American Experience
Encyclopedia
American Experience is a television program
airing on the Public Broadcasting Service
(PBS) Public television stations in the United States
. The program airs documentaries
, many of which have won award
s, about important or interesting events and people in American history
. A trademark of the series is its ability to take lesser-known events in history, such as the history of Coney Island
or Tupperware
, and expand on the topic, showing how that event reflected larger, more important themes in American culture or society.
The series premiered on October 4, 1988, and was originally titled The American Experience, although the "The" was dropped during a later brand and image update. The show has had a presence on the Internet
since 1995, and more than 100 American Experience programs are accompanied by their own website
s, which have more background information on the subjects covered as well as teachers' guides. The show is produced primarily by WGBH
in Boston, Massachusetts, though occasionally in the early seasons of the show, it was co-produced by other PBS stations such as WNET
in New York and KCET
in Los Angeles.
The documentaries are extensively research
ed, often taking years to complete. Some programs now considered part of the American Experience collection were produced prior to the creation of the series. Vietnam: A Television History was one of them, airing in 1983 after taking six years to assemble. Also, in 2006, American Experience rebroadcast Eyes on the Prize
: America's Civil Rights Years, the first half of the award-winning 1986 documentary about the African American
civil rights movements of the 1950s and 1960s.
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
airing on the Public Broadcasting Service
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
(PBS) Public television stations in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The program airs documentaries
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
, many of which have won award
Award
An award is something given to a person or a group of people to recognize excellence in a certain field; a certificate of excellence. Awards are often signifiedby trophies, titles, certificates, commemorative plaques, medals, badges, pins, or ribbons...
s, about important or interesting events and people in American history
History of the United States
The history of the United States traditionally starts with the Declaration of Independence in the year 1776, although its territory was inhabited by Native Americans since prehistoric times and then by European colonists who followed the voyages of Christopher Columbus starting in 1492. The...
. A trademark of the series is its ability to take lesser-known events in history, such as the history of Coney Island
Coney Island
Coney Island is a peninsula and beach on the Atlantic Ocean in southern Brooklyn, New York, United States. The site was formerly an outer barrier island, but became partially connected to the mainland by landfill....
or Tupperware
Tupperware
Tupperware is the name of a home products line that includes preparation, storage, containment, and serving products for the kitchen and home, which were first introduced to the public in 1946....
, and expand on the topic, showing how that event reflected larger, more important themes in American culture or society.
The series premiered on October 4, 1988, and was originally titled The American Experience, although the "The" was dropped during a later brand and image update. The show has had a presence on the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
since 1995, and more than 100 American Experience programs are accompanied by their own website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
s, which have more background information on the subjects covered as well as teachers' guides. The show is produced primarily by WGBH
WGBH-TV
WGBH-TV, channel 2, is a non-commercial educational public television station located in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. WGBH-TV is a member station of the Public Broadcasting Service , and produces more than two-thirds of PBS's national prime time television programming...
in Boston, Massachusetts, though occasionally in the early seasons of the show, it was co-produced by other PBS stations such as WNET
WNET
WNET, channel 13 is a non-commercial educational public television station licensed to Newark, New Jersey. With its signal covering the New York metropolitan area, WNET is a primary station of the Public Broadcasting Service and a primary provider of PBS programming...
in New York and KCET
KCET
KCET, channel 28, is an independent, non-commercial public television station licensed to Los Angeles, California, USA. KCET's studio is located on West Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, and its transmitter is atop Mount Wilson. Al Jerome is the current CEO and President, serving since 1996.KCET was...
in Los Angeles.
The documentaries are extensively research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
ed, often taking years to complete. Some programs now considered part of the American Experience collection were produced prior to the creation of the series. Vietnam: A Television History was one of them, airing in 1983 after taking six years to assemble. Also, in 2006, American Experience rebroadcast Eyes on the Prize
Eyes on the Prize
Eyes on the Prize is a 14-hour documentary series about the African-American Civil Rights Movement. The series was produced in two-stages: Eyes on the Prize: America's Civil Rights Years 1954–1964 consists of the first six episodes covering the time period between the Brown v. Board decision and...
: America's Civil Rights Years, the first half of the award-winning 1986 documentary about the African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
civil rights movements of the 1950s and 1960s.
Episode listing
Recent American Experience Documentaries episodes- Wyatt Earp - January 25, 2010 -full film now online
- The Bombing of Germany - February 8, 2010
- Dolley Madison - March 1, 2010 -full film now online
- Earth Days - April 19, 2010 - Official Selection 2009 Sundance Film Festival
- My Lai - April 26, 2010 -full film now online
- God in America, produced in partnership with Frontline - October, 2010.
Funding
- AEtnaAetnaAetna, Inc. is an American health insurance company, providing a range of traditional and consumer directed health care insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmaceutical, dental, behavioral health, group life, long-term care, and disability plans, and medical management...
(1988) - Alfred P. Sloan FoundationAlfred P. Sloan FoundationThe Alfred P. Sloan Foundation is a philanthropic non-profit organization in the United States. It was established in 1934 by Alfred P. Sloan, Jr., then-President and Chief Executive Officer of General Motors.-Overview:...
(1995-present) - Corporation for Public BroadcastingCorporation for Public BroadcastingThe Corporation for Public Broadcasting is a non-profit corporation created by an act of the United States Congress, funded by the United States’ federal government to promote public broadcasting...
(1988-present) - Viewers Like YouPublic Broadcasting ServiceThe Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
(1988-present) - Liberty MutualLiberty MutualLiberty Mutual Group, more commonly known by the name of its primary line of business Liberty Mutual, is a diversified global insurer and the third largest property and casualty insurer in the United States based on 2010 net written premium. It is the 82nd company on the Fortune 500 list for 2011...
(1997-present) - The Scotts Company (2001-2002)