American Genius

Season 1

Not Rated

Behind every great genius was a great rival - an unstoppable adversary whose incredible vision, determination, and ambition is their match. Out of their struggles came the world's most brilliant inventions, the spoils of the heated battle between competitors.

Where to Watch Season 1

8 Episodes

Jobs vs. Gates
E1
Jobs vs. GatesThe war between two visionaries with different theories about how approach the coming computer revolution. One thinking that controlling the hardware and the operating system is the way to go. And the other who thinks controlling the operating system is the way to go.
Wright Brothers vs. Curtiss
E2
Wright Brothers vs. CurtissThe Wright Brothers build and fly the world’s first airplane, but they keep it a secret, leaving an opening for motor designer, Glenn Curtiss, to swoop in and compete to be the first to fly in public.
Farnsworth vs. Sarnoff
E3
Farnsworth vs. SarnoffA young Midwestern farm boy creates an innovation that forever changes the future of communication, only to have it stolen away by one of America's greatest media moguls.
Hearst vs. Pulitzer
E4
Hearst vs. PulitzerThe newspaper redefined the way America tells its stories, but its rise to prominence was born out of a bitter rivalry between a man who built himself up from nothing and the wealthy son of a business tycoon. Follow William Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer as they push the limits of journalism in unthinkable ways, forever changing the media landscape.
Space Race
E5
Space RaceAmerica and the Soviet Union, deadlocked in the Cold War, set their sights on the final frontier — space. Go inside the more than decadelong struggle between the two superpowers as they both set out to conquer the moon. German scientist Werner Von Braun leads the charge for the U.S. and Sergei Korolev for the Soviets, but in the race to space, only one side can get there first.
Colt vs. Wesson
E6
Colt vs. WessonSamuel Colt and partners Edwin Smith & Daniel Wesson become locked in the first true “arms” race, as they compete to perfect the world’s first revolver.
Oppenheimer vs. Heisenberg
E7
Oppenheimer vs. HeisenbergJ. Robert Oppenheimer and Werner Heisenberg are in the world's largest arms race to build the first atomic bomb.
Edison vs. Tesla
E8
Edison vs. TeslaCelebrated inventor Thomas Edison goes to war with his former assistant, Nikola Tesla, to determine who will power the world with electric light.