Manifold Productions

Although Clarence Thomas remains a controversial figure, loved by some, reviled by others, few know much more than a few headlines and the recollections of his contentious confirmation battle with Anita Hill. Yet, the personal odyssey of Clarence Thomas is a classic American story and should be b...

The Last 600 Meters is an Iraq War documentary that chronicles the two deadliest battles of the war through the firsthand testimony of the Marines and soldiers who fought there. Directed by acclaimed documentary filmmaker Michael Pack, this film takes viewers into the heart of the 2004 battles of...

Combative, provocative and searingly blunt, Admiral Hyman G. Rickover was a flamboyant maverick, a unique American hero. When few thought it possible, then-Captain Rickover undertook to harness the power of the atom to drive the first nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Nautilus, whose trip under ...

The beating of Rodney King by four LAPD officers was a defining moment of the nineties. It caused one of the worst race riots in American history and led to a national debate about police brutality, the fairness of the justice system, and the state of racism in America. Narrated by Robert Prosky....

Part One: The Democrats, 1960 to 1992
Part Two: The Republicans, 1960 to 1992
Nationally broadcast on PBS October 16, and October 23, 1992. Two 60 minute shows

From the 1968 Chicago convention and the surprising rise of Ronald Reagan, the recent history of the two parties continues to shape thei...

In private meetings and caucuses, as well as on the floor of Congress, we watch Newt Gingrich and his troops battle their Democratic opponents over the ten points of the “Contract with America.” Hosted by journalist Don Lambro.

“When I was told PBS was going to do a balanced piece on Republicans...

In September 1998, Newt Gingrich was one of the most powerful men in America. During the next six months, he led his party through a disappointing election and the impeachment of the President of the United States. Then he resigned and became a private citizen, while the President he battled rema...

Rediscovering George Washington takes the two-dimensional man out of our wallets and explores his character. Host Richard Brookhiser talks to a former President, anti-tax rebels, and the descendants of slaves; he goes to industrial Brooklyn, the Oscars, and a two-hundred -year- old still. Broadca...

Richard Brookhiser returns as host for the second film in our “Rediscovering” series, Rediscovering Alexander Hamilton. Following the style of the acclaimed Rediscovering George Washington (2002), Brookhiser walks the paths of Hamilton’s life, from the Caribbean islands where he was born, to York...

Movies with religious characters raise an issue that has bedeviled Hollywood time and time again: does the entertainment industry present an unfair and unnecessarily negative view of religion and people of faith? In this provocative one-hour television documentary, PBS film critic Michael Medved ...

Hollywood’s Favorite Heavy: Business Men on Prime TV

Why are businessmen the “most convenient heavies” on prime time television dramas? Through clips from TV shows and interviews with some of TV’s most prominent writers, producers, and stars, this documentary examines the origins of the negative...

Across America, a new group of activist ministers is struggling with the core problems of America’s inner cities, such as gang violence and drug addiction. God and the Inner City profiles three different faith-based groups and considers the questions raised by government support, such as the sepa...

Nuclear fusion powers the sun and stars. On earth, fusion promises “safe, clean, and abundant” energy. Will fusion energy ever live up to that promise or is it another technological pipe-dream? Hosted by E. G. Marshall.

Visually arresting and entertaining.
— The Seattle Times

• Cine “...

Campus Culture Wars: Five Stories About Political Correctness

What happens when “political correctness” comes in conflict with freedom of speech? Campus Culture Wars examines five controversial incidents at universities around the country. The stories focus on issues such as sexual harassment, r...