Frontline poster

TV series

Frontline

1983TV-MA45 seasons6.6 / 10

Since it began in 1983, Frontline has been airing public-affairs documentaries that explore a wide scope of the complex human experience. Frontline's goal is to extend the impact of the documentary beyond its initial broadcast by serving as a catalyst for change.

Streaming, rental and purchase options

Where to watch in United States

Checked Jul 24, 2026

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

Availability and prices can change. Confirm the details on the streaming service before you subscribe, rent or buy.

Synopsis

Since it began in 1983, Frontline has been airing public-affairs documentaries that explore a wide scope of the complex human experience. Frontline's goal is to extend the impact of the documentary beyond its initial broadcast by serving as a catalyst for change.

Season 17 episodes

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

← Season 16

Episode 1

From Jesus to Christ: The First Christians (Pt. 1)

The story of the life of Jesus and the epic rise of Christianity. Said one critic: " It's a revelation of what television can be."

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Episode 2

From Jesus to Christ: The First Christians (Pt. 2)

The story of the life of Jesus and the epic rise of Christianity. Said one critic: " It's a revelation of what television can be."

Where to watch Frontline

Episode 3

The Farmer's Wife, Part 3

2h 21m

In the concluding episode of "The Farmer's Wife," Darrel finally harvests the bumper crop he had dreamt about his whole life. But Darrel has to go to work for another farmer to make enough money to feed his family, and the stress and exhaustion cause him to explode. In December, Juanita takes the girls and leaves for a week--it has a deep and profound effect on Darrel. Two months later, the marriage that had seemed almost doomed is miraculously transformed. Through counseling, Darrel learns to deal with his anger and undergoes extraordinary personal growth. Now he is the at-home parent, farming and caring for his three daughters. Juanita, who has earned a college degree, works at a respected crop insurance company in town, helping other farmers. In the end, through faith, hope, and hard work, the Buschkoetters save their farm and rediscover the love that holds them together.

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Episode 5

Washington's Other Scandal

56m

"Washington's Other Scandal" reveals the heart of a Washington where money - not sex - is the obsession. In this special report by Bill Moyers, FRONTLINE shows how both political parties, cynically and shamelessly, contrived to bend and break campaign laws in the '96 election.

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Episode 6

Plague War

FRONTLINE's "Plague War" investigates the ever-increasing threat of biological weapons in today's world, focusing on the rise and fall of the Soviet Union's enormous covert bio-weapons program which went undetected for almost two decades.

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Episode 7

The Child Terror

In "The Child Terror," FRONTLINE correspondent Peter J. Boyer travels to Dade County, Florida to explore the impassioned roots and controversial consequences of the nation's 15-year legal battle against child sexual abuse. During the 1980s, Miami became ground zero in the crusade to prosecute child molesters. Many high-profile cases were prosecuted by the office of then-chief prosecutor Janet Reno who pioneered a national effort to bring child molesters to justice. Now, however, some of these cases are unraveling. In this report, FRONTLINE deconstructs two of the them, probing what went wrong.

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Episode 13

Hunting Bin Laden

For years this one man has taunted, threatened and frustrated the United States. But who is he? The U.S. government has tried to link him to nearly every act of Islamic terrorism against Americans in the 90s: from the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center, to the bombings of U.S. military installations in Saudi Arabia, to the 1998 bombings of two US embassies in Africa.

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Episode 16

The Long Walk of Nelson Mandela

1h 51m

An intimate portrait of one of the 20th century's greatest leaders.

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Episode information updated Jul 25, 2026

More about Frontline

Cast

Jessica SavitchSelf - Host
Will LymanSelf - Narrator (voice)
Judy WoodruffSelf - Host
Reuven FrankHimself
Larry Storch
Roger StoneSelf (archive footage)
Jared KushnerSelf (archive footage)
Newt GingrichSelf

Credits

Created by
David Fanning
Written by
Neil Docherty, Ric Esther Bienstock, Michael Kirk, Mike Wiser, Rick Young

Production details

Status
Returning Series
Series type
Documentary
Episodes
854
Original language
English

Networks & production

  • PBSUnited States
  • GBHUnited States
  • FRONTLINEUnited States

Themes

investigative journalism