7.3/10111 votes#1 - Billy the Kid
Season 24 Episode 1 - Aired 1/10/2012
A fascinating look at the myth and the man behind it, who, in just a few short years transformed himself from a skinny orphan boy to the most feared man in the West and an enduring western icon.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.5/1080 votes#2 - Custer's Last Stand
Season 24 Episode 2 - Aired 1/17/2012
A profile of Gen. George Armstrong Custer (1839-76), nicknamed "the boy general" for his Civil War exploits, who died with many other members of the 7th Cavalry while battling the Cheyenne and Lakota along the Little Bighorn River in Montana Territory. The documentary details his time at West Point, where he became infamous for his rebellious nature; his relationship with his wife Libbie; his year-long suspension from the service; and the campaign against the Cheyenne that led to his death.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.7/10119 votes#3 - Clinton: The Comeback Kid (1)
Season 24 Episode 3 - Aired 2/20/2012
Part 1 of a two-part profile of former president Bill Clinton charts his path from Hope, Ark., to Washington, D.C., ending midway through his first term when the GOP, led by Newt Gingrich, took control of the House of Representatives and Senate. The documentary details the scandals and setbacks that Clinton weathered to that point; and features remarks from such Clinton associates as Harold Ickes, Dick Morris, Mike McCurry, Dee Dee Myers, Robert Reich and Betsey Wright.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.8/10110 votes#4 - Clinton: The Survivor (2)
Season 24 Episode 4 - Aired 2/21/2012
The conclusion of the Bill Clinton biography recalls the Monica Lewinsky scandal, which led to Clinton becoming the second U.S. president to be impeached. It also details his face-off over the federal budget with Newt Gingrich, whose refusal to compromise led to a government shutdown, and successful 1996 reelection campaign. Among those commenting: Whitewater independent counsel Kenneth Starr; Paula Jones' attorney James Fisher; and White House counsel Bernard Nussbaum.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.8/10101 votes#5 - The Amish
Season 24 Episode 5 - Aired 2/28/2012
The first documentary to deeply penetrate and explore this profoundly attention-averse group, The Amish answers many questions Americans have about this insistently insular religious community, whose intense faith and adherence to 500-year-old traditions have by turns captivated and repelled, awed and irritated, inspired and confused for more than a century.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.8/1070 votes#6 - Grand Coulee Dam
Season 24 Episode 6 - Aired 4/3/2012
Featuring the men and women who lived and worked at Grand Coulee in the wake of the Great Depression and the Native people whose lives were changed alongside historians and engineers, this film explores how the tension between technological achievement and environmental impact hangs over the project's legacy.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.5/1089 votes#7 - Jesse Owens
Season 24 Episode 7 - Aired 5/1/2012
Despite Jesse Owens' remarkable victories in the face of Nazi racism at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, the athlete struggled to find a place for himself in a United States that was still wrestling to overcome its own deeply entrenched bias.
Director: Laurens Grant
Writer: Stanley Nelson
NaN/100 votes#8 - Death and the Civil War
Season 24 Episode 8 - Aired 9/18/2012
With the coming of the Civil War, and the staggering casualties it ushered in, death entered the experience of the American people as it never had before -- permanently altering the character of the republic and the psyche of the American people. Contending with death on an unprecedented scale posed challenges for which there were no ready answers when the war began. Americans worked to improvise new solutions, new institutions, and new ways of coping with death on an unimaginable scale.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
The Best Episodes of American Experience Season 24
Every episode of American Experience Season 24 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of American Experience Season 24!
TV's most-watched history series brings to life the compelling stories from our past that inform our understanding of the world today.
Genre:Documentary
Network:PBS
Season 24 Ratings Summary
"Billy the Kid" is the best rated episode of "American Experience" season 24. It scored 7.3/10 based on 111 votes. Directed by N/A and written by N/A, it aired on 1/10/2012. This episode is rated 0.2 points higher than the second-best, "Custer's Last Stand".