FRONTLINE

News and Public Affairs Series / 31 Seasons

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

Watch Latest: S2024 E17

53m 54s

Raising Adam Lanza Preview

31s

In the wake of the mass killings at Sandy Hook, FRONTLINE looks for answers to the elusive question: who was Adam Lanza? Also this hour: In the aftermath of the tragedy, President Obama called for a national conversation about guns in America. In Newtown, FRONTLINE explores how those closest to the tragedy are now wrestling with our nation's gun culture and laws.

The FRONTLINE Interview: William Daley

57m 4s

Obama's former chief of staff talks about the difficulties of negotiating the nation's fiscal problems with a divided GOP. "To some degree, I guess ... I underestimated that separation between Boehner and much of the caucus that he was trying to control," he tells FRONTLINE producer Jim Gilmore.

The FRONTLINE Interview: John Boehner

31m 12s

In a candid interview, the speaker discusses why he attempted to make a "grand bargain" with President Obama, why the talks were secret, what was behind the deal's failure and whether it's possible to achieve big deals in Washington.

Cliffhanger Preview

31s

FRONTLINE investigates the inside history of how Washington has failed to solve the country’s problems of debt and deficit. Drawing on interviews with key players in Congress and the White House, FRONTLINE shows how a clash of politics and personalities has taken the nation’s economy to the edge of the "fiscal cliff," and now to a second round of standoffs over the debt ceiling and sequestration.

The Untouchables Preview

31s

Are the CEOs of mega-banks too big to jail? Though fraudulent practices at banks contributed to America’s financial meltdown, to date no Wall Street titan has been convicted of a crime connected to the crisis. FRONTLINE investigates why Wall Street's leaders have escaped prosecution.

The Education of Michelle Rhee Preview

31s

FRONTLINE was granted unprecedented access to Michelle Rhee, the former chancellor of Washington, DC public schools during her tumultuous three-year tenure as she attempted to fix a broken school system. As Rhee returns to the national stage, FRONTLINE examines her legacy in Washington, DC, including her battles with the teachers' union and her handling of a cheating scandal in the District.

"Poor Kids" - Preview

30s

FRONTLINE spent months following three young girls who are growing up against the backdrop of their families' struggles against financial ruin. At a time when one in five American kids lives below the poverty line, "Poor Kids" is an is an intimate portrait of the economic crisis as it's rarely seen, through the eyes of children.

Poor Kids [2012]

53m 41s

FRONTLINE spent months following three young girls who are growing up against the backdrop of their families' struggles against financial ruin. At a time when one in five American kids lives below the poverty line, "Poor Kids" is an is an intimate portrait of the economic crisis as it's rarely seen, through the eyes of children.

Sera's Story

10m 51s

Eleven-year-old Sera, her sister and her mother moved to San Francisco in 2009. But when the economy collapsed, her mother lost her job and the family now survives on her $600 monthly unemployment checks. They live in a one-room rent subsidized apartment but are one missed payment away from returning to a homeless shelter.

The Suicide Plan Preview

31s

In this groundbreaking 90-minute film FRONTLINE explores the shadow world of assisted suicide and takes viewers inside one of the most polarizing social issues of our time – told not only by the people choosing to die, but also by their “assisters,” individuals and right-to-die organizations at risk of prosecution for their actions to hasten death.

Big Sky, Big Money, an investigation with Marketplace

31s

FRONTLINE reveals the anatomy of campaign finances on steroids, taking us to the newest battleground in the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling: the state of Montana. Airing October 30, “Big Sky, Big Money” explores the increasingly dysfunctional campaign finance system caught between the conflicting needs to protect political speech and prevent corrupting influence.

Climate of Doubt

31s

Four years ago, climate change was a hot issue and politicians from both sides seemed poised to act. Today public opinion on the climate issue has cooled considerably. Politicians either ignore it or proclaim their skepticism. What’s behind this massive reversal? On Oct 23, FRONTLINE goes inside the organizations that fought the scientific establishment to shift the direction of the climate debate

How Al Gore Galvanized a Movement

2m 5s

It didn't take long for "An Inconvenient Truth" -- the 2006 documentary about former Vice President Al Gore's crusade to draw attention to the threat of global warming – to galvanize the public around the issue of climate change. But the film also helped make Gore the cause's public face. So when the backlash against climate change gained traction, it quickly became a personal one.

The Digital Campaign

26m 56s

"PBS Newshour" correspondent Hari Sreenivasan, reporting for FRONTLINE, goes deep inside the Romney and Obama campaigns to uncover how data collected from millions of Americans is being used by both camps to target their messages, get out the vote and shape the election.

When Mitt Romney Bet On Staples

6m 48s

In 1986, Mitt Romney was two years into his tenure at Bain Capital and starting to feel the pressure. His partners had invested millions to help launch the firm, and while Bain had made a few modest deals, it had yet to hit its stride. That all changed when a former supermarket executive went to Romney with a pitch for an office supplies chain called Staples.

La Alternativa 2012

1h 55m

Un viaje a los lugares, personas y momentos decisivos en la formación de los dos hombres que compiten por la presidencia. Cientos de horas de investigación y decenas de entrevistas revelan nuevos ideas y detalles sobre los dos candidatos – y nuestra decisión este noviembre.

Behind the scenes -- Michael Kirk on "The Choice 2012"

1m

In "The Choice 2012," acclaimed FRONTLINE producer Michael Kirk ("Money, Power and Wall Street," "Top Secret America") documents the places, people and decisive moments that made the men who are competing for the presidency. Watch on air and online beginning October 9 at 9 pm ET on PBS.

"History Is A Great Teacher"

9m 48s

In this preview from "The Choice 2012," airing tonight, FRONTLINE explores how Mitt Romney and Barack Obama's early public failures could have ended their political careers. Instead, both candidates went on to learn from their losses – lessons that would help them both pursue the presidency.

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