The Seventies

The 1970s were known for extremes, perhaps nowhere more than on television. The 70's introduced a new sophistication in TV programming and unique new formats with shows like Saturday Night Live, and Monday Night Football. PBS and C-SPAN launched, but so did "The Love Boat" and "Three's Company." Look back at some of the programs and personalities that defined television in the decade.

A poorly executed political burglary leads Richard Nixon to be the only president in the history of the United States to resign while in office.

America begins to come to terms with the effects and impact of the nation's internal and external conflicts as the Vietnam War comes to an end. As one of the defining events of recent American history, it still exerts enormous influence on the U.S. military and foreign policy. Why did it end the way it did? Interviewees include: Neil Sheehan, Evan Thomas, Karl Marlantes, and Winston Lord.

Alarmingly violent crimes gripped the United States throughout the 1970s as crime rates soared. Charles Manson, Ted Bundy, the Son of Sam, John Wayne Gacy, the Moonies, and Jim Jones made headlines. We hear from Vincent Bugliosi, Lawrence Wright, and James Wolcott.

"The State of the Union is Not Good." That unlikely phrase is taken from President Gerald Ford's 1975 State of the Union address as the general feeling in America goes from bad to worse. The phrase reflects an America careening from crisis to crisis in the second half of the decade. Richard Reeves, Lesley Stahl, Douglas Brinkley, and Rick Perlstein help us understand why.

Sex was everywhere in the 1970s. No decade in our history witnessed such a seismic shift in sexual mores, customs, and gender roles. All this and the relaxing of censorship create new artistic and social directions in America. Hear stories from the front lines from Gail Collins, Gloria Steinem, Gay Talese, and Billie Jean King.

Global terrorism is on the rise and brought to every home in America through ever-increasing media coverage. The Weather Underground, Symbionese Liberation Army, hijackings, the seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran, and the attacks at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich are covered. Interviewees include Robert Baer, Robin Wright, Brian Jenkins, and Peter Bergen.

After the breakup of the Beatles, popular music explodes into a variety of new formats and genres. Artists including Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, Donna Summer, The Jackson Five, Stevie Wonder, The Talking Heads, Blondie, Billy Joel, KISS, and hosts of others reinvent themselves and reshape the art form. Hear from Mick Fleetwood, Questlove, Nelson George, and Giorgio Moroder.