Special Collections

Frontline

Made possible through a generous gift from an anonymous donor as part of the GBH Media Library and Archives NEH Challenge grant, the FRONTLINE special collection covers the first 15 seasons of GBH’s investigative journalism series, from the years 1983 to 1997. This special collection is available on location at GBH and through Limited Research Access by special arrangement. The collection is being continually reformatted from the original media as GBH continues the process of digitizing its archival materials, a project begun in 2019 thanks to generous donations from individuals and a National Endowment for the Humanities Infrastructure and Capacity-Building Challenge Grant.

Produced at GBH and distributed through PBS, FRONTLINE first debuted in 1983 as a series of documentary films on a variety of contemporary subjects produced by the Documentary Consortium, a group of public television stations including KCTS Seattle, WNET New York, WPBT Miami, WTVS Detroit, and WGBH Boston. Today FRONTLINE is produced at GBH, where its senior editorial team and newsroom are headquartered. FRONTLINE works with a production corps of independent filmmakers and frequently collaborates with news organizations such as ProPublica, NPR, The New York Times, and the Associated Press, among others. Most episodes are one hour in length, although some are extended to 90 minutes, 2 hours, or longer. The series was founded by David Fanning, who served as executive producer for over 30 years, from 1983-2015, with Raney Aronson-Rath taking on the position in 2015. Will Lyman has served as the narrator for over three decades, starting in 1984. As of 2020, FRONTLINE has won 95 Emmy Awards, 24 Peabody Awards, and four Gold Batons bestowed by the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards.

The FRONTLINE collection includes programs from the first 15 seasons of the series, including Abortion Clinic (1983), profiling a Pennsylvania abortion clinic, women dealing with unplanned pregnancies, and protesters outside; Memory of the Camps (1985), the first broadcast of footage created when Allied forces liberated German concentration camps during World War II; The Choice (1988), FRONTLINE’s first iteration of this election-year special featuring profiles of presidential candidates George Bush and Michael Dukakis; Remember My Lai (1989), an exploration of the Vietnam War massacre in the village of My Lai from the perspectives of American soldiers and Vietnamese survivors; Decade of Destruction (1990), a four-part documentary about the battle over the Amazon rainforest; and Waco: The Inside Story (1995), about the 1993 siege on the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas.

  • Frontline Programs
Apartheid, Part 2: 1948-1963 Apartheid, Part 3: 1963-1977 Apartheid, Part 4: 1978-1986 Apartheid, Part 5: 1987 Apartheid's Last Stand Appointment with Death, An Arab and the Israeli, The Arming of Iraq, The Arming of Saudi Arabia, The Ashes of the Cold War Assault on Affirmative Action Babies at Risk Back in the USSR Bank of Crooks and Criminals, The Battle for Eastern Airlines, The Battle for the Norwegian Sea Begging Game, The Behind the Badge Beirut: The Last Home Movie Best Campaign Money Can Buy, The Betrayal of Democracy, The Better Off Dead Betting on the Lottery Betting on the Market Black America's War Bloods of 'Nam, The Bombing of Pan Am 103, The Bombing of West Philly, The Born in Africa Bread, Butter and Politics Breaking the Bank Breast Implants on Trial Broken Minds Buying the Bomb Campaign for Page One, The Campaign: The Choice Campaign: The Politics of Prosperity Captive in El Salvador Catholics in America: Is Nothing Sacred Chasing the Basketball Dream Child Savers, The Children of Pride Children of the Night China After Tiananmen Chinese Affair, A Choice '92, The Choice '96, The Choosing Death: A Health Quarterly/FRONTLINE Special Clarence Thomas and Anita Hill: Public Hearing, Private Pain Class Divided, A Clinton Takes Over Color of Your Skin, The Coming from Japan Comrades: All That Jazz Comrades: Baltic Chic Comrades: Doctor in Moscow Comrades: Hunter and Son Comrades: October Harvest Comrades: Pacific Outpost Comrades: Soldier Boy Comrades: Steel Mill Soccer Comrades: The Education Of Rita Comrades: The Leningrad Movie Comrades: The Master of Samarkand Comrades: The Trial of Tamara Russo Confessions of Rosa Lee, The Crisis at General Hospital Crisis in Central America: Battle for El Salvador Crisis in Central America: Castro's Challenge Crisis in Central America: Revolution in Nicaragua Crisis in Central America: The Yankee Years Crisis in Zimbabwe Crossfire in El Salvador Cry, Ethiopia, Cry Cuba and Cocaine Currents of Fear Daisy: Story of a Face-Lift Dallas Drug War, The Dear Frontline Death of a Porn Queen Death of a Terrorist Death of Nancy Cruzan, The Decade of Destruction, Part 1: Ashes of Forest Decade of Destruction, Part 2: Killing for Land Decade of Destruction, Part 3: Mountains of Gold Decade of Destruction, Part 4: Chico Mendes Defense of Europe, The Desperately Seeking Baby Diamond Empire, The Disillusionment of David Stockman, The Divided Memories, Part 1 Divided Memories, Part 2 Divorce Wars Does America Still Work? Does TV Kill Don King Unauthorized Down for the Count Earthquake Is Coming, The Easy Money Election Held Hostage, The Extraordinary People Faces of Arafat, The Fixers, The For the Good of All Gate of Heavenly Peace, The Gates Nomination, The Give Me that Big Time Religion Global Dumping Ground Go Back to Mexico Godfather of Cocaine, The God's Banker Great American Bailout, The Growing Up Poor Gulf War, The, Part 1 Gulf War, The, Part 2 Gunfight U.S.A. Guns, Drugs, and the CIA Guns, Tanks and Gorbachev Health Care Gamble, The Heartbeat of America, The High Crimes and Misdemeanors High Stakes in Cyberspace Hilary in Hiding Hillary's Class Hollywood Dreams Holy War, Holy Terror Homecoming, The Hostage in Iran: The Legacy Hot Guns Hot Money How to Steal $500 Million Hunt for Howard Marks, The In Our Children's Food In Our Water In Search of Our Fathers In Search of the Marcos Millions In the Game In the Shadow of Sakharov In the Shadow of the Capitol Indian Country Innocence Lost Innocence Lost: The Plea Innocence Lost: The Verdict, Parts 1 and 2 Innocence Lost: The Verdict, Parts 3 and 4 Inside the Cartel Inside the Jury Room Investigating the October Surprise Iran and the Bomb Is This Any Way to Run a Government Israel: Between the River and the Sea Israel the Covert Connection Israel: The Price of Victory JFK, Hoffa, and the Mob Journey to Russia, A Journey to the Occupied Lands Keeping the Faith Kevorkian File, The Kevorkian Verdict, The Kid Kills, A King of the World
Klaus Barbie: The American Connection L.A. Is Burning: Five Reports from a Divided City Last Communist, The Let My Daughter Die Lifer and the Lady, The Little Criminals Living Below the Line Living on the Edge Long March of Newt Gingrich, The Looking For Mao Loose Nukes Losing the War with Japan Making of Comrades, The Man Who Made the Supergun, The Man Who Shot John Lennon, The Mandela Man's Best Friend Marshall High Fights Back Matter of the Mind, A Memory of the Camps Men Who Molest Mind of a Murderer, The, Part 1 Mind of a Murderer, The, Part 2 Mind of Hussein, The Miss USSR Moneylenders Monsters Among Us Murder in the Amazon Murder, Money and Mexico Murder on Abortion Row Murder on the Rio San Juan My Doctor, My Lover My Husband Is Going To Kill Me Natasha and the Wolf Navy Blues Nazi Connection, The Nazi Gold New Harvest, Old Shame Nicotine War, The Noriega Connection, The Not One of the Boys Nuclear Reaction Old Man and the Gun, The Operation Urgent Fury Opium Kings, The Other People's Money Other Side of the Track, The Our Forgotten War Pentagon, Inc. Pilgrimage of Jesse Jackson, The Place for Madness, a Plunder Poison and the Pentagon Poland - the Morning After Politics of Greed, The Politics of Power, The Potomac Fever Praise the Lord Prescriptions for Profit Prisoners of Silence Public Lands and Private Profits Racism 101 Real Life of Ronald Reagan, The Real Stuff, The Red Flag Over Tibet Red Star over Khyber Remembering My Lai Resurrection of Reverend Moon, The Retreat from Beirut Return of the Great White Fleet Romeo and Juliet in Sarajevo Running with Jesse Rush Limbaugh's America Russia: Love It Or Leave It Russians Are Here, The Saddam's Killing Fields Sanctuary Sarajevo: The Living and the Dead School Colors Search for Satan, The Secret Daughter Secret File on J. Edgar Hoover, The Secret File, The Secret Story of Terry Waite, The Secrets of a Bomb Factory Seven Days in Bensonhurst Shakedown in Santa Fe Shakespeare Mystery, The Shootout on Imperial Highway, Part 2 Showdown in Haiti Shtetl Six O'Clock News Smoke in the Eye So You Want to Be President So You Want to Buy a President Space: The Race for High Ground Spirit of Crazy Horse, The Springfield Goes To War Spy Hunter, The Spy Who Broke the Code, The Standoff in Mexico Stopping Drugs, Part 1 Stopping Drugs, Part 2 Street Cop Struggle for Birmingham, The Struggle for Russia Struggle for South Africa, The Sue the Doctor Tabloid Truth: the Michael Jackson Story Taxes Behind Closed Doors Teacher, Teacher Through the Safety Net Throwaway People To a Safer Place To the Brink of War To The Last Fish Tobacco on Trial Tracking the Pan Am Bombers Trouble in Paradise Trouble with Baseball, The Trouble with Evan, The Unauthorized History of the NFL, An Valentina's Nightmare Vanishing Father, The Vietnam Memorial Vietnam Under Communism Visions of Star Wars Waco: The Inside Story War and Peace in Panama War on Nicaragua War We Left Behind, The Warning from Gangland We Are Driven Welcome to America Welcome to Happy Valley What About Mom and Dad What Happened To Bill Clinton What Happened to the Drug War What Jennifer Saw When Children Testify When Cops Go Bad When the Bough Breaks Who Cares About Children Who Decides Disability Who is David Duke Who Killed Adam Mann Who Pays for AIDS Who Pays for Mom and Dad Who Profits From Drugs Who Was Lee Harvey Oswald Who's Afraid of Rupert Murdoch Who's Killing Calvert City Who's Running this War Why America Hates the Press Will There Always Be An England Yellowstone Under Fire You Are in the Computer Your Flight Is Canceled Your Loan Is Denied 88 Seconds in Greensboro