The 2000s - Episode Guide

In the 2000s, television entered the Platinum Age, as storytellers had license to take the medium to new heights. The creative renaissance in television enjoyed groundbreaking shows such as "The Sopranos," "Mad Men," "Breaking Bad," "Lost," "Survivor" and "American Idol."

President George W. Bush responds to the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, and launches a global war on terror.

This episode explores President Bush's desire to end insurgency in Iraq while seeking re-election. In his second term, he must respond to Hurricane Katrina, a burgeoning financial meltdown and his own plummeting poll numbers.

The episode explores the rise of technological advancements that had long seemed the stuff of science fiction – a portable music player filled with thousands of songs, access to all the world's information in the palm of your hand, a way to connect with all your friends at the same time, and a store that sells everything and delivers it to your door. This is the story of how companies like Apple, Amazon, Facebook, YouTube, and Google went from scrappy startups to household names and changed the world along the way.

A decade of corporate scandals, Ponzi schemes, predatory lending, booms, busts, and bailouts culminates in the 2008 financial crisis that threatens the global economy. It's an episode to watch very, very closely while remembering George Santayana's warning that "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

Running on a platform of uniting the country, Barack Obama topples candidates from inside and outside the political establishment in the 2008 presidential election. However, the insurgent Tea Party emerges as a potent foe as he ascends to the presidency. "Yes we can" echoed loudly during Barack Obama's Presidential campaign and election.

This episode explores how new technologies like Napster disrupted the music industry. It begins with boy bands and ends with female solo stars. It starts with a booming record business and ends with the shuttering of record stores. With the advent of Napster, an entire generation comes of age believing that music is free.