Martin Smith

Production

Martin Smith

Born

1949-01-28 (77)

Place of birth

South Pasadena, California, USA

Known for

Production

Credits

57 titles

Martin Smith is a producer, writer, director and correspondent.Smith has directed dozens of nationally broadcast documentaries for CBS News, ABC News and PBS Frontline. His films range in topic from war in the Middle East to the 2008 financial crisis.

Known for

Bitter Rivals: Iran and Saudi Arabia poster
2.0

Bitter Rivals illuminates the essential history - and profound ripple effect - of Iran and Saudi Arabia's power struggle. It draws on scores of interviews with political, religious and military leaders, militia commanders, diplomats, and policy experts, painting American television's most comprehensive picture of a feud that has reshaped the Middle East.

Bitter Rivals: Iran and Saudi Arabia

2018

The Rise of ISIS poster
7.0

FRONTLINE investigates the miscalculations and mistakes behind the brutal rise of ISIS. Correspondent Martin Smith, who made "Truth, War & Consequences," "Beyond Baghdad," "Private Warriors" and "Gangs of Iraq," reports from Iraq on how the country began coming undone after the American withdrawal and what it means for the U.S. to be fighting there again.

The Rise of ISIS

2014

Spice Girls: Giving You Everything poster
9.7

The Spice Girls are the most successful girl group of all time. They have sold 55 million CDs worldwide, had nine No.1 singles and had the biggest selling single ever by an all female group. Although there have been many documentaries, books and articles about the Spice Girls, the girls themselves have never told their story. Until now... This is the story of the Spice Girls, told by the Spice Girls - the story from inside the eye of the hurricane, the story of the greatest pop phenomenon since The Beatles. From their pre-Spice Girl days, the forming of the group, the early struggles, their first taste of success, world domination, the break up, the aftermath and their subsequent solo careers and lives. Their recollections form an intriguing and revealing narrative along with archive footage from around the globe which illustrates the time when the Spice Girls ruled the world and how they are soon to re-claim their place as the most talked about group on the planet.

Spice Girls: Giving You Everything

2007

The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia poster
8.0

One year after the murder of columnist Jamal Khashoggi, a two-hour FRONTLINE documentary investigates the rise and rule of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia (MBS). Correspondent Martin Smith, who has covered the Middle East for FRONTLINE for 20 years, examines the crown prince’s vision for the future, his handling of dissent, his relationship with the United States — and his ties to Khashoggi’s killing. This Episode can be watched Online at (last Update 18th Oct 24): https://www.pbs.org/video/crown-prince-saudi-arabia-1jt2ey

The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia

2019

Confronting ISIS poster
NR

Investigating the U.S.-led efforts to degrade and destroy ISIS. Reporting from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, and Turkey, the film examines the successes, failures, and challenges of the fight, as ISIS loses ground in the region but strikes out abroad.

Confronting ISIS

2016

Truth, War and Consequences poster
NR

Did America rush into a war in Iraq for which it was unprepared? FRONTLINE examines why the U.S. went to war in Iraq, what went wrong in the planning for the postwar occupation, and what was at stake for both the U.S. and for Iraqis.

Truth, War and Consequences

2003

Film credits

2020s · 5 titles

The Crown Prince & The President poster
9.0

Months into his second term, President Donald Trump welcomed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the White House. It had been seven years since a Saudi hit squad murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi, in an operation U.S. intelligence assessed MBS had approved.Now, Trump hailed MBS as a friend. The two men announced from the Oval Office that Saudi Arabia planned to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in the U.S.FRONTLINE's new documentary "The Crown Prince & the President" draws on over 100 interviews to investigate what forces bind the two men and their countries together, and what each stands to gain.

The Crown Prince & The President

2026

Targeting El Paso poster
NR

FRONTLINE investigates how El Paso, Texas became the Trump administration’s immigration policy testing ground, and then the target of a white supremacist. Interviews with current and former officials, Border Patrol agents, advocates and migrants tell the inside story from the epicenter of the border crisis.

Targeting El Paso

2020

The Jihadist poster
NR

Over most of two decades, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani’s life has been a roadmap of Islamist militancy in Iraq and Syria. Designated a terrorist by the United States, the powerful Syrian militant now seeks a new relationship with the West.

The Jihadist

2021

America and the Taliban poster
NR

How did the U.S. lose the war in Afghanistan? Who bears responsibility? And what has been the human cost? Drawing on decades of on-the-ground reporting and interviews with Taliban and U.S. officials, this epic three-part investigation traces how America’s 20-year investment in Afghanistan culminated in Taliban victory and examines the missteps and consequences.

America and the Taliban

2023

Syria After Assad poster
10.0

Frontline examines Syria’s uncertain future under jihadist-turned-statesman Ahmad al-Sharaa. After the fall of Bashar al-Assad, correspondent Martin Smith travels the country tracing al-Sharaa’s rise to power and the emerging threats to the country’s stability.

Syria After Assad

2025

2010s · 8 titles

The Rise of ISIS poster
7.0

FRONTLINE investigates the miscalculations and mistakes behind the brutal rise of ISIS. Correspondent Martin Smith, who made "Truth, War & Consequences," "Beyond Baghdad," "Private Warriors" and "Gangs of Iraq," reports from Iraq on how the country began coming undone after the American withdrawal and what it means for the U.S. to be fighting there again.

The Rise of ISIS

2014

The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia poster
8.0

One year after the murder of columnist Jamal Khashoggi, a two-hour FRONTLINE documentary investigates the rise and rule of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia (MBS). Correspondent Martin Smith, who has covered the Middle East for FRONTLINE for 20 years, examines the crown prince’s vision for the future, his handling of dissent, his relationship with the United States — and his ties to Khashoggi’s killing. This Episode can be watched Online at (last Update 18th Oct 24): https://www.pbs.org/video/crown-prince-saudi-arabia-1jt2ey

The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia

2019

Confronting ISIS poster
NR

Investigating the U.S.-led efforts to degrade and destroy ISIS. Reporting from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, and Turkey, the film examines the successes, failures, and challenges of the fight, as ISIS loses ground in the region but strikes out abroad.

Confronting ISIS

2016

Obama at War poster
6.0

Military and diplomatic leaders examine some of the choices President Barack Obama faces regarding the Islamic State and the civil war in Syria.

Obama at War

2015

Inside Assad's Syria poster
10.0

Join correspondent Martin Smith in Syria as he reports from government-controlled areas while the war rages. With on-the-ground reporting and firsthand accounts from Syrians caught in the crisis, the film shines new light on the ongoing conflict.

Inside Assad's Syria

2015

Educating Sergeant Pantzke poster
NR

FRONTLINE investigates for-profit universities and their predatory ways against those who have served in the military.

Educating Sergeant Pantzke

2011

Separated: Children at the Border poster
NR

The inside story of what happened to immigrant children separated from their parents at the border. The film explores the impact of the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy, and how both Trump and Obama dealt with minors at the border.

Separated: Children at the Border

2018

Chasing Heroin poster
NR

America’s heroin and opioid crisis has been called the worst drug epidemic in U.S. history. FRONTLINE goes inside the crisis and places it in a fresh and provocative light — telling individual stories of addiction, but also investigating how the heroin epidemic as we know it came to be.

Chasing Heroin

2016

2000s · 3 titles

Series credits

Behind the camera

The Rise of ISIS poster
7.0

FRONTLINE investigates the miscalculations and mistakes behind the brutal rise of ISIS. Correspondent Martin Smith, who made "Truth, War & Consequences," "Beyond Baghdad," "Private Warriors" and "Gangs of Iraq," reports from Iraq on how the country began coming undone after the American withdrawal and what it means for the U.S. to be fighting there again.

The Rise of ISIS

2014

The Rise of ISIS poster
7.0

FRONTLINE investigates the miscalculations and mistakes behind the brutal rise of ISIS. Correspondent Martin Smith, who made "Truth, War & Consequences," "Beyond Baghdad," "Private Warriors" and "Gangs of Iraq," reports from Iraq on how the country began coming undone after the American withdrawal and what it means for the U.S. to be fighting there again.

The Rise of ISIS

2014

Spice Girls: Giving You Everything poster
9.7

The Spice Girls are the most successful girl group of all time. They have sold 55 million CDs worldwide, had nine No.1 singles and had the biggest selling single ever by an all female group. Although there have been many documentaries, books and articles about the Spice Girls, the girls themselves have never told their story. Until now... This is the story of the Spice Girls, told by the Spice Girls - the story from inside the eye of the hurricane, the story of the greatest pop phenomenon since The Beatles. From their pre-Spice Girl days, the forming of the group, the early struggles, their first taste of success, world domination, the break up, the aftermath and their subsequent solo careers and lives. Their recollections form an intriguing and revealing narrative along with archive footage from around the globe which illustrates the time when the Spice Girls ruled the world and how they are soon to re-claim their place as the most talked about group on the planet.

Spice Girls: Giving You Everything

2007

The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia poster
8.0

One year after the murder of columnist Jamal Khashoggi, a two-hour FRONTLINE documentary investigates the rise and rule of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia (MBS). Correspondent Martin Smith, who has covered the Middle East for FRONTLINE for 20 years, examines the crown prince’s vision for the future, his handling of dissent, his relationship with the United States — and his ties to Khashoggi’s killing. This Episode can be watched Online at (last Update 18th Oct 24): https://www.pbs.org/video/crown-prince-saudi-arabia-1jt2ey

The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia

2019

The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia poster
8.0

One year after the murder of columnist Jamal Khashoggi, a two-hour FRONTLINE documentary investigates the rise and rule of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia (MBS). Correspondent Martin Smith, who has covered the Middle East for FRONTLINE for 20 years, examines the crown prince’s vision for the future, his handling of dissent, his relationship with the United States — and his ties to Khashoggi’s killing. This Episode can be watched Online at (last Update 18th Oct 24): https://www.pbs.org/video/crown-prince-saudi-arabia-1jt2ey

The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia

2019

Confronting ISIS poster
NR

Investigating the U.S.-led efforts to degrade and destroy ISIS. Reporting from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, and Turkey, the film examines the successes, failures, and challenges of the fight, as ISIS loses ground in the region but strikes out abroad.

Confronting ISIS

2016

Truth, War and Consequences poster
NR

Did America rush into a war in Iraq for which it was unprepared? FRONTLINE examines why the U.S. went to war in Iraq, what went wrong in the planning for the postwar occupation, and what was at stake for both the U.S. and for Iraqis.

Truth, War and Consequences

2003

Truth, War and Consequences poster
NR

Did America rush into a war in Iraq for which it was unprepared? FRONTLINE examines why the U.S. went to war in Iraq, what went wrong in the planning for the postwar occupation, and what was at stake for both the U.S. and for Iraqis.

Truth, War and Consequences

2003

The Crown Prince & The President poster
9.0

Months into his second term, President Donald Trump welcomed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the White House. It had been seven years since a Saudi hit squad murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi, in an operation U.S. intelligence assessed MBS had approved.Now, Trump hailed MBS as a friend. The two men announced from the Oval Office that Saudi Arabia planned to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in the U.S.FRONTLINE's new documentary "The Crown Prince & the President" draws on over 100 interviews to investigate what forces bind the two men and their countries together, and what each stands to gain.

The Crown Prince & The President

2026

The Crown Prince & The President poster
9.0

Months into his second term, President Donald Trump welcomed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the White House. It had been seven years since a Saudi hit squad murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi, in an operation U.S. intelligence assessed MBS had approved.Now, Trump hailed MBS as a friend. The two men announced from the Oval Office that Saudi Arabia planned to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in the U.S.FRONTLINE's new documentary "The Crown Prince & the President" draws on over 100 interviews to investigate what forces bind the two men and their countries together, and what each stands to gain.

The Crown Prince & The President

2026

The Crown Prince & The President poster
9.0

Months into his second term, President Donald Trump welcomed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the White House. It had been seven years since a Saudi hit squad murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi, in an operation U.S. intelligence assessed MBS had approved.Now, Trump hailed MBS as a friend. The two men announced from the Oval Office that Saudi Arabia planned to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in the U.S.FRONTLINE's new documentary "The Crown Prince & the President" draws on over 100 interviews to investigate what forces bind the two men and their countries together, and what each stands to gain.

The Crown Prince & The President

2026

Return of the Taliban poster
NR

FRONTLINE reports from the lawless Pakistani tribal areas along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border and reveals how the area has fallen under the control of a resurgent Taliban militia. Despite the presence of 80,000 Pakistani troops, the Taliban and their supporters continue to use the region as a launching pad for attacks on U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan. In a region little understood because it is closed to most observers, FRONTLINE investigates a secret front in the war on terror.

Return of the Taliban

2006

Return of the Taliban poster
NR

FRONTLINE reports from the lawless Pakistani tribal areas along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border and reveals how the area has fallen under the control of a resurgent Taliban militia. Despite the presence of 80,000 Pakistani troops, the Taliban and their supporters continue to use the region as a launching pad for attacks on U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan. In a region little understood because it is closed to most observers, FRONTLINE investigates a secret front in the war on terror.

Return of the Taliban

2006

Xi Jinpings Weg zur Macht poster
NR

Privileged, yet shaped by oppression during Mao’s Cultural Revolution – this is how China’s President Xi Jinping grew up. A childhood and youth that would leave lasting marks on the world. Xi was molded early on for the role of leading a global superpower. But just how deeply he internalized Mao’s ideas only became clear over time, as authoritarian traits emerged that no one had quite anticipated – especially considering that Xi’s own father was a victim of the Cultural Revolution.

Xi Jinpings Weg zur Macht

2025

China, The U.S., & The Rise of Xi Xinping poster
8.0

FRONTLINE examines the rise of Xi Jinping, his vision for China and the global implications. Correspondent Martin Smith traces the defining moments for President Xi, how he’s exercising power and his impact on China, and relations with the U.S. and the world.

China, The U.S., & The Rise of Xi Xinping

2024

United States of Secrets (Part Two): Privacy Lost poster
7.8

An investigation into the hidden relationship between Silicon Valley and the National Security Agency.

United States of Secrets (Part Two): Privacy Lost

2014

Beyond Baghdad poster
NR

In the summer of 2003, violence against the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq spiked alarmingly. Traveling across Iraq, FRONTLINE reporters went to see how the U.S. plan to turn the country into a showcase for democracy in the Middle East was faring.

Beyond Baghdad

2004

Beyond Baghdad poster
NR

In the summer of 2003, violence against the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq spiked alarmingly. Traveling across Iraq, FRONTLINE reporters went to see how the U.S. plan to turn the country into a showcase for democracy in the Middle East was faring.

Beyond Baghdad

2004

Beyond Baghdad poster
NR

In the summer of 2003, violence against the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq spiked alarmingly. Traveling across Iraq, FRONTLINE reporters went to see how the U.S. plan to turn the country into a showcase for democracy in the Middle East was faring.

Beyond Baghdad

2004

To Catch A Trader poster
NR

Inside the government’s crackdown on insider trading, drawing on exclusively-obtained video of hedge fund titan Steven A. Cohen, incriminating FBI wiretaps, and interviews with both Wall Street and Justice Department insiders. In November 2013, hedge fund giant SAC Capital agreed to plead guilty to what prosecutors called “insider trading that was substantial, pervasive, and on a scale without precedent in the history of hedge funds.” “To Catch a Trader” goes inside the suspenseful and compelling story of this unprecedented government investigation, as correspondent Martin Smith traces how an insatiable search for trading “edge” ultimately doomed some of the most successful names on Wall Street.

To Catch A Trader

2014

To Catch A Trader poster
NR

Inside the government’s crackdown on insider trading, drawing on exclusively-obtained video of hedge fund titan Steven A. Cohen, incriminating FBI wiretaps, and interviews with both Wall Street and Justice Department insiders. In November 2013, hedge fund giant SAC Capital agreed to plead guilty to what prosecutors called “insider trading that was substantial, pervasive, and on a scale without precedent in the history of hedge funds.” “To Catch a Trader” goes inside the suspenseful and compelling story of this unprecedented government investigation, as correspondent Martin Smith traces how an insatiable search for trading “edge” ultimately doomed some of the most successful names on Wall Street.

To Catch A Trader

2014

The War Briefing poster
1.0

The next president of the United States will inherit some of the greatest foreign policy challenges in American history — an overstretched military, frayed alliances, and wars on two fronts. FRONTLINE gives viewers a hard, inside look at the real policy choices the next president will face. The report features strategists and diplomats giving their best advice about how to correct past failures and how to shape a realistic foreign policy approach in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The War Briefing

2008

The War Briefing poster
1.0

The next president of the United States will inherit some of the greatest foreign policy challenges in American history — an overstretched military, frayed alliances, and wars on two fronts. FRONTLINE gives viewers a hard, inside look at the real policy choices the next president will face. The report features strategists and diplomats giving their best advice about how to correct past failures and how to shape a realistic foreign policy approach in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The War Briefing

2008

Obama at War poster
6.0

Military and diplomatic leaders examine some of the choices President Barack Obama faces regarding the Islamic State and the civil war in Syria.

Obama at War

2015

Obama at War poster
6.0

Military and diplomatic leaders examine some of the choices President Barack Obama faces regarding the Islamic State and the civil war in Syria.

Obama at War

2015

Obama at War poster
6.0

Military and diplomatic leaders examine some of the choices President Barack Obama faces regarding the Islamic State and the civil war in Syria.

Obama at War

2015

Inside Assad's Syria poster
10.0

Join correspondent Martin Smith in Syria as he reports from government-controlled areas while the war rages. With on-the-ground reporting and firsthand accounts from Syrians caught in the crisis, the film shines new light on the ongoing conflict.

Inside Assad's Syria

2015

Inside Assad's Syria poster
10.0

Join correspondent Martin Smith in Syria as he reports from government-controlled areas while the war rages. With on-the-ground reporting and firsthand accounts from Syrians caught in the crisis, the film shines new light on the ongoing conflict.

Inside Assad's Syria

2015

Inside Assad's Syria poster
10.0

Join correspondent Martin Smith in Syria as he reports from government-controlled areas while the war rages. With on-the-ground reporting and firsthand accounts from Syrians caught in the crisis, the film shines new light on the ongoing conflict.

Inside Assad's Syria

2015

The Jihadist poster
NR

Over most of two decades, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani’s life has been a roadmap of Islamist militancy in Iraq and Syria. Designated a terrorist by the United States, the powerful Syrian militant now seeks a new relationship with the West.

The Jihadist

2021

The Jihadist poster
NR

Over most of two decades, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani’s life has been a roadmap of Islamist militancy in Iraq and Syria. Designated a terrorist by the United States, the powerful Syrian militant now seeks a new relationship with the West.

The Jihadist

2021

The Jihadist poster
NR

Over most of two decades, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani’s life has been a roadmap of Islamist militancy in Iraq and Syria. Designated a terrorist by the United States, the powerful Syrian militant now seeks a new relationship with the West.

The Jihadist

2021

In Search of Al Qaeda poster
NR

In December 2001, as American forces blasted mountain hideouts in the Tora Bora region of Afghanistan, hundreds of Al Qaeda soldiers fled seemingly disappearing into thin air.

In Search of Al Qaeda

2002

In Search of Al Qaeda poster
NR

In December 2001, as American forces blasted mountain hideouts in the Tora Bora region of Afghanistan, hundreds of Al Qaeda soldiers fled seemingly disappearing into thin air.

In Search of Al Qaeda

2002

Separated: Children at the Border poster
NR

The inside story of what happened to immigrant children separated from their parents at the border. The film explores the impact of the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy, and how both Trump and Obama dealt with minors at the border.

Separated: Children at the Border

2018

Gangs of Iraq poster
NR

Day after day scores of bodies litter the streets of Baghdad. To staunch the violence, the U.S. has spent billions to “stand up” the Iraqi forces. In Gangs of Iraq, a joint production of FRONTLINE and the “America at a Crossroads” series, FRONTLINE takes a hard look at how the four-year training effort has fared and how the coalition-trained forces have themselves been infiltrated by various sectarian militias. Now, with President Bush sending new U.S. troops to Iraq, it remains to be seen if America and its allies can build a national Iraqi army and police and restore order.

Gangs of Iraq

2007

No artwork available
7.0

In August 1998, two cars exploded simultaneously at U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, killing 268 and injuring 5,000. CIA and FBI investigators soon identified suspects, including accused mastermind and Saudi exile Osama bin Laden. But was this an individual terrorist act, or a symptom of deeply rooted anti-U.S. vendettas? In collaboration with The New York Times, "Frontline" investigates bin Laden, his followers, and the Africa bombings.

Hunting Bin Laden

2001

No artwork available
7.0

In August 1998, two cars exploded simultaneously at U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, killing 268 and injuring 5,000. CIA and FBI investigators soon identified suspects, including accused mastermind and Saudi exile Osama bin Laden. But was this an individual terrorist act, or a symptom of deeply rooted anti-U.S. vendettas? In collaboration with The New York Times, "Frontline" investigates bin Laden, his followers, and the Africa bombings.

Hunting Bin Laden

2001

America and the Taliban poster
NR

How did the U.S. lose the war in Afghanistan? Who bears responsibility? And what has been the human cost? Drawing on decades of on-the-ground reporting and interviews with Taliban and U.S. officials, this epic three-part investigation traces how America’s 20-year investment in Afghanistan culminated in Taliban victory and examines the missteps and consequences.

America and the Taliban

2023

America and the Taliban poster
NR

How did the U.S. lose the war in Afghanistan? Who bears responsibility? And what has been the human cost? Drawing on decades of on-the-ground reporting and interviews with Taliban and U.S. officials, this epic three-part investigation traces how America’s 20-year investment in Afghanistan culminated in Taliban victory and examines the missteps and consequences.

America and the Taliban

2023