David Grubin
Director
American Experience (1988)
Season 10
TV's most-watched history series brings to life the compelling stories from our past that inform our understanding of the world today.
Released Oct. 4, 1988
Episode 74 min
12+
Genres: Biography, Documentary, History
Keywords: tmdb.biography, tmdb.usa-history, tmdb.current-affairs, imdb.media-coverage, imdb.americana, imdb.american-history, imdb.history-documentary + 9 more, imdb.social-documentary, imdb.reenactment, imdb.public-media, imdb.anthology, mdblist.ext.2k-blu-ray, mdblist.has-trailer, awards.oscar-nominated, awards.emmy-award-winner, awards.emmy-award-nominated
Watch Providers: PBS, PBS, PBS Documentaries Amazon Channel, YouTube TV
Production Companies: WGBH Boston
Network: PBS
Country: United States
Languages:
English
S10E1 - Truman (1): An Accident of Democracy
A study of Harry S. Truman, the 33rd president. Part 1 covers his service during World War I; his accomplishments as a small-time Kansas City politician; his two terms as a Missouri senator.
Oct. 5, 1997, midnight
S10E2 - Truman (2): The Moon, the Stars and All the Planets
Harry S. Truman recalls his post-WWII economic policies; his 1948 presidential campaign; the Korean War; and his celebrated clash with Gen. Douglas MacArthur.
Oct. 6, 1997, midnight
S10E3 - A Midwife's Tale
Chronicling the efforts of historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich to gather facts about early American life through the diaries of Maine resident and midwife Martha Ballard (1735?-1812). Included: dramatizations of some of the passages; and the use of town documents to supplement some of Ballard's accounts.
Jan. 19, 1998, midnight
S10E4 - Mr. Miami Beach
Recalling the life of Carl Fisher, the entrepreneur who “sold the glamour of Florida” and turned a swampland into Miami Beach. Included: how he developed the resort town using topsoil from the Everglades and sand from Biscayne Bay.
Feb. 2, 1998, midnight
S10E5 - Influenza 1918
Chronicling the epidemic of the Spanish flu in 1918, which claimed “more than 600,000 lives.” Included: futile attempts to develop a vaccine; and how the virus spread to Europe.
Feb. 9, 1998, midnight
S10E6 - Reagan (1): Lifeguard
The life and legacy of Ronald Reagan are examined in a two-part study, beginning with his impoverished childhood; his start as a radio sportscaster and career as an actor; his two terms as governor of California; and his 1980 election to the Presidency. Among those interviewed: Nancy Reagan and Ron Reagan Jr.
Feb. 23, 1998, midnight
S10E7 - Reagan (2): An American Crusade
The conclusion of a biography of Ronald Reagan focuses on the president's second term and includes his defense-spending policies and the Iran-Contra scandal.
Feb. 24, 1998, midnight
S10E8 - Surviving the Dust Bowl
Children of 1930s Plains farmers recall the Dust Bowl, the eight-year drought that was made far worse by the 30 years of aggressive farming that preceded it. "A lot of people thought it was the end of the world," one survivor says.
March 2, 1998, midnight
S10E9 - Riding the Rails
During the Depression-era 1930's, tens of thousands of teenagers hopped freight trains in search of a better life elsewhere. What they found was a mixture of adventure, camaraderie, hardship and loneliness. The evocative stories of teen hoboes crisscrossing America during tough times.
April 13, 1998, midnight
Network: PBS
Episode Runtime: 74 min.
Season Runtime: 518 min.
Released: Oct. 4, 1988
Last Air Date: Oct. 28, 2025, midnight
Next Air Date: Jan. 6, 2026, midnight
Status: Returning Series
Certification: TV-PG
Common sense age: 12+
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