Season 4

Steven Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan" is one of the greatest war films ever made, capturing the sheer horror and brutality of combat. The film is famous for its realism, but how much of this epic drama is truly accurate? Was there a real Private Ryan? Uncover the real story behind this Hollywood blockbuster as we conduct tests with weapons experts and gain insights from war historians. Then hear the moving testimony of soldiers who landed at Normandy and meet the families whose tragic stories inspired the film.

The line between good and evil in the Wild West was often blurred, and perhaps no Hollywood Western captured the realities of the dangerous frontier better than the Coen Brothers' "True Grit." Based on the book by Charles Portis, it's a brutal portrayal of frontier justice, but real life in the West was even more shocking. Explore a violent and unforgiving time in America's history and see how Rooster Cogburn and young Mattie's encounters with hangings, shootouts, and kidnappings would have been part and parcel with life in the Wild West.

No one would believe the story if it hadn't actually happened. The 1970 rescue of Apollo 13 captivated the nation and the film adaptation went on to win two Oscars(r). But how close to the truth was the film? Was "Houston, we have a problem," or "Failure is not an option," ever actually said? Did hostilities between the astronauts really exist? To reveal the truth, we put the big movie moments to the test. Firsthand accounts from astronauts and Mission Control staff involved in the rescue, as well as an interview with filmmaker Ron Howard, reveal the full story.

The movie was an instant smash when it hit the theaters in 1977 and reawakened man's obsession with the eternal question: "Are we alone in the universe?" Though a work of fantasy, few realize that Steven Spielberg's sci-fi classic was actually inspired by real-life witness testimony, as well as a series of UFO sightings in Michigan in the summer of 1966. Separate science fact from science fiction as we re-examine government documents and put old witness testimonies to the test using modern technology.

Mel Gibson's "Braveheart" won five Oscars and made William Wallace, a 13th-century Scottish warrior, an unforgettable Hollywood character. But how historically accurate is the film? Was the real-life William Wallace a heroic freedom fighter or a common criminal turned terrorist? Was he really saved by a princess who became his lover? We examine new archeological evidence, reveal recently deciphered ancient manuscripts and conduct forensic experiments to uncover the true story of this legendary warrior.

Though it is a work of fiction, few films have been as meticulously researched as director Peter Weir's maritime masterpiece, "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World." The historians and experts who worked behind the scenes will now share the real story of how they brought their stunning recreation of the 19th-century seafaring adventure to the big screen. Join us as we detail the brutal conditions of life at sea, and reveal the real-life swashbuckling captain who inspired the Hollywood character "Lucky" Jack Aubrey.