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The Best Episodes of American Experience Season 33

Every episode of American Experience Season 33 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of American Experience Season 33!

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 33 Ratings Summary

"The Codebreaker" is the best rated episode of "American Experience" season 33. It scored 8/10 based on 187 votes. Directed by Chana Gazit and written by Chana Gazit, it aired on 1/11/2021. This episode is rated 0.1 points higher than the second-best, "Voice of Freedom".

  • The Codebreaker
    8.0/10187 votes

    #1 - The Codebreaker

    Season 33 Episode 1 - Aired 1/11/2021

    Based on the book The Woman Who Smashed Codes: A True Story of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine Who Outwitted America's Enemies, The Codebreaker reveals the fascinating story of Elizebeth Smith Friedman, the groundbreaking cryptanalyst whose painstaking work to decode thousands of messages for the U.S. government.

    Director: Chana Gazit

    Writer: Chana Gazit

  • Voice of Freedom
    7.9/1071 votes

    #2 - Voice of Freedom

    Season 33 Episode 2 - Aired 2/15/2021

    Explore the fascinating life of celebrated singer Marian Anderson. In 1939, after being barred from performing at Constitution Hall because she was Black, she triumphed at the Lincoln Memorial in what became a landmark moment in American history.

    Director: Rob Rapley

    Writer: Rob Rapley

  • The Blinding of Isaac Woodard
    8.0/10108 votes

    #3 - The Blinding of Isaac Woodard

    Season 33 Episode 3 - Aired 3/30/2021

    In 1946, Isaac Woodard, a Black army sergeant on his way home to South Carolina after serving in WWII, was pulled from a bus for arguing with the driver. The local chief of police savagely beat him, leaving him unconscious and permanently blind.

    Director: Jamila Ephron

    Writer: Mark Zwonitzer, Jamila Ephron

  • American Oz
    7.5/10143 votes

    #4 - American Oz

    Season 33 Episode 4 - Aired 4/19/2021

    The life of author L. Frank Baum, creator of the classic novel "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," which has inspired films, books and musicals.

    Director: Tracy Heather Strain, Randall MacLowry

    Writer: Tracy Heather Strain, Randall MacLowry

  • Billy Graham
    6.6/1079 votes

    #5 - Billy Graham

    Season 33 Episode 5 - Aired 5/17/2021

    Explore the life of one of the best-known and most influential religious leaders of the 20th century. An international celebrity by age 30, he built a media empire, preached to millions worldwide, and had the ear of tycoons, presidents and royalty.

    Director: Keven McAlester, Sarah Colt

    Writer: N/A

  • Sandra Day O'Connor: The First
    7.5/1058 votes

    #6 - Sandra Day O'Connor: The First

    Season 33 Episode 6 - Aired 9/13/2021

    Discover the story of the Supreme Court’s first female justice. A pioneer who both reflected and shaped an era, she was the deciding vote in cases on some of the 20th century’s most controversial issues—including race, gender and reproductive rights.

    Director: Michelle Ferrari

    Writer: Michelle Ferrari

  • Citizen Hearst (1)
    7.8/1092 votes

    #7 - Citizen Hearst (1)

    Season 33 Episode 7 - Aired 9/27/2021

    William Randolph Hearst builds the nation’s largest media empire by the 1930s. Born into one of America’s wealthiest families, he used his outlets to achieve unprecedented political power, then ran for office himself.

    Director: Amanda Pollak

    Writer: Gene Tempest

  • Citizen Hearst (2)
    7.9/1063 votes

    #8 - Citizen Hearst (2)

    Season 33 Episode 8 - Aired 9/28/2021

    William Randolph Hearst continued his rise to power and expansion into Hollywood. The model for Citizen Kane, he had a decades-long affair with actress Marion Davies, built an enormous castle at San Simeon, and forever transformed modern media.

    Director: Stephen Ives

    Writer: Stephen Ives