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The Best Episodes of The New York Times Presents Season 1

Every episode of The New York Times Presents Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of The New York Times Presents Season 1!

Binge this in 10h 5m•Peaking at 7.7/10

A series of standalone documentaries powered by the unparalleled journalism and insight of The New York Times, bringing viewers close to the essential stories of our time.

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    The New York Times Presents Season 1 Episode 9 - Controlling Britney Spears
    7.7/10(469 votes)

    S1:E9

    Britney Spears has said that her conservatorship had become “an oppressive and controlling tool against her.” This New York Times investigation reveals much of how it worked, including an intense surveillance apparatus that monitored every move she made.

    Director:Samantha Stark
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. The New York Times Presents Season 1 Episode 2 - Dominic Fike, At First
    7.1/10(98 votes)

    S1:E2

    The making of a pop star in 2020: A young musician is plucked from obscurity -- jail, actually -- and given a multi-million dollar record deal. Meet Dominic Fike as he prepares for his first international tour and makes his debut album.

    Director:Alexandra Garcia
    Writer:Unknown

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  3. The New York Times Presents Season 1 Episode 5 - The Teenager Who Hacked Twitter
    7.1/10(117 votes)

    S1:E5

    Elon Musk. Bill Gates. Kanye West. Joe Biden. Barack Obama. They and dozens of others were being hacked recently, and Twitter appeared powerless to stop it. Who had brought the tech giant to its knees? A 17-year-old kid in Tampa.

    Director:John Pappas
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. The New York Times Presents Season 1 Episode 6 - Framing Britney Spears
    6.8/10(7100 votes)

    S1:E6

    Her rise was a global phenomenon. Her downfall was a cruel national sport. People close to Britney Spears and lawyers tied to her conservatorship now reassess her career as she battles her father in court over who should control her life.

    Director:Samantha Stark
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. The New York Times Presents Season 1 Episode 10 - Malfunction: The Dressing Down of Janet Jackson
    6.7/10(240 votes)

    S1:E10

    In 2004, a culture war was brewing when the Super Bowl halftime show audience saw a white man expose a Black woman's breast for 9/16ths of a second. A national furor ensued. The woman was Janet Jackson, and her career was never the same.

    Director:Jodi Gomes
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. The New York Times Presents Season 1 Episode 4 - Hurricane of Fire
    6.5/10(83 votes)

    S1:E4

    Perhaps a fitting start to 2020, Australia rang in the New Year with much of the country engulfed in flames. A few people decided to confront the blaze. Watch them stand face to face with one of the most ferocious infernos in history.

    Director:John Pappas
    Writer:Unknown

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  7. The New York Times Presents Season 1 Episode 1 - They Get Brave
    6.0/10(93 votes)

    S1:E1

    As the coronavirus ravages more and more American cities, we look back to the place hit hardest: New York City. Doctors and nurses documented their lives, capturing awe‐inspiring resolve in the face of a breakdown in the health‐care system.

    Directors:John Pappas, Alexandra Garcia, Lora Moftah, Samantha Stark
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. The New York Times Presents Season 1 Episode 3 - The Killing of Breonna Taylor
    5.9/10(112 votes)

    S1:E3

    A New York Times investigation examines what happened at 3003 Springfield Drive in Louisville, Kentucky, just after midnight on March 13, when police executed a warrant that resulted in the death of Breonna Taylor.

    Director:Yoruba Richen
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. The New York Times Presents Season 1 Episode 8 - Move Fast & Vape Things
    5.7/10(77 votes)

    S1:E8

    Two Stanford graduate students had an inspired idea and an idealistic mission: create an e-cigarette that would help millions of people stop smoking. How did the founders of Juul lose their way and end up accused of addicting a whole new generation?

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  10. The New York Times Presents Season 1 Episode 11 - To Live and Die in Alabama
    5.4/10(67 votes)

    S1:E11

    Three police officers died in a shootout at a drug house in Alabama. One man was sentenced to death for the shootings, even though he was never accused of even touching the murder weapon. This is the story of Nathaniel Woods.

    Director:Matthew Kay
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. The New York Times Presents Season 1 Episode 7 - Who Gets To Be an Influencer?
    4.6/10(70 votes)

    S1:E7

    The New York Times follows the rise of Collab Crib, the first mainstream Black "creator mansion," exclusively documenting their whirlwind drive to achieve social media stardom in 90 days. The intimate, character-based film captures the influencers wrestling with a nagging, and profound, challenge: how can they succeed in a nascent industry that seems tilted to their disadvantage?

    Director:Lora Moftah
    Writer:Unknown

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Season 1 Ratings Summary

"Controlling Britney Spears" is the best rated episode of "The New York Times Presents" season 1. It scored 7.7/10 based on 469 votes. Directed by Samantha Stark and written by Unknown, it aired on 9/24/2021. This episode is rated 0.6 points higher than the second-best, "Dominic Fike, At First".