American Experience
A PBS Original
American Experience is an episodic documentary series that turns moments from American history into focused, hour-length films. Each episode zeroes in on a person, event, or era, weaving interviews, archival footage, photographs, and occasional reenactment to build a narrative. The pacing is... Read more
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Streaming availability last verified: January 28, 2026
About American Experience
American Experience is an episodic documentary series that turns moments from American history into focused, hour-length films. Each episode zeroes in on a person, event, or era, weaving interviews, archival footage, photographs, and occasional reenactment to build a narrative. The pacing is deliberate, with narration and expert testimony used to link primary sources and context, and episodes vary in tone depending on the subject. The series aims to make historical material accessible and relevant, showing how past decisions and cultural shifts continue to affect life today, without revealing surprises about how individual stories conclude.
Premiered on PBS in 1988, American Experience is produced by WGBH Boston. Episodes are created by a range of documentary directors and frequently draw on books, memoirs, and archival research for source material.
Over the decades the series has earned recognition from major institutions, collecting several Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award, along with numerous nominations across categories for writing, editing, and historical research.
As one of television's most-watched history series, American Experience has had a clear presence in classrooms and public discussion. Select episodes have entered broader cultural conversation and are often cited in other documentaries, textbooks, and media pieces that tackle American history.
Critical responses tend to praise the program's thorough research and steady production values, while noting that individual episode quality can vary. On user-driven platforms this series registers around a mid-level score, reflecting its appeal to viewers who want detailed, source-based accounts. Recurring themes include power and politics, technological and social change, and the long-term consequences of key decisions in American life.
Details
- Release Date
- October 04, 1988
- Episode Length
- 55m
- Rating
- TV-PG
- User Ratings
- 43 votes
- Type
- TV Series
- Seasons
- 38
- Episodes
- 400
- Network
- PBS
- Status
- Returning Series
- Genres
- Documentary
- Country
- United States
- Studio
- GBH
- External Links
- View on IMDB
Official Trailer
Seasons (38 seasons, 400 episodes)
Season 1
16 episodes - 1988
Season 2
16 episodes - 1989
Season 3
13 episodes - 1990
Season 4
13 episodes - 1991
Season 5
13 episodes - 1992
Season 6
8 episodes - 1993
Season 7
13 episodes - 1994
Season 8
9 episodes - 1995
Season 9
22 episodes - 1996
Season 10
9 episodes - 1997
Season 11
10 episodes - 1998
Season 12
15 episodes - 1999
Season 13
12 episodes - 2000
Season 14
14 episodes - 2001
Season 15
13 episodes - 2002
Season 16
9 episodes - 2003
Season 17
11 episodes - 2004
Season 18
13 episodes - 2005
Season 19
15 episodes - 2006
Season 20
14 episodes - 2008
Season 21
9 episodes - 2009
Season 22
8 episodes - 2009
Season 23
12 episodes - 2010
Season 24
8 episodes - 2012
Season 25
8 episodes - 2013
Season 26
7 episodes - 2014
Season 27
11 episodes - 2015
Season 28
8 episodes - 2016
Season 29
8 episodes - 2017
Season 30
9 episodes - 2018
Season 31
7 episodes - 2019
Season 32
8 episodes - 2020
Season 33
8 episodes - 2021
Season 34
6 episodes - 2022
Season 35
9 episodes - 2023
Season 36
7 episodes - 2024
Season 37
8 episodes - 2025
Season 38
1 episodes - 2026
