La storia del ruolo di J. Robert Oppenheimer, i quali studi condussero alle scoperte legate alla bomba atomica, con il conseguente utilizzo durante le stragi di Hiroshima e Nagasaki durante la Seconda Guerra Mondiale.

La vita di Charles Spencer Chaplin (1889-1977), genio del cinema, dal 1894 quando a Londra esordì nel music-hall sino al 1972 quando tornò a Hollywood per la notte degli Oscar dove ricevette un premio alla carriera.

Negli anni 40, Dalton Trumbo (Bryan Cranston) è uno tra gli sceneggiatori più pagati al mondo e scrive i testi di pellicole classiche di Hollywood. Presenza fissa nella scena sociale hollywoodiana, schierato con i sindacati e attivo politicamente per il riconoscimento dei diritti civili e della parità di retribuzione, Trumbo, insieme ai suoi colleghi, è chiamato a testimoniare di fronte al Comitato per le Attività Antiamericane nell'ambito dell'ampia indagine sulle attività comuniste negli Stati Uniti. Trumbo si rifiuta di rispondere alle domande della Commissione: per questo motivo riceve una condanna con arresto in una prigione federale che gli causa, tra le altre cose, anche l’ostilità della potente giornalista anti comunista Hedda Hopper (Helen Mirren).

Edward R. Murrow, è un famoso anchor man della CBS. Venuto a conoscenza di una lista di proscrizione redatta dal senatore Joseph McCarthy in cui vengono inseriti i nominativi di tutti coloro che sono sospettati di avere simpatie filo-comuniste, decide di divulgare la notizia e di dedicare parecchie puntate del suo show, "See it now", alla controversa figura del politico. Nonostante le intimidazioni e le minacce di morte, Edward riuscirà, anche grazie all'appoggio del suo produttore Fred Friendly, a liberare l'America dal fanatismo del maccartismo.

Uno sceneggiatore televisivo viene messo all'indice a causa della "caccia alle streghe" anticomunista promossa dal senatore McCarthy. Per continuare a scrivere, chiede a Howard Prince (Allen), modesto cassiere di bar, scommettitore e bookmaker, di fargli da prestanome. Costui diventa ricco e celebre per procura, offrendosi allo stesso modo anche ad altre vittime del maccartismo.

Katie è una ragazza impegnata nella propaganda per i partiti di sinistra. Hubbel è un cadetto della marina nonchè aspirante romanziere. Il loro amore li conduce verso una vita in comune, coronata dalla nascita di una splendida bambina. Ma questo è l'inizio, il seguito sarà più difficile...

In this fictional documentary, U.S. prisons are at capacity, and President Nixon declares a state of emergency. All new prisoners, most of whom are connected to the antiwar movement, are now given the choice of jail time or spending three days in Punishment Park, where they will be hunted for sport by federal authorities. The prisoners invariably choose the latter option, but learn that, between the desert heat and the brutal police officers, their chances of survival are slim.

The silent cinema had already created colossal movies based on ancient civilizations, but it is in the 1950s when peplums reach their apogee in Hollywood. Then, peplums take root at Cinecittà studios, in Rome, where cheap cinema is produced with bodybuilders as heroes. The genre decays in the late 1960s, but rises again decades later, when a modern classic is released in 2000.

Through a focus on the life of Dalton Trumbo (1905-1976), this film examines the effects on individuals and families of a congressional pursuit of Hollywood Communists after World War II. Trumbo was one of several writers, directors, and actors who invoked the First Amendment in refusing to answer questions under oath. They were blacklisted and imprisoned. We follow Trumbo to prison, to exile in Mexico with his family, to poverty, to the public shunning of his children, to his writing under others' names, and to an eventual but incomplete vindication. Actors read his letters; his children and friends remember and comment. Archive photos, newsreels and interviews add texture. Written by

The story of John Henry Faulk, a radio/TV personality of the 1950s, who was blacklisted during the McCarthy era. Faulk sued the organization that was behind the blacklisting, and the resultant trial, and Faulk's victory, helped to put an end to the blacklisting period.

The story of actor Kirk Douglas, the man and the legend, one of the last stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood. An epic journey through the 20th century and the entire history of Hollywood. A testimony of the huge scope of his life and the scale of the myth. The untameable Kirk Douglas, the ragman's son.

A man hires another man to kill him but changes his mind at the very last moment.

Framed for the murder of a record company president in 1952 Hollywood, young, aspiring singer Aggie O'Hanlon is sentenced to life in prison and tries to adjust to her life life behind bars in a hellish womens prison where she is befriended by other "lifer" inmates who help her out when Aggie finds herself marked for murder by an unknown source who thinks she knows more about the murder than she does.

An unparalleled portrait of Arthur Miller (1915-2005), a major writer who left an indelible mark on the world. Miller's life is intimately connected with the great themes that marked the 20th century. Glamour, fame, social criticism and Marilyn Monroe.

Based on information from FBI cases, this documentary investigates the dark years of American cinema and attempts to discover the mechanisms leading to one of the most diabolical periods in US history.

An examination of the effect of McCarthyism on two ordinary Americans. Interviews with Paul McCarty and his family describe the loss of his job in a Paducah, Kentucky power plant in 1953 when his loyalty was questioned; he lost job after job for over twenty years. Interview with Luella Mundel, the object of false accusations based on her unconventional views and actions. Interviews with colleagues, friends, and a historian recreate the dramatic trial which devastated Mundel personally.

Documentary by lifelong friend that supports the innocence of Alger Hiss (convicted in January 1950 on two counts of espionage-related perjury)

Paul Robeson was a celebrated African-American Actor, Athlete, Singer, Writer, and Civil Rights Activist. Robeson's many achievements are chronicled in this program, ranging from playing with the NFL to graduating from Columbia Law School, performing on Broadway and in Hollywood films to founding the American Crusade against Lynching as well as Council on African Affairs. Robeson was one of the most talented performers of his time and a dedicated humanitarian who ultimately sacrificed fame and fortune for what he believed in. His association with Leftist Politics during the era of the Cold War, and frequent denouncing of American political parties led to his eventual blacklisting with other prominent writers and artists during the McCarthy Era. His talents in all areas are remarkable, and his dedication to attaining a peaceful coexistence between all the people of the world is truly admirable.