ABC News: The Century
Season 1
Peter Jennings hosted this 6 episode special that reviews some of the most important events of the 20th Century. Each episode is a two part examination of two events in history that happened at different times during the 20th century, but are loosely connected and help explain the complexity of America and its place in the world. Episode 1-"Heaven and Earth" explores Lindbergh's flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927 and America's Space Program culminating with man taking the first steps on the Moon. Episode 2-"Ultimate Power" explores Hitler's rise to power in Germany and America's race to develop the Atom Bomb before the German's. Episode 3-"No Man's Land" explores America's involvement in World War I; which we won but was not "the war to end all wars," and end of the Vietnam War; which was lost after America grew tired of a war that seemed to have no end. Episode 4-"Memphis Dreams" explores the rise of Elvis Presley and rock n' roll and Martin Luther King, the civil rights leader, who lost his life attempting to help striking black garbage workers; both these events occurred in Memphis, Tennessee. Episode 5-"Coming Apart" explores President Franklin Roosevelt's social policies to bring America out of the depression followed by Senator Joe McCarthy's suspicion that Communists have infiltrated America's movie industry. Part 6-"Evolution of Revolution" explores the Islamic revolution in Iran and taking American hostages at the American Embassy followed by a discussion about what challenges we'll face in the 21st Century.
Where to Watch Season 1
12 Episodes
- Heaven and Earth: Lindbergh’s JourneyE1
Heaven and Earth: Lindbergh’s JourneyAccomplishing the unthinkable by crossing the vast ocean alone in a plane he designed himself, Charles Lindbergh’s flight stands through the century as a peerless act of individual daring. It is the story of a moment, told by the men and women who lived it, which changed our civilization, shrank our world, and expanded our notion of the possible. - Heaven and Earth: First StepE2
Heaven and Earth: First StepLindbergh’s legacy of adventure, courage and discovery set the stage for the Americans who designed, built and flew the missions that culminated in Neil Armstrong’s most famous first step on the moon. This is the untold story of political infighting, technical near-disasters, and personal dramas that took place behind the scenes. - Ultimate Power: Evil RisingE3
Ultimate Power: Evil RisingIn a fiercely cautionary tale, a down-and-out drifter turned demagogue worked his way from prison to ultimate power by employing a beguiling combination of lying, luck, clever political maneuvering and murder. We all know what Adolf Hitler did once in power, but few remember or understand the tale of his evil rise. - Ultimate Power: The RaceE4
Ultimate Power: The RaceThe story of the atom bomb is one of suspense, intrigue, setbacks, triumphs and morality. It started in 1938 when a German chemist split the atom and scientists around the world realized it was possible to build the ultimate weapon. Whoever did it first could control the world. The Germans got a head start as refugee Jewish scientists in America struggled to convince Roosevelt to get involved. But after Pearl Harbor the race was on, and the outcome would change the world forever. - No Man’s Land: The Great WarE5
No Man’s Land: The Great WarIt was the event that dragged America onto the world stage. And for the soldiers in the trenches it was the bloodiest, most brutal war ever, where the values of honor in battle and decency under fire gave way to lawless terror. This is the story of the first time America fought to “save the world for democracy,” and lost its innocence along the way. - No Man’s Land: The FallE6
No Man’s Land: The FallThe enduring lessons of the limits of America’s power unfolded during the last months of the Vietnam War. America had begun the century fighting to save democracy; by 1975 it had taken a tragic turn. This film tells the story of those final dramatic days, with stunning tales of heroism, rescue, and escape. - Memphis Dreams: Innocence and RebellionE7
Memphis Dreams: Innocence and Rebellion“Before Elvis there was nothing,” or so said John Lennon. When a 19-year-old truck driver walked into Sun Studios on Union Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee, on July 5, 1954, no one knew how quickly everything would change. Elvis Presley harnessed the forces of sex, money, youth, music, technology and race, transforming our culture, the country and much of the world. - Memphis Dreams: Searching for the Promised LandE8
Memphis Dreams: Searching for the Promised LandMartin Luther King did not want to go to Memphis when first asked in 1968 — the strike by the sanitation workers seemed like a distraction. But old friends insisted and so he went, discovering the cause of the garbage men was as basic as civil rights itself. This is the dramatic and emotional but little-known story of the final days of one of the greatest Americans of the century, and the struggle that led to his death. - Coming Apart: Nothing to FearE9
Coming Apart: Nothing to FearOn Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s inauguration day in March of 1933, federal troops were on alert to prevent the violence many anticipated. FDR’s calm reassurances saved that day, but most of his efforts over the following four years failed miserably. The real story of those desperate years paints a picture of America rarely seen or told — America on the edge of chaos. - Coming Apart: Picture ThisE10
Coming Apart: Picture ThisThe movies reached the height of their propaganda power just as a new epic struggle began between the East and West. The resulting battle to control the content of the century’s most influential art form is a high-pitched drama which puts both the anxieties of the Cold War and the extraordinary influence of Hollywood into fresh perspective - The Evolution of Revolution: Live From TehranE11
The Evolution of Revolution: Live From TehranThe story of the Iran hostage crisis is a dramatic saga about a far-away revolution that quickly became as close as the television set when the American Embassy in Tehran was attacked and Americans were taken hostage. For the first time, Americans would see, live in their living rooms, the effects their actions and policies had on the global village.