Season 1

2007-10-23 · 19m

Man's history on Earth dates back at least tens of thousands of years, yet written records stretch back to only a fraction of that. Helping clarify the picture of humanity past is the science of archaeology. Though the cinematic escapades of Indiana Jones describe a world of globe-trotting adventure, in truth archaeologists are more like detectives, piecing together clues to mysteries of what has come before.

2007-10-23 · 22m

Howard Carter's unflagging persistence and stubbornness led to one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the 20th century: the tomb of King Tut. Yet it was that same strong-headedness that would time and again jeopardize Carter's career. Learn more about the man and his discovery which propelled Egyptology into the pop culture landscape

2007-10-23 · 36m

He was an action hero as well as an intellectual hero. T.E. Lawrence escaped a safe office job during World War I to become a guerilla war mastermind in desert combat, fighting alongside Arabs to throw off the rule of the Ottoman Empire. But despite British promises of Arab independence, the Middle East would end up being carved by European colonial treaties, and Lawrence faced the challenges of keeping his word to his trusted compatriots of the desert.

2007-10-23 · 30m

Humanity has lived in, with and on the profits of slavery for most of its history. Many of its greatest achievements and monuments have tragically been built on the backs of slave labor. How could people place their economic needs ahead of the humanity of their fellow beings? How could this horrific system have lasted for so long? In this documentary track the history of slavery from Ancient Greece, to the Crusades, to the colonization of the new world and the racial slavery that sparked the American Civil War. The journey from slavery to freedom is incomplete and continues as there are still over 20 million people enslaved today.

2007-10-23 · 30m

Known during his time as "the American Lion," Theodore Roosevelt led the U.S. into the 20th Century. He was the first president to travel abroad, the first to travel on an airplane - a grandiose figure of huge personality, Roosevelt led enough life and followed enough passions for five lifetimes. One of his many legacies is the move towards conserving the nation's abundant natural resources for future generations.

2007-10-23 · 24m

As far as we know, planet Earth stands alone as a cradle of life in the universe. Ecological efforts strive to protect the balance that fosters that life. In this documentary, see the important role humans play as stewards of the planet's health, correcting the mistakes of the past century, with specific examples from northern California.

2007-10-23 · 24m

Perhaps no artist came to capture the optimistic spirit of America in the first half of the 20th Century better than Norman Rockwell. In an era before television became the mass medium that united the nation, Americans turned to the pages of The Saturday Evening Post to learn about themselves and the world abroad. Facing them on the covers of the most popular issues was a perfectly frozen picture of Americana captured by Rockwell. And yet for all his achievements, he never took comfortably to the label "artist."

2007-10-23 · 26m

Paris in the last half of the 19th Century was a city on the move. It was a modern metropolis expanding into the future, with electric lights and steel towers. And yet its art was just as staid as it had been for the past 300 years. None of energy and innovation was translated onto the backwards-looking canvas. But some passionate young artists were about to rise up in revolt, to express an edgy new personal vision that would forever change art and the way we see the modern world.

2007-10-23 · 22m

Among the ranks of fed-up young artists reshaping the world of modern art was Edgar Degas. At the heart of the movement, Degas stood alone as coming from an aristocratic and wealthy family, unlike his more earthy compatriots. Yet he still managed to shock the art world by observing and painting his fellow Parisians in everyday life. His work with the female nude was particularly striking and scandalous, as he never posed his subjects as "classical artists" would. Political and socially conservative, Degas would nonetheless be branded as a rebel for his landmark works.

2007-10-23 · 23m

Enthusiasts of maverick artist Pablo Picasso will readily credit him and him alone for envisioning the bold new form of cubism, but a much quieter yet no less integral artist deserves equal mention. George Braque and Pablo Picasso enjoyed a close, collaborative relationship fueled by competitiveness, as each of their new works served as inspiration for the next great achievement. This documentary examines the relationship between Picasso and Braque and the remarkable outcome of their collaboration.

2007-10-23 · 25m

To this day, an opera by Giacomo Puccini will play to a packed house. Puccini's works -- including La Bohème -- are engaging stories set to stirring music that are still very much in demand. Rather than craft operas about mythological concepts, momentous historic events or classical literature, Puccini's stories were about of real people in relatable circumstances, inspired by Puccini's own life experience.

2007-10-23

Most everyone can recognize the sound of opera when they hear it, but few of us know what opera really is. What is the secret to opera? Discover how the complex interplay of multiple art forms -- song, music, costume, stage direction and drama -- blur to become a truly unique experience by visiting a modern class of opera performers, learning of the historic origins of opera, and following a performance of The Marriage of Figaro.

2007-10-23 · 20m

In June 1914, a special train carried Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian throne, to Sarajevo. Terrorists would strike, and a 19-year old gunman killed the Archduke and his wife. A chain-reaction disaster followed, as a web of diplomatic alliances dragged the world into a war that would kill millions, maim millions more, and bring an end to royal dominance of Europe.

2007-10-23 · 26m

Between August 1914 and November 1918, 27 countries would declare war. Over 60 million men from around the world would fight and over eight-and-a-half million would die. In the summer of 1914, none of the world's leaders set out to wage the most destructive war the world had yet known, and yet they did. Why?

2007-10-23 · 21m

There was a time where doctor-patient relationships were strictly authoritarian -- doctors did not listen, but rather prescribed -- and those suffering from mental problems endured cold and brutal recuperative programs. Sigmund Freud changed all that with the development of psychoanalysis, wherein he listened to the patient, mapped the unconscious and elevated the study of dreams from mysticism to science. Freud's bold and occasionally regrettable conclusions stirred the conservative society of his time, yet still hold considerable influence on the world today.

2007-10-23 · 19m

A protégé of Freud, Carl Gustav Jung felt that his mentor's ideas were too limiting, and he sought other sources of influence on the behavior of individuals and cultures. It was Jung's explorations that allow us to identify how we typify people and behavior into archetypes, and how the underpinnings of culture and society shape who we are. Through it all, Jung remained steadfastly committed to the strength and quality of the individual, regardless of what the outlying society dictates the norm to be.

2007-10-23 · 26m

The analysis of the mind and the exploration of human motives and behavior are some of the breakthrough areas of study in the 19th and 20th century, shaped by visionary thinkers and landmark experiments. This documentary tracks the development of the first scientific approaches of Wilhelm Wundt, the practical applications of Sigmund Freud, the controversial philosophy of eugenics and the startling discovers of B.F. Skinner and Stanley Milgram.

2007-10-23 · 31m

Born into the highest circles of Russian society, Leo Tolstoy wrestled with himself for the excesses of his aristocratic life. His conflicted journals became the basis for lifetime of writing which would produce the masterpieces War and Peace and Anna Karenina. The latter work exhausted him emotionally, causing him to discover new life with a pragmatic brand of Christianity, and live out his final days as a simple peasant.

2007-10-23 · 26m

Beginning in the 19th century, Russian writers created a national literature unparalleled in its moral and philosophical depth and intensity. They rebelled against conventions of what was expected in a novel and changed the course of world literature while facing unique political challenges. Learn more about the works of Aleksandr Pushkin, Nikolai Gogol, Ivan Turgenev, Leo Tolstoy, Feodor Dostoyevsky, Anton Chekhov, Maxim Gorky and Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.

2007-10-23 · 21m

No other philosopher has ranged so broadly over so many topics, nor made so many discoveries than Aristotle. In ancient Greece, Aristotle differed from his mentor Plato by not attributing answers to an unseen hereafter, but rather seeking to understand life by examining the here-and-now. Aristotle's analytical leanings and quest for knowledge led to the development of logic, and his constructions continue to shape our world today, from the syllogisms employed by lawyers to win cases to the rules that define the latest computer code.

2007-10-23 · 23m

Since the dawn of time, human beings have looked at the world around them and each other and have asked questions about what they saw. Every human is a natural born philosopher, but many throughout history have risen to shape our understanding of what it is to be human.

2007-10-23 · 26m

He was plucked from poverty and illness in India and was declared to be the new messiah, groomed to bring salvation to the world. As a boy, he became the symbol of a new spiritual movement and spoke to those weary of social strife, religious dogma and materialism. As a man, he came to reject his position and instead discovered his own path. In front of throngs of followers, Jiddu Krishnamurti defied the expectations of those around him, and did not offer salvation. Instead, he called for an abandonment of religious dogma, and encouraged those who could hear him to discover their own answers.

2007-10-23 · 26m

Annie Besant was strong-willed woman in an authoritarian era. Journeying from vicar's wife to spiritual leader, Besant lived courageously and passionately. She brought attention to the working conditions of the poor, she spoke out on such radical issues as women's rights, birth control, Indian nationalism and the brotherhood of man. The common thread was her compulsion to end the world's suffering and to seek spiritual enlightenment.

2007-10-23 · 26m

One of the world's oldest civilizations, China created a complex and sophisticated culture emphasizing on order and harmony. Part of that culture was a system of health care radically different than that of the West. Today, traditional Chinese medicine is practiced well beyond China's borders. How did that happen? What is Chinese medicine? Does it really work? And if it does, how?

2007-10-23 · 29m

The world's religious beliefs as determined by compass points group the major faiths into Western spirituality (Christians, Jews and Muslims) and Eastern spirituality (Buddhist or Hindu). These faiths have much in common in the questions they ask, yet their differences in tradition are quite pronounced. In the West, death is the end of the human experience while in the East, it is on step in a continuing cycle. In the West, happiness can be achieved by the ultimate fulfillment of all desires, while in the East, fulfillment is achieved by the abolishment of all desires. In the West, there is no brook for ambiguity, while the Eastern path to enlightenment requires relinquishing the need for certainty.

2007-10-23 · 26m

The country was already singing Thomas Edison's praises for his astonishing invention of the phonograph, but that was just one of his many record-breaking number of patents. His greatest ambition was to illuminate modern life not with gas-lamps, but with electricity. The quest for the electric light bulb was filled with controversy and confrontation, and though Edison won the battle of the bulb, the conflict over current would prove to be the biggest challenge.

2007-10-23 · 22m

The US patent office is filled with a seemingly endless array of well-intentioned but ultimately ridiculous ideas for devices meant to make life better. Dog ear-warmers? Protective glasses for chickens? How do you separate a great idea from the rest? What turns an invention to an innovation? This documentary follows modern inventor Dean Kamen as he applies the ingenuity that created the Segway, the mobile dialysis machine, and the iBot, into new territory and new ideas.

2007-10-23 · 26m

The characters that Edward Stratemeyer created are some of the most endearing and enduring fictional heroes ever, and yet few know of the author's name. His prolific writing and phenomenal success drove early editors to insist he hide behind pen-names, lest it be known just how much of the volume of these early periodicals was produced by one man. He tapped into the imaginations of children, providing non-stop adventure and excitement, and his creative legacy includes Tom Swift, the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. The father of series fiction, Stratemeyer's characters continues to hold young readers spellbound even in this new millennium.

2007-10-23 · 28m

At least 100 ballads sing his name and his praises, telling tale of a mythical figure: outlaw, bandit, lover, a modern Robin Hood. His image was even carefully crafted by Hollywood so that Americans revered Francisco Villa as a hero. But on March 9, 1916, US troops on the southern border and were told to prepare for an invasion of Mexico. Thousands of American soldiers to join in a hunt for just one man: Villa -- idealistic revolutionary had transformed into an enemy by his shocking nighttime raid into US territory.

2007-10-23 · 28m

When the Great War erupted in 1914, the US remained on their side of the ocean, deeming it to be a solely European conflict. When German submarines targeted American civilian targets, the US had no choice but become involved. Placed in charge of the US military was John J. Pershing, veteran of the hunt for Pancho Villa. The Allies wanted American men thrown into the existing military system to alleviate their appalling casualties, but Pershing refused. Rather than disperse his troops among British and French forces, Pershing wanted to keep it as an American force. That resolve resulted in shaping what is now the modern American military.

2007-10-23 · 29m

He longed for combat, saying that he was destined for war. Serving on the punitive hunt for Pancho Villa, Patton enjoyed a brief moment of fame for gunning down some of Villa's lieutenants and returning to US camps with their bodies draped over the hood of his jeep. It was a small taste of the glory he deeply desired, a desire nearly stolen from him by an injury sustained in World War I that took him out of the thick of fighting. He would return as a ferocious, implacable military commander in World War II, as the first US General to battle against the Nazi forces. His outstanding tactics in the Mediterranean as well as his brilliant command of the mobile tank forces in Europe changed the battlefield. But Patton's belligerence, his profane and violent mood-swings that erupted on his own men, were nearly his undoing.

2007-10-23 · 25m

Easter, 1916: At noon, Dublin explodes in gunfire as a motley band of Irish rebels takes on the world's most powerful empire. They begin by hijacking a post office. Despite a fierce spirit of independence, the disorganized rebellion failed to capture the heart of the people, who branded it as a reckless, humiliating act of deplorable violence. But in the aftermath of the Rising, the British response to the captured rebels would cement their roles as martyrs and institutionalize the use of violence for political change in Ireland for the remainder of the century.

2007-10-23 · 27m

Up until the early 20th century, contemporary Irish literature barely existed in the world's imagination. Everyone looked to England for great literature. One man changed all that: William Butler Yeats set out to revive Irish literature. Countering the clichés and caricature that was the outward face of Irish culture to the uninitiated, Yeats' poetry and plays drew upon Celtic mythology and unleashed a distinctive Irish voice. The motivations driving this creative force were manifold, but unrequited love was central to Yeats' contributions.

2007-10-23 · 25m

As Ireland struggled for Independence, writer Sean O'Casey watched the needs of the poor become increasingly overlooked as matters of flag and nation took center-stage. O'Casey bristled at the hypocrisy of pompous speeches, and the jingoistic glory that accompanied fervent nationalism. He questioned what was sacred in Ireland: the words of the priests and the words of the patriots. He questioned these pillars not through editorial or ideology, but by crafting real, human characters that represent such ideas in plays that were embraced by his countrymen.

2007-10-23 · 26m

Poetry is powerful in Ireland. This harsh land, besieged by violence, poverty and strife has produced some of the world's most enduring lyric poets. Since ancient times, Ireland's poets have wielded great power, from the noble bards that accompanied the chieftains to the modern era, where the insight and commentary provided by poets have helped forge social change in the country. This documentary features Irish poets Eavan Boland, Paul Muldoon and Seamus Heaney

2007-10-23 · 33m

Brilliant, arrogant and energetic, Winston Churchill led the nation he loved throughout World War II when Britain's very existence was threatened. In the early 1930s, Churchill was an out-of-power politician who many viewed as past his prime, but he saw the threat that Hitler posed to the world. When his prophetic concerns proved true, Churchill became Prime Minister, and his eventful life to that point had well prepared him for the struggle that lay ahead.

2007-10-23 · 27m

In 1913, the British government was under assault by its own people who were torching buildings, shattering office windows, and attacking the homes of government leaders. These revolutionaries were frustrated British women furious that their government refused to take them seriously. Their goal was simple: suffrage, the right to vote. But in Victorian England, their request was dismissed as too outrageous to be taken seriously. The press labeled these militant women "suffragettes," and they were led by the fiery Emmeline Pankhurst and her two strong-willed daughters Christabel and Sylvia. The Pankhursts helped alter the political landscape and the perception of women, but in the process, each of them paid a heavy personal price.

2007-10-23 · 31m

At the birth of the United States, the Declaration of Independence affirmed the principles and intentions of the country's founders. But when the nation was born, the principles applied almost exclusively to taxpaying property-owning white men. Only they were guaranteed suffrage: the right to vote. The majority of the population could not participate in the government, but that would change. The struggle for women's suffrage in the United States was nothing less than a social revolution. It challenged the established roles of men and women and held the government accountable to the principles on which the country had been founded: liberty and equality for all. Yet few Americans are aware of the effort that the struggle for women's suffrage entailed.

2007-10-23 · 41m

Join H.W. Brands, professor of history at the University of Texas Austin, on the changes that occurred in the late-19th and early-20th Centuries.