American Scandal
Every scandal begins with a lie. But the truth will come out. And then comes the fallout and the outrage.
Scandals have shaped America since its founding. From business and politics to sports and society, we look on aghast as corruption, deceit and ambition bring down heroes and celebrities, politicians and moguls. And when the dust finally settles, we’re left to wonder: how did this happen? Where did they trip up, and who is to blame? From the creators of American History Tellers, Business Wars and Tides of History comes American Scandal, where we take you deep into the heart of America’s dark side to look at what drives someone to break the rules and what happens when they’re caught. Hosted by Lindsay Graham.
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- Update frequency
- every 19 days
- Average duration
- 39 minutes
- Episodes
- 117
- Years Active
- 2018 - 2025
Three Mile Island | The Domino Effect | 1
On March 28, 1979, Bill Zewe hears an alarm at Three Mile Island. Something has gone terribly wrong at the nuclear power plant, in southern Pennsylvania. And now, the operators at the plant must move…
00:37:04 |
Tue 22 Sep 2020
The Breakup of Big Oil | Rise of Rockefeller | 1
John D. Rockefeller is a poor boy with a dream. He's going to become a businessman. And he's going to be wildly rich. Soon, he stumbles on the product that will seal his fate: oil. Thick, crude oil i…
00:37:45 |
Tue 11 Aug 2020
Big Tobacco | Smoking Guns | 1
Merrell Williams stumbles on a terrible secret, one that's been hidden for decades. Jeffrey Wigand starts a new job with the tobacco industry, only to come face to face with a bitter truth. Soon, bot…
00:37:01 |
Tue 07 Jul 2020
Boston College Gambling Scheme | Against the Odds | 1
Criminals in Pittsburgh have a plan. It involves gambling and manipulating the scores of college basketball games. But to pull it off, they'll first need some help from the basketball players themsel…
00:39:16 |
Tue 09 Jun 2020
Waco - The New Messiah | 1
In 1993, a massive conflict erupts in rural Texas. The federal government launches a siege against the Branch Davidians, a religious group based in the outskirts of Waco. What follows is the longest …
00:40:25 |
Tue 24 Mar 2020
The Lenny Bruce Obscenity Trial - The Obscenity Circus | 1
In the 1960s, Lenny Bruce was a trailblazing standup comedian who took aim at American culture. Bruce clashed frequently with law enforcement, but his decisive legal battle began in 1964. Bruce faced…
00:38:51 |
Tue 03 Mar 2020
Volkswagen Diesel Scandal - Whatever It Takes | 1
In 2006, Volkswagen executive Martin Winterkorn hatches a plan to boost auto sales in America. The way to do it? Clean diesel cars. But VW's engineers run into a wall, and so they take a troubling sh…
00:35:19 |
Tue 28 Jan 2020
The Plame Affair - Exposed | 1
In 2003, America is at war with Iraq, as part of its global campaign on terror. Former diplomat Joe Wilson sharply criticizes the war, making him an enemy of the White House. Payback is swift, but th…
00:33:38 |
Tue 17 Dec 2019
Enron - A Sense of Urgency | 1
In the mid 1990s, Enron Corporation solidifies its position as the number one energy company in America. Investment manager Sherron Watkins lands a dream job there, but quickly learns that Enron's of…
00:44:22 |
Tue 27 Aug 2019
The Standoff at Wounded Knee - The Trail of Broken Treaties | 1
In early 1973, the militant civil rights group the American Indian Movement (AIM) takes control of the town of Wounded Knee on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. The action launches a…
00:38:21 |
Tue 16 Jul 2019
Tuskegee Syphilis Study - First, Do No Harm | 1
In early 1930s America, segregation is the law of the land, and syphilis remains a grave public health concern. A handful of white government doctors aims to treat African Americans in a rural Alabam…
00:38:53 |
Tue 11 Jun 2019
Payola - The $50 Handshake | 1
The delicate system of secret bribes and kickbacks used to transform a mediocre record into a hit -- that’s payola. And on the eve of rock ‘n’ roll, it’s consuming the music industry. As the public c…
00:39:46 |
Tue 23 Apr 2019
The Hare Krishna Murders: Go West, Old Man | 1
An elderly swami from India captures the zeitgeist of 1960s counterculture in America with his message of peace and love. But his western disciples are hungry for power, and one of his most trusted d…
00:40:58 |
Tue 26 Feb 2019
Exxon Valdez: Oil Meets Water | 1
A supertanker carrying 53 million gallons of crude oil runs aground in Prince William Sound sparking the worst man-made ecological catastrophe in the country’s history at the time. As Exxon struggles…
00:37:18 |
Tue 22 Jan 2019
Iran Contra: Bud | 1
In July of 1985, the National Security Advisor to President Reagan, Robert “Bud” McFarlane puts a plan in motion that could change the course of history and turn the Reagan administration upside down…
00:46:59 |
Tue 27 Nov 2018
New York State of Crime: Three Men in a Room | 1
In 2006 Eliot Spitzer is elected governor on a promise to tackle corruption in the most dysfunctional state capital in the country--Albany, NY. He is quickly challenged by one of the most powerful me…
00:39:01 |
Tue 23 Oct 2018
BALCO: Steroids and Snake Oil | 1
A college dropout with no background in science turns himself into an expert on performance enhancing drugs. Soon he attracts some of the world’s best athletes—along with the attention of a determine…
00:36:04 |
Tue 18 Sep 2018
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