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TV series

America: Facts vs. Fiction

2013TV-PG5 seasons6.1 / 10

History as we generally know it is full of holes or half-truths, and a mother lode of juicy details have been lost, distorted, covered up or simply ignored along the way. Former Naval officer and actor Jamie Kaler is on a mission to set the record straight on the most familiar and beloved stories from our nation's and military's past, filling in the blanks, debunking the occasional myth, and exploring why we sometimes get our own history, well, slightly wrong

Availability

Not streaming in United States

Checked Jul 22, 2026

America: Facts vs. Fiction premiered July 10, 2013. We don't have a confirmed streaming, rental or purchase option yet.

Synopsis

History as we generally know it is full of holes or half-truths, and a mother lode of juicy details have been lost, distorted, covered up or simply ignored along the way. Former Naval officer and actor Jamie Kaler is on a mission to set the record straight on the most familiar and beloved stories from our nation's and military's past, filling in the blanks, debunking the occasional myth, and exploring why we sometimes get our own history, well, slightly wrong

Season 3 episodes

Choose an episode, then use the watch options above for the show.

← Season 2

Episode 1

Ike and MacArthur

22m

The truth about America's greatest generals is obscured by myth. West Point cadet Dwight Eisenhower used an alias to hide a secret and Douglas MacArthur deserved a court-martial, not a medal, for his actions in the Philippines in World War II.

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Episode 2

Worlds of Amusement

22m

Amusement parks and world's fairs are examined. Included: the history of roller-coasters and how world's fairs recalled as family-friendly endeavors actually featured nudity.

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Episode 3

Welcome to the Big Apple

22m

Myths obscure the facts about two Manhattan landmarks - the Empire State Building and Grand Central. Discover why a penny tossed from the top of the skyscraper won't kill anyone, and the real story of Grand Central's "secret" train platform.

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Episode 4

The Princess and the Pathfinders

22m

Myths obscure the truth about Pocahontas and America's renowned explorers, Lewis and Clark. We remember Pocahontas and John Smith as lovers - but she actually married another John. And Lewis and Clark's exploits were forgotten for a century.

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Episode 6

Top Secret Vaults

22m

Myths surround America's most secret vaults. The interior of Fort Knox looks nothing like it does in the movie "Goldfinger" and the $250 billion of gold in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York is protected by low-tech technology built in 1924.

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Episode 7

Not So Close Encounters

22m

Did an alien spaceship crash in Roswell, New Mexico in 1947? Are scientists reverse-engineering extraterrestrial technology in the Nevada desert's Area 51? Conspiracy theorists have no doubts. But the facts tell a very different story.

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Episode 8

Roads to Freedom

22m

Myths obscure the truth about the Underground Railroad and the Women's Suffrage Movement. Black leaders, not white, dominated the system that brought hundreds of slaves to freedom. And women's fight for the vote was more violent than we remember.

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Episode 9

D.C. Decoding

22m

Myths surround the landmarks of Washington, D.C. Few realize that the remains of the original White House are buried under a baseball diamond in Virginia - or that thousands of people have literally jumped over the top of the Washington Monument.

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Episode 10

Final Voyages

22m

Myths cloud the facts of the Titanic and Hindenburg disasters. Few know that the Titanic nearly hit another obstacle days before it struck the iceberg - or that the radio broadcast of the Hindenburg's destruction is distorted by a technical flaw.

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Episode 11

The Rock and the Bridge

22m

Myths obscure the real facts about two San Francisco landmarks: Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge. If Alcatraz was so harsh, why did inmates ask to be transferred there? And why did the Navy want to paint the bridge a garish yellow and black?

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Episode 12

Unwrapping the Holidays

22mfinale

Myths and misconceptions surround our celebrations of Christmas and New Year's Eve. Learn how the Santa we cherish is actually the product of three New Yorkers and how the Times Square Ball drop is based on a bygone system of standardizing time.

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Episode information updated Jul 24, 2026

More about America: Facts vs. Fiction

Cast

Jamie KalerHimself - Host

Production details

Status
Returning Series
Series type
Scripted
Episodes
67
Original language
English

Networks & production

  • FocusItaly
  • Military ChannelUnited States
  • DMAXItaly
  • Historical WardrobeUnited States
  • LionHeart FilmWorksUnited States
  • Workaholic ProductionsUnited States

Themes

american historybased on myths, legends or folklorehistorical documentaryhistorical eventshistorical figurehistorical revisionismhistory and legacymyth