FRONTLINE

FRONTLINE explores and illuminates the critical issues of our times - from business and health to social issues, politics and war.

Episodes

Filter By:

Season 2024

  • Episode

    Israel's Second Front

    Beyond Gaza, the power of Hamas, Hezbollah and other forces in the region. Correspondent Ramita Navai investigates militants in the West Bank and Lebanon, their ties to Iran and their role in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

  • Episode

    Democracy on Trial

    The roots of the criminal cases against former President Trump stemming from his 2020 election loss. Amid the presidential race, examining the House Jan. 6 committee’s evidence, the threat to democracy and the historic charges against Trump.

  • Episode

    Children of Ukraine

    FRONTLINE examines how thousands of Ukrainian children have been taken and held in Russian-controlled territory since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The documentary follows Ukrainian families searching for their missing children, organizations investigating the alleged abductions and Ukrainian teenagers who escaped and say they were subjected to Russian propaganda.

  • Episode

    Documenting Police Use of Force

    FRONTLINE and The Associated Press investigate deaths that occurred after police used tactics like prone restraint and other “less-lethal force.” The documentary and accompanying reporting draw on police records, autopsy reports and body cam footage, and the most expansive tally of such deaths nationwide.

  • Episode

    A Dangerous Assignment

    With the Venezuelan news outlet Armando.info, FRONTLINE investigates the shadowy figure at the heart of a corruption scandal spanning from Venezuela to the U.S. This 90-minute documentary tells the inside story of Alex Saab, his capture and then release by the U.S. in a controversial prisoner swap, and what has happened to the journalists who helped uncover the corruption scandal.

  • Episode

    Crisis on Campus

    FRONTLINE and Retro Report tell the inside story of the protests dividing college campuses over Israel and the war in Gaza. The documentary investigates the polarizing debate over free speech, antisemitism, Israel and the Palestinians, and the political forces behind the crisis.

  • Episode

    Two American Families: 1991-2024

    Filmed over 34 years, two families struggle to survive in a changing American economy. Through hard times, falling wages, and loss of manufacturing jobs, the continuation of Bill Moyers’ chronicle of perseverance as the American dream slips away.

  • Episode

    Germany's Enemy Within

    Since the Holocaust, Germany has worked to overcome its Nazi history. But over the past decade, Germany has faced a rising wave of far-right violence and plots against Jews, Muslims, immigrants and politicians. Amid accusations that the far-right Alternative für Deutschland party (AfD) has provoked violence, which it denies, FRONTLINE investigates the rise of far-right extremism in Germany today.

  • Episode

    Biden's Decision

    Behind President Joe Biden’s fateful decision are decades of challenges and controversies, triumphs and tragedies. FRONTLINE tells the inside story of Biden’s rise to the presidency, and the personal and political forces that shaped him and led to his dramatic decision to step aside.

  • Episode

    South Korea's Adoption Reckoning

    FRONTLINE and The Associated Press examine allegations of fraud and abuse in South Korea’s historic foreign adoption boom. The documentary investigates cases of falsified records and identities among the adoptions of 200,000 children to the U.S. and other countries over decades.

  • Episode

    The Choice 2024: Harris vs. Trump

    Investigating the lives and characters of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump as they seek the presidency. In a historic election, those who know the candidates best reveal key moments that shape how they would lead America.

  • Episode

    The VP Choice: Vance vs. Walz

    FRONTLINE investigates the lives and views of Sen. JD Vance and Gov. Tim Walz as they run for vice president. In a historic election, those who know the candidates best reveal the influences and ideas they would bring to the White House.

  • Episode

    A Year of War: Israelis and Palestinians

    FRONTLINE documents harrowing accounts from those who experienced the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and the ongoing war in Gaza. Israelis and Palestinians directly impacted by the conflict talk about death, despair and the continuing trauma.

  • Episode

    American Voices 2024

    FRONTLINE follows the changing views and experiences of Americans from the 2020 election season to today. Returning to voters filmed four years ago, the documentary provides a look at how their hopes and fears have changed amid another polarizing election season.

  • Preview

    China, the U.S. & the Rise of Xi Jinping

    FRONTLINE examines the rise of Xi Jinping, his vision for China and the global implications. Correspondent Martin Smith traces the defining moments for President Xi, how he’s exercising power and his impact on China, and relations with the U.S. and the world.

Season 2023

  • Episode

    Global Spyware Scandal: Exposing Pegasus (Part 1)

    FRONTLINE and Forbidden Stories investigate the powerful spyware Pegasus, sold to governments around the world by the Israeli company NSO Group. Part one of a joint investigation into the hacking tool used to spy on journalists, activists, the fiancée of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and others.

  • Episode

    Global Spyware Scandal: Exposing Pegasus (Part 2)

    FRONTLINE and Forbidden Stories investigate the powerful spyware Pegasus, sold to governments around the world by the Israeli company NSO Group. Part two of a joint investigation into the hacking tool used to spy on journalists, activists, the fiancée of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and others.

  • Episode

    Putin and the Presidents

    Vladimir Putin’s clashes with American presidents as he’s tried to rebuild the Russian empire. FRONTLINE traces the miscalculations and missteps of American presidents over five administrations, culminating in Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

  • Episode

    Age of Easy Money

    The role of the Federal Reserve’s “easy money” policies in the current economic uncertainty. From the Great Recession to the rise in inflation, FRONTLINE examines the ongoing fragility of the financial system and the widening gap between Wall St. and Main St.

  • Episode

    America and the Taliban (Part One)

    How America's 20-year investment in Afghanistan culminated in Taliban victory. Drawing on decades of on-the-ground reporting and interviews with Taliban and U.S. officials, part one of this epic three-part investigation traces the missteps and consequences.

  • Episode

    America and the Taliban (Part Two)

    How America's 20-year investment in Afghanistan culminated in Taliban victory. Drawing on decades of on-the-ground reporting and interviews with Taliban and U.S. officials, part two of this epic three-part investigation traces the missteps and consequences.

  • Episode

    America and the Taliban (Part Three)

    How America's 20-year investment in Afghanistan culminated in Taliban victory. Drawing on decades of on-the-ground reporting and interviews with Taliban and U.S. officials, part three of this epic three-part investigation traces the missteps and consequences.

  • Episode

    Clarence and Ginni Thomas

    As controversy erupts around Clarence and Ginni Thomas, FRONTLINE tells the inside story of their path to power. This investigation from veteran filmmaker Michael Kirk and his team traces how race, power and controversy collide in the rise of the Supreme Court justice and his wife and how the couple has reshaped American law and politics.

  • Episode

    Once Upon A Time In Iraq: Fallujah

    The enduring story of the battle of Fallujah, told by the people who lived through it. Twenty years after the invasion of Iraq, soldiers, journalists and ordinary Iraqis recount one of the defining episodes of the war.

  • Episode

    After Uvalde: Guns, Grief & Texas Politics

    A year after the Uvalde school shooting, FRONTLINE, Futuro Investigates and The Texas Tribune document the community’s trauma and the fight over assault rifles. Journalist Maria Hinojosa examines the police response, Uvalde’s history of struggle and its efforts to heal.

  • Episode

    America's Dangerous Trucks

    FRONTLINE and ProPublica investigate deadly truck accidents and the fight over measures that could save thousands of lives. As deaths rise, the documentary examines decades of legal maneuvering, political influence, lax regulation and industry opposition.

  • Episode

    Inside the Iranian Uprising

    With a trove of gripping footage filmed by protestors, this documentary goes inside the uprising that rocked Iran after the death of a young woman in police custody — and sheds new light on a regime under unprecedented pressure.

  • Episode

    Putin's Crisis

    With Vladimir Putin facing down a mutiny, how the Russian leader reached this moment of crisis. The story of Putin’s rise, his clashes at home and abroad, and how his troubled Ukraine war led to the greatest threat yet to his grip on power.

  • Episode

    Two Strikes/Tutwiler

    In this two-part special, FRONTLINE looks at a little known "two-strikes" law and pregnancy in prison. In collaboration with The Marshall Project, the first half examines how a former West Point cadet got life in prison under a "two-strikes" law. The second half documents what happens to pregnant women in prison and their newborns.

  • Episode

    Putin vs. the Press

    The story of one journalist’s battle to defend free speech in Putin’s Russia. With unique access, the film follows Nobel prize-winner Dmitry Muratov as he fights to keep his newspaper alive and his reporters safe amid a government crackdown.

  • Episode

    The Astros Edge

    FRONTLINE examines the Houston Astros cheating scandal and what it says about baseball today. With reporter Ben Reiter, the documentary traces the making of one of the best teams and worst scandals in modern Major League Baseball history, the limited accountability and how the Astros’ approach to baseball changed the sport.

  • Episode

    Elon Musk's Twitter Takeover

    Elon Musk’s long and often troubled relationship with Twitter. FRONTLINE traces Musk’s journey from one of the platform’s most provocative users to its sole proprietor, exploring the acquisition, free speech issues and the company’s uncertain future.

  • Episode

    McConnell, the GOP & the Court

    How Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell helped transform the Supreme Court and U.S. politics. Amid scrutiny of the high court and a power struggle in the GOP, FRONTLINE examines McConnell’s rise and role in pushing the judiciary to the right and America’s polarized democracy.

  • Episode

    20 Days in Mariupol

    The Oscar-winning film from the last international journalists inside the Russian siege of Mariupol. FRONTLINE and The Associated Press present this extraordinary account, seen through the lens of the AP’s Mstyslav Chernov and two colleagues who documented the atrocities and their own escape.

  • Episode

    Inside the Uvalde Response

    Drawing on real-time, firsthand accounts and using official bodycam and audio, FRONTLINE, ProPublica and The Texas Tribune reconstruct the chaotic response to the Uvalde school shooting and examine the missteps. The documentary delves into the lessons learned and the lingering trauma of that day.

  • Episode

    The Discord Leaks

    How a young Air National Guardsman leaked classified documents onto the Discord chat platform. With The Washington Post, FRONTLINE examines Jack Teixeira’s leak of national security secrets, why he wasn’t stopped, and the role of platforms like Discord.

  • Episode

    Netanyahu, America & the War in Gaza/Failure at the Fence

    As the war in Gaza continues with devastating consequences, a major 90-minute documentary offers a sweeping examination of the critical moments and missteps that led to this crisis over the course of the past three decades, and the pivotal role of a central player: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Season 2022

  • Episode

    American Reckoning

    FRONTLINE and Retro Report tell the story of the 1967 killing of Wharlest Jackson Sr., a local NAACP leader in Natchez, Mississippi. The documentary follows Jackson’s family as they search for the truth about what happened and examines the history of white supremacy in Natchez. It is part of FRONTLINE's multiplatform Un(re)solved initiative.

  • Episode

    Putin's Road to War

    FRONTLINE tells the story of what led to Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine, examining the events that shaped the Russian leader, the grievances that drive him and how a growing conflict with the West exploded into war in Europe.

  • Episode

    Pelosi's Power

    An examination of the powerful and polarizing Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi. The documentary traces Pelosi's life and legacy, how she has gained and wielded power across three decades, and how she has faced grave challenges to her leadership and to American democracy from Trump and his allies.

  • Episode

    Plot to Overturn the Election

    FRONTLINE and ProPublica examine how lies about election fraud in 2020 have made their way to the center of American politics and how a handful of people have had an outsized impact on the current crisis of democratic legitimacy in the United States.

  • Episode

    The Power of Big Oil (Part One: Denial)

    FRONTLINE examines the fossil fuel industry’s history of casting doubt and delaying action on climate change. Part One of this three-part series charts the fossil fuel industry's early research on climate change and investigates industry efforts to sow seeds of doubt about the science.

  • Episode

    The Power of Big Oil (Part Two: Doubt)

    FRONTLINE examines the fossil fuel industry’s history of casting doubt and delaying action on climate change. Part Two of this three-part series explores the industry’s efforts to stall climate policy, even as evidence about climate change grew more certain in the new millennium.

  • Episode

    The Power of Big Oil (Part Three: Delay)

    FRONTLINE examines the fossil fuel industry’s history of casting doubt and delaying action on climate change. As leading climate scientists issue new warnings about climate change, Part Three examines how the fossil fuel industry worked to delay the transition to renewable energy sources — including by promoting natural gas as a cleaner alternative.

  • Episode

    Police on Trial

    With Pulitzer Prize-winning reporters from the Star Tribune, the documentary "Police on Trial" investigates the Minneapolis police, from the murder of George Floyd and subsequent protests, to the trial of Derek Chauvin, to the struggle for accountability.

  • Episode

    Facing Eviction

    Why have American families struggled to keep their homes during the COVID pandemic, despite a federal ban on evictions? With Retro Report, FRONTLINE offers an intimate look at the United States’ affordable housing crisis through the eyes of tenants, landlords, judges and law enforcement.

  • Episode

    Ukraine: Life Under Russia's Attack (2023)

    A dramatic and intimate look inside the Russian assault on Kharkiv. FRONTLINE follows displaced families trying to survive underground, civilians caught in the fight and first responders risking their lives amid the shelling of Ukraine’s second largest city.

  • Episode

    Afghanistan Undercover

    An undercover investigation into the Taliban’s crackdown on women in Afghanistan. FRONTLINE correspondent Ramita Navai finds women who are being punished by the regime and confronts Taliban officials.

  • Episode

    Lies, Politics and Democracy

    FRONTLINE’s season premiere investigates American political leaders and choices they made that have undermined and threatened democracy in the U.S. In a two-hour documentary special premiering ahead of the 2022 midterms, FRONTLINE examines how officials fed the public lies about the 2020 presidential election and embraced rhetoric that led to political violence.

  • Episode

    Michael Flynn's Holy War

    How did Michael Flynn go from being an elite soldier overseas to waging a “spiritual war” in America? In collaboration with the Associated Press, FRONTLINE examines how the retired three-star general has emerged as a leader in a far-right movement that puts its brand of Christianity at the center of American civic life & institutions and is attracting election deniers, conspiracists & extremists.

  • Episode

    Putin's Attack on Ukraine: Documenting War Crimes

    FRONTLINE and the Associated Press trace Russian President Vladimir Putin’s pattern of atrocities in Ukraine and across other conflicts, exposing the challenges of trying to hold Russia to account. The documentary offers a window into the lives of Ukrainians living under siege, capturing the devastation of the war and the ongoing pursuit for accountability.

  • Episode

    Putin's War at Home

    Meet some of the defiant Russians pushing back against President Vladimir Putin’s crackdown on critics of the war in Ukraine. FRONTLINE tells the inside stories of activists and journalists risking arrest and imprisonment to protest and speak out about the Kremlin’s war effort.

  • Episode

    Crime Scene: Bucha/After Zero Tolerance

    FRONTLINE, The Associated Press and SITU investigate Russian war crimes by mapping the atrocities in Bucha, Ukraine, through eyewitness accounts, videos and exclusive 3D data. Also in this 2-part hour, the story of a family’s struggle to reunite after being separated at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Explore More