Poster for America: Facts vs. Fiction

Focus 2013 - 2017 5 seasons 67 eps TV-PG Returning series

America: Facts vs. Fiction

2013 - 2017 5 seasons 67 eps TV-PG

7.1

Season 5

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Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

Season 4

Season 5

22 min

S5 · E1 · Jan 21, 2017

World War 2 Episode 1

The war waged by America's greatest generation is obscured by myth. Few remember that an American admiral played a pivotal role in showing Japan how to attack Pearl Harbor or that the German army was not the mechanized wonder it's reputed to be.

7.9 · You

30 min

S5 · E2 · Jan 21, 2017

Smoking, Drinking and Gambling Episode 2

Myths obscure the real facts about our favorite vices: smoking, drinking and gambling. You won't believe which nation had the first anti-smoking campaign, what those three X's on a jug of moonshine mean, or where our first slot machines appeared.

7.1 · You

30 min

S5 · E3 · Jan 28, 2017

Liberty, Leprechauns and Lounging Episode 3

Myths taint our knowledge of the 4th of July, St. Patrick's Day, and our favorite mini-holiday, the weekend. We should celebrate Independence Day on July 2nd, St. Patrick wasn't Irish, and the idea of a fun weekend is a recent creation.

7.0 · You

30 min

S5 · E4 · Jan 28, 2017

The Real West Episode 4

Much of what we know about the old west is myth, not fact, drawn from movies and TV. Gunfights never started with a quick draw, cowboys weren't all white, and Native Americans feared enemies more menacing than settlers and soldiers.

7.1 · You

30 min

S5 · E5 · Feb 4, 2017

Secret Societies Episode 5

Much of what we know about America's secret societies is myth, not truth. The Freemasons have no evil agenda, the Mafia took root not in New York, but the South, and Harvard's Skull and Bones does not control a sinister shadow government.

6.4 · You

30 min

S5 · E6 · Feb 4, 2017

Space: The Final Frontier Episode 6

Myths eclipse the real facts about NASA's dramatic rescue of three astronauts aboard the crippled Apollo 13 spacecraft; and Hollywood movies have a hit-and-miss track record of depicting the realties of interstellar exploration.

6.4 · You

30 min

S5 · E7 · Feb 11, 2017

The Atomic Age Episode 7

The real facts of the nuclear age are clouded by myth. Manhattan played a major role in the Manhattan Project; there were closer calls to World War III than the Cuban Missile Crisis; America's nuclear security hinges on a football and a biscuit.

7.0 · You

30 min

S5 · E8 · Feb 11, 2017

American Villains Episode 8

Myths litter the stories of America's most infamous bad guys. Al Capone was a philanthropist as well as a hood; Benedict Arnold was a hero as well as a traitor, Jesse James was no wild west Robin Hood; and we've got Billy the Kid's nickname wrong.

6.9 · You

30 min

S5 · E9 · Feb 18, 2017

Famous Feuds Episode 9

Myths distort the stories of two of America's most renowned rivalries. Before their fateful duel, Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr were law partners; and the conflict between the Hatfields and McCoys didn't end in the backwoods, but a courtroom.

6.7 · You

30 min

S5 · E10 · Feb 25, 2017

Moments That Changed History Episode 10

Myths and misconceptions surround four pivotal historic moments: the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C., the Boston Tea Party in 1773, and the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

7.1 · You

30 min

S5 · E11 · Mar 4, 2017

The Civil War Episode 11

Myths cloud the real facts of America's Civil War. The North's biggest city tried to secede; the Union didn't go to war to end slavery; most deaths weren't caused by battle wounds, and Grant and Lee didn't end the conflict; two other generals did.

30 min

S5 · E12 · Mar 11, 2017

Bad Medicine Episode 12

America's medical history is infected with myths. George Washington's doctors may have inadvertently killed him; Abraham Lincoln used a toxic remedy that warped his mind; and heroin was once a best-selling cough suppressant.

8.0 · You

22 min

S5 · E13 · Jan 21, 2017

Bonus Round: Vote for the Truth Episode 13

Profiles of U.S. generals, including Dwight Eisenhower and Douglas MacArthur. Also: a look at Washington, D.C., landmarks.

30 min

S5 · E14 · Jan 28, 2017

Bonus Round: Fire in the Sky Episode 14

On this special edition of America: Facts vs. Fiction, we explore the myths behind extraterrestrial spacecraft and we learn the truth of two pioneering flights.

22 min

S5 · E15 · Feb 4, 2017

Bonus Round: Secret Vaults and Final Journeys Episode 15

Investigating the nation's most secret vaults to separate fiction from fact.

22 min

S5 · E16 · Feb 11, 2017

Bonus Round: The Truth Will Set You Free Episode 16

Profiles of Lewis and Clark; and Pocahontas. Also: a look at the women's suffrage movement.

22 min

S5 · E17 · Feb 18, 2017

Bonus Round: America Celebrates Episode 17

The spotlight is on amusement parks and world's fairs to separate fiction from truth; explore the myths of two of our favorite holidays, Christmas and New Year's Eve.

22 min

S5 · E18 · Feb 20, 2017

Bonus Round: Patriots and Presidents Episode 18

The birth of America and the powerful people behind it are featured.

30 min

S5 · E19 · Jul 29, 2017

Bonus Round: Cowboys vs. Hollywood Episode 19

Hollywood's vision of the old west is explored. Included: the truth behind some of America's renowned rivalries.

30 min

S5 · E20 · Aug 5, 2017

Bonus Round: No Liars Allowed Episode 20

The true stories behind America's most infamous bad guys; and the truths behind America's notorious secret societies are investigated.

30 min

S5 · E21 · Aug 12, 2017

Bonus Round: Yankees, Rebels and World War II Episode 21

The myths behind World War II are exposed. Delves into the truths that are often forgotten when it comes to America's Civil War.

30 min

S5 · E22 · Aug 19, 2017

Bonus Round: Vices and Vacations Episode 22

The myths surrounding popular favorite vices and the facts behind the most-liked holidays are explored.

30 min

S5 · E23 · Oct 12, 2017

Bonus Round: Monumental Realities Episode 23

The myths behind some of history's most defining moments are uncovered, as well as revealing facts behind America's space explorations.

30 min

S5 · E24 · Oct 19, 2017

Bonus Round: Science or Sci-Fi? Episode 24

The science in America's history is examined, including its medical history and its nuclear age.

24 episodes in Season 5

Some details come from TheTVDB.

History as we generally know it is full of holes or half-truths, and a mother lode of juicy details have been lost, distorted, covered up or simply ignored along the way. Former Naval officer and actor Jamie Kaler is on a mission to set the record straight on the most familiar and beloved stories from our nation's and military's past, filling in the blanks, debunking the occasional myth, and exploring why we sometimes get our own history, well, slightly wrong

Documentary War & Politics Reality History

Where to watch

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Free with ads

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Your rating

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Cast

1 person

Jamie Kaler

Himself - Host

Known for

Spanglish

The Family Stone

Total runtime 24h 34m · Episode length 22 min · Country United States

Show info

Premiered

July 10, 2013

Final episode

October 19, 2017

Status

Returning series

Networks

Focus · Military Channel · DMAX

Country

United States

Type

Scripted

Episode length

22 min

Total runtime

24h 34m

Original language

English

Production

H

Historical Wardrobe

Production

L

LionHeart FilmWorks

Production

W

Workaholic Productions

Production

F

Framepool

Production

United States

Produced in

Languages

Spoken on screen

English

Some details come from TheTVDB.

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