America: Facts vs. Fiction

Season 3

TV-PG

Host Jamie Kaler debunks classic American myths

Where to Watch America: Facts vs. Fiction • Season 3

12 Episodes

Ike and MacArthur
E1
Ike and MacArthurThe truth about America's greatest generals is obscured by myth. West Point cadet Dwight Eisenhower used an alias to hide a secret and Douglas MacArthur deserved a court-martial, not a medal, for his actions in the Philippines in World War II.
Worlds of Amusement
E2
Worlds of AmusementAmusement parks and world's fairs are examined. Included: the history of roller-coasters and how world's fairs recalled as family-friendly endeavors actually featured nudity.
Welcome to the Big Apple
E3
Welcome to the Big AppleMyths obscure the facts about two Manhattan landmarks - the Empire State Building and Grand Central. Discover why a penny tossed from the top of the skyscraper won't kill anyone, and the real story of Grand Central's "secret" train platform.
The Princess and the Pathfinders
E4
The Princess and the PathfindersMyths obscure the truth about Pocahontas and America's renowned explorers, Lewis and Clark. We remember Pocahontas and John Smith as lovers - but she actually married another John. And Lewis and Clark's exploits were forgotten for a century.
Kings of the Sky
E5
Kings of the SkyCharles Lindburg myths and John Glenn fictions
Top Secret Vaults
E6
Top Secret VaultsMyths surround America's most secret vaults. The interior of Fort Knox looks nothing like it does in the movie "Goldfinger" and the $250 billion of gold in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York is protected by low-tech technology built in 1924.
Not So Close Encounters
E7
Not So Close EncountersDid an alien spaceship crash in Roswell, New Mexico in 1947? Are scientists reverse-engineering extraterrestrial technology in the Nevada desert's Area 51? Conspiracy theorists have no doubts. But the facts tell a very different story.
Roads to Freedom
E8
Roads to FreedomMyths obscure the truth about the Underground Railroad and the Women's Suffrage Movement. Black leaders, not white, dominated the system that brought hundreds of slaves to freedom. And women's fight for the vote was more violent than we remember.
D.C. Decoding
E9
D.C. DecodingMyths surround the landmarks of Washington, D.C. Few realize that the remains of the original White House are buried under a baseball diamond in Virginia - or that thousands of people have literally jumped over the top of the Washington Monument.
Final Voyages
E10
Final VoyagesMyths cloud the facts of the Titanic and Hindenburg disasters. Few know that the Titanic nearly hit another obstacle days before it struck the iceberg - or that the radio broadcast of the Hindenburg's destruction is distorted by a technical flaw.
The Rock and the Bridge
E11
The Rock and the BridgeMyths obscure the real facts about two San Francisco landmarks: Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge. If Alcatraz was so harsh, why did inmates ask to be transferred there? And why did the Navy want to paint the bridge a garish yellow and black?
Unwrapping the Holidays
E12
Unwrapping the HolidaysMyths and misconceptions surround our celebrations of Christmas and New Year's Eve. Learn how the Santa we cherish is actually the product of three New Yorkers and how the Times Square Ball drop is based on a bygone system of standardizing time.