Editing American Experience

{{short description|PBS documentary television series}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Infobox television
| image                = American Experience logo.svg
| alt_name             = <!-- ''The American Experience'' {{small|(1988–)}} -->
| genre                = [[Television documentary]]
| image_size           = 
| creator              = Peter McGhee
| director             = 
| theme_music_composer = {{Plain list|
* Charles Kuskin {{small|(1988–2000)}}
* Mark Adler {{small|(2000–2008)}}
* [[The Chambers Brothers]] {{small|(2009–2010)}}
* [[Joel Goodman (composer)|Joel Goodman]] {{small|(2011–present)}}
}}
| country              = United States
| language             = English (US)
| num_seasons          = 36
| num_episodes         = 380
| list_episodes        = List of American Experience episodes
| executive_producer   = {{Plain list|
* [[Judy Crichton]] <small>(1987–1996)</small>
* Margaret Drain <small>(1997–2003)</small>
* Mark Samels <small>(2003–2020)</small>
* Cameo George <small>(2020–present)</small><ref>{{Cite press release |title=Cameo George Named Executive Producer of AMERICAN EXPERIENCE, WGBH's Acclaimed History Series on PBS |url=https://www.wgbh.org/foundation/press/cameo-george-named-executive-producer-of-american-experience-wgbhs-acclaimed-history-series-on-pbs |publisher=WGBH |access-date=20 January 2021 |date=July 23, 2020}}</ref>
}}
| runtime              = Between 55 minutes and two hours
| company              = [[WGBH-TV]]
| network              = [[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/schedule/
| title                    = Broadcast Schedule {{*}} American Experience {{*}} WGBH |publisher=PBS |access-date=2014-05-27}}</ref>
| first_aired          = {{Start date|1988|10|4}}
| last_aired           = present
}}

'''''American Experience''''' is a [[television program]] airing on the [[Public Broadcasting Service]] (PBS) in the [[United States]]. The program airs [[Documentary film|documentaries]], many of which have won awards,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/about/award/broadcast |title=About the Series . American Experience . WGBH|publisher=[[PBS]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304210802/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/about/award/broadcast|archive-date=March 4, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> about important or interesting events and people in [[History of the United States|American history]].

The series premiered on October 4, 1988, and was originally titled '''''The American Experience.''''' It was shortened to '''''American Experience''''' during a rebrand and image update. The show has had a presence on the internet since 1995, and more than 100 ''American Experience'' programs are accompanied by their own internet websites, which provide background information on the subjects covered as well as teachers' guides and educational companion materials.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/whoweare.html | title=American Experience <nowiki>|</nowiki> Who We Are|publisher=[[Public Broadcasting Service|Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)]]|access-date=October 23, 2012}}</ref> The show is produced primarily by [[WGBH-TV]] in [[Boston]], Massachusetts, though occasionally in the early seasons it was co-produced by other PBS stations such as [[WNET]] (Channel 13) in [[New York City]].

Some programs considered part of the ''American Experience'' collection were produced prior to the creation of the series. ''[[Vietnam: A Television History]]'' was one of them, airing originally in 1983 after taking six years to assemble.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/vietnam/series/index.html|title=American Experience <nowiki>|</nowiki> Vietnam Online <nowiki>|</nowiki> About the TV Series|publisher=PBS|access-date=October 23, 2012|archive-date=November 14, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114112715/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/vietnam/series/index.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Also, in 2006, ''American Experience'' rebroadcast ''[[Eyes on the Prize]]: America's Civil Rights Years'', the first half of the 1986 documentary series about the [[Civil Rights Movement]] of the 1950s and 1960s.

==Episodes==
{{Main|List of American Experience episodes}}
{{:List of American Experience episodes}}

==Critical reception==
''American Experience'' has received generally positive reviews from television critics and parents of young children. Glenn McNatt of ''[[The Baltimore Sun]]'' wrote that it is "TV's finest history series ever."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2008-01-13-0801140207-story.html|title=Best of This Week |last=Mcnatt |first=Glenn |date=January 13, 2008|website=The Baltimore Sun|language=en-US|access-date=December 13, 2019}}</ref> Steve Johnson of ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' wrote, "History comes alive in excellent docu-series."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Johnson |first=Steve |date=October 22, 2008 |title=TV can be good for you |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2008-10-22-0810210307-story.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180916051546/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2008-10-22-0810210307-story.html |archive-date=2018-09-16 |access-date=2022-05-25 |website=Chicago Tribune}}</ref>

==Home media==
A DVD boxset collecting episodes about United States presidents was released on August 26, 2008.<ref>{{cite web|title=American Experience: The Presidents Collection|url=https://www.amazon.com/American-Experience-Artist-Not-Provided/dp/B0019F02YE|website=[[Amazon (company)|Amazon.com]]|date=26 August 2008|publisher=Amazon.com, Inc.|access-date=July 12, 2020}}</ref> The collection was updated to include the [[Clinton (film)|documentary]] on [[Presidency of Bill Clinton|Bill Clinton's presidency]] on August 28, 2012,<ref>{{cite web|title=American Experience: The Presidents|url=https://www.amazon.com/American-Experience-Presidents/dp/B0081NAUOO|website=[[Amazon (company)|Amazon.com]]|date=28 August 2012|publisher=Amazon.com, Inc.|access-date=July 12, 2020}}</ref> and the [[George W. Bush (film)|documentary]] on [[Presidency of George W. Bush|George W. Bush's presidency]]<ref>{{cite web|title=American Experience: The Presidents|url=https://www.amazon.com/American-Experience-George-W-Bush/dp/B084DGNG53?crid=CL1N2CI11SR7&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.a6TW36fIVSURKk6n4i68ffyrXC3HuqPMowzmtvduf8yGGOqa-gOj1p56Os70YD4mWW-sNIgn9qZxkEtlVKW7Vzyv4h1jka1B6ZkNaopo_a_4Ycfe0zw6PW2sHbFpCxC1BH3MyO23UgGdwyarBKO_joq_jv0C8AvoJuzoRBNVCYUg_YlMfu1vWoBqTj38uYAoI-D8ZGfCH--Tt3Ijsa6CORjwEF4og0uqMUr-DGBLtsI.aKHdq1rafpSGPVAdpGKW5m61Z0wXFYzafYV74QPyd-k&dib_tag=se&keywords=george+w+bush+american+experience&qid=1733808915&sprefix=george+w+bush+amer%2Caps%2C165&sr=8-1|website=[[Amazon (company)|Amazon.com]]|date=21 July 2020|publisher=Amazon.com, Inc.|access-date=December 9, 2024}}</ref> on May 4, 2020.

A DVD boxset for the five-part documentary ''[[We Shall Remain]]'' was released on May 12, 2009.<ref>{{cite web|title=We Shall Remain: America Through Native Eyes|url=https://www.amazon.com/We-Shall-Remain-America-Through/dp/B001UW59JO|website=[[Amazon (company)|Amazon.com]]|date=12 May 2009|publisher=Amazon.com, Inc.|access-date=July 12, 2020}}</ref>

==Awards==
{{main|List of awards and nominations received by American Experience}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/ ''American Experience'' website]
*{{IMDb title|0094416|American Experience}}

{{American Experience}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for ''American Experience''
|list =
{{EmmyAward Documentary Series}}
{{EmmyAward Documentary Special}}
{{EmmyAward Documentary Filmmaking}}
{{TCA Award for Outstanding Achievement in News and Information}}
}}
{{PBSTV}}
{{WGBH}}

[[Category:American Experience| ]]
[[Category:1988 American television series debuts]]
[[Category:1980s American documentary television series]]
[[Category:1990s American documentary television series]]
[[Category:2000s American documentary television series]]
[[Category:2010s American documentary television series]]
[[Category:2020s American documentary television series]]
[[Category:Peabody Award–winning television programs]]
[[Category:Television series about the history of the United States]]
[[Category:Television series by WGBH]]