About this season
TV's most-watched history series brings to life the compelling stories from our past that inform our understanding of the world today.
Episodes (6)
1. Riveted: The History of Jeans
3.5Aired 7 February 2022 • 55 min
The fascinating and surprising story of the iconic American garment. They’re more than just a pair of pants — America’s tangled past is woven deeply into the indigo fabric. From its roots in slavery to the Wild West, youth culture, hippies, high fashion and hip-hop, jeans are the fabric on which the history of American ideology and politics are writ large.
2. The American Diplomat
2.5Aired 15 February 2022 • 55 min
Discover how three Black diplomats broke racial barriers at the US State Department during the Cold War. Asked to represent the best of American ideals abroad while facing discrimination at home, they left a lasting impact on the Foreign Service.
3. Flood in the Desert
3.2Aired 3 May 2022 • 55 min
Explore the 1928 dam collapse, the second deadliest disaster in California history. A colossal engineering failure, the dam was built by William Mulholland, who had ensured the growth of Los Angeles by bringing water to the city via aqueduct.
4. Plague at the Golden Gate
3.2Aired 24 May 2022 • 113 min
Discover how an outbreak of bubonic plague in 1900 set off fear and anti-Asian sentiment in San Francisco. This new documentary tells the gripping story of the race against time by health officials to save the city from the deadly disease.
5. Taken Hostage (1)
2.6Aired 14 November 2022 • 112 min
Part 1: Revisit the 1979 Iran hostage crisis, when 52 Americans were held hostage in Tehran, through stories of those whose ordeal riveted the world.
6. Taken Hostage (2)
2.5Aired 15 November 2022 • 112 min
Part 2: Revisit the 1979 Iran hostage crisis, when 52 Americans were held hostage in Tehran, through stories of those whose ordeal riveted the world.