American Experience | |
---|---|
Season 28 | |
No. of episodes | 8 |
Release | |
Original network | PBS |
Original release | January 19 November 1, 2016 | –
Season chronology | |
Season twenty-eight of the television program American Experience aired on the PBS network in the United States on January 19, 2016 and concluded on November 1, 2016. The season contained eight new episodes and began with the film Bonnie & Clyde.
No. overall |
No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
311 | 1 | "Bonnie & Clyde" [3] | John Maggio | John Maggio | January 19, 2016 | |
A documentary about the origins, notoriety, and demise of
Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, members of a
Depression era criminal group known as the
Barrow Gang. After undeveloped film of the couple was discovered by the police and circulated by the media, the couple's crime spree and playful images captured the attention of the American public.
[1]
[2] Narrated by
Michael Murphy. | ||||||
312 | 2 | "The Mine Wars" [5] | Randall MacLowry | Teleplay by :
Mark Zwonitzer Story by : Paul Taylor | January 26, 2016 | |
A chronicle of
coal mine workers in southern
West Virginia and their efforts to form a
labor union during the
West Virginia coal wars. The film is in part based on the book, The Devil Is Here in These Hills, by James Green.
[4] Narrated by
Michael Murphy. | ||||||
313 | 3 | "Murder of a President" [7] | Rob Rapley | Teleplay by : Rob Rapley Story by : Paul Taylor | February 2, 2016 | |
The film chronicles the life and death of President
James A. Garfield, the
fourth president to die while in office. He was
shot twice by
Charles J. Guiteau due to a delusional belief he could secure a
patronage position from Garfield's successor Vice President
Chester A. Arthur. Garfield died two months later from infected wounds and poor medical care by physician
Doctor Willard Bliss. The film is based in part on the book,
Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President, by
Candice Millard.
[6] Narrated by
Michael Murphy. Voices:
Shuler Hensley (James A. Garfield),
Kathryn Erbe (
Lucretia Garfield),
Will Janowitz (Charles J. Guiteau). | ||||||
314 | 4 | "The Perfect Crime" [11] | Cathleen O'Connell | Michelle Ferrari | February 9, 2016 | |
A film about
Jazz Age murderers
Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, their defense attorney
Clarence Darrow, and the "
trial of the century". The two 19-year-old men met while attending the
University of Chicago and discovered they possessed similar backgrounds and experiences. Both young men were intelligent, of
Jewish descent, and born into wealthy families that resided in the affluent
Kenwood neighborhood on
Chicago's South Side. Influenced by the German philosopher
Friedrich Nietzsche and his concept of
supermen (Übermenschen), they kidnapped and murdered 14-year-old Bobby Frank for the
thrill of the kill in 1924. After mounting clues began to implicate them, the two young men confessed their entire plot to State's Attorney
Robert E. Crowe. In court, the trial became a debate between Crowe and Darrow about the
death penalty. Among the American public, the high-profile case became a debate about
human nature.
[8]
[9]
[10] Narrated by
Oliver Platt. Voice of Clarence Darrow:
James Cromwell. | ||||||
315 | 5 | "Space Men" [15] | Amanda Pollak | Amanda Pollak | March 1, 2016 | |
A chronicle of the pre-
human spaceflight research in the United States prior to the well-publicized work of
NASA and the
Mercury 7 during the early development of the US
space program.
[12]
[13]
[14] Narrated by
Michael Murphy. | ||||||
316 | 6 | "The Boys of ’36" [18] | Margaret Grossi | Aaron R. Cohen | August 2, 2016 | |
A documentary about the working class
eight-oared varsity
crew from the
University of Washington that represented the United States during the
1936 Summer Olympics. They narrowly defeated crews from Italy and Germany to
win the gold medal in
Nazi Germany. The team's coach was
Al Ulbrickson; the cocswain was
Robert Moch; and the shell builder was
George Yeoman Pocock. The film is based in part on the book,
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, by
Daniel James Brown.
[16]
[17] Narrated by
Oliver Platt. | ||||||
317 | 7 | "Tesla" [21] | David Grubin | David Grubin | October 18, 2016 | |
A film about the inventions and inventiveness of
Serbian-born American engineer
Nikola Tesla.
[19]
[20] Narrated by
Michael Murphy. | ||||||
318 | 8 | "The Battle of Chosin" [23] | Randall MacLowry | Mark Zwonitzer | November 1, 2016 | |
A chronicle of the
Battle of Chosin Reservoir, a 17-day battle during the
Korean War in 1950.
[22] Narrated by
Michael Murphy. |