Season 2

2022-06-14

Arsenio carves out a niche in the white, late-night world by showcasing hip hop artists and emerging talent. Despite his success, Arsenio becomes a casualty in the late-night wars.

2022-06-21

MTV’s The Real World is television with something to say--with a soap opera twist. But when MTV gets rich from reality TV, they trade in realness for fart jokes and hot tubs.

2022-06-28

When COPS hits the airwaves, the gritty reality of police work becomes a phenomenon. Despite being the longest-running prime-time live-action series, COPS is mired in controversy.

2022-07-05

Ken Shamrock and the UFC are joined at the knuckle. Dubbed "human cockfighting," the UFC will fight senators and scandals in a battle that almost ends the sport before it begins.

2022-07-05

36 states have banned "no holds barred" fighting, and the UFC’s future is grim. Star fighter Ken Shamrock is also in trouble and needs a guardian angel to get him back on his feet.

2022-07-12

With sex, attempted murder and betrayal, nothing personifies the tabloidification of ’90s America better than the story of how Amy Fisher shot Mary Jo Buttafuoco in the head.

2022-07-19

Black comedies explode in the 90s, with sitcoms written and produced by Black creators, featuring Black casts. But no culture is immune to the toxicity of fame and power.

2022-07-26

Rush Limbaugh is conservative radio’s first megastar, claiming to have "talent on loan from God." He creates a divide in America that we see unfolding today.

2022-08-02

At the end of the decade, the fear of an apocalypse looms. Two men become the stars of the real-life action thriller known as the Y2K scare.

2022-08-09

Morning TV is the profit center of the news divisions that produce them. Today and Good Morning America battle for dominance where there’s no room for failure.