American Experience poster

TV series

American Experience

1988TV-PG37 seasons6.5 / 10

TV's most-watched history series brings to life the compelling stories from our past that inform our understanding of the world today.

Streaming, rental and purchase options

Where to watch in United States

Checked Jul 22, 2026

American Experience is available to stream on DirecTV On Demand, Hoopla, and YouTube TV in United States. You can also rent or buy it from Google Play, Amazon, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home. Use the direct links below to open the provider.

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Synopsis

TV's most-watched history series brings to life the compelling stories from our past that inform our understanding of the world today.

Season 6 episodes

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

← Season 5

Episode 1

Amelia Earhart: The Price of Courage

55m

The first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, Amelia Earhart was one of America's first celebrities. After only a few years as a pilot she became the best-known female flier in America, not only for her daring and determination but also for her striking looks and outspoken personality. Three weeks before her 40th birthday Earhart disappeared over the Pacific Ocean, and her story became legend.

Episode credits

Directed by Nancy PorterWritten by Nancy PorterGuest stars Kathy Bates, Sally Chapman, Amelia Earhart, George Palmer Putnam, Gore Vidal

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Episode 2

The Hunt for Pancho Villa

55m

Pancho Villa's raid on Columbus, New Mexico, was the culmination of years of bloody incidents along the border. For Americans, it was the last straw. In 1916, General John Pershing and his 150,000 man cavalry set out to get Villa, dead or alive. Before it was over, the U.S. and Mexico would be at the brink of war.

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Episode 3

Eisenhower

2h 30m

Dwight D. Eisenhower was a decorated general, a skillful politician, a tough Cold War adversary and one of America's least understood presidents. Part of the award-winning Presidents collection.

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Episode 4

The Hurricane of '38

55m

The Hurricane of '38 chronicles the lives of fishermen, residents and vacationers on the day before the storm, following their stories through one of the greatest natural disasters ever to befall the eastern seaboard.

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Episode 5

Ishi: The Last Yahi Indian

55m

The last surviving member of a California Indian tribe became a sensation in 1911, but the contact brought him terrible physical and psychological consequences.

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Episode 6

Malcolm X: Make It Plain

55m

If any man expressed the anger, struggle and insistence of black people for freedom in the sixties, it was Malcolm X. In Omaha, he was Malcolm Little; later he became "Detroit Red" a small time street hustler. From prison emerged another Malcolm, the fiery, eloquent spokesman for the Nation of Islam. After a trip to Mecca, there was a last transformation -- a new willingness to accept white allies. Who killed him and why has never been fully explained.

Episode credits

Directed by Orlando BagwellWritten by Orlando Bagwell, Steve Bagwell, Steve FayerGuest stars Alfre Woodard, A. Peter Bailey, Maya Angelou, Ossie Davis, Alex Haley, Sam Yorty, Malcolm X

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Episode 7

America and the Holocaust: Deceit and Indifference

1h 25m

Complex social and political factors shaped America's response to the Holocaust, from Kristallnacht in 1938 through the liberation of the death camps in 1945. For a short time, the U.S. had an opportunity to open its doors, but instead erected a "paper wall," a bureaucratic maze that prevented all but a few Jewish refugees from entering the country. It was not until 1944, that a small band of Treasury Department employees forced the government to respond.

Episode credits

Directed by Marty OstrowWritten by Marty OstrowGuest stars Hal Linden

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Episode 8

D-Day Remembered

55mfinale

It was truly a "battle of the world," a pivotal turning point in history, and the most dramatic single event in WWII. A military operation fraught with incalculable risk; the secret campaign was a triumph of intelligence and teamwork moving 5,000 ships carrying 150,000 men and 30,000 vehicles across one of the most unpredictable and dangerous bodies of water in the world. For all the split-second planning and careful rehearsal, it came down to the young men whose remembrances and recollections are the heart of this story.

Episode credits

Guest stars David McCullough

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Episode information updated Jul 26, 2026

More about American Experience

Cast

Liev SchreiberNarrator (voice)
Linda HuntSelf - Narrator (voice)
Jason RobardsNarrator (voice)
Peter CoyoteNarrator (voice)
Alfre WoodardNarrator (voice)
Dion GrahamSelf - Narrator (voice)
Joe MortonNarrator (voice)
René AuberjonoisWoodrow Wilson (voice)

Production details

Status
Returning Series
Series type
Documentary
Episodes
396
Original language
English

Networks & production

  • PBSUnited States
  • GBHUnited States

Themes

biographycurrent affairsmedia coverageusa history