American Experience

Watch a preview of Hard Hat Riot.

When smog issue plagued their city in the mid 20th century, Angelenos got creative.

How has L.A.'s history of smog shown up on the big screen?

The major breakthrough in understanding L.A.'s deadly smog came from a surprising place.

Watch a preview of Clearing the Air: The War on Smog.

Watch a preview of Clearing the Air: The War on Smog.

Watch a preview of Mr. Polaroid.

The story of Edwin Land, whose iconic Polaroid camera let everyone instantly chronicle their lives.

ASL The dramatic story of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990.

EXTENDED AD The dramatic story of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990.

The dramatic story of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990.

The story of one of the most influential yet forgotten civil rights figures, Walter White.

One of the greatest dramas in American politics.

Watch a preview of American Coup: Wilmington 1898

The little-known story of the deadly 1898 race massacre and coup d’etat in Wilmington, NC.

What happens when the president is unable to serve? Explore the dramatic period between 1963 and 197

When US inner cities erupted in violence in 1967, LBJ created a commission to investigate.

Highlights from our 2012 season.

What happened when the lights went out in New York in 1977? Premieres 7/14 at 9/8c on PBS.

The challenges the Pilgrims faced still resonate centuries later. Premieres 11/24 on PBS.

In 1946, a local police chief savagely beat and permanently blinded a Black army sergeant.

Hailed as a voice that “comes around once in a hundred years” by maestros in Europe.

A thriving Black community in Tulsa that rebuilt after a 1921 racially-motivated massacre.

The fascinating story of the groundbreaking cryptanalyst, Elizebeth Smith Friedman.

Hailed as a voice that “comes around once in a hundred years” by maestros in Europe.

The fascinating story of Elizebeth Smith Friedman, the groundbreaking cryptanalyst.

An unprecedented look at the life and legacy of Walt Disney. Premieres Sep. 14 & 15.

Walt Disney premieres September 14 & 15, 2015 9/8c. on PBS American Experience.

An unprecedented look at the life and legacy of Walt Disney. Premieres 9/14 & 9/15 on PBS.

Airs Tuesday, May 8, 2012 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT. Check your local listings.

Buffalo Bill Cody was a meager plainsman turned international celebrity and frontier hero.

On February 1, 1913, New Yorkers rushed to see the opening of Grand Central Station.

Airs Monday, September 26, 2011 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. Check your local listings.

Singing and riding the bus from Washington, D.C. to Fredericksburg, VA.

In October 1897, renowned Arctic explorer Robert Peary returned with five polar Eskimos.

The international race to develop biological weapons during the 20th century.

Our 2012 season is announced with a special video from Executive Producer Mark Samels.

Andrew Carnegie embodied the American dream: the immigrant who went from rags to riches.

Wyatt Earp came to epitomize the marshal responsible for taming the Wild West.

Airs Monday, May 9, 2011 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT. Check your local listings.

On October 4, 1988. PBS broadcast The American Experience’s first documentary.

Executive Producer Mark Samels discusses new films coming in January 2014.

The Great War tells the rich and complex story of World War I.

Executive Producer, Mark Samels talks about our upcoming documentary, "The Boys of '36."

Discover the true story of the most famous outlaw couple in U.S. history-Bonnie and Clyde.

Executive Producer Mark Samels on what's coming to American Experience this January.

"Last Days in Vietnam" premieres April 28 at 9/8c on PBS American Experience.

The heroic efforts to help evacuate 135,000 South Vietnamese during the fall of Saigon.

What drove a company of US soldiers to commit the worst atrocity in US military history?

A heartbreaking story of romance, madness, and medicine. Premieres Feb. 2, 2016 on PBS.

In 1881, President Garfield's presidency was cut short by an assassin. Coming Jan. 2016

Executive Producer Mark Samels on what's coming to American Experience this Feb. & March.

Executive Producer Mark Samels on what is coming up on American Experience this winter.

Alexander Hamilton was a gifted statesman brought down by fatal flaws.

From a small-town Texas murder emerged a landmark civil rights case.

A preview for Hoover Dam, broadcasting April 17 at 9/8c.

A preview of Geronimo, the controversial Native American leader.

Airs Tuesday, May 7, 2013 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT. Check your local listings.

In the 1960s, the Ku Klux Klan reemerged in an unlikely place. Premieres January 13, 2015.

Airs Tuesday, March 18, 2014 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT. Check your local listings.

The dramatic story of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990.

The dramatic story of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990.

Descubra cómo un brote de la peste bubónica en 1900 desató miedo y sentir antiasiático en San Francisco.

一起來了解1900 年舊金山爆發的淋巴腺鼠疫如何引起恐懼和反亞裔情緒。這部新的紀錄片講述一段令人全神貫注的故事——要在這個致命疾病的威脅之下拯救舊金山，衛生官員必須與時間賽跑。