Lionsgate

Railroad car ferries were thought to be some of the safest vessels on the Great Lakes, built to withstand ice and waves year round. But on October 22nd, 1929, the SS Milwaukee sailed into a Force-9 Gale and disappeared. Was it foolishness on the part of the ship's captain, Robert "Heavy Weather" McKay? Or was he ordered to sail by the railroad company? Was there a design flaw with the ship itself? Or was there a conspiracy to cover up unsafe business practices? Our hosts, veteran divers John...

The controversial case of William Heirens, the "lipstick killer' convicted of murdering two women and a 6-year-old girl in Chicago in the late 1940s. He's been jailed ever since, but insists that he's innocent. We'll explore the troubling case, from the near hysteria of the media coverage to the inconsistencies in the physical evidence used to wring a confession from Heirens.

Ernie Pyle, the epic WWII reporter, was in the midst of dozens of history's most desperate battles. A self-doubter, depressive, an alcohol abuser, and too sensitive for the terrors he recorded so brilliantly, Pyle changed the face of American journalism.His chronicles of plain men in war comforted the heart of America until he was killed by Japanese fire in 1945. Join us for a gripping salute to the tortured career of the great journalist, much of it in his own timeless words.

If the Porsche 911 had lasted only a few years, it would still be one of the most remarkable cars ever built. That it remains a bestseller after more than 30 years makes this rear-engined speed demon a true automotive legend. From Nazi Germany to the streets of Hollywood, this is the complete story of the 911. Trace its origins back to the humble VW Beetle, designed by Ferdinand Porsche before he set out to form his own company. See how the first 911 was designed by Porsche's son Ferry, who...

Sometime at the dawn of civilization, animal hides were rubbed down with animal fat, making them more flexible, durable, and malleable. By the 5th Century BC, this "tanning" process expanded to include vegetable and tree oil washes, creating what's now known as "leather"--one of man's most reliable and versatile products. Without advances in leather shoes, the Romans could never have marched to the Tigris; nor could the Pilgrims have survived winters in Plymouth. Today, leather is a staple of...

In Miami, Detective Ricardo John is investigating the brutal homicide of a 19-year old girl. The detectives believe that she may have been murdered to send a message to her boyfriend, an alleged drug dealer. In Kansas City, Missouri, a man is shot dead during a gun fight. Detective Everett Babcock has to unravel the mountain of ballistics evidence on the scene to solve the case.

Hosts Mark Sceurman and Mark Moran go on holiday--something most Americans are doing less because they're working more, 100 more hours a year than the famously industrious Japanese. On average, Americans get four weeks less vacation time than Europeans--and they don't even use the time they're allotted! What is behind this weird behavior? Can Americans be convinced to take a breather? Our two Marks show overworked Americans just how to take back their vacations--the weird way. They head to...

Lourdes has been called a city of miracles, a place where the blind come to see, the deaf to hear, the lame to walk. For over 150 years, pilgrims have been making the journey to this small French mountain village where a young girl allegedly saw a vision of the Virgin Mary - a vision that led to the discovery of miraculous healing waters. Scientists, scholars and the Catholic Church remain divided over the answer to the question that brings thousands to Lourdes every year - can the waters of...

Teutoburg Forest, 9 AD. According to the Roman historian Dio, Arminius (aka Herman), Chief of the Cherusci, and his father Segemerus, ambushed and wiped out three legions led by Quinctilius Varus. Not a good day to be out in the woods of Germany if you were a Roman. Strung out and unprepared for battle, the Romans were lulled into a false sense of security and led into the middle of a dense forest and ambushed in the heavy rain. The slaughter--which was total--lasted for three days in a...

A team of relationship experts match three couples to marry at first sight (at their wedding!) in this engaging social experiment. From the honeymoon to cohabitating, the couples must get to know each other, navigating communication, intimacy, family and money issues, in other words -- marriage. After six weeks, they must decide whether they want to stay married or divorce.

An engineering feat first attempted in Babylonian times, tunnels are an integral part of 20th century society. Yet they remain among the most dangerous projects ever undertaken. Here are the stories of the world's great tunnels, of the genius of men andthe marvels of machinery. From Brunel and Greathead, who developed an innovative shield which allowed them to burrow under the Thames, to Clifford Holland, who overcame nature and technology to carve his 8,463 foot path below the Hudson, few of...

On December 11, 1941, Adolf Hitler declared war on the United States. Among his stated reasons was that "[Roosevelt] ordered the German ships Phrygia, Idarwald, and Rhein to be shadowed by American ships until these steamers were compelled to scuttle themselves." Over six decades later, our Deep Sea Detectives John Chatterton and Richie Kohler dive a sunken wreck off Florida's coast and discover it is the Rhein, one of Hitler's lost merchant ships. Chatterton and Kohler track the twisting tale...