TV's most-watched history series brings to life the compelling stories from our past that inform our understanding of the world today.
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The peak run. Top 40% of seasons by average rating — consecutive, with an average of 7.74.
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16 episodes • 1988Avg: 6.9Valley of Despair
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Great San Francisco Earthquake | Oct 4, 1988 | 7.9 |
| 2 | Radio Bikini | Oct 11, 1988 | 7.5 |
| 3 | Indians, Outlaws and Angie Debo | Oct 18, 1988 | 7.7 |
| 4 | Eric Sevareid's Not So Wild A Dream | Oct 25, 1988 | 6.2 |
| 5 | The Life and Times of Rosie the Riveter | Nov 1, 1988 | 7.2 |
| 6 | Do You Mean There Are Still Real Cowboys? | Nov 8, 1988 | 6.4 |
| 7 | Kennedy vs. Wallace: A Crisis Up Close | Nov 15, 1988 | 7.1 |
| 8 | Geronimo and the Apache Resistance | Nov 22, 1988 | 6.7 |
| 9 | Let Us Now Praise Famous Men: Revisited | Nov 29, 1988 | 6.6 |
| 10 | That Rhythm, Those Blues | Dec 6, 1988 | 7.4 |
| 11 | The Radio Priest | Dec 13, 1988 | 7.7 |
| 12 | Hearts and Hands | Dec 20, 1988 | 6.3 |
| 13 | Views of a Vanishing Frontier | Dec 27, 1988 | 6.6 |
| 14 | Eudora Welty: One Writer's Beginnings | Jan 3, 1989 | 5.5 |
| 15 | The World That Moses Built | Jan 10, 1989 | 7.1 |
| 16 | Sins of Our Mothers | Jan 17, 1989 | 7.3 |
16 episodes • 1989Avg: 6.8Valley of Despair
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Great Air Race of 1924 | Oct 3, 1989 | 6.6 |
| 2 | Demon Rum | Oct 10, 1989 | 7.5 |
| 3 | A Family Gathering | Oct 17, 1989 | 7.2 |
| 4 | The Great War: 1918 | Oct 24, 1989 | 7.4 |
| 5 | Wildcatter: A Story of Texas Oil | Oct 31, 1989 | 5.6 |
| 6 | Forever Baseball | Nov 7, 1989 | 7.3 |
| 7 | Mr. Sears' Catalogue | Nov 14, 1989 | 6.3 |
| 8 | Yosemite: The Fate of Heaven | Nov 21, 1989 | 7.5 |
| 9 | Adam Clayton Powell | Nov 28, 1989 | 6.5 |
| 10 | Journey to America | Dec 5, 1989 | 6.0 |
| 11 | Ballad of a Mountain Man | Dec 12, 1989 | 7.1 |
| 12 | Ida B. Wells: A Passion for Justice | Dec 19, 1989 | 6.8 |
| 13 | Orphans of the Storm | Dec 26, 1989 | 6.8 |
| 14 | Forbidden City, USA | Jan 2, 1990 | 6.6 |
| 15 | Battle for Wilderness | Jan 9, 1990 | 7.0 |
| 16 | Roots of Resistance: The Story of the Underground Railroad | Jan 16, 1990 | 0.0 |
13 episodes • 1990Avg: 7.1
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lindbergh | Aug 27, 1990 | 5.9 |
| 2 | Nixon (1): The Quest | Oct 15, 1990 | 8.0 |
| 3 | Nixon (2): Triumph | Oct 15, 1990 | 8.0 |
| 4 | Nixon (3): The Fall | Oct 15, 1990 | 8.0 |
| 5 | God Bless America and Poland, Too | Oct 22, 1990 | 6.0 |
| 6 | Insanity on Trial | Oct 29, 1990 | 6.7 |
| 7 | The Satellite Sky | Nov 5, 1990 | 8.2 |
| 8 | The Crash of 1929 | Nov 19, 1990 | 7.6 |
| 9 | The Iron Road | Nov 26, 1990 | 7.6 |
| 10 | French Dance Tonight | Dec 10, 1990 | 0.0 |
| 11 | After the Crash | Jan 7, 1991 | 4.8 |
| 12 | Los Mineros | Jan 28, 1991 | 6.8 |
| 13 | Coney Island | Feb 4, 1991 | 7.5 |
13 episodes • 1991Avg: 7.0
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LBJ (1) | Sep 30, 1991 | 0.0 |
| 2 | LBJ (2) | Sep 30, 1991 | 0.0 |
| 3 | The Massachusetts 54th Colored Infantry | Oct 7, 1991 | 7.1 |
| 4 | Scandalous Mayor | Oct 28, 1991 | 5.7 |
| 5 | The Johnstown Flood | Nov 4, 1991 | 6.8 |
| 6 | Pearl Harbor: Surprise and Remembrance | Nov 11, 1991 | 7.4 |
| 7 | G-Men: The Rise of J. Edgar Hoover | Feb 24, 1992 | 6.5 |
| 8 | Duke Ellington: Reminiscing in Tempo | Dec 9, 1991 | 7.9 |
| 9 | The Quiz Show Scandal | Jan 6, 1992 | 7.2 |
| 10 | Love in the Cold War | Jan 13, 1992 | 0.0 |
| 11 | Wild by Law | Feb 10, 1992 | 7.3 |
| 12 | Barnum's Big Top | Oct 14, 1991 | 6.4 |
| 13 | In the White Man's Image | Feb 17, 1992 | 7.2 |
13 episodes • 1992Avg: 7.4
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Kennedys (1): The Father, 1900-61 | Sep 20, 1992 | 7.9 |
| 2 | The Kennedys (2): The Sons, 1961-80 | Sep 21, 1992 | 7.9 |
| 3 | The Donner Party | Oct 28, 1992 | 8.2 |
| 4 | Liberators: Fighting on Two Fronts in World War II | Nov 4, 1992 | 7.2 |
| 5 | George Washington: The Man Who Wouldn't Be King | Nov 18, 1992 | 6.6 |
| 6 | Last Stand at Little Big Horn | Nov 25, 1992 | 7.1 |
| 7 | If You Knew Sousa | Jan 11, 1993 | 6.5 |
| 8 | Simple Justice | Jan 18, 1993 | 7.5 |
| 9 | Knute Rockne and His Fighting Irish | Feb 8, 1993 | 8.4 |
| 10 | Sit Down And Fight | Feb 1, 1993 | 6.1 |
| 11 | Rachel Carson's Silent Spring | Feb 15, 1993 | 7.3 |
| 12 | Goin' Back to T-Town | Mar 1, 1993 | 7.7 |
| 20 | Ishi: The Last Yahi Indian | Dec 2, 1992 | 0.0 |
8 episodes • 1993Avg: 7.4
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amelia Earhart: The Price of Courage | Oct 27, 1993 | 7.2 |
| 2 | The Hunt for Pancho Villa | Nov 8, 1993 | 6.8 |
| 3 | Ike (1): Soldier | Nov 10, 1993 | 7.6 |
| 4 | Ike (2): Statesman | Nov 10, 1993 | 7.3 |
| 5 | Malcolm X: Make It Plain | Jan 26, 1994 | 7.8 |
| 6 | America and the Holocaust: Deceit and Indifference | Apr 6, 1994 | 7.5 |
| 7 | D-Day Remembered | May 25, 1994 | 7.6 |
| 8 | The Hurricane of '38 | Nov 17, 1993 | 7.5 |
13 episodes • 1994Avg: 7.5
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FDR (1): The Center of the World (1882-1921) | Oct 12, 1994 | 8.5 |
| 2 | FDR (2): Fear Itself (1922-1933) | Oct 12, 1992 | 8.3 |
| 3 | FDR (3): The Grandest Job in the World (1933-1940) | Oct 13, 1994 | 6.7 |
| 4 | FDR (4): The Juggler (1940-1945) | Oct 13, 1994 | 6.6 |
| 5 | Telegrams from the Dead | Oct 19, 1994 | 8.1 |
| 6 | Midnight Ramble | Oct 26, 1994 | 7.4 |
| 7 | Battle of the Bulge | Nov 9, 1994 | 7.2 |
| 10 | One Woman, One Vote (1) | Jan 23, 1995 | 0.0 |
| 11 | One Woman, One Vote (2) | Jan 30, 1995 | 0.0 |
| 12 | The Way West (1): Westward, the Course of Empire Takes Its Way (1845-1864) | May 8, 1995 | 0.0 |
| 13 | The Way West (2): The Approach of Civilization (1865-1869) | May 9, 1995 | 0.0 |
| 14 | The Way West (3): The War for the Black Hills (1870-1876) | May 16, 1995 | 0.0 |
| 15 | The Way West (4): Ghost Dance (1877-1893) | May 17, 1995 | 0.0 |
9 episodes • 1995Avg: 7.3
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Murder of the Century | Oct 16, 1995 | 7.1 |
| 2 | Edison's Miracle of Light | Oct 23, 1995 | 7.0 |
| 3 | Chicago 1968 | Nov 13, 1995 | 7.1 |
| 4 | The Orphan Trains | Nov 27, 1995 | 7.8 |
| 5 | Freedom on My Mind | Jan 15, 1996 | 7.1 |
| 6 | Daley: The Last Boss | Jan 22, 1996 | 6.9 |
| 7 | The Battle Over Citizen Kane | Jan 29, 1996 | 7.7 |
| 8 | The Wright Stuff | Feb 12, 1996 | 7.8 |
| 9 | Spy in the Sky | Feb 26, 1996 | 7.4 |
22 episodes • 1996Avg: 7.3
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | T.R.: The Story of Theodore Roosevelt (1): The Long Campaign | Oct 6, 1996 | 8.5 |
| 2 | T.R.: The Story of Theodore Roosevelt (2): The Bully Pulpit | Oct 6, 1996 | 8.3 |
| 3 | The Richest Man in the World: Andrew Carnegie | Jan 20, 1997 | 6.9 |
| 4 | Hawaii's Last Queen | Jan 27, 1997 | 7.4 |
| 5 | The Telephone | Feb 3, 1997 | 7.2 |
| 6 | Big Dream, Small Screen | Feb 10, 1997 | 6.5 |
| 7 | New York Underground | Feb 17, 1997 | 7.1 |
| 8 | Troublesome Creek: A Midwestern | Apr 14, 1997 | 7.5 |
| 9 | Around the World in 72 Days | Apr 28, 1997 | 7.2 |
| 10 | Gold Fever | May 12, 1997 | 6.2 |
| 11 | Vietnam: A Television History (Part 1 & 2) | May 26, 1997 | 7.4 |
| 12 | Vietnam: A Television History (3): LBJ Goes to War | Jun 2, 1997 | 7.2 |
| 13 | Vietnam: A Television History (4): America Takes Charge | Jun 9, 1997 | 7.1 |
| 14 | Vietnam: A Television History (5): America's Enemy | Jun 16, 1997 | 7.1 |
| 15 | Vietnam: A Television History (6): Tet 1968 | Jun 23, 1997 | 7.3 |
| 16 | Vietnam: A Television History (7): Vietnamizing the War | Jun 30, 1997 | 0.0 |
| 17 | Vietnam: A Television History (8): Cambodia and Laos | Jul 7, 1997 | 0.0 |
| 18 | Vietnam: A Television History (9): Peace is at Hand | Jul 14, 1997 | 0.0 |
| 19 | Vietnam: A Television History (10): Homefront USA | Jul 21, 1997 | 0.0 |
| 20 | Vietnam: A Television History (11): The End of the Tunnel | Jul 28, 1997 | 0.0 |
| 30 | T.R.: The Story of Theodore Roosevelt (3): The Good Fight | Oct 7, 1996 | 0.0 |
| 31 | T.R.: The Story of Theodore Roosevelt (4): Black Care | Oct 7, 1996 | 0.0 |
9 episodes • 1997Avg: 7.6
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Truman (1): An Accident of Democracy | Oct 5, 1997 | 8.2 |
| 2 | Truman (2): The Moon, the Stars and All the Planets | Oct 6, 1997 | 7.7 |
| 3 | A Midwife's Tale | Jan 19, 1998 | 7.3 |
| 4 | Mr. Miami Beach | Feb 2, 1998 | 0.0 |
| 5 | Influenza 1918 | Feb 9, 1998 | 7.9 |
| 6 | Reagan (1): Lifeguard | Feb 23, 1998 | 7.7 |
| 7 | Reagan (2): An American Crusade | Feb 24, 1998 | 7.8 |
| 8 | Surviving the Dust Bowl | Mar 2, 1998 | 7.5 |
| 9 | Riding the Rails | Apr 13, 1998 | 6.9 |
10 episodes • 1998Avg: 7.2
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | America 1900 | Nov 18, 1998 | 8.4 |
| 2 | Race for the Superbomb | Jan 11, 1999 | 7.9 |
| 3 | Hoover Dam | Jan 18, 1999 | 7.2 |
| 4 | Alone on the Ice | Feb 8, 1999 | 7.0 |
| 5 | Rescue at Sea | Feb 15, 1999 | 6.7 |
| 6 | Meltdown at Three Mile Island | Feb 22, 1999 | 7.3 |
| 7 | Lost in the Grand Canyon | Apr 5, 1999 | 6.6 |
| 8 | MacArthur (1): Destiny | May 17, 1999 | 7.1 |
| 9 | MacArthur (2): The Politics of War | May 18, 1999 | 0.0 |
| 10 | Fly Girls | May 24, 1999 | 6.9 |
15 episodes • 1999Avg: 7.5
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York (1): The Country and the City | Nov 14, 1999 | 8.3 |
| 2 | New York (2): Order and Disorder | Nov 15, 1999 | 8.2 |
| 3 | New York (3): Sunshine and Shadow | Nov 16, 1999 | 8.2 |
| 4 | New York (4): The Power and the People | Nov 17, 1999 | 8.2 |
| 5 | New York (5): Cosmopolis | Nov 18, 1999 | 7.9 |
| 6 | Eleanor Roosevelt | Jan 10, 2000 | 7.8 |
| 7 | Houdini | Jan 24, 2000 | 7.3 |
| 8 | Nixon's China Game | Jan 31, 2000 | 7.3 |
| 9 | The Duel | Feb 14, 2000 | 7.0 |
| 10 | John Brown's Holy War | Feb 28, 2000 | 8.2 |
| 11 | George Wallace: Settin' the Woods on Fire (1) | Apr 23, 2000 | 6.6 |
| 12 | George Wallace: Settin' the Woods on Fire (2) | Apr 24, 2000 | 6.6 |
| 13 | Jubilee Singers: Sacrifice and Glory | May 1, 2000 | 7.1 |
| 14 | Joe DiMaggio: The Hero's Life | May 8, 2000 | 7.3 |
| 15 | The Wizard of Photography | May 23, 2000 | 6.8 |
12 episodes • 2000Avg: 7.8
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Rockefellers (1) | Oct 17, 2000 | 7.7 |
| 2 | The Rockefellers (2) | Oct 24, 2000 | 7.5 |
| 3 | Secrets of a Master Builder | Oct 30, 2000 | 0.0 |
| 4 | Return with Honor | Nov 13, 2000 | 6.7 |
| 5 | Streamliners: America's Last Trains | Feb 5, 2001 | 7.1 |
| 6 | Marcus Garvey: Look for Me in the Whirlwind | Feb 12, 2001 | 7.3 |
| 7 | Abraham and Mary Lincoln: A House Divided, Part I | Feb 19, 2001 | 8.5 |
| 8 | Abraham and Mary Lincoln: A House Divided, Part II | Feb 20, 2001 | 8.1 |
| 9 | Abraham and Mary Lincoln: A House Divided, Part III | Feb 21, 2001 | 8.3 |
| 10 | Scottsboro: An American Tragedy | Apr 2, 2001 | 8.1 |
| 11 | Fatal Flood | Apr 16, 2001 | 8.2 |
| 12 | Stephen Foster | Apr 23, 2001 | 8.4 |
14 episodes • 2001Avg: 7.5
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York (6): The City of Tomorrow | Sep 10, 2001 | 8.3 |
| 2 | New York (7): The City and the World | Sep 17, 2001 | 8.2 |
| 3 | War Letters | Nov 1, 2001 | 8.2 |
| 4 | Woodrow Wilson (1): A Passionate Man | Jan 6, 2002 | 7.0 |
| 5 | Woodrow Wilson (2): The Redemption of the World | Jan 13, 2002 | 6.8 |
| 6 | Mount Rushmore | Jan 20, 2002 | 6.9 |
| 7 | Miss America | Jan 27, 2002 | 6.8 |
| 8 | Zoot Suit Riots | Mar 1, 2002 | 7.1 |
| 9 | Monkey Trial | Feb 23, 2002 | 7.2 |
| 10 | Public Enemy #1 | Feb 17, 2002 | 6.6 |
| 11 | Ansel Adams | Apr 21, 2002 | 7.3 |
| 12 | A Brilliant Madness | Apr 28, 2002 | 7.6 |
| 13 | Ulysses S. Grant (1): The Warrior | Apr 1, 2002 | 8.2 |
| 14 | Ulysses S. Grant (2): The President | Apr 2, 2002 | 8.2 |
13 episodes • 2002Avg: 7.5
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jimmy Carter (1): Jimmy Who? | Nov 11, 2002 | 7.6 |
| 2 | Jimmy Carter (2): Hostage | Nov 12, 2002 | 7.3 |
| 3 | Chicago: City of the Century (1): Mudhole to Metropolis | Jan 13, 2003 | 8.1 |
| 4 | Chicago: City of the Century (2): The Revolution Has Begun | Jan 14, 2003 | 8.0 |
| 5 | Chicago: City of the Century (3): Battle for Chicago | Jan 15, 2003 | 7.8 |
| 6 | The Murder of Emmett Till | Jan 20, 2003 | 7.9 |
| 7 | Transcontinental Railroad | Jan 27, 2003 | 7.2 |
| 8 | Partners of the Heart | Feb 10, 2003 | 7.9 |
| 9 | The Pill | Feb 24, 2003 | 7.3 |
| 10 | Daughter from Danang | Apr 7, 2003 | 7.0 |
| 11 | Seabiscuit | Apr 21, 2003 | 8.0 |
| 12 | Bataan Rescue | Jul 7, 2003 | 7.2 |
| 13 | Murder at Harvard | Jul 14, 2003 | 5.8 |
9 episodes • 2003Avg: 7.5
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York (8): The Center of the World | Sep 8, 2003 | 8.4 |
| 2 | Reconstruction: The Second Civil War (1): Revolution | Jan 12, 2004 | 7.6 |
| 3 | Reconstruction: The Second Civil War (2): Retreat | Jan 13, 2004 | 7.5 |
| 4 | Citizen King | Jan 19, 2004 | 8.3 |
| 5 | Remember the Alamo | Feb 2, 2004 | 7.3 |
| 6 | Tupperware! | Feb 9, 2004 | 7.4 |
| 7 | Emma Goldman | Apr 12, 2004 | 7.2 |
| 8 | Patriots Day | Apr 19, 2004 | 6.5 |
| 9 | Golden Gate Bridge | May 3, 2004 | 7.5 |
11 episodes • 2004Avg: 7.3
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RFK (Part 1 & 2) | Oct 4, 2004 | 8.0 |
| 2 | The Fight | Jan 24, 2005 | 7.8 |
| 3 | Fidel Castro | Jan 31, 2005 | 6.5 |
| 4 | Building the Alaska Highway | Feb 7, 2005 | 7.2 |
| 5 | Kinsey | Feb 14, 2005 | 7.5 |
| 6 | Mary Pickford | Apr 4, 2005 | 7.3 |
| 7 | The Great Transatlantic Cable | Apr 11, 2005 | 7.2 |
| 8 | The Massie Affair | Apr 18, 2005 | 6.9 |
| 9 | Victory in the Pacific | May 2, 2005 | 7.2 |
| 10 | The Carter Family: Will the Circle Be Unbroken? | May 9, 2005 | 7.5 |
| 11 | Guerilla: The Taking of Patty Hearst | May 23, 2005 | 7.2 |
13 episodes • 2005Avg: 7.5
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Two Days in October | Oct 17, 2005 | 7.9 |
| 2 | Race to the Moon | Oct 31, 2005 | 7.8 |
| 3 | Las Vegas: An Unconventional History (1): Sin City | Nov 14, 2005 | 7.3 |
| 4 | Las Vegas: An Unconventional History (2): American Mecca | Nov 15, 2005 | 6.9 |
| 5 | John and Abigail Adams | Jan 23, 2006 | 8.0 |
| 6 | The Nuremberg Trials | Jan 30, 2006 | 7.2 |
| 7 | Jesse James | Feb 6, 2006 | 7.3 |
| 8 | Hijacked | Feb 25, 2006 | 6.6 |
| 9 | Eugene O'Neill | Mar 21, 2006 | 8.1 |
| 10 | The Boy in the Bubble | Apr 10, 2006 | 7.6 |
| 11 | The Alaska Pipeline | Apr 24, 2006 | 7.9 |
| 12 | Annie Oakley | May 8, 2006 | 7.6 |
| 13 | The Man Behind Hitler | May 22, 2006 | 7.3 |
15 episodes • 2006Avg: 7.0
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eyes on the Prize (1 & 2): Awakenings 1954-1956 / Fighting Back 1957-1962 | Oct 2, 2006 | 7.4 |
| 2 | Eyes on the Prize (3 & 4): Ain't Scared of Your Jails 1960-1961/No Easy Walk 1961-1963 | Oct 9, 2006 | 7.2 |
| 3 | Eyes on the Prize (5 & 6): Is This America? 1963-1964 / Bridge to Freedom 1965 | Oct 16, 2006 | 7.0 |
| 4 | Test Tube Babies | Oct 23, 2006 | 6.8 |
| 5 | The Great Fever | Oct 30, 2006 | 6.6 |
| 6 | The Gold Rush | Nov 6, 2006 | 7.0 |
| 7 | The Berlin Airlift | Jan 29, 2007 | 7.0 |
| 8 | The Living Weapon | Feb 5, 2007 | 7.1 |
| 9 | New Orleans (1 & 2) | Feb 12, 2007 | 6.4 |
| 10 | Sister Aimee | Apr 2, 2007 | 6.9 |
| 11 | Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple | Apr 9, 2007 | 8.2 |
| 12 | Summer of Love | Apr 23, 2007 | 7.5 |
| 13 | The Mormons (1): History | Apr 30, 2007 | 6.5 |
| 14 | The Mormons (2): Church and State | May 1, 2007 | 6.5 |
| 15 | Alexander Hamilton | May 14, 2007 | 7.5 |
14 episodes • 2008Avg: 7.2
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oswald's Ghost | Jan 14, 2008 | 6.6 |
| 2 | The Lobotomist | Jan 21, 2008 | 7.7 |
| 3 | Eyes on the Prize (7 & 8): The Time Has Come/Two Societies | Feb 3, 2008 | 7.5 |
| 4 | Grand Central | Feb 4, 2008 | 7.4 |
| 5 | Eyes on the Prize (9 & 10): Power!/The Promised Land | Feb 10, 2008 | 7.4 |
| 6 | Eyes on the Prize (11 & 12): Ain't Gonna' Shuffle No More/A Nation of Law? | Feb 17, 2008 | 7.5 |
| 7 | Eyes on the Prize (13 & 14): The Keys to the Kingdom/Back to the Movement | Feb 24, 2008 | 7.0 |
| 8 | Kit Carson | Feb 18, 2008 | 7.4 |
| 9 | Buffalo Bill | Feb 25, 2008 | 6.9 |
| 10 | Minik: The Lost Eskimo | Mar 31, 2009 | 6.3 |
| 11 | Walt Whitman | Apr 14, 2008 | 6.9 |
| 12 | Roberto Clemente | Apr 21, 2008 | 7.6 |
| 13 | George H.W. Bush (1) | May 5, 2008 | 7.3 |
| 14 | George H.W. Bush (2) | May 6, 2008 | 7.1 |
9 episodes • 2009Avg: 7.8
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Trials of J. Robert Oppenheimer | Jan 26, 2009 | 7.7 |
| 2 | The Polio Crusade | Feb 2, 2009 | 7.9 |
| 3 | The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln | Feb 9, 2009 | 7.7 |
| 4 | A Class Apart | Feb 23, 2009 | 7.5 |
| 5 | We Shall Remain (1): After the Mayflower | Apr 13, 2009 | 8.1 |
| 6 | We Shall Remain (2): Tecumseh's Vision | Apr 20, 2009 | 7.9 |
| 7 | We Shall Remain (3): Trail of Tears | Apr 27, 2009 | 7.9 |
| 8 | We Shall Remain (4): Geronimo | May 4, 2009 | 7.7 |
| 9 | We Shall Remain (5): Wounded Knee | May 11, 2009 | 7.8 |
8 episodes • 2009Avg: 7.6
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Civilian Conservation Corps | Nov 2, 2009 | 7.6 |
| 2 | Wyatt Earp | Jan 25, 2010 | 7.4 |
| 3 | The Bombing of Germany | Feb 8, 2010 | 7.2 |
| 4 | Dolley Madison | Mar 1, 2010 | 7.5 |
| 5 | Earth Days | Apr 19, 2010 | 7.1 |
| 6 | My Lai | Apr 26, 2010 | 8.3 |
| 7 | Roads to Memphis | May 3, 2010 | 7.8 |
| 8 | Into the Deep: America, Whaling and the World | May 10, 2010 | 8.2 |
12 episodes • 2010Avg: 7.1
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | God in America (Parts 1–2) | Oct 11, 2010 | 7.3 |
| 2 | God in America (Parts 3-4) | Oct 12, 2010 | 6.9 |
| 3 | God in America (Parts 5-6) | Oct 13, 2010 | 6.9 |
| 4 | Robert E. Lee | Jan 3, 2011 | 7.2 |
| 5 | Dinosaur Wars | Jan 17, 2011 | 7.3 |
| 6 | Panama Canal | Jan 24, 2011 | 7.8 |
| 7 | The Greely Expedition | Jan 31, 2011 | 7.4 |
| 8 | Triangle Fire | Feb 28, 2011 | 7.8 |
| 9 | The Great Famine | Apr 11, 2011 | 7.3 |
| 10 | Stonewall Uprising | Apr 25, 2011 | 7.9 |
| 11 | Soundtrack for a Revolution | May 9, 2011 | 7.4 |
| 12 | Freedom Riders | May 16, 2011 | 4.5 |
8 episodes • 2012Avg: 7.6Golden Era
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Billy the Kid | Jan 10, 2012 | 7.2 |
| 2 | Custer's Last Stand | Jan 17, 2012 | 7.5 |
| 3 | Clinton: The Comeback Kid (1) | Feb 20, 2012 | 7.8 |
| 4 | Clinton: The Survivor (2) | Feb 21, 2012 | 7.7 |
| 5 | The Amish | Feb 28, 2012 | 7.8 |
| 6 | Grand Coulee Dam | Apr 3, 2012 | 7.8 |
| 7 | Jesse Owens | May 1, 2012 | 7.5 |
| 8 | Death and the Civil War | Sep 18, 2012 | 0.0 |
8 episodes • 2013Avg: 7.9Golden Era
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Abolitionists: 1820s-1838 | Jan 8, 2013 | 8.1 |
| 2 | The Abolitionists: 1838-1854 | Jan 15, 2013 | 8.0 |
| 3 | The Abolitionists: 1854-Emancipation and Victory | Jan 22, 2013 | 8.0 |
| 4 | Henry Ford | Jan 29, 2013 | 7.8 |
| 5 | Silicon Valley | Feb 5, 2013 | 7.8 |
| 6 | War of the Worlds | Oct 29, 2013 | 7.8 |
| 7 | JFK (Part 1) | Nov 11, 2013 | 0.0 |
| 8 | JFK (Part 2) | Nov 12, 2013 | 0.0 |
7 episodes • 2014Avg: 7.7Golden Era
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Poisoner's Handbook | Jan 7, 2014 | 7.2 |
| 2 | 1964 | Jan 14, 2014 | 8.1 |
| 3 | The Amish: Shunned | Feb 4, 2014 | 8.2 |
| 4 | Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid | Feb 11, 2014 | 8.4 |
| 5 | The Rise and Fall of Penn Station | Feb 18, 2014 | 8.2 |
| 6 | Freedom Summer | Jun 24, 2014 | 6.5 |
| 7 | Cold War Roadshow | Nov 18, 2014 | 7.3 |
11 episodes • 2015Avg: 6.9
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ripley: Believe It or Not | Jan 6, 2015 | 7.6 |
| 2 | Klansville, USA | Jan 13, 2015 | 7.2 |
| 3 | Edison | Jan 27, 2015 | 7.1 |
| 4 | The Big Burn | Feb 3, 2015 | 7.7 |
| 5 | The Forgotten Plague | Feb 10, 2015 | 7.2 |
| 6 | Last Days In Vietnam | Apr 28, 2015 | 7.6 |
| 7 | Blackout | Jul 14, 2015 | 8.3 |
| 8 | Walt Disney (1) | Sep 14, 2015 | 7.1 |
| 9 | Walt Disney (2) | Sep 15, 2015 | 0.0 |
| 10 | American Comandante | Nov 17, 2015 | 1.0 |
| 11 | The Pilgrims | Nov 24, 2015 | 8.0 |
8 episodes • 2016Avg: 7.7
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bonnie & Clyde | Jan 19, 2016 | 8.1 |
| 2 | The Mine Wars | Jan 26, 2016 | 8.1 |
| 3 | Murder of a President | Feb 2, 2016 | 7.2 |
| 4 | The Perfect Crime | Feb 9, 2016 | 7.6 |
| 5 | Space Men | Mar 1, 2016 | 7.4 |
| 6 | The Boys of '36 | Aug 2, 2016 | 7.9 |
| 7 | Tesla | Oct 18, 2016 | 8.0 |
| 8 | The Battle of Chosin | Nov 1, 2016 | 7.3 |
8 episodes • 2017Avg: 7.7
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Command and Control | Jan 10, 2017 | 7.1 |
| 2 | Rachel Carson | Jan 24, 2017 | 7.8 |
| 3 | The Race Underground | Jan 31, 2017 | 7.9 |
| 4 | Oklahoma City | Feb 7, 2017 | 7.8 |
| 5 | Ruby Ridge | Feb 14, 2017 | 7.2 |
| 6 | The Great War: Part 1 | Apr 10, 2017 | 8.2 |
| 7 | The Great War: Part 2 | Apr 11, 2017 | 7.5 |
| 8 | The Great War: Part 3 | Apr 12, 2017 | 8.2 |
9 episodes • 2018Avg: 7.2
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Into the Amazon | Jan 9, 2018 | 7.9 |
| 2 | The Secret of Tuxedo Park | Jan 16, 2018 | 7.4 |
| 3 | The Gilded Age | Feb 6, 2018 | 7.4 |
| 4 | The Bombing of Wall Street | Feb 13, 2018 | 7.6 |
| 5 | The Island Murder | Apr 17, 2018 | 3.3 |
| 6 | The Chinese Exclusion Act | May 29, 2018 | 8.0 |
| 7 | The Circus (1) | Oct 8, 2018 | 10.0 |
| 8 | The Circus (2) | Oct 9, 2018 | 10.0 |
| 9 | The Eugenics Crusade | Oct 16, 2018 | 2.8 |
7 episodes • 2019Avg: 8.0
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Swamp | Jan 15, 2019 | 8.1 |
| 2 | Sealab | Feb 12, 2019 | 8.2 |
| 3 | Chasing the Moon - A Place Beyond the Sky | Jul 8, 2019 | 7.9 |
| 4 | Chasing the Moon - Earthrise | Jul 9, 2019 | 7.6 |
| 5 | Chasing the Moon - Magnificent Desolation | Jul 10, 2019 | 7.3 |
| 6 | Woodstock | Aug 6, 2019 | 8.5 |
| 7 | The Feud | Sep 10, 2019 | 8.7 |
8 episodes • 2020Avg: 7.6
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | McCarthy | Jan 6, 2020 | 7.2 |
| 2 | The Poison Squad | Jan 28, 2020 | 7.6 |
| 3 | The Man Who Tried to Feed The World | Apr 21, 2020 | 7.7 |
| 4 | George W. Bush (Part 1) | May 4, 2020 | 8.3 |
| 5 | George W. Bush (Part 2) | May 5, 2020 | 7.4 |
| 6 | Mr. Tornado | May 19, 2020 | 7.5 |
| 7 | The Vote (Part 1) | Jul 6, 2020 | 7.2 |
| 8 | The Vote (Part 2) | Jul 7, 2020 | 7.9 |
8 episodes • 2021Avg: 7.7
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Codebreaker | Jan 11, 2021 | 8.0 |
| 2 | Voice of Freedom | Feb 15, 2021 | 7.9 |
| 3 | The Blinding of Isaac Woodard | Mar 30, 2021 | 8.1 |
| 4 | American Oz | Apr 19, 2021 | 7.5 |
| 5 | Billy Graham | May 17, 2021 | 6.6 |
| 6 | Sandra Day O'Connor: The First | Sep 13, 2021 | 7.4 |
| 7 | Citizen Hearst (1) | Sep 27, 2021 | 7.9 |
| 8 | Citizen Hearst (2) | Sep 28, 2021 | 8.0 |
6 episodes • 2022Avg: 7.5
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Riveted: The History of Jeans | Feb 7, 2022 | 6.7 |
| 2 | The American Diplomat | Feb 15, 2022 | 7.0 |
| 3 | Flood in the Desert | May 3, 2022 | 7.6 |
| 4 | Plague at the Golden Gate | May 24, 2022 | 7.6 |
| 5 | Taken Hostage (1) | Nov 14, 2022 | 8.3 |
| 6 | Taken Hostage (2) | Nov 15, 2022 | 8.0 |
9 episodes • 2023Avg: 7.4
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Lie Detector | Jan 3, 2023 | 7.2 |
| 2 | Zora Neale Hurston: Claiming a Space | Jan 17, 2023 | 7.8 |
| 3 | Ruthless: Monopoly's Secret History | Feb 20, 2023 | 7.3 |
| 4 | The Movement and the "Madman" | Mar 28, 2023 | 7.8 |
| 5 | The Sun Queen | Apr 4, 2023 | 7.3 |
| 6 | Casa Susanna | Jun 27, 2023 | 7.4 |
| 7 | The Busing Battleground | Sep 11, 2023 | 7.6 |
| 8 | The Harvest: Integrating Mississippi's Schools | Sep 12, 2023 | 7.3 |
| 9 | The War on Disco | Oct 30, 2023 | 6.8 |
7 episodes • 2024Avg: 7.8
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nazi Town, USA | Jan 23, 2024 | 7.8 |
| 2 | Fly With Me | Feb 20, 2024 | 8.0 |
| 3 | The Cancer Detectives | Mar 26, 2024 | 7.7 |
| 4 | Poisoned Ground: The Tragedy at Love Canal | Apr 22, 2024 | 8.2 |
| 5 | The Riot Report | May 21, 2024 | 7.5 |
| 6 | The American Vice President | Oct 1, 2024 | 7.5 |
| 7 | American Coup: Wilmington 1898 | Nov 12, 2024 | 7.9 |
8 episodes • 2025Avg: 6.7
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Forgotten Hero: Walter White and The NAACP | Feb 24, 2025 | 7.4 |
| 2 | Change, Not Charity: The Americans with Disabilities Act | Mar 24, 2025 | 7.6 |
| 3 | Mr. Polaroid | Mar 31, 2025 | 7.5 |
| 4 | Clearing the Air: The War on Smog | Aug 26, 2025 | 7.7 |
| 5 | Hard Hat Riot | Sep 30, 2025 | 7.6 |
| 6 | Kissinger (1): The Necessity of Power | Oct 27, 2025 | 7.5 |
| 7 | Kissinger (2): The Opportunist | Oct 28, 2025 | 7.5 |
| 8 | Bombshell | Jan 6, 2026 | 1.0 |
