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The Best Episodes of American Experience Season 18

Every episode of American Experience Season 18 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of American Experience Season 18!

Binge this in 11h 55m•Peaking at 8.1/10

TV's most-watched history series brings to life the compelling stories from our past that inform our understanding of the world today.

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    American Experience Season 18 Episode 1 - Two Days in October
    7.9/10(89 votes)

    #1 - Two Days in October

    S18:E1

    "Two Days in October" recalls two 1967 events -- a Vietcong ambush and a violent antiwar demonstration at the University of Wisconsin -- that together marked a turning point in America's Vietnam tragedy. The ambush, on Oct. 17, killed 64 of the 142 U.S. troops attacked, and showed, maybe for the first time, that the war might not be winnable. And the protest, a day later against Dow Chemical Co., is believed to be the first antiwar demonstration to turn violent.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. American Experience Season 18 Episode 2 - Race to the Moon
    7.6/10(49 votes)

    #2 - Race to the Moon

    S18:E2

    "Race to the Moon" chronicles Apollo 8, the first voyage to the moon. "It was an event beyond all other events," says Walter Cronkite of the December 1968 mission, which laid the groundwork for the first lunar landing seven months later. Cronkite and author Andrew Chaikin put the flight into context; astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders and their wives recall it firsthand. Says Lovell of seeing the lunar landscape, "We were like three kids looking into a candy-store window."

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  3. American Experience Season 18 Episode 3 - Las Vegas: An Unconventional History (1): Sin City
    7.3/10(51 votes)

    #3 - Las Vegas: An Unconventional History (1): Sin City

    S18:E3

    The story of the gambling mecca is told via news clips and reminiscences. Part 1 of 2

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. American Experience Season 18 Episode 4 - Las Vegas: An Unconventional History (2): American Mecca
    6.9/10(40 votes)

    #4 - Las Vegas: An Unconventional History (2): American Mecca

    S18:E4

    News clips and reminiscences tell the story of the gambling mecca, from a dusty railroad town to a leading tourist attraction. Part 2 of 2

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. American Experience Season 18 Episode 5 - John and Abigail Adams
    8.0/10(73 votes)

    #5 - John and Abigail Adams

    S18:E5

    An engrossing portrait of the second U.S. president and first lady, costars Simon Russell Beale and Linda Emond. Included: the friendship (and enmity) between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson (James Barbour), who both died on the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence; the Adamses' “great love story”; their bouts with depression; his troubled presidency. Interspersed are comments from historians.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. American Experience Season 18 Episode 6 - The Nuremberg Trials
    7.2/10(68 votes)

    #6 - The Nuremberg Trials

    S18:E6

    A gripping study of the groundbreaking prosecution, which began Nov. 20, 1945, as Nazi Germany's leaders were held accountable for war crimes, infamously blamed on "following orders." Profiled are Hermann Goering, the lead defendant, and Robert Jackson, the U.S. prosecutor. Also: comments from Walter Cronkite, who covered the proceedings; events leading to the trial, which had 21 defendants and eight judges; footage of concentration camps.

    Directors:Dave Pearce, Michael Kloft
    Writer:Dave Pearce

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  7. American Experience Season 18 Episode 7 - Jesse James
    7.3/10(65 votes)

    #7 - Jesse James

    S18:E7

    A striking profile of the outlaw (1847-82) is told through reenactments, comments from historians and archival photographs. The hour traces James' life from age 16 to his death at 34 (he was shot in the back), and includes his years as a Southern guerrilla fighter, bandit and killer.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. American Experience Season 18 Episode 8 - Hijacked
    6.6/10(37 votes)

    #8 - Hijacked

    S18:E8

    A look at the coordinated hijacking of four jetliners in 1970 by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which blew up the evacuated planes in Jordan. Included: the militants' use of civilians to further their goals.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. American Experience Season 18 Episode 9 - Eugene O'Neill
    8.1/10(140 votes)

    #9 - Eugene O'Neill

    S18:E9

    An absorbing profile of the esteemed playwright (1888-1953). Included: excerpts from his plays are performed by Al Pacino, Zoe Caldwell, Christopher Plummer, Vanessa Redgrave, Liam Neeson and Natasha Richardson. Also: comments from Tony Kushner, John Guare, Sidney Lumet and Jason Robards. Plays include “The Iceman Cometh” and “Long Day's Journey into Night.”

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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