History Detectives

2003
History Detectives

Seasons & Episodes

  • 11
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  • 1

EP1 Civil War Sabotage? Jul 01, 2014

The 11th season premiere of "History Detectives," which has been reformatted to focus on one iconic mystery per episode, opens with a look at the April 27, 1865, explosion of the Mississippi steamboat SS Sultana, which was packed with Union soldiers. One of the worst maritime disasters in U.S. history, the official death toll was 1547. The team reviews the original investigative report; and examines theories about the cause, including that it was an act of sabotage by a Confederate agent.

EP2 The Disappearance of Glenn Miller Jul 08, 2014

An investigation into the disappearance of Glenn Miller during World War II. On December 15, 1944, the Army Air Force plane carrying him from England to France vanished while flying across the English Channel. The report makes use of a plane spotter's notebook that was discovered in 2012 to pinpoint the path of Miller's plane; and digs into several theories, including one that friendly fire downed the plane and another that he was on a secret mission to end the war.

EP3 Texas Servant Girl Murders Jul 15, 2014

The unsolved case of the Servant Girl Murders in 1884-85 Austin, Texas, is investigated. Over the course of a year, six African-American servants and two white women were brutally murdered. The modus operandi was similar in each instance: the assailant attacked the victim with an ax while she slept in bed; and then he dragged her outside, where he raped and mutilated her.

EP4 Who Killed Jimmy Hoffa? Jul 22, 2014

An investigation into the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa, the former Teamsters president, who was last seen outside the Machus Red Fox Restaurant in Bloomfield Township, Mich., on July 30, 1975.
8.7| 0h30m| TV-PG| en| More Info
Released: 14 July 2003 Ended
Producted By: Lion Television
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website: http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/
Synopsis

A group of researchers help people to find answers to various historical questions they have, usually centering around a family heirloom, an old house or other historic object or structure. It devotes itself "to exploring the complexities of historical mysteries, searching out the facts, myths and conundrums that connect local folklore, family legends and interesting objects."

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Reviews

SnoopyStyle This is a great way to look into great history stories. The premise is that viewers send in their personal artifacts that the show's experts investigate. This PBS show is reminiscent of Antiques Roadshow except that it's much more in depth and they don't talk about money. Both of which is a plus in my view.The experts are well spoken and photogenic. It has an infinite number of possible stories to tell. And so far, it hasn't run out of good stories. Although some artifacts seem more of a setup. Some of the viewers seem to already know what they are sending in. I'm sure that there is a lot of TV reconstruction around each find. That's a minor problem. I still find this a very compelling watch. It's a great way to see history from the ground up taking the small pieces to examine the big events.
FieCrier I enjoy this show a lot. I had started watching it with my (since deceased) grandmother, I guess as an outgrowth of watching Antiques Roadshow with her.People approach the detectives with items or stories they'd like more information about, and we follow their investigations. They return to share their findings with the person. They tend to be very interesting. While the items or stories usually have personal significance for the people who had them, they tend to be of general interest as well, covering sometimes little-known aspects of history, or even being findings of some importance. It's definitely good family viewing, but I continue to watch it on my own.
mking-16 I can't get enough of this show. What a concept; not only is it very entertaining but the sheer importance in what they are accomplishing is enormous. I find the four hosts to be engaging each in their own exuberant way. This team diligently researches the background of a plethora of old artifacts brought to their attention by us the viewers. Thats right, people like you and me that are sitting on strange, old objects, documents or land-sites even homes. Their histories are dissected by this team in order to reveal it's true history. A must see, I am a fan as long as the series runs which I hope is a very long time. Thank You PBS, the watchers and the detectives, thank you, thank you.