Nelson Mandela-led resistance. | ||||||||||||
| 119 | 18 | "Apartheid Part 3: 1963–1977" | History, race/multicultural | 60 minutes | December 15, 1987 | 518 | ||||||
|
A look at the South African government's establishment of rural bantustans and the rise of Back resistance to homeland policy, which culminates in the 1976 Soweto uprising. | ||||||||||||
| 120 | 19 | "Apartheid Part 4: 1978–1986" | History, race/multicultural | 60 minutes | December 15, 1987 | 519 | ||||||
|
Prime minister P. W. Botha implements reforms to maintain white supremacy in South Africa, moves that provoked negative reactions from Afrikaners and Blacks alike. | ||||||||||||
| 121 | 20 | "Apartheid Part 5: 1987" | Race/multicultural | 60 minutes | December 16, 1987 | 520 | ||||||
Season 6 (1987-88)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Topic(s) | Running time | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 122 | 1 | "Praise the Lord" | Financial, religion | 60 minutes | January 26, 1988 | 601 |
|
The rise and fall of Jim & Tammy Bakker and why government agencies failed to investigate claims of corruption within their evangelical empire. | ||||||
| 123 | 2 | "Operation Urgent Fury" | Foreign affairs | 60 minutes | February 2, 1988 | 602 |
|
Seymour Hersh investigates the US Military's October 1983 invasion of Grenada, the military shortcomings it laid bare, and whether it jeopardized the lives of the American college students it was meant to protect. | ||||||
| 124 | 3 | "The Man Who Shot John Lennon" | Biographies | 60 minutes | February 9, 1988 | 603 |
|
A portrait of Mark David Chapman and his motivations for murdering John Lennon in 1980. | ||||||
| 125 | 4 | "Your Flight Is Cancelled" | Transportation | 60 minutes | February 16, 1988 | 604 |
|
A look at the difficulties facing the air traffic system, which have included an environment of delays, cancellations, and near-collisions post-deregulation. | ||||||
| 126 | 5 | "Shakedown in Santa Fe" | Law enforcement | 60 minutes | February 23, 1988 | 605 |
|
A profile of life in the Penitentiary of New Mexico, site of one of the most violent prisoner uprisings in US history in 1980. | ||||||
| 127 | 6 | "Let My Daughter Die" | Health | 60 minutes | March 1, 1988 | 606 |
|
The complex legal and moral issues surrounding the case of Nancy Cruzan, the subject of what would become the Supreme Court's first right to die case. | ||||||
| 128 | 7 | "Back in the USSR" | Culture | 60 minutes | March 29, 1988 | 607 |
| 129 | 8 | "Poison and the Pentagon" | Military, health | 60 minutes | April 5, 1988 | 608 |
|
Joe Rosenbloom looks into the Defense Department's poor record of cleaning up the ground water pollution it has caused. | ||||||
| 130 | 9 | To a Safer Place | Family/children | 60 minutes | April 12, 1988 | 609 |
|
Sexually abused by her father from infancy until running away at 14, Shirley Turcotte returns to her Winnipeg hometown to face the adults who failed to protect her, the siblings who were also abused, and the horrific childhood she seeks to make peace with. | ||||||
| 131 | 10 | "Murder on the Río San Juan" | Terror, Central America | 60 minutes | April 19, 1988 | 610 |
|
A look at the motives and possible conspirators in a 1984 bombing that targeted Nicaraguan contra leader Edén Pastora. | ||||||
| 132 | 11 | "American Game, Japanese Rules" | Culture | 60 minutes | April 26, 1988 | 611 |
|
Intimate profiles of Americans living and working in Japan and trying to adjust to the country's culture. | ||||||
| 133 | 12 | "Racism 101" | Social issues | 60 minutes | May 10, 1988 | 612 |
|
An examination into the increase in racial incidents and violence on America's college campuses. | ||||||
| 134 | 13 | "Guns, Drugs, and the CIA" | Foreign affairs | 60 minutes | May 17, 1988 | 613 |
|
A look into the CIA's long history of involvement with drug smugglers in trouble spots around the world, all in the name of national security. | ||||||
| 135 | 14 | "The Defense of Europe" | Foreign affairs | 60 minutes | May 24, 1988 | 614 |
| 136 | 15 | "Trouble in Paradise" | Foreign affairs | 60 minutes | May 31, 1988 | 615 |
|
How attempts by the US Government to forge a military pact with Palau has affected the Pacific Ocean country of just 15,000 people. | ||||||
| 137 | 16 | "Who Pays for AIDS?" | Health | 60 minutes | June 7, 1988 | 616 |
|
How the battle between local governments and Washington over who will cover the cost of the AIDS crisis has impacted patients and communities. | ||||||
| 138 | 17 | "Our Forgotten War" | Foreign affairs | 60 minutes | June 14, 1988 | 617 |
|
A fresh look at the civil war in El Salvador and how it is affecting the US Government's involvement in the conflict. | ||||||
| 139 | 18 | "Indian Country" | Social issues | 60 minutes | June 21, 1988 | 618 |
|
Mark Trahant looks at how the business and treaty success of the Quinault Indian Nation is countered by issues of poverty and unemployment among its people. | ||||||
| 140 | 19 | "My Husband is Going to Kill Me" | Social issues | 60 minutes | June 28, 1988 | 619 |
|
How the justice system in Colorado failed to protect Pamela Guenther from her violent husband, who murdered her in front of their children in February 1987. | ||||||
Season 7 (1988–89)
Frontline's 7th season was Judy Woodruff's last as on-air host.
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Topic(s) | Running time | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 141 | 1 | "The Politics of Prosperity" | Economics | 60 minutes | October 10, 1988 | 700A |
|
In the last weeks of the 1988 presidential campaign, correspondent William Greider explores the private but increasingly intense debate about what the next president should do to avoid economic disaster, how and when should he do it, and who will be asked to bear the burden. Frontline focuses on four communities that have not shared in the prosperity of the Reagan years. | ||||||
| 142 | 2 | "The Choice" | Biographies | 100 minutes | October 24, 1988 | 700B |
|
In Frontline's first quadrennial profile of the presidential candidates, Garry Wills offers backgrounds of and thoughts from people who know candidates George Bush and Michael Dukakis. (A Frontline collaboration with TIME) | ||||||
| 143 | 3 | "The Real Life of Ronald Reagan" | Biographies | 90 minutes | January 18, 1989 | 701 |
|
A profile of Ronald Reagan on the eve of his departure from the US presidency. | ||||||
| 144 | 4 | "The Spy Who Broke the Code" | National security | 60 minutes | January 24, 1989 | 702 |
|
An assessment of the damage to US national security from John Anthony Walker's spying for the Soviet Union. | ||||||
| 145 | 5 | "The Battle for Eastern Airlines" | Transportation | 60 minutes | January 31, 1989 | 703 |
|
Robert Kuttner looks at the management and labor struggles plaguing Eastern Air Lines. | ||||||
| 146 | 6 | "Running with Jesse" | Politics | 60 minutes | February 7, 1989 | 704 |
|
A look at the 1988 presidential run of Jesse Jackson. | ||||||
| 147 | 7 | "Children of the Night" | Social issues | 60 minutes | February 14, 1989 | 705 |
|
The problem of teenage runaways and suicides as seen through the case of Iain Brown, who left home at 13 for the life of a male hustler in San Francisco. | ||||||
| 148 | 8 | "Who Profits from Drugs" | War on drugs | 60 minutes | February 21, 1989 | 706 |
|
How the American economy uses the profits from the illegal drug trade. | ||||||
| 149 | 9 | "Prescriptions for Profit" | Health, business | 60 minutes | March 28, 1989 | 707 |
|
The practice of pharmaceutical manufacturers marketing and influencing doctors to prescribe medications. | ||||||
| 150 | 10 | "The Dallas Drug War" | War on drugs | 60 minutes | April 4, 1989 | 708 |
|
Bob Ray Sanders explores how one Dallas neighborhood is struggling to combat the drugs and violence plaguing its community. | ||||||
| 151 | 11 | "Murder in the Amazon" | Environment | 60 minutes | April 11, 1989 | 709 |
|
The life of Brazilian trade union leader and environmentalist Chico Mendes, and how his December 1988 murder put a focus on the ecological pillage of the Amazon rainforest. | ||||||
| 152 | 12 | "The Shakespeare Mystery" | Biographies | 60 minutes | April 18, 1989 | 710 |
|
A look at a controversial literary theory: Whether Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, was the real William Shakespeare. | ||||||
| 153 | 13 | "Extraordinary People" | Health | 60 minutes | May 2, 1989 | 711 |
|
Judy Woodruff profiles three Canadian children who had malformations caused by their mothers' use of thalidomide during pregnancy. | ||||||
| 154 | 14 | "Yellowstone Under Fire" | Environment | 60 minutes | May 9, 1989 | 712 |
|
How accelerated natural resource development during the Reagan Administration affected Yellowstone National Park. | ||||||
| 155 | 15 | "Israel: The Covert Connection" | Foreign affairs | 60 minutes | May 16, 1989 | 713 |
|
The history of the US government's defense and intelligence alliances with Israel from the 1950s to the present. | ||||||
| 156 | 16 | "Remember My Lai" | Defense | 60 minutes | May 23, 1989 | 714 |
|
A look at the My Lai Massacre from the surviving US soldiers and Vietnamese citizens who survived. | ||||||
| 157 | 17 | "Babies at Risk" | Health | 60 minutes | May 23, 1989 | 715 |
|
How political and bureaucratic neglect fueled the high rate of infant mortality in some Chicago neighborhoods. | ||||||
| 158 | 18 | "Death of a Terrorist" | Biographies | 60 minutes | June 13, 1989 | 716 |
|
The life and death of Irish Republican Army terrorist Mairead Farrell and how the British government deals with political terrorism. | ||||||
| 159 | 19 | "Who's Killing Calvert City?" | Environment | 60 minutes | June 20, 1989 | 717 |
|
A look at the struggles of Calvert City, Kentucky, a town plagued by pollution and toxic waste generated by the chemical plants that drive its economy. | ||||||
Season 8 (1989–1990)
Beginning with Season 8, Frontline would eschew from using a regular on-air host, using an off-screen narrator to introduce each episode.
As part of its 8th season, Frontline aired the 4-part documentary Decade of Destruction. Produced by Adrian Cowell, the series spotlighted the destruction of Brazil's Amazon rainforest, regarded as one of Earth's "last great frontier[s]," during the decade of the 1980s.[7]
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Topic(s) | Running time | Original air date | Prod. code | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 160 | 1 | "Tracking the Pan Am Bombers" | Terrorism | 60 minutes | November 28, 1989 | 800 | ||||||
|
A look into the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing in December 1988, including those suspected to have been responsible and whether unheeded warnings and blunders by German police may have contributed to the tragedy. | ||||||||||||
| 161 | 2 | "The Right to Die?" | Social issues | 120 minutes | December 13, 1989 | 801 | ||||||
|
An expanded examination into the subject of Season 6's "Let My Daughter Die," delving into the broad issues surrounding a right to die case argued before the US Supreme Court one week before this broadcast. (A collaboration of Frontline and Fred Friendly's Media & Society Series) | ||||||||||||
| 162 | 3 | "The Bombing of Pan Am 103" | Terrorism | 60 minutes | January 23, 1990 | 802 | ||||||
|
The efforts of those who lost loved ones in the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing to seek justice, improve air security, and improve government efforts to respond to terrorists and their supporters. | ||||||||||||
| 163 | 4 | "The Noriega Connection" | Foreign affairs | 60 minutes | January 30, 1990 | 803 | ||||||
|
The rise and fall of Manuel Noriega and the US' relationship with the Panamanian general they ousted from power in December 1989. | ||||||||||||
| 164 | 5 | "Miss USSR" | Culture | 60 minutes | February 6, 1990 | 804 | ||||||
|
A behind-the-scenes look at the Soviet Union's first beauty pageant and the broader struggles facing women in the communist country. | ||||||||||||
| 165 | 6 | "Throwaway People" | Race | 60 minutes | February 13, 1990 | 805 | ||||||
|
Roger Wilkins investigates the economic and social roots of the African American underclass, focusing on the struggles of young Black men in one Washington, DC neighborhood. | ||||||||||||
| 166 | 7 | "The Faces of Arafat" | Biographies | 60 minutes | February 27, 1990 | 806 | ||||||
|
Marie Colvin profiles Yasser Arafat and the PLO leader's newfound commitment to reject terrorism and accept Israel's right to exist. | ||||||||||||
| 167 | 8 | "Anatomy of an Oil Spill" | Environment | 60 minutes | March 20, 1990 | 807 | ||||||
|
How complacency and negligence by government agencies and oil companies helped lead to the Exxon Valdez oil spill. | ||||||||||||
| 168 | 9 | "Poland: The Morning After" | Economics | 60 minutes | March 27, 1990 | 808 | ||||||
|
A look at Poland's change from communism to capitalism in the months following the once-banned Solidarity trade union's rise to government. | ||||||||||||
| 169 | 10 | "Born in Africa" | Economics | 90 minutes | April 3, 1990 | 809 | ||||||
|
Peter Jennings narrates the story of Philly Bongoley Lutaaya and how he inspired his fellow Ugandans to fight the spread of AIDS before his death from the disease. | ||||||||||||
| 170 | 11 | "New Harvest, Old Shame" | Social issues | 60 minutes | April 17, 1990 | 810 | ||||||
|
Thirty years after Edward R. Murrow's Harvest of Shame documentary, David Marash looks at the continuing plight of migrant farm workers and the forces that keep their lives so desperate. | ||||||||||||
| 171 | 12 | "Hilary in Hiding" | Family/children | 60 minutes | April 24, 1990 | 811 | ||||||
|
A look at the case of Elizabeth Morgan, who served a 25-month jail term for civil contempt after refusing to divulge the whereabouts of her daughter, Hilary, who Morgan suspected had been sexually assaulted by Hilary's father. | ||||||||||||
| 172 | 13 | "Other People's Money" | Finance | 60 minutes | May 1, 1990 | 812 | ||||||
|
A look at the savings and loan crisis and the role of politics in the failure of Lincoln Savings and Loan Association. | ||||||||||||
| 173 | 14 | "Plunder!" | Criminal justice | 60 minutes | May 8, 1990 | 813 | ||||||
|
Carl Nagin looks into how ancient artifacts looted from pre-Columbian tombs in Latin America wound up in auction houses, galleries, museums, and private collections in the United States. | ||||||||||||
| 174 | 15 | "Seven Days in Bensonhurst" | Race | 60 minutes | May 15, 1990 | 814 | ||||||
|
Shelby Steele examines the dynamics of racial politics surrounding the 1989 murder of Yusef Hawkins by white youths in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. | ||||||||||||
| 175 | 16 | "Inside the Cartel" | War on drugs | 60 minutes | May 22, 1990 | 815 | ||||||
| 176 | 17 | "Teacher, Teacher" | Education | 60 minutes | June 12, 1990 | 816 | ||||||
|
The hopes and frustrations of public school teachers in one Midwestern town as they face the threat of funding cutbacks, the criticism of parents, and a growing number of troubled children from troubled homes. | ||||||||||||
| 177 | 18 | ""The Arming of Iraq: Frontline Special"" | Middle East | 60 minutes | September 11, 1990 | 817 | ||||||
|
Hodding Carter investigates the complicity of US and European governments & corporations in creating Saddam Hussein's military machine in Iraq. | ||||||||||||
| Decade of Destruction documentary | ||||||||||||
| 178 | 19 | ""Decade of Destruction Part 1: Ashes of Forest"" | Environment | 120 minutes | September 18, 1990 | 818 | ||||||
|
The series begins with the expansion of peasants into the Amazon, their slashing and burning of the forest land, and the natives' retaliatory actions against one settler's family. | ||||||||||||
| 179 | 20 | ""Decade of Destruction Part 2: Killing for Land"" | Environment | 60 minutes | September 19, 1990 | 819 | ||||||
|
Lawless battles break out between corporate owners of Amazon farmland (who want the land left idle for speculation) and the migrant peasants who farm the plots. | ||||||||||||
| 180 | 21 | ""Decade of Destruction Part 3: Mountains of Gold"" | Environment | 60 minutes | September 20, 1990 | 820 | ||||||
|
Prospectors illegally swarm over private gold reserves in the Amazon, with the government fighting to protect the untapped reserves. | ||||||||||||
| 181 | 22 | ""Decade of Destruction Part 4: Chico Mendes"" | Environment | 60 minutes | September 21, 1990 | 821 | ||||||
|
The rise of Chico Mendes, his unionization of rubber tappers, and his fight to halt the rainforest's devastation and create protective areas. | ||||||||||||
| Special | ||||||||||||
| 182 | 23 | "Global Dumping Ground: Frontline Special"" | Environment | 60 minutes | October 2, 1990 | 822 | ||||||
|
Bill Moyers investigates the big business of shipping of toxic waste from the US to third-world countries. | ||||||||||||
Season 9 (1990–91)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Topic(s) | Running time | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 183 | 1 | "When Cops Go Bad" | Criminal justice | 60 minutes | October 16, 1990 | 901 |
|
How the corrupting influence of drug money is affecting police forces in California, Florida, and New Jersey. | ||||||
| 184 | 2 | "The Hunt for Howard Marks" | Biographies | 60 minutes | October 23, 1990 | 902 |
| 185 | 3 | "Broken Minds" | Health | 60 minutes | October 30, 1990 | 903 |
|
A look the science and societal struggles behind schizophrenia, a disease that affects millions of Americans. | ||||||
| 186 | 4 | "Betting on the Lottery" | Social issues | 60 minutes | November 6, 1990 | 904 |
|
James Reston Jr. looks at the growing popularity of state lotteries in the US. | ||||||
| 187 | 5 | "Springfield Goes to War" | Military | 60 minutes | November 20, 1990 | 905 |
|
Bill Moyers holds a town meeting with residents of Springfield, Massachusetts grappling with the growing buildup of the Gulf War. | ||||||
| 188 | 6 | "High Crimes and Misdemeanors" | Foreign affairs | 60 minutes | November 27, 1990 | 906 |
|
Four years after the story broke, Bill Moyers takes a full-view look at the Iran–Contra affair. | ||||||
| 189 | 7 | "The Struggle for South Africa" | Race/multicultural | 90 minutes | December 11, 1990 | 907 |
|
David Dimbleby examines how fractures between and within Afrikaner and Black groups threatens to disrupt negotiations for a new South Africa. | ||||||
| 190 | 8 | "The Spirit of Crazy Horse" | Race/multicultural | 60 minutes | December 18, 1990 | 908 |
|
One century after the Wounded Knee Massacre, Milo Yellow Hair recalls the story of his fellow Sioux people, from loss of land to invading whites through the present-day revival of Sioux cultural pride. | ||||||
| 191 | 9 | "To the Brink of War" | Foreign affairs | 60 minutes | January 15, 1991 | 909 |
|
On the day a UN resolution for Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait reaches its deadline, Hodding Carter examines US government decisions that brought the nation to the brink of war. | ||||||
| 192 | 10 | "Cuba and Cocaine" | War on drugs | 60 minutes | February 5, 1991 | 910 |
|
A revelation into how drug smuggling became Cuban state policy. | ||||||
| 193 | 11 | "The Man Who Made the Supergun" | Biographies | 60 minutes | February 12, 1991 | 911 |
|
A profile of Gerald Bull, a designer of long-range artillery, and the questions surrounding his 1990 assassination. | ||||||
| 194 | 12 | "Guns, Tanks, and Gorbachev" | Foreign affairs | 60 minutes | February 19, 1991 | 912 |
|
Hedrick Smith looks at recent violent occurrences in the Soviet Union and the ramifications in US/USSR relations. | ||||||
| 195 | 13 | "The Mind of Hussein" | Biographies | 60 minutes | February 26, 1991 | 913 |
|
The personal and political history of Saddam Hussein. | ||||||
| 196 | 14 | "Black America's War" | Gulf War | 60 minutes | April 2, 1991 | 914 |
|
Harvard law professor Charles Ogletree leads a town meeting exploring the attitudes of Black Americans toward the Gulf War, a conflict in which nearly 30% of US soldiers were African American. | ||||||
| 197 | 15 | "War and Peace in Panama" | Foreign affairs | 60 minutes | April 9, 1991 | 915 |
|
A look at the 1989 ousting of Manuel Noriega by US forces and its lingering impact. | ||||||
| 198 | 16 | "The Election Held Hostage" | Foreign affairs | 60 minutes | April 16, 1991 | 916 |
|
Robert Parry investigates how the Carter and Reagan camps possibly sought deals to end the Iran hostage crisis during the 1980 presidential campaign. | ||||||
| 199 | 17 | "Who Pays for Mom and Dad?" | Family/Children | 60 minutes | April 30, 1991 | 917 |
|
A look at the financial difficulties families face in seeking long-term care for elderly parents. | ||||||
| 200 | 18 | "Innocence Lost" | Family/Children | 120 minutes | May 7, 1991 | 918 |
|
How an investigation into sexual abuse accusations at a daycare center divided the town of Edenton, North Carolina. | ||||||
| 201 | 19 | "The Spy Hunter" | Biographies | 60 minutes | May 14, 1991 | 919 |
|
A look at James Angleton, ex-chief of counter-intelligence for the CIA, and his misguided pursuit of an agency mole. | ||||||
| 202 | 20 | "To the Last Fish" | Environment | 60 minutes | May 21, 1991 | 920 |
|
How new technologies in the fishing industry are putting the world's fisheries into a dangerous state of decline. | ||||||
| 203 | 21 | "The Color of Your Skin" | Race/Multicultural | 60 minutes | June 11, 1991 | 921 |
|
A look at a program at the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute where students of all races confront each other with their racial anger and frustration. | ||||||
| 204 | 22 | "The Gates Nomination" | Foreign affairs | 30 minutes | July 15, 1991 | 922 |
Season 10 (1991–92)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Topic(s) | Running time | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 205 | 1 | "In the Shadow of Sakharov" | Biographies | 90 minutes | October 15, 1991 | 1001 |
|
The story of Andrei Sakharov, the nuclear physicist turned human-rights advocate who became the father of the Soviet democracy movement. | ||||||
| 206 | 2 | "The Great American Bailout" | Financial | 60 minutes | October 22, 1991 | 1002 |
|
Robert Krulwich investigates the rising cost of the Savings and loan crisis (A co-production with the Center for Investigative Reporting) | ||||||
| 207 | 3 | "The War We Left Behind" | Gulf War | 60 minutes | October 29, 1991 | 1003 |
|
How the air war against Iraq led to a "slow-motion disaster" affecting the country's post-war utility infrastructure. | ||||||
| 208 | 4 | "Don King, Unauthorized" | Biographies | 60 minutes | November 5, 1991 | 1004 |
|
Jack Newfield explores the life and career of boxing promoter Don King. | ||||||
| 209 | 5 | "My Doctor, My Lover" | Criminal justice | 90 minutes | November 12, 1991 | 1005 |
|
An investigation into the scandal surrounding a Colorado psychiatrist who had an affair with one of his patients, who ended up suing him for sexual abuse. | ||||||
| 210 | 6 | "Losing the War with Japan" | Business | 90 minutes | November 19, 1991 | 1006 |
|
A look at the challenge Japanese-style capitalism poses to the US market, followed by a Robert Krulwich-led discussion into the issue. | ||||||
| 211 | 7 | "The Secret Story of Terry Waite" | Foreign affairs | 60 minutes | November 26, 1991 | 1007 |
|
Gavin Hewitt investigates the charge that Oliver North used Terry Waite, a Church of England envoy and recently released Lebanon hostage, to cover up the Iran–Contra affair (A co-production with BBC News) | ||||||
| 212 | 8 | "Who Killed Adam Mann?" | Family/Children | 60 minutes | December 3, 1991 | 1008 |
|
How New York City's child welfare service failed to protect four children from their abusive parents, who were sent to prison for the beating death of one of the children. | ||||||
| 213 | 9 | "The Resurrection of Reverend Moon" | Biographies | 60 minutes | January 21, 1992 | 1009 |
|
A profile of Reverend Sun Myung Moon, who after reemerging from a prison sentence for conspiracy and false tax returns, has become a notable figure in conservative-leaning politics, media, and causes. | ||||||
| 214 | 10 | "The Last Communist" | Biographies | 60 minutes | February 11, 1992 | 1010 |
|
A look at Cuban leader Fidel Castro from his days as a revolutionary to his defiant leadership in present day. | ||||||
| 215 | 11 | "Coming From Japan" | Business/Economy/Financial | 60 minutes | February 18, 1992 | 1011 |
|
Shuichi Kato narrates over a controversial 30-year history between Matsushita Electric Company and the U.S. and explores the issues that confronts Japan in its economic expansion. | ||||||
| 216 | 12 | "After Gorbachev's USSR" | Culture | 60 minutes | February 25, 1992 | 1012 |
|
Hedrick Smith follows up on his 1990 series Inside Gorbachev's USSR by reviewing how post-Soviet Russia is handling newfound freedoms while dealing with financial struggles. | ||||||
| 217 | 13 | "Who Is David Duke?" | Biographies | 60 minutes | March 3, 1992 | 1013 |
|
Hodding Carter investigates the life of David Duke, his background in extremist ideology, and the reshaping of his image into a national political figure. | ||||||
| 218 | 14 | "The Death of Nancy Cruzan" | Health | 90 minutes | March 24, 1992 | 1014 |
|
The legal battle by the family of Nancy Cruzan, who was left in a persistent vegetative state after a 1983 auto accident and was the subject of the first right-to-die case heard by the U.S. Supreme Court. | ||||||
| 219 | 15 | "Saddam's Killing Fields" | Middle East | 60 minutes | March 31, 1992 | 1015 |
|
Kanan Makiya secretly returns to Iraq to investigate rumors of an official extermination program aimed at the Kurdish people. | ||||||
| 220 | 16 | "Investigating the October Surprise" | Foreign affairs, politics | 60 minutes | April 7, 1992 | 1016 |
|
In this follow-up to Season 9's "The Election Held Hostage," Robert Parry investigates whether Ronald Reagan's campaign manager could have met with Iranian officials in the summer of 1980 regarding a possible end to the hostage crisis. | ||||||
| 221 | 17 | "The Betrayal of Democracy" | Politics | 120 minutes | April 15, 1992 | 1017 |
|
William Greider examines the widening divide between those in government and the citizens they serve and represent, and how the press and the political parties are failing the public. | ||||||
| 222 | 18 | "The Bank of Crooks and Criminals" | Finance, criminal justice | 60 minutes | April 21, 1992 | 1018 |
|
How the Bank of Credit and Commerce International became a conduit for laundering money from criminal activities, and how it managed to elude regulatory review by US officials. | ||||||
| 223 | 19 | "Who Cares About Children?" | Family/Children | 60 minutes | April 28, 1992 | 1019 |
|
A look at Arkansas' child welfare crisis, the struggle to reform the state's system, and whether governor (and presidential candidate) Bill Clinton avoided any effort toward systemic improvements.[8] | ||||||
| 224 | 20 | "China After Tiananmen" | China | 90 minutes | June 2, 1992 | 1020 |
|
How China is embracing economic reforms and open society even as a firm hold on political dissent remains in place three years after pro-democracy protests were brutally silenced. | ||||||
| 225 | 21 | "Dear Frontline" | Viewer interaction, follow-up reports | 30 minutes | June 2, 1992 | 1021 |
|
A presentation of viewer responses to and updates on some of Frontline's reportage. | ||||||
| 226 | 22 | "A Kid Kills" | Criminal justice; social issues | 60 minutes | June 16, 1992 | 1022 |
|
A look at the case of Damien Bynoe, a 15-year-old charged in the shooting deaths of two Boston youngsters; the Boston gang culture; and the passage of juvenile crime laws in Massachusetts. | ||||||
| 227 | 23 | "Your Loan Is Denied" | Finance | 60 minutes | June 23, 1992 | 1023 |
|
The effects of discriminatory mortgage-lending practices by American financial institutions. (A co-production with the Center for Investigative Reporting) | ||||||
Season 11 (1992–93)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Topic(s) | Running time | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 228 | 1 | "Thomas and Hill: Public Hearing, Private Pain" | Race/Multicultural | 60 minutes | October 13, 1992 | 1101 |
|
How the bitter issues surrounding Clarence Thomas's Supreme Court confirmation hearing affected Black America, and how Blacks and whites had little common understanding about the nomination battle. | ||||||
| 229 | 2 | "The Politics of Power" | Energy | 60 minutes | October 20, 1992 | 1102 |
|
Nick Kotz looks at the issues plaguing America's energy policy and how it remains guided by special interests and dependent on foreign oil. (A co-production with the Center for Investigative Reporting) | ||||||
| 230 | 3 | "The Choice 1992" | Biographies | 120 minutes | October 21, 1992 | 1103 |
| 231 | 4 | "The Best Campaign Money Can Buy" | Politics | 60 minutes | October 27, 1992 | 1104 |
|
Robert Krulwich looks into the money givers funding the 1992 presidential campaigns and the access and influence they gain as a result. (A co-production with the Center for Investigative Reporting) | ||||||
| 232 | 5 | "Monsters Among Us" | Criminal justice | 60 minutes | November 10, 1992 | 1105 |
|
Al Austin examines the sexual assault epidemic and Washington's decision to keep offenders locked up until they are no longer considered a danger to the public. | ||||||
| 233 | 6 | "JFK, Hoffa and the Mob" | Criminal justice | 60 minutes | November 17, 1992 | 1106 |
|
A look at Frank Ragano's allegations of mob involvement in the deaths of John F. Kennedy and Jimmy Hoffa and in the CIA's plots to kill Fidel Castro. | ||||||
| 234 | 7 | "In Search of Our Fathers" | Family/children | 60 minutes | November 24, 1992 | 1107 |
|
Marco Williams explores his family's past to discover the circumstances surrounding his absent father. | ||||||
| 235 | 8 | "Clinton Takes Over" | Government | 60 minutes | January 19, 1993 | 1108 |
|
On the eve of Bill Clinton's inauguration, Hodding Carter offers an inside view of the new president's administration and the policies it will form. | ||||||
| 236 | 9 | "Journey to the Occupied Lands" | Middle East | 90 minutes | January 26, 1993 | 1109 |
|
Michael Ambrosino explores life in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip and the territories' role in Arab-Israeli peace talks. | ||||||
| 237 | 10 | "What Happened to the Drug War?" | War on Drugs | 60 minutes | February 2, 1993 | 1110 |
|
How flaws in the US Government's anti-drug defenses have allowed smugglers in Texas to gain the upper hand. | ||||||
| 238 | 11 | "The Secret File on J. Edgar Hoover" | Criminal Justice | 60 minutes | February 9, 1993 | 1111 |
|
J. Edgar Hoover amassed secret files on prominent Americans during his time as FBI Director, but his own private life left him open to blackmail, which may have led to the mafia going unchecked by the Bureau for decades. | ||||||
| 239 | 12 | "The Arming of Saudi Arabia" | Middle East | 60 minutes | February 16, 1993 | 1112 |
|
A look into U.S. efforts to strengthen Saudi Arabia's military defenses. | ||||||
| 240 | 13 | "Apartheid's Last Stand" | Racial segregation | 60 minutes | March 2, 1993 | 1113 |
|
A look into the progresses gained and compromises made in negotiations to peacefully end Apartheid rule in South Africa. | ||||||
| 241 | 14 | "Choosing Death: Health Quarterly Special" | Health | 120 minutes | March 23, 1993 | 1114 |
|
Roger Mudd anchors a look into the complexities and dilemmas of euthanasia, including issues about the practice in the Netherlands and an in-studio discussion about the euthanasia debate in the U.S. (A co-production of Frontline and Health Quarterly) | ||||||
| 242 | 15 | "In Our Children's Food" | Health | 60 minutes | March 30, 1993 | 1115 |
|
Bill Moyers reports on U.S. Government failures to certify the safety of agricultural chemicals and why the pesticide industry is the only source of safety data. | ||||||
| 243 | 16 | "The Trouble with Baseball" | Sports | 60 minutes | April 6, 1993 | 1116 |
|
How the economic power struggle between Major League Baseball's owners and players is putting the sport on the brink of disaster. | ||||||
| 244 | 17 | Iran and the Bomb | Middle East | 60 minutes | April 13, 1993 | 1117 |
|
How Iran is quietly building an arsenal of biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons. | ||||||
| 245 | 18 | "L.A. Is Burning: 5 Reports from a Divided City" | Social issues | 90 minutes | April 27, 1993 | 1118 |
|
A look at Los Angeles, one year after the riots, through the eyes of five people who have thought and written about the city from the perspectives of its different communities, races, and classes. | ||||||
| 246 | 19 | "Ashes of the Cold War" | Economics | 60 minutes | May 4, 1993 | 1119 |
|
How post-Cold War cutbacks in military spending have affected the industries and people whose livelihood was invested in the military-industrial complex. | ||||||
| 247 | 20 | "The Health Care Gamble" | Health | 60 minutes | May 25, 1993 | 1120 |
|
A look at President Bill Clinton's efforts to transform health care reform from a campaign issue to a social reality. (Produced in association with The Health Quarterly) | ||||||
| 248 249 | 21 22 | "Innocence Lost: The Verdict (Parts I-IV)" | Family/Children, criminal justice | 60 minutes | July 20, 1993 (Parts I & II; 60 minutes each) July 21, 1993 (Parts III & IV; 60 minutes each) | 1121 1122 |
|
A follow-up to 1991's Innocence Lost details the Little Rascals day care sexual abuse trial (at which owner Bob Kelly was convicted and sentenced to 12 consecutive life terms) and the lingering issues of dealing with child sexual abuse cases. Parts I & II use previously aired and unaired footage to track the earliest days of the case. Parts III & IV explores testimony of the victims and actions by prosecutors, defense attorneys, and jurors. | ||||||
Season 12 (1993–94)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Topic(s) | Running time | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 250 | 1 | "The Heartbeat of America" | Industry | 90 minutes | October 12, 1993 | 1201 |
|
How General Motors went from being the undisputed top carmaker in America to suffering the biggest financial loss in U.S. corporate history. A co-production with the Center for Investigative Reporting) | ||||||
| 251 | 2 | "Prisoners of Silence" | Health | 60 minutes | October 19, 1993 | 1202 |
|
A look at the controversial practice of facilitated communication to assist those with autism who cannot verbally communicate. | ||||||
| 252 | 3 | "Secrets of a Bomb Factory" | Military | 60 minutes | October 26, 1993 | 1203 |
|
Why a federal grand jury investigating potential crimes at Colorado's Rocky Flats nuclear weapons plant went public with what they learned while hearing secret testimony in the case. (A co-production with Oregon Public Broadcasting) | ||||||
| 253 | 4 | "Showdown in Haiti" | Foreign affairs | 60 minutes | November 9, 1993 | 1204 |
|
A look into the diplomatic confrontation between Haiti's military government and a Clinton Administration that wants to restore deposed Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide to power. | ||||||
| 254 | 5 | "Who Was Lee Harvey Oswald?" | Biographies | 180 minutes | November 16, 1993 | 1205 |
|
An investigative biography exploring the life of Lee Harvey Oswald and whether he was the man responsible for the Kennedy assassination. | ||||||
| 255 | 6 | "AIDS, Blood and Politics" | Health | 60 minutes | November 30, 1993 | 1206 |
|
How the FDA and American Red Cross failed to safeguard the nation's blood supply from the AIDS virus in the early 1980s, and why some of America's largest blood banks are still not in full compliance with federal regulations on blood safety. | ||||||
| 256 | 7 | "Behind the Badge" | Criminal justice | 60 minutes | December 14, 1993 | 1207 |
|
Jack Newfield looks at the effects of police brutality and corruption cases on police officers themselves, specifically the rank and file of the New York City Police Department. | ||||||
| 257 | 8 | "A Place for Madness" | Health; mental illness | 60 minutes | January 18, 1994 | 1208 |
|
The balance of protecting rights of the mentally ill with safeguarding society from those who are dangerous to themselves and to others. | ||||||
| 258 | 9 | "The Diamond Empire" | Business | 90 minutes | February 1, 1994 | 1209 |
|
How South Africa's Oppenheimer family helped fuel a cartel that cultivated the scarcity myth — and in turn inflated the monetary value — of the world's diamond supply. | ||||||
| 259 | 10 | "Tabloid Truth: The Michael Jackson Story" | Media | 60 minutes | February 15, 1994 | 1210 |
|
Richard Ben Cramer looks at "the tabloidization of American television" through its coverage of sexual abuse allegations against Michael Jackson. | ||||||
| 260 | 11 | "Red Flag Over Tibet" | Asia | 60 minutes | February 22, 1994 | 1211 |
|
Orville Schell chronicles the history and culture of Tibet and the issues surrounding its control by communist China. | ||||||
| 261 | 12 | "Sarajevo: The Living and the Dead" | Bosnian War | 60 minutes | March 1, 1994 | 1212 |
|
Radovan Tadic captures an intimate portrait of Sarajevans trying to live in the midst of a debilitating and depriving siege. | ||||||
| 262 | 13 | "In the Game" | Sports | 60 minutes | March 29, 1994 | 1213 |
|
A behind-the-scenes look at the Stanford Cardinal women's basketball team and its quest for a national championship. | ||||||
| 263 | 14 | "The Kevorkian File" | Biographies | 60 minutes | April 5, 1994 | 1214 |
|
A profile of Jack Kevorkian and the right to die issue he has come to personify. | ||||||
| 264 | 15 | "Mandela" | Biographies | 60 minutes | April 26, 1994 | 1215 |
|
A look at the rise to political prominence of Nelson Mandela and former wife Winnie Mandela on the eve of South Africa's first post-apartheid elections. | ||||||
| 265 | 16 | "The Struggle for Russia" | Russia | 120 minutes | May 3, 1994 | 1216 |
|
A look at the economic, political, and social turmoil plaguing Boris Yeltsin's leadership in Russia. | ||||||
| 266 | 17 | Romeo and Juliet in Sarajevo | Bosnian War | 90 minutes | May 10, 1994 | 1217 |
|
John Zaritsky's documentary of a young Bosnian couple — Serb Boško Brkić and Bosniak Admira Ismić — whose deaths by sniper fire, while trying to cross a bridge into Serb-held territory, led to one of the more widely seen images from the siege of Sarajevo. (A Frontline co-production with Germany's WDR and Canada's CBC and NFB) | ||||||
| 267 | 18 | "Public Lands, Private Profits" | Business | 60 minutes | May 24, 1994 | 1218 |
|
Robert Krulwich surveys the mining industry's practice of extracting millions of dollars in minerals and precious metals from public lands at no cost to them. (A co-production with the Center for Investigative Reporting) | ||||||
| 268 | 19 | "Go Back to Mexico!" | Immigration | 60 minutes | June 7, 1994 | 1219 |
|
William Langewiesche looks at how America can sustain an influx of immigrants, as well as its effects on economic, social, and political discourse. | ||||||
| 269 | 20 | "The Trouble with Evan" | Family/Children | 90 minutes | June 21, 1994 | 1220 |
|
Surveillance cameras record one family's difficulties in trying to reform their 11-year-old son's criminal behavior. | ||||||
Season 13 (1994–95)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Topic(s) | Running time | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 270 | 1 | "School Colors" | Education; social issues | 150 minuets | October 18, 1994 | 1301 |
|
The lingering issues of school segregation along racial and ethnic lines — even 4 decades after Brown v. Board of Education — as seen through California's Berkeley High School, whose student body is 38% white and 35% Black.[9] (Produced with the Center for Investigative Reporting) | ||||||
| 271 | 2 | "Is This Any Way to Run a Government?" | Government | 60 minutes | October 25, 1994 | 1302 |
|
How Congressional power has long stymied bureaucratic reform efforts within the United States Department of Agriculture. | ||||||
| 272 | 3 | "Hot Money" | Finance | 60 minutes | November 1, 1994 | 1303 |
|
How the practice of moving money to secret, low-regulated off-shore accounts has played a role in the crimes of money laundering, fraud, and tax evasion. | ||||||
| 273 | 4 | "How to Steal $500 Million" | Criminal Justice | 60 minutes | November 8, 1994 | 1304 |
|
The rapid rise and stunning fall of Phar-Mor, and how president/co-founder Michael "Mickey" Monus and other top executives were able to hide one of the largest corporate frauds in U.S. history from the company's auditors. | ||||||
| 274 | 5 | "Hillary's Class" | Biographies | 60 minutes | November 15, 1994 | 1305 |
|
The lives of Hillary Clinton and her fellow graduates from the Wellesley College Class of 1969. | ||||||
| 275 | 6 | "The Nicotine War" | Health | 60 minutes | January 3, 1995 | 1306 |
|
A look at FDA commissioner David A. Kessler's efforts to regulate the tobacco industry, and how a Republican-controlled Congress may stymie his mission. | ||||||
| 276 | 7 | "Does T.V. Kill?" | Media, social issues | 90 minutes | January 10, 1995 | 1307 |
|
Al Austin examines how violence on television affects real life. | ||||||
| 277 | 8 | "What Happened to Bill Clinton?" | Government | 60 minutes | January 31, 1995 | 1308 |
|
A mosaic of perspectives and insights on Bill Clinton and his performance as U.S. President. | ||||||
| 278 | 9 | "The Godfather of Cocaine" | Biographies | 90 minutes | February 14, 1995 | 1309 |
|
The rise and fall of Pablo Escobar and how he violently amassed a $4 billion fortune through international cocaine smuggling alliances. | ||||||
| 279 | 10 | "The Begging Game" | Social issues | 60 minutes | February 21, 1995 | 1310 |
|
Deborah Amos explores the lives and backgrounds of New York City panhandlers. | ||||||
| 280 | 11 | "Rush Limbaugh's America" | Biographies | 60 minutes | February 28, 1995 | 1311 |
|
The rise of Rush Limbaugh and his influence on both his talk radio & TV audiences and conservative politics. | ||||||
| 281 282 | 12 13 | "Divided Memories (Parts 1 & 2)" | Health | 120 minutes 120 minutes | April 4, 1995 April 11, 1995 | 1312 1313 |
|
Ofra Bikel's 2-part look into the validity of repressed memories in sexual abuse cases. Part 1 examines how memory works and the different kinds of therapies used to help patients remember. Part 2 looks at how remembered abuse has affected families involved and how real memories are distinguished from those that are not true. | ||||||
| 283 | 14 | "The Homecoming" | Biographies | 60 minutes | April 25, 1995 | 1314 |
|
Two decades after his exile from the USSR, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn returns to Russia, offering words of advice and courage to the struggling people he meets along the way. | ||||||
| 284 | 15 | "When the Bough Breaks" | Family/Children | 60 minutes | May 2, 1995 | 1315 |
|
Intimate hidden-camera looks into how young children's behavior is affected by the fraying of the parent/child bond. | ||||||
| 285 | 16 | "The Vanishing Father" | Family/Children | 60 minutes | May 16, 1995 | 1316 |
|
How living in fatherless households can adversely affect children's behavior no matter the economic status. | ||||||
| 286 | 17 | "The Confessions of RosaLee" | Media | 60 minutes | May 23, 1995 | 1317 |
|
A look at a Washington, DC woman and the unending loop of crime, prostitution, and addiction surrounding her and her family, and how her Washington Post profile by Leon Dash influenced policymakers and community leaders. | ||||||
| 287 | 18 | "Welcome to Happy Valley" | Health | 60 minutes | June 6, 1995 | 1318 |
|
A look at Prozac and the controversial practice by one Washington psychologist of prescribing it to all of his patients. | ||||||
| 288 | 19 | "Currents of Fear" | Health | 60 minutes | June 13, 1995 | 1319 |
|
A look into whether a high incidence of cancer in an Omaha neighborhood is due to an electric substation located there. | ||||||
Season 14 (1995–96)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Topic(s) | Running time | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 289 | 1 | "Waco: The Inside Story" | Criminal justice | 60 minutes | October 17, 1995 | 1401 |
|
New Yorker correspondent Peter Boyer probes the political infighting inside the FBI's Waco command center and the Justice Department's Washington offices during the 1993 siege of the Branch Davidian's compound. | ||||||
| 290 | 2 | "The Search for Satan" | Health | 60 minutes | October 24, 1995 | 1402 |
|
A look into whether professed victims of secret cults and ritual abuse were helped by the psychiatric care they received.[10] | ||||||
| 291 | 3 | "High Stakes in Cyberspace" | Technology | 60 minutes | October 31, 1995 | 1403 |
|
Robert Krulwich looks into the "land rush" to stake claims in cyberspace and how these changes will affect society. | ||||||
| 292 | 4 | "Who's Afraid of Rupert Murdoch?" | Biographies, media | 90 minutes | November 7, 1995 | 1404 |
|
A look at Rupert Murdoch's drive to establish the first global telecommunications network, and how his success in media has been dogged by controversy over journalistic standards and political influence. | ||||||
| 293 | 5 | "Natasha and the Wolf" | Criminal justice | 90 minutes | November 14, 1995 | 1405 |
|
How a Russian gangster and killer charmed and seduced all who crossed his path, including the state prosecutor who aided in his escape from prison. | ||||||
| 294 | 6 | "Living on the Edge" | Social Issues | 60 minutes | December 12, 1995 | 1406 |
|
Bill Moyers follows up with two Milwaukee families he first profiled in a 1991 documentary who, after suffering layoffs from blue-collar employment, now struggle to provide for their families while working less-secure jobs. | ||||||
| 295 | 7 | "The Gulf War" | Middle East | 120 minutes | January 9, 1996 | 1407 (Hour 1) 1408 (Hour 2) |
|
Five years after Operation Desert Storm, a look into the diplomatic maneuvering and military assaults in the Gulf War, as well as the post-war rebellion inside Iraq. | ||||||
| 296 | 8 | "The Long March of Newt Gingrich" | Biographies | 60 minutes | January 16, 1996 | 1409 |
|
Peter J. Boyer offers an investigative biography of House Speaker Newt Gingrich, from his childhood roots through his years of ambition and his becoming the face of the Republican Revolution. | ||||||
| 297 | 9 | "So You Want to Buy a President?" | Politics | 90 minutes | January 30, 1996 | 1410 |
|
Robert Krulwich looks into the expected flow of cash into the 1996 presidential campaigns and the interests of those who donate the money. | ||||||
| 298 | 10 | "Murder on 'Abortion Row'" | Criminal justice | 120 minutes | February 6, 1996 | 1411 |
|
A look into what led abortion opponent John Salvi to carry out fatal shootings at two reproductive health clinics in Brookline, Massachusetts in 1994. | ||||||
| 299 | 11 | "Breast Implants on Trial" | Health | 90 minutes | February 27, 1996 | 1412 |
|
An examination of the medical and legal issues surrounding silicone breast implants. | ||||||
| 300 | 12 | "Smoke in the Eye" | Media | 60 minutes | April 2, 1996 | 1413 |
|
A look into the internal corporate and journalistic conflicts news organizations deal with in covering big business, centering on the legal battles surrounding ABC and CBS reports on the tobacco industry. (A co-production with CBC Television's the fifth estate)[11] | ||||||
| 301 | 13 | "Angel on Death Row" | Biographies | 60 minutes | April 9, 1996 | 1414 |
|
A profile of Sister Helen Prejean, her role as spiritual advisor to death row inmates, and her crusade against the death penalty. | ||||||
| 302 | 14 | Shtetl | Multicultural | 180 minutes | April 17, 1996 | 1320 |
|
Marian Marzynski travels to Brańsk, a Polish town struggling to reconcile with its anti-Semitic World War II-era past. | ||||||
| 303 | 15 | "The Pilgrimage of Jesse Jackson" | Biographies | 90 minutes | April 30, 1996 | 1415 |
|
An in-depth look at civil rights leader Jesse Jackson and a portrait of race and politics in post-World War II America. | ||||||
| 304 | 16 | "The Kevorkian Verdict" | Health | 60 minutes | May 14, 1996 | 1416 |
|
The saga of Jack Kevorkian and his role in how America thinks physician-assisted suicides about end-of-life issues. | ||||||
| 305 | 17 | "Does America Still Work?" | Business | 60 minutes | May 21, 1996 | 1417 |
|
Jeff Madrick looks behind the political rhetoric to see how companies, workers, and civic leaders are wrestling with global competition and the end of an era of industrial affluence. | ||||||
| 306 | 18 | "The Gate of Heavenly Peace" | Foreign Affairs | 150 minutes | June 4, 1996 | 1418 |
|
A meticulous chronology of the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 and a contextual history of China's protest movement. | ||||||
Season 15 (1996–97)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Topic(s) | Running time | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 307 | 1 | "The Choice '96" | Biographies | 120 minutes | October 8, 1996 | 1501 |
|
Profiles of presidential candidates Bill Clinton and Bob Dole. | ||||||
| 308 | 2 | "Navy Blues" | Military | 60 minutes | October 15, 1996 | 1502 |
|
The effects of the Tailhook scandal on the U.S. Navy and the controversy over the introduction of women into combat roles and positions of greater military authority. | ||||||
| 309 | 3 | "Why America Hates the Press" | Media | 60 minutes | October 22, 1996 | 1503 |
|
With public respect for the press at an all-time low, several notable journalists take a self-examination into the dynamics of the news business and its effect on American politics. | ||||||
| 310 | 4 | "Loose Nukes" | Foreign affairs | 60 minutes | November 19, 1996 | 1504 |
| 311 | 5 | "Secret Daughter" | Biographies | 150 minutes | November 26, 1996 | 1505 |
|
Frontline producer June Cross tells her story as the daughter of a white mother and an African-American father (vaudevillian Jimmy Cross), and how her mother kept June and her parentage a secret to protect the career of June's white stepfather (actor Larry Storch). | ||||||
| 312 | 6 | "Betting on the Market" | Business/finance | 60 minutes | January 14, 1997 | 1506 |
|
A look at the seduction of investing in the stock market and its implications on Americans' finances. | ||||||
| 313 | 7 | "Six O'Clock News" | Media | 90 minutes | January 21, 1997 | 1507 |
|
Ross McElwee looks at the "nagging metaphysical questions" behind life-shattering events — the type covered (sometimes in graphic fashion) by TV news — and the individuals who lives were altered by the incidents. | ||||||
| 314 | 8 | "What Jennifer Saw" | Criminal justice | 60 minutes | February 25, 1997 | 1508 |
| 315 | 9 | "Valentina's Nightmare" | Africa | 60 minutes | April 1, 1997 | 1509 |
|
A profile of the Rwandan genocide and its aftermath centers on a 13-year-old Tutsi girl and her struggle for survival after a machete attack. | ||||||
| 316 | 10 | "Murder, Money, and Mexico" | Latin America | 60 minutes | April 8, 1997 | 1510 |
|
How Mexico's monetary crisis was precipitated by corruption during the sexenio of former president Carlos Salinas de Gortari. | ||||||
| 317 | 11 | "The Fixers" | Biographies | 60 minutes | April 15, 1997 | 1511 |
|
How a husband-and-wife team parlayed a handful of political contributions into millions in personal wealth — and multiple visits to the White House. | ||||||
| 318 | 12 | "Nuclear Reaction" | Energy | 60 minutes | April 22, 1997 | 1512 |
|
Richard Rhodes looks at how the general public's aversion toward nuclear power has derailed its progress as a vital energy source. | ||||||
| 319 | 13 | "Little Criminals" | Criminal justice | 60 minutes | May 13, 1997 | 1513 |
|
A look at violent crimes committed by young children centers on a Richmond, California case in which a 6-year-old badly beat an infant neighbor while stealing a tricycle from the infant's home. | ||||||
| 320 | 14 | "The Opium Kings" | War on drugs | 60 minutes | May 20, 1997 | 1514 |
|
Adrian Cowell looks at the international heroin business, centering on the case of Shan warlord Khun Sa. | ||||||
| 321 | 15 | "Innocence Lost: The Plea" | Criminal justice | 120 minutes | May 27, 1997 | 1515 |
|
Ofra Bikel revisits the Little Rascals day care sexual abuse trial (a subject of Frontline episodes in Seasons 9 & 11), focusing on the fates of the defendants and those who were encouraged to take plea deals from prosecutors. | ||||||
| 322 | 16 | "Hot Guns" | Criminal justice | 60 minutes | June 3, 1997 | 1516 |
|
Frontline and the Center for Investigative Reporting look into the market of illegal, unregistered, and stolen firearms. | ||||||
| 323 | 17 | "Easy Money" | Business | 60 minutes | June 10, 1997 | 1517 |
|
How casino gambling has emerged to become a popular (and legalized) form of adult entertainment. | ||||||
| 324 | 18 | "Nazi Gold" | World War II | 60 minutes | June 17, 1997 | 1518 |
|
A look at Switzerland's wartime support of Nazi Germany, including its work to replenish Nazi military supplies, its barring of Jewish refugees, and the disappearance of Jewish savings from Swiss banks. (A co-production with BBC) | ||||||
Season 16 (1997–98)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Topic(s) | Running time | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 325 | 1 | "Once Upon a Time in Arkansas" | Government/politics | 60 minutes | October 7, 1997 | 1601 |
|
Peter Boyer looks into the deals and relationships at the heart of the Whitewater scandal surrounding First Couple Bill and Hillary Clinton. | ||||||
| 326 | 2 | "The Lost American" | Biographies | 90 minutes | October 14, 1997 | 1602 |
|
The mysterious disappearance of Fred Cuny, a maverick humanitarian aid expert who helped millions and fought to change how the world responds to disaster. | ||||||
| 327 | 3 | "Behind the Mask: The IRA and Sinn Fein" | Biographies | 120 minutes | October 21, 1997 | 1603 |
|
The secret history of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and its equally formidable political arm, Sinn Féin, which have waged a bloody campaign in Northern Ireland for over a quarter of a century. | ||||||
| 328 | 4 | "Dreams of Tibet" | Asia | 60 minutes | October 28, 1997 | 1604 |
|
Orville Schell explores the clash of values between American opinion of China's human rights record (shaped by powerful forces in Hollywood) and an uncomprehending and intransigent Chinese leadership. | ||||||
| 329 | 5 | "A Whale of a Business" | Business; environment | 60 minutes | November 11, 1997 | 1605 |
|
A look at America's marine theme park business and the treatment of marine mammals, centering on the plight of the orca whale Keiko. | ||||||
| 330 | 6 | "The Princess and the Press" | Media | 90 minutes | November 18, 1997 | 1606 |
|
How the British royal family's relationship with the British press, once governed by unwritten rules of privacy, evolved into the media circus that surrounded Princess Diana in her final years. | ||||||
| 331 | 7 | "Last Battle of the Gulf War" | Health | 60 minutes | January 20, 1998 | 1607 |
|
A definitive account of what's behind the bitter Gulf War Syndrome controversy, as well as the broad scope of veterans affairs and the psychology of war. | ||||||
| 332 | 8 | "My Retirement Dreams" | Social issues | 60 minutes | February 3, 1998 | 1608 |
|
Marian Marzynski takes a personal journal into how older Americans adjust into their retirement years. | ||||||
| 333 | 9 | "The Two Nations of Black America" | Social issues | 60 minutes | February 10, 1998 | 1609 |
|
Henry Louis Gates Jr. asks why America has "both the highest Black middle class and the largest underclass in our history." | ||||||
| 334 | 10 | "From Jesus to Christ: The First Christians" | Religion | 151 minutes 153 minutes | April 6, 1998 | 1610, 1611 1612, 1613 |
|
Biblical scholars recount the rise of Christianity within the Roman Empire, the rift between Christians and Jews, and the evolution of the Jesus Movement into the Christian Movement. Hour 1 profiles how Judaism and the Roman empire shaped Jesus' life. Hour 2 traces the beginnings of the Jesus Movement as a sect within Judaism. Hour 3 follows the story of the first attempts to write the life of Jesus--the Gospels. Hour 4 chronicles how the Christian movement became separate from Judaism. | ||||||
| 335 | 11 | "The High Price of Health" | Health | 60 minutes | April 14, 1998 | 1614 |
|
Hospitals in California and Massachusetts are at the center of this report on the transformation of health care into a profit-driven enterprise. | ||||||
| 336 | 12 | "Busted: America's War on Marijuana" | War on drugs | 60 minutes | April 28, 1998 | 1615 |
|
A look into the effect of government and law enforcement efforts to stem the tide of marijuana use. | ||||||
| 337 | 13 | "Inside the Tobacco Deal" | Biographies | 60 minutes | May 12, 1998 | 1616 |
|
Lowell Bergman looks at how two Mississippi lawyers took Big Tobacco to the edge of bankruptcy and criminal prosecution. | ||||||
| 338 | 14 | "Secrets of an Independent Counsel" | Government | 60 minutes | May 19, 1998 | 1617 |
|
Donald Smaltz takes viewers inside his investigation of former Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy, while correspondent Peter Boyer examines how independent counsels such as Smaltz work and how far they'll go to get what they want. | ||||||
| 339 | 15 | "The World's Most Wanted Man" | Biographies | 90 minutes | May 26, 1998 | 1618 |
|
The hunt for indicted Serbian war leader Radovan Karadzic, and his role in the atrocities and genocide of the Bosnian War. | ||||||
| 340 | 16 | "Fooling With Nature" | Health; environment | 60 minutes | June 2, 1998 | 1619 |
|
A look at new evidence in the controversy over how dangerous man-made chemicals are to human health and the environment. | ||||||
Season 17 (1998–99)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Topic(s) | Running time | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 341 342 343 | 1 2 3 | The Farmer's Wife | Family; farming | 120 minutes 120 minutes 150 minutes | September 21, 1998 September 22, 1998 September 23, 1998 | 1701 1702 1703 |
|
David Sutherland's 3-part profile of a Nebraska farm couple and their struggles to keep their farm and marriage afloat. (A co-production of David Sutherland Productions and Frontline in association with the Independent Television Service) | ||||||
| 344 | 4 | "Ambush in Mogadishu" | Foreign affairs, military | 90 minutes | September 29, 1998 | 1704 |
|
How a 1993 peacekeeping mission in Somalia involving U.S. special forces went awry, and how it influences current U.S. special forces operations in Afghanistan. | ||||||
| 345 | 5 | "Washington's Other Scandal" | Campaign finance | 60 minutes | October 6, 1998 | 1705 |
|
A special report by Bill Moyers on the 1996 election campaign, showing how both political parties contrived to bend and break laws regulating campaign donations to their own benefit. | ||||||
| 346 | 6 | "Plague War" | Science, warfare | 60 minutes | October 13, 1998 | 1706 |
|
A report on the threat of biological weapons, how the Soviet Union secretly amassed an arsenal of such weapons, and how U.S. officials and scientists are racing to find a defense against their use. | ||||||
| 347 | 7 | "The Child Terror" | Criminal justice | 60 minutes | October 27, 1998 | 1707 |
|
Peter Boyer looks at Janet Reno's zeal in investigating and prosecuting cases of child sexual abuse, a model that prosecutors across the country would emulate. | ||||||
| 348 | 8 | "Fat" | Health | 60 minutes | November 3, 1998 | 1708 |
|
How modern life, biology, genetics, media, and the diet industry influence our relationship with food and the war against obesity. | ||||||
| 349 | 9 | "Snitch" | Criminal justice | 90 minutes | January 12, 1999 | 1709 |
|
The impact of prosecutors' use of informants in prosecuting drug crimes. | ||||||
| 350 | 10 | "Rwanda: The Triumph of Evil" | Africa | 60 minutes | January 26, 1999 | 1710 |
|
How the U.S. and the U.N. ignored the warning signs of the impending Rwandan genocide. | ||||||
| 351 | 11 | "The Execution" | Criminal justice | 90 minutes | February 9, 1999 | 1711 |
|
3 year journalistic analysis of the life, crimes, impact and execution of Clifford Boggess, who was put to death in June 1998, by the State of Texas for two robbery/murders committed in 1986. | ||||||
| 352 | 12 | "Russian Roulette" | Defense | 60 minutes | February 23, 1999 | 1712 |
|
An investigation into the safety and security of the Russian nuclear arsenal and the potential for accidental launch or diversion of its nuclear weapons. | ||||||
| 353 | 13 | "Hunting Bin Laden" | War on terror | 60 minutes | April 13, 1999 | 1713 |
|
A look at Osama bin Laden, his terror network, and his role in terrorist attacks against American interests. | ||||||
| 354 | 14 | "Spying on Saddam" | Foreign affairs | 60 minutes | April 27, 1999 | 1714 |
|
A look into allegations that UNSCOM, a U.N. commission created to find and destroy weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, was turned by the U.S. into a spy agency against Saddam Hussein. | ||||||
| 355 | 15 | "Give War a Chance" | Defense | 60 minutes | May 11, 1999 | 1715 |
|
Examining the gulf between what civilian diplomats want and what the military is prepared to deliver. | ||||||
| 356 | 16 | "The Long Walk of Nelson Mandela" | Biographies | 120 minutes | May 25, 1999 | 1716 |
|
An in-depth profile of Nelson Mandela. | ||||||
| 357 | 17 | "Making Babies" | Health | 60 minutes | June 1, 1999 | 1717 |
|
The revolution in the science of reproduction and the troubling questions it's raising. | ||||||
| 358 | 18 | "Pop" | Biographies | 60 minutes | June 22, 1999 | 1718 |
|
Joel Meyerowitz and his son go on a trip with Joel's 87-year-old father, Hy Meyerowitz, who still offers wit and wisdom despite the ravages of Alzheimer's disease. | ||||||
| 359 | 19 | "The Crash" | Business/Economy/Financial | 60 minutes | June 29, 1999 | 1719 |
|
How a real estate bust in Thailand became an Asia-wide financial crisis that would ultimately have a worldwide effect. | ||||||
Season 18 (1999–2000)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Topic(s) | Running time | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 360 | 1 | "John Paul II: The Millennial Pope" | Biographies | 150 minutes | September 28, 1999 | 1801 |
|
A comprehensive biography of John Paul II. | ||||||
| 361 | 2 | "Secrets of the SAT" | Education | 60 minutes | October 5, 1999 | 1802 |
|
A look at the obsession over standardized tests, the test scores they produce, and their impact on the college admission process and American education in general. | ||||||
| 362 | 3 | "Mafia Power Play" | Criminal justice, sports | 60 minutes | October 12, 1999 | 1803 |
|
An investigation into how Russian organized crime figures are extorting Russian-born National Hockey League players and using those connections to establish a criminal presence in North America. | ||||||
| 363 | 4 | "The Lost Children of Rockdale County" | Social Issues, family/children, health | 90 minutes | October 19, 1999 | 1804 |
|
A series of profiles uncovers the overindulging roots of a 1996 outbreak of syphilis among teenagers in the affluent community of Conyers, Georgia. | ||||||
| 364 365 | 5 6 | "Apocalypse" | Religion | 120 minutes | November 22, 1999 | 1805 (Hour 1) 1806 (Hour 2) |
|
An examination of apocalyptic beliefs over 2500 years of western cultural history. | ||||||
| 366 | 7 | "Justice for Sale" | Politics, jurisprudence, finance | 60 minutes | November 23, 1999 | 1807 |
|
Bill Moyers investigates the influence of campaign contributions in the judicial election process and how they may be corrupting the court system. The hour his highlighted by Moyers' interview with U.S. Supreme Court justices Anthony Kennedy and Stephen Breyer, who voice their concerns about the monetary campaign system in judicial races. | ||||||
| 367 | 8 | "The Case for Innocence" | Science, criminal justice | 90 minutes | January 11, 2000 | 1808 |
|
A look into DNA testing in criminal cases and the reluctance of legal & judicial figures and governors to employ such testing — which has led those convicted of rape & murder yet proven innocent through testing to remain imprisoned. | ||||||
| 368 | 9 | "The Killer at Thurston High" | TBA | 90 minutes | January 18, 2000 | 1809 |
|
The troubled life of Kipland 'Kip' Kinkel, a 15-year-old Oregon high school student who, in a May 1998 incident, killed both of his parents and then killed 2 classmates and wounded 25 others at his high school. | ||||||
| 369 | 10 | "The Survival of Saddam" | Biographies | 60 minutes | January 25, 2000 | 1810 |
|
A look at Saddam Hussein's rise to power and how he has maintained his grip despite opposition from within and outside Iraq. | ||||||
| 370 | 11 | "Assault on Gay America" | Social issues | 60 minutes | February 15, 2000 | 1811 |
|
Forrest Sawyer explores homophobia's permeation into American society and how it became a catalyst for hate crimes directed at the LGBT community. | ||||||
| 371 372 | 12 13 | "War in Europe" | Foreign Affairs, Defense/Military | 120 minutes | February 22, 2000 | 1812 (Hour 1) 1813 (Hour 2) |
|
Peter Boyer examines the political constraints, internal divisions and miscalculations that shaped in NATO's war against Serbia over the Kosovo region. The broadcast highlighted by an in-depth interview with Wesley Clark, who led the war as NATO's supreme allied commander in Europe. | ||||||
| 373 | 14 | "Dr. Solomon's Dilemma" | Health | 60 minutes | April 4, 2000 | 1814 |
|
Hedrick Smith profiles the struggle of one Boston doctor and his colleagues over balancing patient care with resulting financial constraints. | ||||||
| 374 | 15 | "What's Up with the Weather?" | Science, environment/climate | 120 minutes | April 18, 2000 | GLWA000K |
|
A look at the impact of global warming, the political struggle between environmentalists and industrialists, the tentative balance of reducing greenhouse gases with the needs of a technologically-based 21st century world economy. (A co-production of Frontline and NOVA) | ||||||
| 375 | 15 | "Jefferson's Blood" | Biographies, racial issues | 90 minutes | May 2, 2000 | 1815 |
|
Shelby Steele examines Thomas Jefferson's relationship with his slave and mistress Sally Hemings, and follows their descendants as they undergo DNA testing to verify their ancestry. | ||||||
| 376 | 16 | "Return of the Czar" | Foreign relations | 60 minutes | May 9, 2000 | 1816 |
|
An in-depth look at Russia, almost decade after the fall of the Soviet Union, finds a country becoming more militarized and influenced by anti-Western propaganda — just as Vladimir Putin is set to ascend to the Russian presidency. | ||||||
| 377 | 17 | "The Battle Over School Choice" | Education | 60 minutes | May 23, 2000 | 1817 |
|
An investigation of the political and educational clash over charter schools, voucher programs, and school choice options, as well as the allure of for-profit inner-city academies. | ||||||
Season 19 (2000–01)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Topic(s) | Running time | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 378 | 1 | "The Choice 2000" | Biographies | 120 minutes | October 2, 2000 | 1901 |
|
Biographies on presidential candidates George W. Bush and Al Gore. | ||||||
| 379 380 | 2 3 | "Drug Wars" | War on drugs, history | 120 minutes 120 minutes | October 9, 2000 October 10, 2000 | 1902 1903 |
|
A 2-part history of America's war on drugs as told from both sides of the battlefield. Part 1 spans the origins of the anti-drug campaign to the rise & fall of Columbia's drug cartels. Part 2 examines the impact of both the crack cocaine epidemic and Mexico's role in supplying drugs to meet American demand. | ||||||
| 381 | 4 | "The Future of War" | Military | 60 minutes | October 24, 2000 | 1904 |
|
A look at the U.S. Army's internal debate over evolving from a Cold War force to one ready for 21st century conflicts. | ||||||
| 382 383 | 5 6 | "Real Justice (Parts 1 & 2)" | Criminal justice | 90 minutes 90 minutes | November 14, 2000 November 21, 2000 | 1905 1906 |
|
A 2-part warts-and-all look inside the halls of the Suffolk County, Massachusetts court system (District Court in Part 1, Superior Court in Part 2) | ||||||
| 384 | 7 | "The Clinton Years" | Biographies | 120 minutes | January 16, 2001 | 1907 |
|
A look at Bill Clinton's life from the Arkansas governor's mansion through a hard-fought presidential campaign and his eight years in the White House. (A co-production of Frontline and ABC News' Nightline) | ||||||
| 385 | 8 | "Juvenile Justice" | Criminal justice | 90 minutes | January 30, 2001 | 1908 |
|
An observation of how Santa Clara County, California's juvenile court system prosecutes crimes against a quartet of young offenders (1 white, 2 Hispanic, 1 African American) who have committed violent crimes. | ||||||
| 386 | 9 | "Saving Elian" | Foreign relations, family/children, immigration | 60 minutes | February 6, 2001 | 1909 |
|
Ofra Bikel examines how Elián González became a symbol in the struggle for freedom from Cuban communist oppression that has long enveloped Miami's Cuban-American community. | ||||||
| 387 | 10 | "Hackers" | Criminal justice, technology | 60 minutes | February 13, 2001 | 1910 |
|
A report on the exploits of hackers and how their actions have highlighted the Internet's insecurities. | ||||||
| 388 | 11 | "The Merchants of Cool" | Business/Economy/Financial | 60 minutes | February 27, 2001 | 1911 |
|
Douglas Rushkoff examines the techniques businesses and marketers use to cater to the teenage consumer demographic, as well as the resulting cultural ramifications. | ||||||
| 389 390 | 12 13 | "Organ Farm" | Science, health/medical | 60 minutes | March 27, 2001 April 3, 2001 | 1912 1913 |
|
A 2-part look at xenotransplantation, the experimental process of transplanting genetically modified cells and organs into humans, and the possible benefits and medical risks that may result. | ||||||
| 391 | 14 | "Medicating Kids" | Health/Medical | 60 minutes | April 10, 2001 | 1914 |
|
An intimate look into the growing use of prescribing behavior-modifying drugs (e.g. Ritalin, Prozac, Adderall) to children, and whether the practice is medically necessary or just a quick fix. | ||||||
| 392 | 15 | "Harvest of Fear" | Science | 120 minutes | April 24, 2001 | 1915 |
|
A look into the practice of genetically modifying food crops, and whether its potential is a boon or a threat to mankind. (A co-production of Frontline and NOVA) | ||||||
| 393 | 16 | "LAPD Blues" | Criminal justice | 60 minutes | May 15, 2001 | 1916 |
|
Peter J. Boyer looks at the reports of police brutality, racism, and corruption surrounding the Los Angeles Police Department. | ||||||
| 394 | 17 | "Blackout" | Business, infrastructure | 60 minutes | June 5, 2001 | 1917 |
|
A look into whether the California electricity crisis was caused by high demand, flawed deregulation, or market manipulation by entrepreneurs in the power utility business. | ||||||
Season 20 (2001–02)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Topic(s) | Running time | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 395 | 1 | "Hunting Bin Laden" | War on terror | 60 minutes | September 13, 2001 | 1713A |
|
Airing two days after the September 11 attacks, this updated version of a Season 17 report retraces the evidence linking Osama bin Laden and his terror network to 9/11 and other attacks against American interests. | ||||||
| 396 | 2 | "Target America" | War on terror | 60 minutes | October 4, 2001 | 2001 |
|
A look at a decades-long division within America's security apparatus over how to deal with Islamic militants. | ||||||
| 397 | 3 | "Looking for Answers" | War on terror | 60 minutes | October 9, 2001 | 2002 |
|
Bill Moyers anchors this investigation, led by Lowell Bergman, into why the CIA and FBI failed to uncover the 9/11 hijackers, as well as the U.S. government's failure to fully understand the hatred Muslim fundamentalists have for America and its interests. (Produced in partnership with The New York Times) | ||||||
| 398 | 4 | "Dangerous Straits" | Foreign relations | 60 minutes | October 18, 2001 | 2003 |
|
A look into the troubled diplomatic relations between the United States and China, and how issues over Taiwan and China's support of some Islamic states have fostered the strain. (Produced in partnership with The New York Times) | ||||||
| 399 | 5 | "Trail of a Terrorist" | War on terror | 60 minutes | October 25, 2001 | 2004 |
|
Terence McKenna looks at Ahmed Ressam's trail from North Africa to Canada to an averted attempt to blow up a Los Angeles airport terminal in December 1999. (A co-production with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) | ||||||
| 400 | 6 | "Gunning for Saddam" | Middle East, war on terror | 60 minutes | November 8, 2001 | 2005 |
|
A look at the debate within the U.S. government over how to deal with Saddam Hussein over the Iraqi leader's state sponsorship of terrorist activities. | ||||||
| 401 | 7 | "Saudi Time Bomb?" | The Middle East & the War on Terror | 60 minutes | November 15, 2001 | 2006 |
|
An exploration into America's fragile post-9/11 ties with Saudi Arabia and whether support within the kingdom toward Islamic fundamentalism threatens the stability of their relationship and the Middle East. (Produced in partnership with The New York Times) | ||||||
| 402 | 8 | "The Monster That Ate Hollywood" | Arts/Entertainment | 60 minutes | November 22, 2001 | 2007 |
|
How multinational conglomerates, profit-minded studio executives, and a yearning to make blockbuster films have changed Hollywood's motion picture industry. | ||||||
| 403 | 9 | "An Ordinary Crime" | Criminal justice | 90 minutes | January 10, 2002 | 2008 |
|
An investigation into a bizarre case of injustice: Terence Garner is implicated, convicted, and sentenced for his role in a robbery and attempted murder, despite sharing only the first name as the man the lead suspect in the crime implicated. | ||||||
| 404 | 10 | "Inside the Terror Network" | War on terror | 60 minutes | January 17, 2002 | 2009 |
|
How the hijackers involved in the September 11 attacks led such outwardly ordinary lives and constructed their plot in seemingly broad daylight. | ||||||
| 405 | 11 | "Dot Con" | Business | 60 minutes | January 24, 2002 | 2010 |
|
A look into the financial forces behind the unprecedented rise and seemingly overnight fall of the Internet economy. | ||||||
| 406 | 12 | "Inside the Teenage Brain" | Health | 60 minutes | January 31, 2002 | 2011 |
|
How science may help to explain why adolescents behave the way they do, and how it may lead to changes in how we parent, teach, or understand teenagers. | ||||||
| 407 | 13 | "American Porn" | Arts/entertainment | 60 minutes | February 7, 2002 | 2012 |
|
A look at the business of the pornography industry and the emerging political battle against it. | ||||||
| 408 | 14 | "Rollover: The Hidden History of the SUV" | Transportation | 60 minutes | February 21, 2002 | 2013 |
|
How Detroit's connections with Washington regulators may have led to the popularity of sport utility vehicles, despite safety concerns. | ||||||
| 409 | 15 | "Testing Our Schools" | Education | 60 minutes | March 28, 2002 | 2014 |
|
John Merrow examines how a business-like quest for higher test scores is changing teaching and learning in America. | ||||||
| 410 | 16 | "Battle for the Holy Land" | Middle East | 60 minutes | April 11, 2002 | 2015 |
|
A look into how the Israeli/Palestinian conflict has evolved from sticks & stones into an all-out combat involving commando units, militants, target killings, and suicide bombings. | ||||||
| 411 | 17 | "Requiem for Frank Lee Smith" | Criminal justice | 60 minutes | April 11, 2002 | 2016 |
|
How a man convicted of rape & murder remained on Florida's death row, despite possible evidence of innocence, and why he wasn't exonerated until 10 months after his death from cancer. | ||||||
| 412 | 18 | "Modern Meat" | Health | 60 minutes | April 18, 2002 | 2017 |
|
How the meat production industry has become highly mechanizes, and how the industry has gained great control of the meat inspection process. | ||||||
| 413 | 19 | "Did Daddy Do It?" | Criminal justice | 60 minutes | April 25, 2002 | 2018 |
|
A Frontline investigation calls into question the seemingly ironclad case against a Cuban immigrant convicted of sexually abusing numerous children at his family's day care service in Miami. | ||||||
| 414 | 20 | "Terror and Tehran" | Middle East | 60 minutes | May 2, 2002 | 2019 |
|
A look into the terror threat from Iran and whether U.S. actions against the country help or hinder moderates' struggle to reform the country's hard-line conservative government. | ||||||
| 415 | 21 | "Muslims" | Religion | 120 minutes | May 9, 2002 | 2020 |
|
A look at the beliefs, identities, perspectives, and tensions that shape the practice of the Muslim religion in the modern world. | ||||||
| 416 | 22 | "The Siege of Bethlehem" | Middle East | 60 minutes | June 13, 2002 | 2021 |
|
A look at the siege of Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity, in which Palestinian militants sought refuge from Israel Defense Forces. | ||||||
| 417 | 23 | "Bigger Than Enron" | Business | 60 minutes | June 20, 2002 | 2022 |
| 418 | 24 | "Shattered Dreams to Peace: The Road from Oslo" | Middle East | 120 minutes | June 27, 2002 | 2023 |
|
A look into the quest for Middle East peace that began with the Oslo Accords was endlessly threatened, and ultimately undone, by the dynamics of politics and violence on both sides. | ||||||
Season 21 (2002–03)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Topic(s) | Running time | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 419 | 1 | "Faith and Doubt at Ground Zero" | Religion, psychology | 120 minutes | September 3, 2002 | 2101 |
|
An exploration of the various spiritual questions awoken by the September 11 attacks. | ||||||
| 420 | 2 | "Campaign Against Terror" | War on terror, military | 120 minutes | September 8, 2002 | 2102 |
|
The behind-the-scenes story of the U.S. and global response to the September 11 attacks and the war in Afghanistan. | ||||||
| 421 | 3 | "The Man Who Knew" | Biographies, war on terror | 90 minutes | October 3, 2002 | 2103 |
|
The story of FBI agent John P. O'Neill, an FBI counter-terrorism expert whose warnings about al Qaeda fell generally on deaf ears. Pressured to leave the bureau, he became security director for the World Trade Center, where he died during the September 11 attacks. | ||||||
| 422 | 4 | "Missile Wars" | Military | 60 minutes | October 10, 2002 | 2104 |
|
A look at the issue of missile defense of the U.S. and how it fits into American military strategy after 9/11. | ||||||
| 423 | 5 | "A Crime of Insanity" | Criminal justice, health | 60 minutes | October 17, 2002 | 2105 |
|
An examination of the personal, political, and societal fallout from the colliding of the legal and psychiatric worlds, centering on the 1994 story of a paranoid schizophrenic who held a college classroom hostage. | ||||||
| 424 | 6 | "Let's Get Married" | Family/children | 60 minutes | November 14, 2002 | 2106 |
|
Alex Kotlowitz explores the decreasing prominence of marriage and whether government should have a role in strengthening the institution. | ||||||
| 425 | 7 | "In Search of Al Qaeda" | Afghanistan/Pakistan | 60 minutes | November 21, 2002 | 2107 |
|
How, despite American forces crushing the Taliban in Afghanistan, members of the Al Qaeda network managed to escape out of Afghanistan. | ||||||
| 426 | 8 | "Much Ado About Something" | Arts/entertainment | 90 minutes | January 2, 2003 | 2108 |
|
A look into whether Christopher Marlowe was the actual writer of plays and poems long credited to William Shakespeare. | ||||||
| 427 | 9 | "A Dangerous Business" | Business/Economy/Financial | 60 minutes | January 9, 2003 | 2109 |
|
An investigation into whether McWane Inc. prioritized the production and profitability of its iron ore foundries ahead of worker and environmental safety. (A joint investigation of Frontline, The New York Times, and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) | ||||||
| 428 | 10 | "Failure to Protect: The Taking of Logan Marr" | Family/Children | 60 minutes | January 30, 2003 | 2110 |
|
A probe into the death of a 5-year-old girl in foster care in Maine examines what led to her decline in well being and whether she should have been placed in foster care in the first place. | ||||||
| 429 | 11 | "Failure to Protect: The Caseworker Files" | Family/Children | 120 minutes | February 6, 2003 | 2111 |
|
A companion to "The Taking of Logan Marr," Hour 1 of this episode follows the work of a group of foster care caseworkers. Hour 2 is a town hall-style discussion on child welfare policy. | ||||||
| 430 | 12 | "China in the Red" | Foreign Affairs/Defense/Military | 120 minutes | February 13, 2003 | 2112 |
|
This documentary chronicles 3 years in the lives and struggles of Chinese citizens caught up in the country's social and economic transformation. | ||||||
| 431 | 13 | "The War Behind Closed Doors" | Middle East, War on Terror | 60 minutes | February 20, 2003 | 2113 |
|
An investigation into the Bush administration's desire to go to war with Iraq and whether the publicly stated reasons (e.g. fear of weapons of mass destruction) are masking the real reasons for war. | ||||||
| 432 | 14 | "The Long Road to War" | Middle East, War on Terror | 120 minutes | March 17, 2003 | 0000 |
|
This special report draws on Frontline's previous reportage on Iraq to examine the conflict between the U.S. and Saddam Hussein that has led to the brink of war. | ||||||
| 433 | 15 | "Blair's War" | Foreign relations, war on terror | 60 minutes | April 3, 2003 | 2114 |
|
An examination of Prime Minister Tony Blair's role in support of the Iraq War (despite strong opposition in the United Kingdom) and how it has laid bare the strain of relations between the U.S. and its western allies. | ||||||
| 434 | 16 | "Kim's Nuclear Gamble" | Foreign Affairs/Defense/Military | 60 minutes | April 10, 2003 | 2115 |
|
A look at the unstable relationship between the U.S. and North Korea and how the world has wound up on the brink of a nuclear showdown with the "Hermit Kingdom." | ||||||
| 435 | 17 | "Cyber War!" | Science & Technology, counter-terrorism | 60 minutes | April 24, 2003 | 2116 |
|
How the U.S. infrastructure faces real vulnerability in a new battleground — cyberspace. | ||||||
| 436 | 18 | "Burden of Innocence" | Criminal Justice | 60 minutes | May 1, 2003 | 2117 |
|
Profiles of recently released inmates who, despite receiving full exoneration for crimes they did not commit, do not receive any financial compensation or transitional assistance from the states that wrongfully imprisoned them. | ||||||
| 437 | 19 | "The Wall Street Fix" | Business/Economy, Financial Crisis | 60 minutes | May 8, 2003 | 2118 |
|
Hedrick Smith looks at the hidden ties that enabled big banks and Wall Street insiders to profit while leaving ordinary investors holding worthless stock. | ||||||
| 438 | 20 | "The Other Drug War" | Health/Medical | 60 minutes | June 19, 2003 | 2120 |
|
Examining the battle between states and the pharmaceutical industry over the high cost of prescription drugs. | ||||||
| 439 | 21 | "Public Schools, Inc." | Education | 60 minutes | July 3, 2003 | 2119 |
|
A look into "edupreneur" Chris Whittle and his Edison Schools, and whether it's possible to run better public schools that also turn a profit. (A joint investigation by Frontline, The NewsHour's "Merrow Report," and The New York Times) | ||||||
Season 22 (2003–04)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Topic(s) | Running time | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 440 | 1 | "Truth, War, and Consequences" | Middle East | 90 minutes | October 9, 2003 | 2201 |
|
Martin Smith examines the justification for America's war in Iraq, what went wrong in post-war planning, and what's at stake for both countries. | ||||||
| 441 | 2 | "Chasing the Sleeper Cell" | War on terror | 60 minutes | October 16, 2003 | 2202 |
|
A look at the Lackawanna Six, whether they were an Al Qaeda sleeper cell (as government officials claimed), and whether the powers the FBI and CIA have been granted by the Patriot Act have any effectiveness. | ||||||
| 442 | 3 | "The Alternative Fix" | Health/Medical | 60 minutes | November 6, 2003 | 2203 |
|
The embrace and business of and questionable science behind alternative medicine is examined. | ||||||
| 443 | 4 | "Dangerous Prescription" | Health/Medical | 60 minutes | November 13, 2003 | 2204 |
|
A look at the integrity of America's drug safety system, the influence of pharmaceutical companies on the FDA's drug approval process, and whether that process is adequate in protecting the American public. | ||||||
| 444 | 5 | "Who Was Lee Harvey Oswald?" | Biographies | 180 minutes | November 20, 2003 | 1205 |
|
Coinciding with the 40th anniversary week of the Kennedy assassination, this encore of a 1993 episode explores the life of Lee Harvey Oswald and whether he was the man responsible for killing Kennedy. | ||||||
| 445 | 6 | "From China with Love" | Foreign affairs, counter-intelligence | 60 minutes | January 15, 2004 | 2205 |
|
The story of Katrina Leung, an FBI asset (code named "Parlor Maid") who, the U.S. government alleges, conspired with her FBI handler and lover, Special Agent James J. Smith, compromised American intelligence on behalf of China's Ministry of State Security. | ||||||
| 446 | 7 | "Chasing Saddam's Weapons" | War on terror | 60 minutes | January 22, 2004 | 2206 |
|
BBC reporter Jane Corbin looks at the high-stakes hunt for Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction and whether the ultimate results will justify the Bush administration's call for war. (A BBC production in association with Frontline) | ||||||
| 447 | 8 | "Beyond Baghdad" | Middle East | 60 minutes | February 12, 2004 | 2207 |
|
Martin Smith journeys the length and breadth of Iraq to examine what it will take to stabilize the fractured country, establish democracy, and transfer power to its people. | ||||||
| 448 | 9 | "Tax Me if You Can" | Business/Economy | 60 minutes | February 19, 2004 | 2208 |
|
Hedrick Smith looks at the use of tax shelters by corporations and wealthy individuals, the role of accounting firms in these deals, and how ordinary taxpayers wind up footing the bill. | ||||||
| 449 | 10 | "The Invasion of Iraq" | Middle East | 120 minutes | March 9, 2004 | 2209 |
|
A look at the strategies, key battles, surprises, and turning points of the Operation Iraqi Freedom. (A Mentorn production for Frontline and Channel 4) | ||||||
| 450 | 11 | "Ghosts of Rwanda" | Foreign affairs, Africa | 120 minutes | April 1, 2004 | 2210 |
|
An eyewitness account of 1994 Rwandan genocide and how it went unchallenged by the global community. (A Frontline co-production with the BBC and Silverbridge Productions Limited) | ||||||
| 451 | 12 | "Diet Wars" | Health/Medical | 60 minutes | April 8, 2004 | 2211 |
|
How various diets are competing for marketshare and the attention of those wanting to shed weight, how they often contradict each other, and whether they actually work. | ||||||
| 452 | 13 | "Son of Al Qaeda" | Biographies, war on terror | 60 minutes | April 22, 2004 | 2213 |
|
The story of Abdurahman Khadr, who was raised to be an Al Qaeda terrorist (his father was a longtime friend of Osama bin Laden) yet became an anti-terror informant for the CIA. (A Canadian Broadcasting Corporation production for Frontline) | ||||||
| 453 | 14 | "The Jesus Factor" | Politics, religion | 60 minutes | April 29, 2004 | 2212 |
|
How his Christian faith plays a role in George W. Bush's governance and how his views mirror those of America's politically influential evangelical movement. | ||||||
| 454 | 15 | "The Way the Music Died" | Arts & entertainment | 60 minutes | May 27, 2004 | 2214 |
|
How everything from industry consolidation to internet piracy to MTV have contributed to a perfect storm that envelopes and endangers the music industry. | ||||||
| 455 | 16 | "The Plea" | Criminal justice | 90 minutes | June 17, 2004 | 2215 |
|
An examination of the push to resolve criminal cases through plea bargains and its moral, judicial, and constitutional implications on the American jurisprudence system. | ||||||
| 456 | 17 | "Sacred Ground" | Business, infrastructure | 60 minutes | September 7, 2004 | 2216 |
|
A look at the debate over redeveloping the World Trade Center site and the design of the Freedom Tower. | ||||||
Season 23 (2004–05)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Topic(s) | Running time | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 457 | 1 | "The Choice 2004" | Biographies | 120 minutes | October 12, 2004 | 2301 |
|
Biographies on presidential candidates George W. Bush and John Kerry. | ||||||
| 458 | 2 | "Rumsfeld's War" | Military/defense | 60 minutes | October 26, 2004 | 2302 |
|
A look at the aggressive attempts by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and his allies to assert civilian control on the United States Military. (A joint report by Frontline and The Washington Post) | ||||||
| 459 | 3 | "The Persuaders" | Business, marketing | 90 minutes | November 9, 2004 | 2303 |
|
Douglas Rushkoff takes an in-depth look at the "persuasion industries" of advertising and public relations, and how marketers have developed new ways of deciphering and creating marketing messages that resonate with and influence Americans. | ||||||
| 460 | 4 | "Is Wal-Mart Good for America?" | Business/Economy | 60 minutes | November 16, 2004 | 2304 |
|
Hedrick Smith examines whether Wal-Mart, in its zeal to offer low-cost goods to shoppers, is the main force driving the production of American products to China (resulting in a decreased standard of living back home). | ||||||
| 461 | 5 | "The Secret History of the Credit Card" | Business/Economy | 60 minutes | November 23, 2004 | 2305 |
|
Lowell Bergman looks at how credit cards have become the most profitable sector of the American banking industry, whose marking, techniques, and political influence have contributed to a rise in personal debt and bankruptcies. (A joint investigation of Frontline and The New York Times) | ||||||
| 462 | 6 | "Al Qaeda's New Front" | War on terror | 60 minutes | January 25, 2005 | 2306 |
|
An investigation into the threat radical jihadists pose to Western Europe and its allies, as well as the related challenges posed to intelligence services on both sides of the Atlantic. (A joint investigation by Frontline, The New York Times, and CBC Television's The Fifth Estate) | ||||||
| 463 | 7 | "House of Saud" | Foreign affairs | 120 minutes | February 8, 2005 | 2307 |
|
A look at how Saudi Arabia's ruling royal family has maintained its hold on power in the face of ever-growing tensions between Islam and modernity, as well as its relations with the U.S. from the 1930s to the present day. | ||||||
| 464 | 8 | "A Company of Soldiers" | Iraq War | 60 minutes | February 22, 2005 | 2308 |
|
An intimate look from inside the U.S. Army's 8th Cavalry Regiment stationed in Baghdad as it faces a dramatic increase in insurgent attacks. | ||||||
| 465 | 9 | "The Soldier's Heart" | Psychology, military | 60 minutes | March 1, 2005 | 2309 |
|
A look at soldiers who return home bearing psychological trauma from their war experience, and whether the government is making any effort to help. | ||||||
| 466 | 10 | Israel's Next War | Middle East | 60 minutes | April 5, 2005 | 2311 |
|
Dan Setton's investigation of the rise of right-wing religious extremism in Israel and how it could play as a "spoiler" in peace negotiations with the Palestinians. | ||||||
| 467 | 11 | "Karl Rove: The Architect" | Biographies | 60 minutes | April 12, 2005 | 2310 |
|
A look into the political history and modus operandi of Karl Rove, who has been on the inside of every political and policy decision of the Bush administration. (A joint report by Frontline and The Washington Post) | ||||||
| 468 | 12 | Death of a Princess | Middle East | 120 minutes | April 19, 2005 | 2312 |
|
An re-airing of Antony Thomas' controversial 1980 docudrama (which aired on Frontline's predecessor program World) depicting the public execution of a Saudi Arabian princess and her lover for adultery. The rebroadcast features new interviews with those involved with the film, a look at the controversies that surrounded it, and how the lives of Arab women have and have not changed in 25 years. | ||||||
| 469 | 13 | "The New Asylums" | Health, criminal justice | 60 minutes | May 10, 2005 | 2313 |
|
A close-up look inside Ohio's state prison system highlights this exploration of the issue of mentally ill inmates serving time in America's prisons and jails. | ||||||
| 470 | 14 | "A Jew Among the Germans" | World War II | 60 minutes | May 31, 2005 | 2314 |
|
Holocaust survivor Marian Marzynski sets out to find out how Germans are willing to build a memorial to the 6 million Jews murdered during the Holocaust — and in turn how Germans young and old are dealing with their country's dark history. | ||||||
| 471 | 15 | "Private Warriors" | Middle East | 60 minutes | June 21, 2005 | 2315 |
|
Martin Smith examines the use of private contractors to provide armed protection and logistical support to U.S. forces in the Iraq War. | ||||||
| 472 | 16 | "The O.J. Verdict" | Criminal justice, race/multicultural | 60 minutes | October 4, 2005 | 2316 |
|
A look at the "perfect storm" that was the O. J. Simpson murder case and the reactions and thoughts 10 years after Simpson's acquittal. | ||||||
Season 24 (2005–06)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Topic(s) | Running time | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 473 | 1 | "The Torture Question" | War on terror | 60 minutes | October 18, 2005 | 2401 |
|
How decisions within the Bush administration led to its robust yet controversial policy of applying "coercive interrogation" on enemy fighters in the war on terror. | ||||||
| 474 | 2 | "The Last Abortion Clinic" | Health | 60 minutes | November 8, 2005 | 2402 |
|
How pro-life advocates have waged a successful campaign to enact state laws regulating and limiting the availability of abortion services. | ||||||
| 475 | 3 | "The Storm" | Infrastructure, politics | 60 minutes | November 22, 2005 | 2403 |
|
Martin Smith reviews the response of key political figures before and after Hurricane Katrina's destruction on the U.S. Gulf Coast. | ||||||
| 476 478 | 4 6 | Country Boys | Biographies | 120 minutes 120 minutes 120 minutes | January 9, 2006 January 10, 2006 January 11, 2006 | 2404 2405 2406 |
|
David Sutherland's 3-part documentary profile of two boys struggling to overcome hardship and poverty while coming of age in the Appalachian region of eastern Kentucky. | ||||||
| 479 | 7 | "Sex Slaves" | Social issues | 60 minutes | February 7, 2006 | 2408 |
|
An undercover exploration of the world of global sex trafficking and how it has gone unchecked, centering on one man's journey to liberate his kidnapped wife from the sex trade. (A co-production of Frontline, Channel 4, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and Canal D) | ||||||
| 480 | 8 | "The Meth Epidemic" | Health, social issues | 60 minutes | February 14, 2006 | 2407 |
|
An investigation into how and why methamphetamine abuse has become the fastest-growing drug abuse problem in America. (A reporting partnership of Frontline and The Oregonian) | ||||||
| 481 | 9 | "The Insurgency" | Middle East | 60 minutes | February 21, 2006 | 2409 |
|
A look at the people who are fighting against U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq, the civilians who have been targeted, and whether the insurgents can be contained. | ||||||
| 482 | 10 | "The Tank Man" | Biographies, foreign affairs | 60 minutes | April 11, 2006 | 2410 |
|
Antony Thomas searches for the identity of the unknown protester who stood before a column of Chinese army tanks in the aftermath of the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, while in the process examining the cultural and technological divides in China and how its government has sought to erase the protests from the country's collective history. (A co-production with Channel 4) | ||||||
| 483 | 11 | "Can You Afford to Retire?" | Economics/financial | 60 minutes | May 16, 2006 | 2411 |
|
Hedrick Smith looks at how pension cuts, corporate bankruptcies, and stock market upheaval have led to the crisis for baby boomers: Whether they'll have enough money to live off of during their retirement years. | ||||||
| 484 485 | 12 13 | "The Age of AIDS (Parts 1 & 2)" | Health/Medical | 120 minutes 120 minutes | May 30, 2006 May 31, 2006 | 2412 2413 |
| 486 | 14 | "The Dark Side" | Foreign affairs, war on terror | 90 minutes | June 20, 2006 | 2414 |
|
Interviews and documented evidence buoy this investigation into the Bush administration's mission (spearheaded by Vice President Dick Cheney) to expand executive power, transform American intelligence, bring the war on terror to Iraq, and project American superiority worldwide in the years post-9/11. | ||||||
Season 25 (2006–07)
As part of its 25th season, Frontline presented a four-part series titled News War.[12] Featuring 3 Frontline episodes and a fourth on its offshoot series Frontline World, News War explored the news media's reaction to the various internal and external forces (political, cultural, legal, economic) that changes and challenges its role in society. News War was a co-production of Frontline and the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Topic(s) | Running time | Original air date | Prod. code | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 487 | 1 | "Return of the Taliban" | Afghanistan/Pakistan | 60 minutes | October 3, 2006 | 2501 | ||||||
|
Reports from the lawless Pakistani tribal areas along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border and reveals how the area has fallen under the control of a resurgent Taliban militia. | ||||||||||||
| 488 | 2 | "The Enemy Within" | War on terror | 60 minutes | October 10, 2006 | 2502 | ||||||
|
Lowell Bergman looks at major domestic terrorism cases and reveals major flaws in the U.S. government's investigation efforts. (Co-produced with The New York Times) | ||||||||||||
| 489 | 3 | "The Lost Year in Iraq" | Middle East | 60 minutes | October 17, 2006 | 2503 | ||||||
|
A look at multiple failures in the reconstruction efforts headed by the ORHA and the CPA, and how those involved became hardened to the realities of post-Saddam Iraq. | ||||||||||||
| 490 | 4 | "A Hidden Life" | Politics, media | 60 minutes | November 14, 2006 | 2504 | ||||||
|
A look into the scandal surrounding Spokane mayor Jim West, who gained prominence as a socially conservative politician yet, as revealed by a Spokesman-Review sting, surfed online for sexual relationships with young men. | ||||||||||||
| 491 | 5 | "Living Old" | Health | 60 minutes | November 21, 2006 | 2415 | ||||||
|
A look into the repercussions of Americans living longer than ever (into their 80s and 90s) on not only them and their loved ones, but on the American health care system. | ||||||||||||
| 492 | 6 | Hand of God | Religion, family/children | 60 minutes | January 16, 2007 | 2507 | ||||||
|
Joe Cultrera documents efforts by his brother, Paul, to reveal Paul's abuse by their Catholic church priest in the 1960s. | ||||||||||||
| News War documentary | ||||||||||||
| 493 | 7 | News War: Secrets, Sources & Spin, Part I | Media | 60 minutes | February 13, 2007 | 2505 | ||||||
|
Lowell Bergman explores controversies over journalism's use of anonymous sources, the relationship between the press and the Bush administration, and the unintended (and damaging) consequences of the Valerie Plame investigation. | ||||||||||||
| 494 | 8 | News War: Secrets, Sources & Spin, Part II | Media | 60 minutes | February 20, 2007 | 2505A | ||||||
|
A look into recent First Amendment legal battles between the U.S. government and the press, how and why reporters are compelled to reveal their confidential sources, and how much the press can reveal about government secrecy in the war on terror. | ||||||||||||
| 495 | 9 | News War: What's Happening with the News | Media | 60 minutes | February 27, 2007 | 2506 | ||||||
|
How mainstream media and in-depth reporting has been upended in a changing world of profit pressures, corporate cost cutting, and increased competition from cable news networks and the internet. | ||||||||||||
| 496 | 10 | News War: Stories from a Small Planet | Media | 60 minutes | March 27, 2007 | 2506A | ||||||
|
In Frontline World's entry in the News War series, Greg Barker looks at the international forces influencing journalism and politics, specifically the rise of Al Jazeera and its impact on Arab media and the clash between the West and Islam. | ||||||||||||
| Remainder of season 25 | ||||||||||||
| 497 | 11 | So Much So Fast | Health, family | 90 minutes | April 3, 2007 | 2508 | ||||||
|
Steven Ascher and Jeanne Jordan's profile of Stephen Heywood, his family, and their response to Stephen's being diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. | ||||||||||||
| 498 | 12 | "Gangs of Iraq" | Middle East | 60 minutes | April 17, 2007 | ACRO103 | ||||||
|
A look at how U.S. forces' training efforts to retrain Iraq's army and police force so that they can combat the country's post-war violence. | ||||||||||||
| 499 | 13 | "Hot Politics" | Environment | 60 minutes | April 24, 2007 | 2510 | ||||||
|
How bi-partisan political and economic forces prevented the U.S. government from confronting what may be one of the most serious problems facing humanity today — climate change — and how state & local governments and the private sector are filling the leadership void on the topic. (An investigation by Frontline and the Center for Investigative Reporting) | ||||||||||||
| 500 501 | 14 15 | The Mormons | Religion | 120 minutes 120 minutes | April 30, 2007 May 1, 2007 | MORM101 MORM102 | ||||||
|
A two-part profile of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; how it grew to become an influential religion; and how it often remains misunderstood in American life. (A co-production of American Experience and Frontline) | ||||||||||||
| 502 | 16 | "When Kids Get Life" | TBA | 60 minutes | May 8, 2007 | 2511 | ||||||
| 503 | 17 | "Spying on the Home Front" | National security | 60 minutes | May 15, 2007 | 2512 | ||||||
|
Hedrick Smith profiles how the National Security Agency's domestic surveillance program and whether it is jeopardizing Americans' privacy and civil liberties. | ||||||||||||
| 504 | 18 | "Endgame" | Middle East | 60 minutes | June 19, 2007 | 2513 | ||||||
|
How strategic and tactical mistakes and an early mandate to create a quick American exit led to the chaos and sectarian strife that has brought Iraq to the brink of civil war. | ||||||||||||
Season 26 (2007–08)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Topic(s) | Running time | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 505 | 1 | "Cheney's Law" | Politics, war on terror | 60 minutes | October 16, 2007 | 2601 |
|
How Vice President Dick Cheney pulled levers of power to give the presidency extraordinary executive power in times of war, even without the approval of Congress or review from the court system. | ||||||
| 506 | 2 | "Showdown with Iran" | Middle East | 60 minutes | October 23, 2007 | 2602 |
|
A look at Iran's rise to power in the Middle East and its challenge to the U.S. for influence in the region. | ||||||
| 507 | 3 | "The Undertaking" | Health | 60 minutes | October 30, 2007 | 2603 |
|
A look into the ritual of caring for the dead and their survivors, as seen through a family-owned funeral service in Michigan. | ||||||
| 508 | 4 | "On Our Watch" | Foreign Affairs | 60 minutes | November 20, 2007 | 2604 |
|
How the United Nations, and the international community in general, failed to stop the Darfur genocide. | ||||||
| 509 | 5 | "The Medicated Child" | Health/Medical | 60 minutes | January 8, 2008 | 2605 |
|
A look at the increase in diagnoses of bipolar disorder and other psychiatric disorders in children, and how they're being prescribed anti-psychotic drugs that have had little or no prior testing. | ||||||
| 510 | 6 | "Growing Up Online" | Technology, youth/family | 60 minutes | January 22, 2008 | 2606 |
|
How a whole generation has grown up with access to the internet and social media, and the risks and realities they face in the online world. | ||||||
| 511 | 7 | "A Dangerous Business Revisited" | Business/Economy/Financial | 60 minutes | February 5, 2008 | 2109-003 |
|
Lowell Bergman revisits a Season 21 report on worker safety concerns at McWane's iron ore plants, and how the company has changed its ways in the face of regulatory and legal woes after the report. (A Frontline co-production with the Center for Investigative Reporting, Inc.) | ||||||
| 512 | 8 | "Rules of Engagement" | Middle East | 60 minutes | February 19, 2008 | 2607 |
| 513 514 | 9 10 | "Bush's War" | Middle East, War on Terror | 120 minutes 2 horus | March 23, 2008 March 24, 2008 | 2608 2609 |
|
A two part analysis of the Iraq War looks at the war's beginnings, how it has been fought, and the conflicts within the Bush administration over its progress. | ||||||
| 515 | 11 | "Bad Voodoo's War" | Iraq War | 60 minutes | April 1, 2008 | 2610 |
|
Deborah Scranton provides cameras to California National Guard soldiers (part of "The Bad Voodoo Platoon"), allowing them to tell their own stories of deployment in Iraq. | ||||||
| 516 | 12 | "Sick Around the World" | Health/Medical | 60 minutes | April 15, 2008 | 2611 |
| 517 | 13 | "Storm Over Everest" | Biographies | 60 minutes | May 13, 2008 | 2612 |
|
David Breashears tells the story of what happened on a 1996 climb of Mount Everest, when a fast-moving blizzard trapped two climbing teams and led to the deaths of 8 climbers. | ||||||
| 518 | 14 | "Young & Restless in China" | Asia, biographies | 60 minutes | June 17, 2008 | 2614 |
|
An intimate look into the lives of nine young Chinese as they scramble to keep pace with a fast-changing society. | ||||||
Season 27 (2008–09)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Topic(s) | Running time | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 519 | 1 | "The Choice 2008" | Biographies | 120 minutes | October 14, 2008 | 2701 |
|
Profiles of presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama. | ||||||
| 520 | 2 | "Heat" | Environment | 60 minutes | October 21, 2008 | 2613 |
|
Martin Smith (documentarian) looks at how oil and coal companies, electric utilities, and car manufacturers are reshaping their approach to the environment after years of resistance to change. | ||||||
| 521 | 3 | "The War Briefing" | Foreign affairs | 60 minutes | October 28, 2008 | 2702 |
|
Diplomats and strategists offer a look into the foreign policy choices the next U.S. President will face. | ||||||
| 522 | 4 | Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story | Biographies | 90 minutes | November 11, 2008 | 2703 |
|
Stefan Forbes' documentary profile of Lee Atwater, the Machiavellian (and influential) GOP campaign operative who sought forgiveness from those hurt by his "politics as war" tactics before succumbing to a brain tumor at 40. | ||||||
| 523 | 5 | "The Hugo Chávez Show" | Biographies | 60 minutes | November 25, 2008 | 2704 |
|
An illuminating look at Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez, his mercurial rise to power, and how the mercurial leader has sparked socialist revolutions not only throughout his country but also through television. | ||||||
| 524 | 6 | "The Old Man and the Storm" | Cities | 60 minutes | January 6, 2009 | 2705 |
|
The difficulties of rebuilding post-Katrina New Orleans as seen through producer June Cross' profile of 82-year-old Herbert Gettridge and his family, and how urban planning, public health, and insurance industry decisions affected their attempts to rebuild their homes and lives. | ||||||
| 525 | 7 | "Dreams of Obama" | Biographies | 60 minutes | January 20, 2009 | 2706 |
|
On the day Barack Obama takes office, Michael Kirk explores how Obama's life experiences and political career allowed him to his becoming America's first Black president. | ||||||
| 526 | 8 | "My Father, My Brother, and Me" | Health | 60 minutes | February 3, 2009 | 2707 |
|
Dave Iverson explores the scientific, ethical, and political debates that surround Parkinson's disease, speaking with scientists exploring cutting-edge cures and therapies, as well as fellow Parkinson's sufferers (Iverson was diagnosed with the disease in 2004). (A joint production of Frontline and ITVS) | ||||||
| 527 | 9 | "Inside the Meltdown" | Business/Economy | 60 minutes | February 17, 2009 | 2708 |
|
How the financial crisis developed, why investment banks went under or had to be bailed out, and what the US Treasury Secretary and Federal Reserve Chairman could and could not fix. | ||||||
| 528 | 10 | "Ten Trillion and Counting" | Business/Economy | 60 minutes | March 24, 2009 | 2709 |
|
The causes, potential outcomes of, and possible solutions to the growing U.S. public debt ($10 trillion and counting). | ||||||
| 529 | 11 | "Sick Around America" | Health | 60 minutes | March 31, 2009 | 2710 |
|
How a worsening economy, major illnesses, and insurance company decisions are impacting the American health care system. | ||||||
| 530 | 12 | "Black Money" | Business/Economy | 60 minutes | April 7, 2009 | 2711 |
|
Lowell Bergman examines the shadowy world of international bribery, and how multinational companies maneuver to get billions of dollars in business. | ||||||
| 531 | 13 | "Poisoned Waters" | Environment | 60 minutes | April 21, 2009 | 2712 |
|
Hedrick Smith examines the rising hazards to human health and ecosystem caused by polluted U.S. waterways, as well as the difficulties to keep our waters clean. | ||||||
| 532 | 14 | "The Released" | Criminal Justice | 60 minutes | April 28, 2009 | 2713 |
|
What happens to mentally ill prisoners when they finish their time and leave prison, and why they return to incarceration at such alarming rates. | ||||||
| 533 | 15 | "The Madoff Affair" | Business/Economy | 60 minutes | May 12, 2009 | 2714 |
|
Unraveling the story behind the world's first global Ponzi Scheme. | ||||||
| 534 | 16 | "Breaking the Bank" | Business/Economy | 60 minutes | June 16, 2009 | 2715 |
|
The inside story of how big bets and hopes of billions of dollars in revenues led instead to massive losses for investment banks, in particular Bank of America. | ||||||
Season 28 (2009–2010)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Topic(s) | Running time | Original air date | Prod. code [13] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 535 | 1 | "Obama's War" | Foreign affairs | 60 minutes | October 13, 2009 | 2801 |
|
A look at American counter-insurgency strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan, a fight that promises to be longer and more costly than most Americans understand. | ||||||
| 536 | 2 | "The Warning" | Business/Economy | 60 minutes | October 20, 2009 | 2802 |
|
An examination into why the financial crisis happened and how it might have been prevented, in particular the hesitancy to regulate the derivatives markets. | ||||||
| 537 | 3 | Close to Home | Business/Economy | 60 minutes | October 27, 2009 | 2803 |
|
Ofra Bikel turns to a New York City hair salon she frequents and sees the struggles of a small business owner, her sister's risk of imminent foreclosure on her Florida home, and how their various clients are getting buy in turbulent financial times. | ||||||
| 538 | 4 | "Alaska Gold" | Environment | 60 minutes | November 10, 2009 | 2804 |
|
The growing battle in Alaska's Bristol Bay region between two industries — fishermen who prize the bay's salmon population, and mining companies who want to reap its enormous mineral deposits. | ||||||
| 539 | 5 | "A Death in Tehran" | Middle East | 60 minutes | November 17, 2009 | 2805 |
|
How Neda Agha-Soltan, whose lost her life during election protests, became the face of a movement that threatened the hard-line Iranian government's hold on power. | ||||||
| 540 | 6 | The Card Game | Business/Economy/Financial Crisis | 60 minutes | November 24, 2009 | 2806 |
|
Lowell Bergman examines the future of the massive consumer loan industry, its impact on a fragile national economy, and what's ahead for customers and banks as possible new regulations await. (A joint project with The New York Times) | ||||||
| 541 | 7 | Digital Nation | Family/Children | 90 minutes | February 2, 2010 | 2809 |
|
A look at "the risks and possibilities, myths and realities" of "life on the digital frontier." | ||||||
| 542 | 8 | Flying Cheap | Transportation | 60 minutes | February 9, 2010 | 2810 |
|
How low-cost airlines and regional carriers have changed the airline business, and whether safety has been sacrificed in the quest for greater profits. | ||||||
| 543 | 9 | Behind Taliban Lines | Afghanistan/Pakistan, Iraq/War on Terror | 60 minutes | February 23, 2010 | 2813 |
|
An Afghan journalist's 10 days living with an insurgent cell allied with Al Qaeda that's planning to sabotage a key U.S./NATO supply route. | ||||||
| 544 | 10 | The Suicide Tourist | Social Issues | 60 minutes | March 2, 2010 | 2811 |
|
John Zaritsky follows a Chicago native suffering from ALS as he travels to Switzerland in order to take his life with help of a nonprofit organization that offers legally assisted suicides. | ||||||
| 545 | 11 | The Quake | World | 60 minutes | March 30, 2010 | 2814 |
|
An in-depth look at the earthquake in Haiti examines problems with relief efforts and issues with governmental management, as well as the quake's effects on people's lives. | ||||||
| 546 | 12 | Obama's Deal | U.S. Politics | 60 minutes | April 13, 2010 | 2815[14] |
|
An inside look at efforts by the Obama administration's efforts to pass the Affordable Care Act. | ||||||
| 547 | 13 | The Dancing Boys of Afghanistan | World | 52 minutes | April 20, 2010 | 2807 |
|
Najibullah Quraishi's documentary looks at a practice in Afghanistan in which boys as young as 11 are sold into sexual slavery and child prostitution. | ||||||
| 548 | 14 | The Vaccine War | Health/Medical | 60 minutes | April 27, 2010 | 2816 |
|
The debate between those in scientific medicine and public health who tout the medical benefits of vaccines and a populist coalition who express hesitancy over their administration. | ||||||
| 549 | 15 | College, Inc. | Business and Economy / Education | 60 minutes | May 4, 2010 | 2817 |
|
A look at for-profit colleges and universities in the U.S. and the effect of their recruitment methods, online curriculum, and connections to big business. | ||||||
| 550 | 16 | The Wounded Platoon | Military / Health | 90 minutes | May 18, 2010 | 2812 |
|
A look at the violence, depression, and stress exhibited by a platoon of Iraq War veterans whose members who have committed murder and assault or have taken their own lives. | ||||||
| 551 | 17 | Law & Disorder | Criminal justice | 60 minutes | August 25, 2010 | 2818 |
|
A look into several questionable shootings by the New Orleans Police Department in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. | ||||||
| 552 | 18 | God in America | Religion | 60 minutes | October 11, 2010 | 0000 |
|
The 400-year history of the intersection of religion and public life in the United States of America. (A co-production of American Experience and Frontline) | ||||||
Season 29 (2010–11)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Topic(s) | Running time | Original air date | Prod. code [13] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 553 | 1 | Death by Fire | Criminal Justice | 60 minutes | October 19, 2010 | 2901 |
|
At the center of the national death penalty debate today is the controversial case of Cameron Todd Willingham, put to death for the arson-murder of his three little girls. But was he guilty?[15] | ||||||
| 554 | 2 | The Spill | Business and Economy | 60 minutes | October 26, 2010 | 2902 |
|
Frontline investigates BP's record of safety violations and accidents in the years leading up to the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf. | ||||||
| 555 | 3 | The Confessions | Criminal Justice | 90 minutes | November 9, 2010 | 2903 |
|
Frontline looks at the case of the Norfolk Four in which four men were convicted of the rape and murder of a woman on the basis of coerced confessions. | ||||||
| 556 | 4 | Facing Death | Health/Medical | 60 minutes | November 23, 2010 | 2904 |
|
The end-of-life choices made by physicians and families | ||||||
| 557 | 5 | Battle for Haiti | Foreign affairs | 60 minutes | January 11, 2011 | 2905 |
|
In the chaos of the earthquake that devastated Haiti, thousands of the country's worst criminals seized the opportunity to stage a mass escape from the National Penitentiary. One year later, the gang leaders are re-asserting control in the capital, threatening the country's stability. | ||||||
| 558 | 6 | Are We Safer? Flying Cheaper | War on terror | 22 minutes 20 minutes | January 18, 2011 () | 2906 |
|
Are We Safer?: Dana Priest investigates the terrorism-industrial complex that grew up in the wake of 9/11. Flying Cheaper: A follow-up to Season 28's Flying Cheap examines the trend of airlines outsourcing Maintenance; a co-production with the Investigative Reporting Workshop. | ||||||
| 559 | 7 | Post Mortem | Criminal justice | 60 minutes | February 1, 2011 | 2907 |
|
A collaboration with NPR and ProPublica reveals how dysfunction, low standards, and lax oversight impacts investigations into sudden or suspicious deaths. | ||||||
| 560 | 9[16] | Revolution in Cairo | Foreign Affairs/Defense/Military | 60 minutes | February 22, 2011 | 0000 |
| 561 | 10 | Money and March Madness Who's Afraid of Ai Weiwei The Private Life of Bradley Manning | Biographies | 22 minutes 18 minutes 10 minutes | March 29, 2011 | 2910 |
|
Money and March Madness: An inside look at the multibillion-dollar business of the NCAA and its brand of amateur college sports. Who's Afraid of Ai Weiwei: How Ai Weiwei dares to walk the fine line between freedom and censorship in China. The Private Life of Bradley Manning: Exclusive interview with Private Manning's father, who speaks out for the first time about his son's upbringing and troubled youth.[17] | ||||||
| 562 | 11 | Football High | Education, Sports | 60 minutes | April 12, 2011 | 2911 |
|
High school football has never had a higher profile ... but is winning worth the risks? | ||||||
| 563 | 12 | The Silence | Criminal Justice / Religion and Beliefs | 60 minutes | April 19, 2011 | 2912 |
|
Frontline reveals a little-known chapter of the Catholic Church sex abuse story: decades of abuse of Native Americans by priests and other church workers in Alaska. | ||||||
| 564 | 13 | Fighting for Bin Laden | Afghanistan/Pakistan | 60 minutes | May 3, 2011 | 2913 |
|
The fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan. | ||||||
| 565 | 14 | Kill/Capture | Afghanistan/Pakistan, Iraq/War on Terror | 60 minutes | May 10, 2011 | 2914 |
|
Goes inside the "kill/capture" program to discover new evidence of the program's effect and its costs. | ||||||
| 566 | 15 | WikiSecrets | Foreign Affairs/Defense/Military | 60 minutes | May 24, 2011 | 2915 |
|
The inside story of Chelsea Manning, Julian Assange (WikiLeaks) and the largest intelligence breach in U.S. history. | ||||||
| 567 | 16 | The Child Cases Educating Sergeant Pantzke | Criminal Justice Education | 32 minutes 18 minutes | June 28, 2011 | 2916 |
|
The Child Cases: Ernie Lopez to prison for 60 years when a child dies under suspicious circumstances. Now a Texas judge has moved to overturn Lopez's conviction, and questions are raised about the quality of expert testimony in this and many other cases. Educating Sergeant Pantzke: In a follow-up to College, Inc., FRONTLINE investigates how the for-profit schools are recruiting veterans with educational promises that they may not keep. | ||||||
| 568 | 17 | The Pot Republic Doctor Hotspot The Atomic Artists | Business and Economy / Social Issues Health World | 25 minutes 13 minutes 12 minutes | July 26, 2011 | 2917 |
|
The Pot Republic: FRONTLINE and The Center for Investigative Reporting team up to investigate California's marijuana market. Doctor Hotspot: Dr. Jeffrey Brenner and his team are pioneering a practice called “hotspotting,” in which medical care is focused on the hardest-to-treat to improve their health and dramatically reduce costs. The Atomic Artists: FRONTLINE with PRI’s The World meet Chim?Pom, a provocative group of young artists using art to challenge the status quo and ask Japan to rethink their way of life. | ||||||
| 569 | 18 | Top Secret America | Iraq/War on Terror | 60 minutes | September 6, 2011 | 2918 |
| 570 | 19 | An Optimist in Haiti | Poverty | 60 minutes | September 27, 2011 | 2919 |
|
The struggle of one man to develop a tourist destination in Haiti and bring economic prosperity. | ||||||
| 571 | 19 | The Man Behind the Mosque | Race/Multicultural, Religion | 60 minutes | September 27, 2011 | 2919 |
|
The struggles of Sharif El-Gamal to build a mosque near the site of the World Trade Center. | ||||||
Season 30 (2011–12)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Topic(s) | Running time | Original air date | Prod. code [13] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 572 | 1 | The Anthrax Files | Criminal Justice / U.S. Politics | 60 minutes | October 11, 2011 | 3001[18] |
|
Frontline, with ProPublica and McClatchy Newspapers, takes a hard look at the FBI's investigation of the country's most notorious act of bioterrorism. | ||||||
| 573 | 2 | Lost in Detention | Immigration / Social Issues | 60 minutes | October 18, 2011 | 3002 |
|
An investigation into the Obama administration's enforcement strategies and immigrant detention, particularly who is being detained and what is happening to these detainees. | ||||||
| 574 | 3 | Syria Undercover | War and Conflict / World | 60 minutes | November 8, 2011 | 3003 |
|
Reporter Ramita Navai goes undercover for a rare look at the uprising from inside Syria. Plus a profile of the dictator who has managed to hold on longer than any amidst the Arab unrest—President Bashar al-Assad. | ||||||
| 575 | 4 | A Perfect Terrorist | Afghanistan/Pakistan | 60 minutes | November 22, 2011 | 3004 |
|
Life of a Pakistani-American David Headley. | ||||||
| 576 | 5 | Opium Brides | World | 33 minutes | January 3, 2012 | 3005 |
|
Frontline reports on the unexpected collateral damage of the counter-narcotics effort in Afghanistan. | ||||||
| 577 | 6 | Nuclear Aftershocks | Environment, Health/Science/Technology | 60 minutes | January 17, 2012 | 2921 |
|
Frontline travels to three continents to explore the debate about nuclear power: Is it safe? What are the alternatives? And could a Fukushima-style disaster.[19] happen in the U.S.?[20] | ||||||
| 578 | 7 | The Interrupters | Biographies, Criminal Justice | 120 minutes | February 14, 2012 | 3006 |
|
An intimate journey across the violent landscape of our cities through the eyes of those fighting to sow peace and security.[21] | ||||||
| 579 | 8 | Inside Japan's Nuclear Meltdown | Environment, Foreign Affairs/Defense, Health/Science/Technology | 60 minutes | February 28, 2012 | 3008 |
|
An unprecedented account of the crisis inside the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.[19] | ||||||
| 580 | 9 | Murdoch's Scandal | Business and Economy | 60 minutes | March 27, 2012 | 3009 |
|
Accounts of bribery, blackmail, and privacy invasions has prompted criminal investigations on both sides of the Atlantic. | ||||||
| 581 | 10 | The Real CSI | Criminal Justice | 60 minutes | April 17, 2012 | 3010 |
|
How reliable is the science behind forensics? A Frontline investigation finds serious flaws in some of the best-known tools of forensic science.[22] | ||||||
| 582 585 | 11 14 | Money, Power and Wall Street Parts I-IV | Money, Power and Wall Street | 60 minutes | April 24, 2012 April 24, 2012 May 1, 2012 May 1, 2012 | 3011 3012 3013 3014 |
|
Frontline tells the inside story of the global financial crisis.[23] (four one-hour episodes, May 4 premier concluded). | ||||||
| 586 | 12 | Cell Tower Deaths Six Billion Dollar Bet | Business and Economy | 30 minutes 21 minutes | May 22, 2012 | 3007 |
|
Cell Tower Deaths: Learn about the hidden cost of better and faster cell phone service and unreliable medical evidence in several child death cases. Six Billion Dollar Bet: Jon Corzine, former head of Goldman Sachs and political power broker, took over MF Global in the spring of 2010 and lost a massive bet on European debt, with more than a billion dollars of customer funds missing. FRONTLINE investigates how Corzine’s traders went around MF Global’s risk officers and how he swayed regulators in Washington to allow risky practices to continue. | ||||||
| 587 | 13 | Al Qaeda in Yemen | Terrorism / World | 60 minutes | May 29, 2012 | 3016 |
|
Frontline travels into the heart of Yemen's radical heartland, and shows how Al Queda is taking control of towns and cities in an attempt to establish its own state. | ||||||
| 588 | 14 | Dollars and Dentists | Health | 53 minutes | June 26, 2012 | 3018 |
|
Miles O'Brien examines how millions of Americans cannot afford or are unable to receive dental care. (Reported in partnership with The Center for Public Integrity) | ||||||
| 589 | 15 | Endgame: Aids in Black America | Health / Social Issues | 120 minutes | July 10, 2012 | 3017 |
|
A tracing of the AIDS epidemic and how it has affected the Black community (nearly one-half of those with the disease are Black men, women, and children). | ||||||
| 590 | 16 | Fast Times at West Philly High Middle School Moment | Education | 36 minutes 14 minutes | July 17, 2012 | 3015 |
|
Fast Times at West Philly High: Students and teachers from West Philadelphia High School, a public school serving one of Philly's most disadvantaged neighborhoods, defy expectations as they design and build two super-hybrid cars for international competition and compete for the chance to be part of a technological revolution. Middle School Moment: With new evidence suggesting that the make-or-break moment for high school dropouts may actually occur in middle school, this film explores how one Bronx school is using a novel form of data collection and analysis to predict and prevent dropouts before they happen. | ||||||
| 591 | 18 | Alaska Gold | Business/Economy/Financial, Environment, Health/Science/Technology | 60 minutes | July 24, 2012 | 3004 |
|
Frontline probes the fault lines of a growing battle in the Bristol Bay region of Alaska, home to the world's last great wild sockeye salmon fishery-and enormous mineral deposits.[24] | ||||||
| 592 | 19 | The Battle for Syria | Foreign Affairs/Defense | 60 minutes | September 18, 2012 | 3019 |
|
Frontline takes you inside the heart of the insurgency, where rebel groups are waging a full-scale assault on the forces of President Bashar al Assad. | ||||||
| 593 | 20 | Dropout Nation | Education in the United States | 120 minutes | September 25, 2012 | 3020 |
|
What does it take to save a student?[25] | ||||||
Season 31 (2012–13)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Topic(s) | Running time | Original air date | Prod. code [13] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 594 | 1[26] | The Choice 2012 | Government/Elections/Politics | 120 minutes | October 9, 2012 | 3101 |
| 595 | 2 | Climate of Doubt | Climate change denial and the climate change controversy regarding public opinion on climate change | 60 minutes | October 23, 2012 | 3021 |
|
Featured Tim Phillips (political strategist) of Americans for Prosperity, Andrew Dessler, Bob Inglis a US Republican Representative who lost after to not denying anthropogenic climate change (global warming), Steve Coll, the Heartland Institute, Donors Trust, Myron Ebell of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, Cato Institute, Fred Singer, Willie Soon, Drexel University sociologist Robert Brulle, and others.[27] | ||||||
| 596 | 3 | Big Sky, Big Money | Government/Elections/Politics | 60 minutes | October 30, 2012 | 3022 |
|
A discussion of the impacts of the Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United v. FEC. | ||||||
| 597 | 4 | The Suicide Plan | Social Issues | 85 minutes | November 13, 2012 | 3023 |
|
Explore the shadow world of assisted suicide, where the lines between legality and criminality are blurred. | ||||||
| 598 | 5 | Poor Kids | Business/Economy/Financial | 60 minutes | November 20, 2012 | 3024 |
|
Poverty And surrounding issues in USA. | ||||||
| 599 | 6 | Secret War Opium Brides | Terrorism / World World | 18 minutes 33 minutes | January 3, 2012 | 3105 |
|
Secret War: Stephen Grey and Martin Smith go inside the deepest front in America’s war against Al Qaeda and the Taliban: Pakistan. Opium Brides: Najibullah Quraishi reports on the harrowing story of the collateral damage of the counter-narcotics effort. | ||||||
| 600 | 7 | The Education of Michelle Rhee | Education, Family/Children | 60 minutes | January 8, 2013 | 3102 |
|
Biography and in depth look at one of the most controversial educational reformers in the modern era. | ||||||
| 601 | 8 | Inside Obama's Presidency | Government/Elections/Politics | 60 minutes | January 15, 2013 | 3103 |
|
A look inside the first term of the Barack Obama presidency and an eye to the second. | ||||||
| 602 | 9 | The Untouchables | Business/Economy/Financial, Government/Elections/Politics | 60 minutes | January 22, 2013 | 3104 |
|
A look inside the lack of prosecutions on Wall Street after The Great Recession | ||||||
| 603 | 10 | Cliffhanger | Business/Economy/Financial, Government/Elections/Politics | 60 minutes | February 12, 2013 | 3105 |
|
The inside history of how Washington has failed to solve the country's problems of debt and deficit | ||||||
| 604 | 11 | Newtown Divided Raising Adam Lanza | Social Issues Biographies, Criminal Justice | 20 minutes 32 minutes | February 19, 2013 | 3106 |
|
Newtown Divided : In depth look at the Newtown shooting and all surrounding issues. | ||||||
| 605 606 | 12 13 | Kind Hearted Woman (Parts 1 & 2) | Biographies | 120 minutes 180 minutes | April 1, 2013 April 2, 2013 | 3199 |
|
A portrait of Robin Charboneau, a 32-year-old divorced single mother and Oglala Sioux woman living on North Dakota's Spirit Lake Reservation. Kind Hearted Woman is a special co-presentation of FRONTLINE and Independent Lens. | ||||||
| 607 | 14 | Syria Behind the Lines | Foreign Affairs/Defense | 60 minutes | April 9, 2013 | 3107 |
|
Everyday life of both the Syrian rebels and the Bashar al-Assad regime. | ||||||
| 608 | 15 | The Retirement Gamble | Business/Economy/Financial, Social Issues | 60 minutes | April 23, 2013 | 3108 |
|
Reform and common pitfalls in regards to retirement, IRA's and 401k, and less risky and less costly index funds.[28] | ||||||
| 609 | 16 | Top Secret America: 9/11 to the Boston Bombings | Iraq/War on Terror | 60 minutes | April 30, 2013 | 3118 |
|
An updated version of Top Secret America which traces the journey from 9/11 to the Boston Marathon bombings and investigates the secret history of the 12-year battle against terrorism. | ||||||
| 610 | 17 | Never Forget to Lie | Family/Children, Social Issues | 60 minutes | May 14, 2013 | 3109 |
|
Filmmaker Marian Marzynski returns to Poland to explore his own wartime childhood and the experiences of other child survivors of the Holocaust. | ||||||
| 611 | 18 | Outlawed in Pakistan | Afghanistan/Pakistan | 60 minutes | May 28, 2013 | 3110 |
|
The story of a girl in Pakistan whose life is at risk for daring to allege rape. | ||||||
| 612 | 19 | Rape in the Fields | Criminal Justice, Social Justice | 60 minutes | June 25, 2013 | 3111 |
|
Lowell Bergman investigates the hidden reality of rape on the job for immigrant women working in America's fields, farms and factories. | ||||||
| 613 | 20 | Two American Families | Family/Children, Social Issues | 85 minutes | July 9, 2013 | 3112 |
|
Bill Moyers chronicles the lives of two ordinary families over more than 20 years as they battle to keep from sliding into poverty. | ||||||
| 614 | 21 | Life and Death in Assisted Living | Family/Children, Social Issues | 60 minutes | July 30, 2013 | 3113 |
|
Frontline and ProPublica investigate assisted living in America. | ||||||
Season 32 (2013–14)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Topic(s) | Running time | Original air date | Prod. code [13] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 615 | 1 | Egypt in Crisis | World | 60 minutes | September 17, 2013 | 3201 |
|
Middle East Correspondents Martin Smith and Charles Sennott examine the rise and rapid fall of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood. | ||||||
| 616 | 2 | League of Denial: The NFL's Concussion Crisis | Health/Science/Technology, Sports | 115 minutes | October 8, 2013 | 3202 |
|
The epidemic of concussions among National Football League players, their lingering effects, and the league's efforts to downplay the issue | ||||||
| 617 | 3 | Hunting the Nightmare Bacteria | Health/Science/Technology | 60 minutes | October 22, 2013 | 3114 |
|
Frontline investigates the rise of deadly drug-resistant bacteria. | ||||||
| 618 | 4 | Who Was Lee Harvey Oswald? | Biographies | 85 minutes | November 19, 2013 | 3204 |
|
50th anniversary shortened repeat of 1993 broadcast: Investigative biography examining the Kennedy assassination by exploring the life of Lee Harvey Oswald. | ||||||
| 619 | 5 | A Death in St. Augustine | Criminal Justice | 60 minutes | November 26, 2013 | 3115 |
|
What happens when the police face the possibility of domestic violence within their ranks? | ||||||
| 620 | 6[29] | To Catch a Trader | Business/Economy/Financial, Criminal Justice | 60 minutes | January 7, 2014 | 3205[30] |
|
Frontline goes inside the hunt that uncovered vast insider trading on Wall Street. | ||||||
| 621 | 7 | Secret State of North Korea | North Korea | 60 minutes | January 14, 2014 | 3206 |
|
Using undercover footage, Frontline explores life under Kim Jong-un. | ||||||
| 622 | 8 | Syria's Second Front Children of Aleppo | Syria | 22 minutes 29 minutes | February 11, 2014 | 3208 |
| 623 | 9 | Generation Like | Social media | 60 minutes | February 18, 2014 | 3207 |
|
What happens when the traditional teenage quest for identity and connection occurs online? | ||||||
| 624 | 10 | Secrets of the Vatican | Vatican City | 90 minutes | February 25, 2014 | 3216 |
|
An inside look at the scandals that rocked Benedict's papacy. | ||||||
| 625 | 11 | TB Silent Killer | Health/Science/Technology | 90 minutes | March 25, 2014 | 3217 |
|
An unforgettable portrait of lives forever changed by tuberculosis. | ||||||
| 626 627 | 12 13 | Locked up in America Part One: Solitary Nation Part Two: Prison State | Criminal Justice | 90 minutes | April 22, 2014 April 29, 2014 | 3209 3210 |
|
Two raw, explosive films that explore America's fixation on incarceration. | ||||||
| 628 629 | 14 15 | United States of Secrets Part One: The Program Part Two: Privacy Lost | Surveillance & Privacy | 60 minutes | May 13, 2014 May 20, 2014 | 3212 |
|
Lawmakers and whistleblowers describe the surveillance state that developed in the wake of 9/11, largely exposed in 2013. Intelligence agencies routinely track individuals online using commercial data, as well as demand information from internet providers and phone companies. | ||||||
| 630 | 16 | Battle for Ukraine Syria: Arming the Rebels | Foreign Affairs/Defense | 32 minutes 18 minutes | May 27, 2014 | 3213 |
|
Battle for Ukraine: Explores the deep-seated hatreds on both sides of the conflict. Syria: Arming the Rebels: Reporter Muhammad Ali crosses into the war zone, and finds Syrian rebel fighters who say they're being secretly armed and trained by the United States. | ||||||
| 631 | 17 | Separate and Unequal Omarina's Story | Social Issues / Race / Education | 28 minutes 23 minutes | July 15, 2014 | 3214 |
|
Separate and Unequal: Sixty years after the Supreme Court declared separate schools for Black and white children unconstitutional, school segregation is making a comeback. Omarina's Story: As part of an examination of the school dropout crisis, FRONTLINE catches up with Omarina Cabrera, who was profiled in Season 30's Middle School Moment and is now excelling in a New England prep school. | ||||||
| 632 | 18 | Losing Iraq | Foreign Affairs/Defense | 90 minutes | July 29, 2014 | 3215 |
|
U.S. troops withdrew from Iraq in 2011, ending America's military commitment in the country. Now, chaos is once again engulfing Iraq. | ||||||
Season 33 (2014–15)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Topic(s) | Running time | Original air date | Prod. code [13] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 633 | 1 | Ebola Outbreak Hunting Boko Haram | Health / World Terrorism / World | 28 minutes 25 minutes | September 9, 2014 | 3217 |
|
Ebola Outbreak: From the epicenter of the Ebola outbreak, Frontline follows health officials tracking the deadly disease and trying to stop its rampant spread. With special access to teams fighting Ebola in Sierra Leone, the film shows how the outbreak is endangering health- care workers, overwhelming hospitals and getting worse. Also this hour, Frontline investigates accounts that members of the Nigerian military have been committing atrocities in the fight against Boko Haram – the Islamist militants who kidnapped nearly 300 schoolgirls in April. Hunting Boko Haram: FRONTLINE investigates evidence that in the fight against Boko Haram, members of the Nigerian military and state-sponsored militias have been committing atrocities against suspects, many of them innocent civilians. | ||||||
| 634 | 2 | The Trouble with Antibiotics | Health/Science/Technology | 60 minutes | October 14, 2014 | 3301 |
|
Frontline investigates the widespread use of antibiotics in food animals and whether it is fueling the growing crisis of antibiotic resistance in people. Also this hour: An exclusive interview with the family of a young man who died in a nightmare bacteria outbreak that swept through a hospital at the National Institutes of Health. | ||||||
| 635 | 3 | The Rise of ISIS | Foreign Affairs/Defense | 60 minutes | October 28, 2014 | 3302 |
|
Frontline investigates the miscalculations and mistakes behind the brutal rise of ISIS. Correspondent Martin Smith, who made "Truth, War & Consequences," "Beyond Baghdad," "Private Warriors" and "Gangs of Iraq," reports from Iraq on how the country began coming undone after the American withdrawal and what it means for the U.S. to be fighting there again. | ||||||
| 636 | 4[31] | Firestone and the Warlord | TBA | 60 minutes | November 18, 2014 | 3303[32] |
|
Frontline and ProPublica investigate the relationship between Firestone and the infamous Liberian warlord Charles Taylor. Based on the inside accounts of Americans who ran the company's Liberia rubber plantation, and diplomatic cables and court documents, the investigation reveals how Firestone conducted business during the brutal Liberian civil war. | ||||||
| 637 | Special | Stickup Kid | Criminal Justice | 28 minutew | December 17, 2014 | 3350[33] |
|
A FRONTLINE digital exclusive. Frontline explores what happens when a juvenile offender is sent to adult prison. | ||||||
| 638 | 5 | Gunned Down: The Power of the NRA | Gun Control / Politics | 60 minutes | January 6, 2015 | 3304 |
|
A look into the politics and power of the National Rifle Association | ||||||
| 639 | 6 | Putin's Way | Foreign Affairs / Defense | 60 minutes | January 13, 2015 | 3305 |
|
An investigation into accusations surrounding Vladimir Putin's reign in Russia | ||||||
| 640 | 7 | Being Mortal | Medical Care | 60 minutes | February 10, 2015 | 3306 |
|
An exploration into the intersection of life, death, medicine and what matters in the end. | ||||||
| 641 | 8 | The Vaccine War | Medical Care | 60 minutes | March 24, 2015 | 2810 |
|
A continuation of Season 28's investigation into vaccine controversies, reviewing the latest chapter in the issue | ||||||
| 642 | 9 | The Fight for Yemen | Yemen Crisis | 60 minutes | April 7, 2015 | 3319 |
|
A report by Safa Al Ahmad from the heart of the escalating conflict in Yemen | ||||||
| 643 | 10 | American Terrorist | David Headley | 60 minutes | April 21, 2015 | 3307 |
| 644 | 11 | Outbreak | Medical Care | 60 minutes | May 5, 2015 | 3308 |
|
The vivid, inside story of how the Ebola outbreak began, and why it wasn't stopped before it was too late. | ||||||
| 645 | 12 | The Trouble with Chicken | Health | 60 minutes | May 12, 2015 | 3318 |
|
FRONTLINE investigates the spread of dangerous pathogens in our poultry, and why the food-safety system isn't stopping the threat. | ||||||
| 646 | 13 | Secrets, Politics and Torture | Foreign Affairs / Defense | 60 minutes | May 19, 2015 | 3309 |
|
The dramatic story of the fight over the CIA's controversial interrogation methods, widely criticized as torture. | ||||||
| 647 | 14 | Obama at War | War and Conflict / World | 60 minutes | May 26, 2015 | 3310 |
|
Inside the Obama administration's struggle to deal with ISIS and the deadly civil war in Syria. | ||||||
| 648 | 15 | Rape On The Night Shift | Criminal Justice / Immigration / Social Issues | 60 minutes | June 23, 2015 | 3311 |
|
FRONTLINE investigates the sexual abuse of immigrant women in the janitorial industry. | ||||||
| 649 | 16 | Growing Up Trans | Family/Children | 90 minutes | June 30, 2015 | 3301 |
|
An intimate look at the struggles and choices facing transgender kids and their families. | ||||||
| 650 | 17 | Escaping ISIS | Terrorism / World | 60 minutes | July 14, 2015 | 3312 |
|
Gripping, first-hand accounts of women who escaped the brutal reign of ISIS. | ||||||
| 651 | 18 | Drug Lord: The Legend of Shorty | Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán | 60 minutes | July 21, 2015 | 3320 |
|
Two filmmakers set out to interview "El Chapo" Guzman, leader of a major Mexican drug cartel. | ||||||
Season 34 (2015–16)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Topic(s) | Running time | Original air date | Prod. code [13] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 652 653 654 | 1 2 3 | My Brother's Bomber (Parts 1,2,3) | Pan Am Flight 103 | 60 minutes | September 29, 2015 October 6, 2015 October 13, 2015 | 3313 |
|
In My Brother’s Bomber, an emotional and suspenseful three-part series, Dornstein embarks on a quest for answers about the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. | ||||||
| 655 | 4 | Immigration Battle | Immigration / U.S. Politics | 60 minutes | October 20, 2015 | 3316 |
|
Independent filmmakers take viewers behind closed doors in Washington’s corridors of power to explore the political realities surrounding one of the country’s most pressing and divisive issues. | ||||||
| 656 | 5 | Inside Assad's Syria | War and Conflict / World | 60 minutes | October 27, 2015 | 3302 |
|
Correspondent Martin Smith goes Inside Assad’s Syria to report from government-controlled areas as war rages, with on-the-ground reporting and firsthand accounts from Syrians caught in the crisis. | ||||||
| 657 | 6 | Terror in Little Saigon | Criminal Justice / World | 60 minutes | November 3, 2015 | 3317 |
|
An investigation of a wave of terror that targeted Vietnamese-American journalists. | ||||||
| 658 | 7 | ISIS in Afghanistan | Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan Province | 60 minutes | November 17, 2015 | 3318 |
|
Najibullah Quraishi reveals on film the degree to which ISIS is gaining a foothold in the country, and how they’re focusing their efforts on training a new generation of jihadists. | ||||||
| 659 | 8 | Netanyahu at War | International affairs | 60 minutes | January 5, 2016 | 3404 |
|
A look at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political career and his relationships with American presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. | ||||||
| 660 | 9 | Supplements and Safety | Health | 60 minutes | January 19, 2016 | 3403 |
|
An examination into the dangers of vitamins and supplements, including their production, use, and limited FDA oversight; produced with The New York Times and CBC Television's The Fifth Estate | ||||||
| 661 | 10 | The Fantasy Sports Gamble | Fantasy sports | 60 minutes | February 9, 2016 | 3405 |
|
A joint investigation with The New York Times into the growth and operations of online daily fantasy sports operations | ||||||
| 662 | 11 | Chasing Heroin | Drug addiction | 60 minutes | February 23, 2016 | 3406 |
|
An investigation into the heroin crisis in the United States | ||||||
| 663 | 12 | Saudi Arabia Uncovered | Middle East | 60 minutes | March 29, 2016 | 3407 |
|
Undercover footage and on-the-ground reporting inside Saudi Arabia profiles those who seek to bring change to the kingdom. | ||||||
| 664 | 13 | Children of Syria | Middle East | 60 minutes | April 19, 2016 | 3408 |
| 665 | 14 | Benghazi in Crisis Yemen Under Siege | Foreign affairs | 18 minutes 35 minutes | May 3, 2016 | 3409 |
|
Benghazi in Crisis: A report from Benghazi, birthplace of Libya's 2011 uprising and the site of ongoing battles against ISIS. Yemen Under Siege: Journalist Safa al Ahmed looks at the human toll of the war in Yemen. | ||||||
| 666 | 15 | The Secret History of ISIS | Foreign affairs | 60 minutes | May 17, 2016 | 3410 |
|
An examination of the creation of the Islamic State and the missed signs and missteps that led to its rise | ||||||
| 667 | 16 | Business of Disaster | Disaster relief | 60 minutes | May 24, 2016 | 3411 |
|
A Frontline/NPR joint investigation into insurance company profits, fraudulent claims, and FEMA difficulties resulting from the cleanup after Hurricane Sandy | ||||||
| 668 | 17 | Policing the Police | Law enforcement | 60 minutes | June 28, 2016 | 3412 |
|
Jelani Cobb's report from Newark, New Jersey highlights a look into the difficulties in reforming troubled police departments | ||||||
| 669 | Special | Mosquito Hunter | Health | 12 minutes | August 2, 2016 | Special |
|
A look at Brazil's efforts to combat mosquito-borne illnesses, most notably Zika fever. | ||||||
| 670 | 18 | A Subprime Education | Education | 60 minutes | September 13, 2016 | 3413 |
|
A look at allegations of fraud and predatory behavior plaguing the for-profit higher education industry. | ||||||
Season 35 (2016–17)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Topic(s) | Running time | Original air date | Prod. code [13] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 671 | 1 | The Choice 2016 | Biographies | 60 minutes | September 27, 2016 | 3501 |
| 672 | 2 | Confronting ISIS | Foreign affairs | 60 minutes | October 11, 2016 | 3502 |
|
A look at the successes, failures and challenges in the U.S.-led effort to degrade and destroy ISIS. | ||||||
| 673 | 3 | Terror in Europe | Foreign affairs | 60 minutes | October 18, 2016 | 3503 |
|
As Europe reels from a terror onslaught, top security officials describe their struggle to contain the unprecedented threat revealed by attacks in France and Belgium. | ||||||
| 674 | 4 | Exodus | Europe | 120 minutes | December 27, 2016 | 3414 |
|
First-person accounts of refugees and migrants fleeing war and persecution for a safe haven in Europe. | ||||||
| 675 | 5 | President Trump | Biographies | 60 minutes | January 3, 2017 | 3504 |
|
The key moments in Donald Trump's life that lead to him becoming the 45th American president. | ||||||
| 676 677 | 6 7 | Divided States of America Parts 1 and 2 | Government/Elections/Politics | 120 minutes 120 minutes | January 17, 2017 January 18, 2017 | 3505 3506 |
|
A 2-part examination of the polarization dividing Washington and the U.S. as a whole begins with a look at how Barack Obama's promise of change and unity collided with racial and political realities. | ||||||
| 678 | 8 | Trump's Road to the White House | Biographies | 60 minutes | January 24, 2017 | 3507 |
|
A look at how Donald Trump defied expectations to win the U.S. presidency, how he rallied millions of supporters and defeated adversaries, and who he’s bringing with him to the White House. | ||||||
| 679 | 9 | Battle for Iraq Hunting ISIS | Foreign affairs/Defense | 30 minutes 30 minutes | January 31, 2017 | 3508 |
|
Battle for Iraq: Reporter Ghaith Abdul-Ahad goes inside the battle against the Islamic State for control of the Iraqi city of Mosul. Hunting ISIS: A look at an elite special operations unit at the center of the fight against ISIS in Iraq. | ||||||
| 680 | Special | Betting on Trump: Water Betting on Trump: Coal Betting on Trump: Jobs | Economics | 11 minutes 11 minutes 10 minutes | February 15, 2017 | Special |
|
A trio of reports from FRONTLINE, Marketplace and PBS NewsHour on what Donald Trump's promises mean to voters in California's Central Valley (farming and water), West Virginia (coal industry), and Erie, Pennsylvania (jobs) | ||||||
| 681 | 10 | Out of Gitmo Forever Prison | Foreign affairs/Defense | 30 minutes 30 minutes | February 21, 2017 | 3509 |
|
Out of Gitmo: Frontline and NPR examines the struggle over freeing prisoners once deemed international terrorists. Forever Prison: A Frontline/Retro Report collaboration into the untold history of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. | ||||||
| 682 | 11 | Iraq Uncovered | Iraq/war on terror | 60 minutes | March 21, 2017 | 3516 |
|
A look into allegations of abuse of Sunni Muslim civilians by powerful Shia militias. | ||||||
| 683 | 12 | Last Days of Solitary | Criminal justice | 60 minutes | April 18, 2017 | 3519 |
|
A look at Maine's ambitious attempt to decrease its use of solitary confinement and what happens when prisoners who have spent considerable time in isolation try to integrate back into society. | ||||||
| 684 | 13 | The Fish on My Plate | Health | 90 minutes | April 25, 2017 | 3415 |
|
Writer Paul Greenberg spends a year on a diet almost exclusively of fish in pondering the question of what type of fish is good for the human body and the planet. | ||||||
| 685 | 14 | Second Chance Kids | Social issues | 60 minutes | May 2, 2017 | 3511 |
|
Inside the fight over the fate of juveniles serving lifetime prison sentences for murder, 5 years after a landmark Supreme Court ruling that such sentences without the possibility of parole were unconstitutional. | ||||||
| 686 | 15 | Poverty, Politics and Profit | Housing | 60 minutes | May 9, 2017 | 3512 |
|
A Frontline/NPR investigation into why, despite billions being spent on public/private housing initiatives, so few low-income people get the housing they need. | ||||||
| 687 | 16 | American Patriot | Law enforcement/Militias | 60 minutes | May 16, 2017 | 3510 |
|
Inside the armed uprising against the federal government: how the Bundy family's uprising invigorated armed militias and "patriot" groups. | ||||||
| 688 | 17 | Bannon's War | Biographies | 60 minutes | May 23, 2017 | 3513 |
|
A look at Trump adviser Steve Bannon; his confrontational style; his personal crusade to transform America; and his wars with radical Islam, traditional Washington politics, and rivals inside the White House. | ||||||
| 689 | 18 | Life on Parole | Criminal justice | 60 minutes | July 18, 2017 | 3514 |
|
An inside look at an effort in Connecticut to change the way parole works and reduce the risk of recidivism, focusing on a quartet of former prisoners navigating the challenges of their first year on parole. (Reported in collaboration with The New York Times) | ||||||
Season 36 (2017–18)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Topic(s) | Running time | Original air date | Prod. code [13] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 690 | 1 | Abacus: Small Enough to Jail | Economics, Criminal justice | 90 minutes | September 12, 2017 | 3517 |
|
The little-known story of the only U.S. bank prosecuted in relation to the 2008 financial crisis. | ||||||
| 691 | 2 | North Korea's Deadly Dictator | Biography/Foreign Affairs | 60 minutes | October 4, 2017 | 3515 |
|
A look at who killed Kim Jong-nam and what his murder reveals about North Korea under the leadership of his half-brother, Kim Jong-un | ||||||
| 692 | 3 | War on the EPA | Government/Environment/Politics | 60 minutes | October 11, 2017 | 3516 |
|
Inside Scott Pruitt's journey from his fight against the EPA to leading the agency and the recent history of the climate change policy of the United States | ||||||
| 693 | 4 | Mosul Inside Yemen | Foreign affairs/Defense | 38 minutes 15 minutes | October 18, 2017 | 3601 |
|
Mosul: Inside the battle to drive the Islamic State out of Mosul. Inside Yemen: How Yemen’s humanitarian crisis was worsened by a brutal war. | ||||||
| 694 | 5 | Putin's Revenge | Foreign affairs/Elections/Politics | 60 minutes | October 25, 2017 (Part 1) November 1, 2017 (Part 2) | 3602 |
|
A 2-part examination of Vladimir Putin's rise and rule of Russia, his grievances with the U.S., and accusations of Russian involvement in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. | ||||||
| 695 | 6 | Exodus: The Journey Continues | Europe | 120 minutes | January 23, 2018 | 3604 |
|
A sequel to Season 34's "Exodus" tells intimate stories of refugees and migrants caught in Europe's tightened borders. | ||||||
| 696 | 7 | The Gang Crackdown | Law enforcement | 60 minutes | February 13, 2018 | 3605 |
|
An investigation into killings linked to the MS-13 gang and the law enforcement crackdown that led to some immigrant teens being unlawfully detained. | ||||||
| 697 | 8 | Bitter Rivals: Iran and Saudi Arabia | Foreign affairs | 120 minutes 60 minutes | February 20, 2018 (Part 1) February 27, 2018 (Part 2) | 3517 |
|
A 2-part look at how a dangerous political rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia has plunged the Middle East into sectarian war. | ||||||
| 698 | 9 | Weinstein | Sexual Harassment | 60 minutes | March 2, 2018 | 3606 |
|
How Harvey Weinstein had allegedly sexually harassed and abused dozens of women over four decades and the elaborate ways he and those around him tried to silence his accusers. | ||||||
| 699 | 10 | Trump’s Takeover | Politics | 60 minutes | April 10, 2018 | 3607 |
|
How Donald Trump’s use of inflammatory rhetoric and attacks on fellow Republicans gave him control of the GOP and further divided the country in his first year as U.S. President. | ||||||
| 700 | 11 | McCain | Biographies | 60 minutes | April 17, 2018 | 3608 |
|
A look at John McCain’s life and politics, including his time as a Vietnam POW, his 2008 run for U.S. President (and his selection of Sarah Palin as a running mate), and his complicated relationship with President Trump and fellow Republicans (including his dramatic vote against a GOP health care bill). | ||||||
| 701 | 12 | Trafficked in America | Law enforcement | 60 minutes | April 24, 2018 | 3609 |
|
A labor trafficking investigation reveals a criminal network forcing Guatemalan teens to work against their will in Ohio. | ||||||
| 702 | 13 | Blackout in Puerto Rico | TBA | 60 minutes | May 1, 2018 | 3610 |
|
An in-depth look why Puerto Rico was left struggling to survive after Hurricane Maria. | ||||||
| 703 | 14 | Myanmar's Killing Fields | Asia | 60 minutes | May 8, 2018 | 3518 |
|
Secret footage going back years shows the effort to kill and expel Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar. | ||||||
| 704 | 15 | UN Sex Abuse Scandal | TBA | 60 minutes | July 24, 2018 | 3611 |
|
An investigation into sex abuse by United Nations peacekeepers in the world’s conflict zones. | ||||||
| 705 | 16 | Separated: Children at the Border | Immigration / Social Issues / U.S. Politics / World | 60 minutes | July 31, 2018 | 3701[34] |
|
The inside story of what happened to immigrant children separated from their parents at the border. | ||||||
| 706 | 17 | "Documenting Hate: Charlottesville" | Criminal Justice / Social Issues / U.S. Politics | 60 minutes | August 7, 2018 | 3613 |
|
In Documenting Hate: Charlottesville, FRONTLINE and ProPublica investigate the white supremacists and neo-Nazis involved in the 2017 Charlottesville Unite the Right rally. | ||||||
| 707 708 | 18 19 | Our Man in Tehran (Parts 1 & 2) | World | 120 minutes 120 minutes | August 13, 2018 August 14, 2018 | 3614 3615[35] |
|
New York Times correspondent Thomas Erdbrink offers this 2-part revelation of life inside the closed society of Iran, where citizens lead their private lives and deal with the challenges of the country's conservative clerics and theocratic leaders. | ||||||
Season 37 (2018–19)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Topic(s) | Running time | Original air date | Prod. code [13] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 709 | 1 | Left Behind America | Business and Economy / Social Issues | 60 minutes | September 11, 2018 | 3616[36] |
|
A look at the economic and social forces shaping Dayton, Ohio, a once-booming rust belt city hit hard by the Great Recession (nearly 35% of Dayton's residents live in poverty). (In partnership with ProPublica and WNET/New York's "Chasing the Dream" initiative) | ||||||
| 710 | 2 | Trump's Showdown | U.S. Politics | 120 minutes | October 2, 2018 | 3702[37] |
|
Inside Donald Trump's fight against the investigation of his presidential campaign and whether he obstructed justice. | ||||||
| 711 | 3 | The Pension Gamble | Business and Economy / U.S. Politics | 60 minutes | October 23, 2018 | 3703[38] |
|
How state governments and Wall Street led America's public pensions into a $4 trillion hole. | ||||||
| 712 713 | 4 5 | The Facebook Dilemma (Part One) The Facebook Dilemma (Part Two) | Business and Economy / Social Issues / U.S. Politics | 60 minutes | October 29, 2018 October 30, 2018 | 3704[39] 3705[40] |
|
Examining how Facebook created new problems for privacy and democracy despite repeated warnings | ||||||
| 714 | 6 | Documenting Hate: New American Nazis | Criminal Justice / Social Issues / Terrorism | 60 minutes | November 20, 2018 | 3617[41] |
|
Follow-up to August 2018’s "Documenting Hate: Charlottesville". An investigation into white supremacist groups in America – in particular, a neo-Nazi group, Atomwaffen Division, that has actively recruited inside the U.S. military. | ||||||
| 715 | 7 | Coal's Deadly Dust / Targeting Yemen | Climate and Environment / Health | 60 minutes | January 22, 2019 | 3706[42] |
|
FRONTLINE and NPR investigate the rise of severe black lung disease among coal miners, and the failure to respond. Also in this two-part hour, a report from Yemen. | ||||||
| 716 | 8 | Predator on the Reservation | Criminal Justice / Social Issues | 60 minutes | February 12, 2019 | 3707[43] |
|
An investigation into the decades-long failure to stop a government doctor accused of sexually abusing Native American boys for years. | ||||||
| 717 | 9 | Right to Fail | Health / Social Issues | 60 minutes | February 26, 2019 | 3709[44]</ref> |
|
Thousands of New Yorkers with severe mental illnesses won the chance to live independently in supported housing, following a 2014 federal court order. FRONTLINE and ProPublica investigate what’s happened to people moved from adult homes into apartments and find more than two dozen cases in which the system failed. | ||||||
| 718 | 10 | The Trial of Ratko Mladić | Criminal Justice / World | 60 minutes | March 19, 2019 | 3618[45] |
|
Frontline's cameras go behind the scenes over five years during the trial of Ratko Mladić | ||||||
| 719 | 11 | The Mueller Investigation | Criminal Justice / U.S. Politics | 60 minutes | March 22, 2019 | 3712[46] |
|
A special episode about the Special Counsel investigation led by Robert Mueller into the 2016 presidential election, aired following the submission of the investigators' final report to the Attorney General. (A co-production of Frontline and the PBS NewsHour) | ||||||
| 720 | 12 | Marcos Doesn't Live Here Anymore | Immigration / U.S. Politics | 60 minutes | April 15, 2019 | 3710[47] |
|
In a special presentation from FRONTLINE, Independent Lens and VOCES, acclaimed filmmaker David Sutherland, examines the U.S. immigration system through two unforgettable protagonists whose lives reveal the human cost of deportation. | ||||||
| 721 | 13 | The Abortion Divide | Health / Social Issues / U.S. Politics | 60 minutes | April 23, 2019 | 3708[48] |
|
Inside the fight over abortion, told through the stories of women struggling with unplanned pregnancies. | ||||||
| 722 | 14 | The Last Survivors | World | 60 minutes | April 30, 2019 | 3711[49] |
|
FRONTLINE offers a haunting look at how disturbing childhood experiences and unimaginable loss have affected the daily lives and relationships of some of the Holocaust’s youngest victims. | ||||||
| 723 | 15 | Trump's Trade War | International Relations / Economics / Trade | 60 minutes | May 7, 2019 | 3801[50] |
| 724 | 16 | Supreme Revenge | U.S. Politics | 60 minutes | May 21, 2019 | 3714[51] |
|
Inside the no-holds-barred war for control of the Supreme Court, and how a 30-year-old grievance transformed the high court and turned confirmations into bitter, partisan conflicts. | ||||||
| 725 | 17 | Sex Trafficking in America | Criminal Justice / Social Issues | 60 minutes | May 28, 2019 | 3715[52] |
|
Sex Trafficking in America tells the unimaginable stories of young women coerced into prostitution – and follows one police unit that’s committed to rooting out sexual exploitation. | ||||||
Season 38 (2019–2020)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Topic(s) | Running time | Original air date | Prod. code [13] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 726 | 1 | Flint's Deadly Water | Climate and Environment / Criminal Justice / Health | 60 minutes | September 10, 2019 | 3716[53] |
|
A look into the extent of a deadly Legionnaires’ disease outbreak during the Flint water crisis. | ||||||
| 727 | 2 | The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia | Foreign Affairs / International Relations | 120 minutes | October 1, 2019 | 3802[54] |
|
The rise and rule of Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman of Saudi Arabia. | ||||||
| 728 | 3 | On The President's Orders | World | 60 minutes | October 8, 2019 | 3719[55] |
|
A searing, on-the-ground look at President Rodrigo Duterte’s deadly campaign against suspected drug dealers and users in the Philippines. | ||||||
| 729 | 4 | Zero Tolerance | Immigration / U.S. Politics | 60 minutes | October 22, 2019 | 3803[56] |
|
How President Trump turned immigration into a powerful political weapon that fueled division and violence. | ||||||
| 730 | 5 | Fire In Paradise | Climate and Environment | 60 minutes | October 29, 2019 | 3807[57] |
|
A look, one year later, into the devastating Camp Fire, the most destructive conflagration in California history, what caused the fire, and the impact of climate change. | ||||||
| 731 | 6 | In the Age of AI | Business and Economy / Social Issues / Technology | 120 minutes | November 5, 2019 | 3805[58] |
|
A look into the promise and perils of artificial intelligence, from fears about work and privacy to rivalry between the U.S. and China. | ||||||
| 732 | 7 | Kids Caught in the Crackdown Iraq's Secret Sex Trade | Immigration Sex Crimes | 27 minutes 27 minutes | November 12, 2019 | 3806[59] |
|
Kids Caught in the Crackdown: Frontline and The Associated Press investigate the mass confinement of migrant children, revealing traumatic stories of kids detained under President Trump’s immigration policies. Iraq's Secret Sex Trade: A report on the sexual exploitation of women and girls in Iraq. | ||||||
| 733 | 8 | For Sama | World / War and Conflict | 95 minutes | November 19, 2019 | 3717[60] |
|
In a time of conflict and darkness in her home in Aleppo, Syria, one young woman kept her camera rolling — while falling in love, getting married, having a baby, and saying goodbye as her city crumbled. | ||||||
| 734 | 9 | Targeting El Paso | US Politics / Immigration | 60 minutes | January 7, 2020 | 3804[61] |
|
El Paso, Texas became a testing ground for immigration policy — and then the target of a white supremacist. | ||||||
| 735 736 | 10 11 | America's Great Divide: From Obama to Trump (Parts 1 & 2) | U.S. Politics | 115 minutes 114 minutes | January 13, 2020 January 14, 2020 | 3808 3809[62] |
|
A two-night (four-hour) Frontline special investigating America's increasingly bitter, divided and toxic politics. Part 1 traces how Barack Obama’s promise of national unity collapsed as increasing cultural and political divisions laid the groundwork for the rise of Donald Trump. Part 2 examines how the country's political divisions led to Trump's successful presidential campaign, how his presidency has unleashed anger on both sides of the divide, and what America’s polarization could mean for the country’s future. | ||||||
| 737 | 11 | Taliban Country The Luanda Leaks | World / War and Conflict / Terrorism | 21 minutes 34 minutes | January 21, 2020 | 3810[63] |
|
Taliban Country: Reporter Najibullah Quraishi goes on a dangerous journey inside both Taliban- and ISIS-held territory in Afghanistan and reveals two harsh realities: The Taliban is once again wielding power, and the threat from ISIS looms large. The Luanda Leaks: How Africa’s richest woman, Isabel dos Santos, built a business empire with access to Angolan state funds — and the role U.S. companies have played in helping her amass her fortune. (Reported in partnership with International Consortium of Investigative Journalists) | ||||||
| 738 | 12 | Battle for Hong Kong | World / Social Issues | 60 minutes | February 11, 2020 | 3811[64] |
|
Unique inside access powers this profile of pro-democracy protesters during several months of violent protests against influence over Hong Kong by China's communist government. | ||||||
| 739 | 13 | Amazon Empire: The Rise and Reign of Jeff Bezos | Business and Economy | 120 minutes | February 18, 2020 | 3812[65] |
|
How Jeff Bezos built Amazon into one of the most influential economic and cultural forces in the world, and how politicians and regulators are considering its global impact. | ||||||
| 740 | 14 | NRA Under Fire | US Politics | 60 minutes | March 24, 2020 | 3813[66] |
|
The National Rifle Association’s history and evolution, how it aligned with President Donald Trump and his base, and why it is under siege ahead of the 2020 United States elections. | ||||||
| 741 | 15 | Plastic Wars | Business and Economy / Climate and Environment | 60 minutes | March 31, 2020 | 3814[67] |
|
A look into the fight over the use of plastics, the growing crisis of ocean pollution caused by plastic products, and whether the plastic industry used recycling to sell more plastic. (A joint investigation by Frontline and NPR with the American University School of Communication) | ||||||
| 742 | 16 | China Undercover | World | 60 minutes | April 7, 2020 | 3818[68] |
|
An undercover report from China's secretive Xinjiang region profiles the Communist regime's mass imprisonment of Muslims and its use of surveillance technology against the Uyghur community. | ||||||
| 743 | 17 | Coronavirus Pandemic | Health / US Politics | 60 minutes | April 21, 2020 | 3816[69] |
|
Miles O'Brien and Kate McMahon investigate how the United States responded to the COVID-19 pandemic, with a look into the first known case that was identified in the country. | ||||||
| 744 | 18 | Inside Italy's COVID War | World / Health / Social Issues | 60 minutes | May 19, 2020[71] | 3819[72] |
|
Italian producer Sasha Achilli documents the struggle of doctors at the Maggiore di Cremona Hospital to combat the COVID-19 outbreak in Northern Italy.[70] | ||||||
| 745 | 19 | The Virus: What Went Wrong?[74] | US Politics / Health / Social Issues | 90 minutes | June 16, 2020 | 3901[75] |
|
Martin Smith examines why different U.S. government officials, including the president, were slow to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic despite early warnings to prepare against the inevitable contagion.[73] | ||||||
| 746 | 20 | Opioids, Inc. | Health / Social Issues | 60 minutes | June 23, 2020 | 3815[76] |
|
How Insys Therapeutics bribed doctors and committed insurance fraud to secure prescriptions for a fentanyl-based opioid 50 times stronger than heroin. (Joint investigation with Financial Times) | ||||||
| 747 | 21 | Once Upon a Time in Iraq | War and Conflict | 114 minutes | July 14, 2020 | 3817[77] |
|
Civilians, journalists, and soldiers from both sides of the conflict explain their experience during the Iraq War, from the 2003 invasion through the 17 years that followed. | ||||||
| 748 | 22 | COVID's Hidden Toll | Health / Social Issues | 60 minutes | July 21, 2020 | 3818[79] |
|
An investigation into the plight of undocumented fieldworkers in California during the COVID-19 pandemic.[78] | ||||||
| 749 | 23 | United States of Conspiracy[80] | Politics / Social Issues | 60 minutes | July 28, 2020 | 3902[81] |
|
How the likes of Alex Jones, President Donald Trump, and Trump confidant Roger Stone have propelled fringe conspiracy theories and misinformation into the mainstream American political dialogue. | ||||||
| 750 | 24 | Undocumented in the Pandemic[82] Love, Life & the Virus[83] | Health / Social Issues / Immigration | 21 minutes 34 minutes | August 11, 2020 | TBA |
|
Twin segments that profile immigrant families in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic: Undocumented in the Pandemic looks at one woman's struggle to keep her children safe and housed, while ICE detains her husband in a virus-ravaged facility. Love, Life & the Virus profiles another emigrant mother who gave birth after her COVID diagnosis, and the Connecticut schoolteacher who assisted her newborn and her family. (Both segments produced with The Marshall Project and Pulitzer Center) | ||||||
Season 39 (2020–21)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Topic(s) | Running time | Original air date | Prod. code [13] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 751 | 1 | Growing Up Poor in America | Business and Economy / Social Issues | 54 minutes | September 8, 2020 | 3903[84] |
|
A look into how impoverished families are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. | ||||||
| 752 | 2 | Policing the Police 2020 | Social Issues | 54 minutes | September 15, 2020 | 3904[85] |
|
Jelani Cobb follows up on his 2016 report Policing the Police with a look at the feasibility of police reform in the context of the George Floyd protests. | ||||||
| 753 | 3 | The Choice 2020: Trump vs. Biden | Election 2020 / U.S. Politics | 120 minutes | September 22, 2020 | 3905[86] |
|
A look into the backgrounds of incumbent President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden, the two major candidates in the 2020 presidential election. | ||||||
| 754 | 4 | America's Medical Supply Crisis | Health | 60 minutes | October 6, 2020 | 3906 |
|
How dealing with COVID-19 exposed cracks in America's medical supply chain and left healthcare workers scrambling for critical equipment. (Reported in partnership with Associated Press and Global Reporting Centre) | ||||||
| 755 | 5 | Whose Vote Counts | Elections | 60 minutes | October 20, 2020 | 3820 |
|
Jelani Cobb reports on allegations of voter disenfranchisement in the leadup to the 2020 United States elections, how unfounded claims of voter fraud have entered the political dialogue, and how the COVID-19 pandemic could impact Election Day turnout. (An investigation with Columbia Journalism School, Columbia Journalism Investigations, and the USA Today Network) | ||||||
| 756 | 6 | American Voices: A Nation in Turmoil | COVID-19 / Election 2020 / Social Issues / U.S. Politics | 54 minutes | November 17, 2020 | 3907 |
|
Filmed during much of 2020, this documentary looks at the lives, fears, and hopes of Americans in the chaotic months leading up to the election. | ||||||
| 757 | 7 | Supreme Revenge: Battle for the Court | U.S. Politics | TBA | November 24, 2020 | 3714 |
|
An updated version of Season 37's Supreme Revenge examines the bitter partisan war for the Supreme Court, and how it led to the controversial nomination and confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett in Autumn 2020. | ||||||
| 758 | 8 | Return from ISIS | Terrorism / War and Conflict | TBA | December 15, 2020 | 3612 |
| 759 | 9 | A Thousand Cuts | Social Issues / World | TBA | January 8, 2021 | 4001 |
|
Centering on Filipino journalist Maria Ressa, former CNN correspondent and co-founder of the news site Rappler, Ramona Diaz's documentary explores the conflicts between the press and the Philippine government under President Rodrigo Duterte. | ||||||
| 760 | 10 | President Biden[87] | Election 2020 / U.S. Politics | TBA | January 19, 2021 | 3908 |
|
The key moments in Joe Biden's life that prepared him to become the 46th American president. | ||||||
| 761 | 11 | Trump's American Carnage[88] | U.S. Politics | TBA | January 26, 2021 | 3910 |
|
An examination of how Donald Trump aggravated political divisions and stoked violence throughout his presidency, as well as how his party's leaders failed to heed the warning signs. | ||||||
| 762 | 12 | China's COVID Secrets[89] | Health | 84 minutes | February 2, 2021 | 3909 |
| 763 | 13 | Iraq's Assassins [90] Yemen's COVID coverup[91] | War and Conflict Health / War and Conflict | 26 minutes 27 minutes | February 9, 2021 | TBA |
| 764 | 14 | Death Is Our Business[92] | Health / Social Issues | 32 minutes | March 23, 2021 | 3720 |
|
At Black-owned funeral homes in New Orleans, COVID-19 has reshaped the grieving process. | ||||||
| 765 | 15 | American Insurrection[93] | U.S. Politics / Social Issues | 84 minutes | April 13, 2021 | 4002 |
|
In the aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol, an investigation into how far-right extremist groups have evolved in the wake of the deadly Unite the Right rally — and the threat they pose today. | ||||||
| 766 | 16 | The Virus That Shook the World[94] | COVID-19 / World | 168 minutes | April 26, 2021 | 3913 |
|
The epic story of how people around the world lived through the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, from lockdowns to funerals to protests. | ||||||
| 767 | 17 | Escaping Eritrea[95] | World | 54 minutes | May 4, 2021 | 3914 |
|
An unprecedented undercover investigation into one of the world’s most repressive regimes — Eritrea. | ||||||
| 768 | 18 | The Healthcare Divide[96] | Health / Business and Economy | 54 minutes | May 18, 2021 | 3915 |
| 769 | 19 | The Jihadist[97] | Terrorism / War and Conflict | 54 minutes | June 1, 2021 | TBA |
|
Designated a terrorist by the United States, the powerful Syrian militant Abu Mohammad al-Julani now seeks a new relationship with the West. | ||||||
| 770 | 20 | Germany's Neo-Nazis & the Far Right[98] | Social Issues / World | 54 minutes | June 29, 2021 | 4004 |
|
An investigation into the rise of far-right extremism and violence in Germany. | ||||||
| 771 | 21 | The Power of the Fed[99] | Business and Economy / COVID-19 | 54 minutes | July 13, 2021 | 4005 |
|
As the U.S. Federal Reserve continues to pump billions of dollars into the financial system daily, who is benefiting and at what cost? | ||||||
| 772 | 22 | Leaving Afghanistan[100] India's Rape Scandal[101] | Terrorism / War and Conflict Social Issues / World | 25 minutes 28 minutes | July 20, 2021 | TBA |
|
Leaving Afghanistan: FRONTLINE investigates the consequences of America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan India's Rape Scandal: FRONTLINE investigates a wave of shocking rape cases in India. | ||||||
| 773 | 23 | In the Shadow of 9/11[102] | Criminal Justice / Terrorism | 114 minutes | August 10, 2021 | TBA |
Season 40 (2021–22)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Topic(s) | Running time | Original air date | Prod. code [13] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 774 | 1 | America After 9/11 | Terrorism / U.S. Politics / War and Conflict / World | 120 minutes | September 7, 2021 | 4008[103] |
|
How the American response to the terrorist attacks on September 11 reshaped the U.S. | ||||||
| 775 | 2 | Boeing's Fatal Flaw | Transportation | 60 minutes | September 14, 2021 | 3916[104] |
|
An investigation into the design flaws, commercial pressures, and regulatory failures behind the Boeing 737 MAX. | ||||||
| 776 | 3 | Taliban Takeover | War and Conflict | 60 minutes | October 12, 2021 | TBA |
|
A look at Afghanistan as the Taliban return to power following their 2021 offensive. | ||||||
| 777 | 4 | Pandora Papers Massacre in El Salvador | Business and Economy War and Conflict | 30 minutes 30 minutes | November 9, 2021 | 4011[105] |
|
Pandora Papers: A massive leak of financial documents reveals the hidden assets and secret deals of the world's most wealthy and powerful. Massacre in El Salvador: The ongoing fight for justice for the El Mozote massacre. | ||||||
| 778 | 5 | Shots Fired | Social Issues | 60 minutes | November 23, 2021 | TBA |
|
An investigation into the use of deadly force by police in Utah amid record police shootings. | ||||||
| 779 | 6 | American Reckoning | History, race | 84 minutes | February 15, 2022 | 4013-90[107] |
|
A retrospective look at race relations in the American South and the 1967 murder of Wharlest Jackson. | ||||||
| 780 | 7 | Putin's Road to War | Russia, War and Conflict, World | 54 minutes | March 15, 2022 | TBA |
|
An examination of the events that shaped Russian president Vladimir Putin, the grievances that drive him, and how a growing conflict with the West exploded into war in Europe. | ||||||
| 781 | 8 | Pelosi's Power[108] | U.S. Politics | 84 minutes | March 22, 2022 | 4104 |
|
A look at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's life and legacy, her political journey across three decades, and how she has faced challenges to her leadership and to American democracy. | ||||||
| 782 | 9 | Plot to Overturn the Election[109] | Elections 2020 / U.S. Politics | 54 minutes | March 29, 2022 | 4101 |
|
An expose into the sources of misinformation about the 2020 election, and how a few people have had a massive impact on the current crisis of democratic legitimacy in the U.S. | ||||||
| 783–785 | 10–12 | The Power of Big Oil: Part 1 - Denial[110] The Power of Big Oil: Part 2 - Doubt[111] The Power of Big Oil: Part 3 - Delay[112] | Business and Economy / Climate and Environment / U.S. Politics | 85 minutes 54 minutes 54 minutes | April 19, 2022 April 26, 2022 May 3, 2022 | 4015-90 4016 4017 |
|
Part One charts the fossil fuel industry’s early research on climate change and investigates industry efforts to sow seeds of doubt about the science. Part Two explores the industry’s efforts to stall climate policy, even as evidence about climate change grew more certain in the new millennium. As leading climate scientists issue new warnings about climate change, Part Three examines how the fossil fuel industry worked to delay the transition to renewable energy sources — including by promoting natural gas as a cleaner alternative. | ||||||
| 786 | 13 | Police on Trial[113] | Law Enforcement / Social Issues | 84 minutes | May 31, 2022 | 4012 |
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A look at the aftermath of George Floyd's death, former police officer Derek Chauvin's trial and murder conviction, and ongoing struggles for police accountability and reform in Minneapolis. | ||||||
Season 41 (2022–23)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Topic(s) | Running time | Original air date | Prod. code [13] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 787 | 1 | Lies, Politics and Democracy | U.S. Politics | 120 minutes | September 6, 2022 | 4103 |
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How many in the Republican Party have embraced and enabled Donald Trump and his false claims of election fraud, and how their actions have undermined and threatened American democracy.[114] | ||||||
| 788 | 2 | Michael Flynn’s Holy War | Religion, Conservatism in the United States | 55 minutes | October 18, 2022 | TBA |
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A look at how retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn went from fighting wars overseas to waging a "spiritual war" in America as a proponent of Christian nationalism and far-right conspiracy theories. (Reported in collaboration with Associated Press) | ||||||
| 789 | 3 | Putin's Attack on Ukraine: Documenting War Crimes | Russian invasion of Ukraine | 84 minutes | October 25, 2022 | TBA |
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At look at "harrowing evidence" that links possible war crimes in Bucha to one of Russia's top generals — and possibly to Russian president Vladimir Putin — as well as the challenge of holding the Russian president and others in his chain of command to account. (Reported in collaboration with Associated Press) | ||||||
| 790 | 4 | Putin's War at Home | Russian invasion of Ukraine | 54 minutes | November 1, 2022 | TBA |
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Inside stories of the activists and journalists risking arrest and imprisonment to protest and speak out about the Kremlin’s war effort. | ||||||
| 791 792 | 5 6 | Crime Scene: Bucha After Zero Tolerance | Russian invasion of Ukraine Immigration | 25 minutes 28 minutes | December 6, 2022 | TBA |
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Crime Scene: Bucha: CCTV footage, intercepted phone calls, and 3D modeling trace the Russian-led massacre in Bucha. Reported in partnership with Associated Press) After Zero Tolerance: The story of a Honduran family's struggle to reunite after being separated at the Mexico-United States border three years earlier. (Reported in partnership with S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and University of Connecticut) | ||||||
| 793 794 | 7 8 | Global Spyware Scandal: Exposing Pegasus, Part 1 Global Spyware Scandal: Exposing Pegasus, Part 2 | Technology | 60 minutes 60 minutes | January 3, 2023 January 10, 2023 | TBA |
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A 2-part investigation into the Pegasus spyware and how it was used to hack into the files of journalists, activists, and the wife and fiancée of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. (Reported in partnership with Forbidden Films) | ||||||
| 795 | 9 | Putin and the Presidents | U.S.-Russian relations | 55 minutes | January 31, 2023 | TBA |
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Vladimir Putin clashes with American presidents over five administrations as he tries to rebuild the Russian empire. | ||||||
| 796 | 10 | Age of Easy Money | Economy | 115 minutes | March 14, 2023 | TBA |
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How the consequences surrounding the Federal Reserve's record pace of raising of interest rates in the face of high inflation and recession fears. (In partnership with WNET/New York's "Chasing the Dream" initiative) | ||||||
| 797 799 | 11 13 | America and the Taliban | Afghanistan/Pakistan | 54 minutes 54 minutes 54 minutes | April 4, 2023 April 11, 2023 April 25, 2023 | TBA |
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A 3-part investigation into how America's 20-year investment in Afghanistan culminated in the Taliban regaining power, focusing on missteps and consequences. | ||||||
| 800 | 14 | Clarence and Ginni Thomas: Politics, Power and the Supreme Court | U.S. Supreme Court, Conservatism in the United States | 114 minutes | May 9, 2023 | TBA |
|
Michael Kirk examines how Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and his wife, Ginni, have reshaped American law and politics. | ||||||
| 801 | 15 | Once Upon a Time in Iraq: Fallujah | Iraq War | 54 minutes | May 23, 2023 | TBA |
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Soldiers, journalists, and ordinary Iraqis tell to James Bluemel the story of the First Battle of Fallujah, one of the defining episodes of the Iraq War. | ||||||
| 802 | 16 | After Uvalde: Guns, Grief & Texas Politics | School shootings, gun rights | 54 minutes | May 30, 2023 | TBA |
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Maria Hinojosa examines the police response to the Robb Elementary School shooting, the fight over regulating assault rifles, and the struggle of Uvalde, Texas to heal one year after the tragedy. (Reported in partnership with Futuro Investigates and The Texas Tribune) | ||||||
| 803 | 17 | America's Dangerous Trucks | Transportation safety | 54 minutes | June 13, 2023 | TBA |
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A FRONTLINE/ProPublica investigation into legal maneuvering, political influence, lax regulation, and industry opposition to measures that could reduce the risk of deadly accidents involving semi-trailer trucks (in particular those involving underride guards). | ||||||
| 804 | 18 | Inside the Iranian Uprising | 54 minutes | Middle East | June 29, 2023 | TBA |
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Footage filmed by protestors augments this documentary look into the Mahsa Amini protests and the unprecedented pressure facing the Iranian government. | ||||||
| 805 | 19 | Putin's Crisis | Russia | 52 minutes | July 11, 2023 | TBA |
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The story of Vladimir Putin's rise to prominence, his clashes at home and abroad, and how the war against Ukraine has threatened his grip. | ||||||
| 806 807 | 20 21 | Two Strikes Tutwiler | Criminal Justice | 20 minutes 34 minutes | September 5, 2023 | TBA |
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Two Strikes: How a troubled former West Point cadet got life in prison in Florida over an attempted carjacking. (Produced with The Marshall Project as part of FRONTLINE’s fellowship with Firelight Media) Tutwiler: A window into the lives of incarcerated pregnant women and what happens to their newborns. | ||||||
Season 42 (2023–24)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Topic(s) | Running time | Original air date | Prod. code [13] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 808 | 1 | Putin vs. the Press[115] | Media | 53 minutes | September 26, 2023 | TBD |
|
A look at Nobel laureate Dmitry Muratov’s fight to defend free speech and independent journalism in Russia. | ||||||
| 809 | 2 | The Astros Edge: Triumph and Scandal in Major League Baseball[115] | Sports | 84 minutes | October 3, 2023 | TBD |
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Reporter Ben Reiter examines the Houston Astros sign stealing scandal of the late 2010s and how it has affected the sport of baseball. | ||||||
| 810 | 3 | Elon Musk’s Twitter Takeover[116] | Social media | 2 hours | October 10, 2023 | TBD |
| 811 | 4 | McConnell, the GOP and the Court[115] | Supreme Court of the United States | TBA | October 31, 2023 | TBD |
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How Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell helped transform the U.S. Supreme Court and American politics. | ||||||
| 812 | 5 | Inside the Uvalde Response[115] | Law enforcement | TBA | November 7, 2023 | TBD |
|
An examination of the Robb Elementary School shooting and the lessons learned from law enforcement's chaotic response. (Reported with ProPublica and The Texas Tribune) | ||||||
| 813 | 6 | 20 Days in Mariupol[115] | Russian invasion of Ukraine | TBA | November 21, 2023 | TBD |
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A presentation of Mstyslav Chernov's film documenting how he and two colleagues were trapped in Mariupol, Ukraine during its siege by Russian forces. | ||||||