At Chernobyl, the world came as close as it ever has to nuclear disaster. In this program, experts explore the technical causes behind three major nuclear accidents-- Windscale in Britain, Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania, and Chernobyl-- and trace the path of human error leading up to them. We learn how official secrecy hinders damage-control efforts, and how extraordinary bravery on the part of emergency teams at Chernobyl averted a complete meltdown....

Retraces some of the world's most ancient, meaningful and challenging religious pilgrimages. Viewers travel alongisde contemporary seekers as they explore breathaking locations, fascinating history, and ancient religious traditions.

Did a daring Chinese admiral sailing the world's largest wooden armada reach America 71 years before Columbus? This program examines the mystery surrounding the sailing exploits of the legendary Admiral Zheng He and his 30-year command of a Ming fleet.

Bill Moyers and Huston Smith examine Christianity and Judaism, two principal religions of the West.

A tale of one family's ambition and of Europe's struggle to emerge from the ravages of the Dark Ages. The Medici used charm, skill, and ruthlessness to garner unparalleled wealth and power, ruling Europe for more than 300 years.

As Winston Churchill's personal bodyguard for nearly 18 years, Walter H. Thompson saw history unfold firsthand. This program puts you inside the skin of a working-class Scotland Yard detective who experienced the 20th-century's great events as both witness and participant.

Shows New Horizons' fly by of Pluto, a nine-year, three-billion-mile journey.

Experts like professor John Murrin and Senator Larry Craig shed light on the 2nd Amendment itself, examining exactly what it says and speculating on the founders' intents. From behind the scenes of a shoot-em-up action flick to the halls of Congress, this is an all-encompassing look at gun life in America.

Join astrophysicist and novelist Janna Levin on a mind-blowing voyage to the frontiers of black hole science, which is shining new light on the most powerful and mysterious objects in the universe.

Covers the 1988 PEPCON jet fuel plant explosion; the 1983 collapse of New England's Mianus Bridge; the sinking of the Ocean Ranger offshore oil rig in 1982; the 19th-century failure of South Fork Dam that resulted in the flooding of Johnstown, Pennsylvania; and the crash of a Learjet 35 carrying pro golfer Payne Stewart.