Based on the wildly popular public radio show, This American Life explores a theme -- fiascos, do-gooders, conventions, the job that takes over your life - and transforms the stories into something funny or poignant, enlightening or bizarre. Boundary-pushing and adventurous, host Ira Glass crafts eclectic documentaries to capture contemporary culture with artistry and innovation. The show examines the details of life that go unnoticed -- and tries to discern what they mean. This American Life turns the ordinary into the extraordinary. The visual interpretation of the television series will reflect the structure and spirit of the brilliant beyond-hip radio show, capturing the distinct and original voice that has grown to be one of the most popular and innovative programs in any medium. watch
EscapeFree | iTunes
Length: 28:28
Aired: 5/4/2008
In the second season debut, people escape from home without going very far. In Philadelphia, teenage boys find ways to impress girls using a mode of transport obsolete since the 19th century; a young man's fight for independence from his mother would be normal for most kids, except for some special circumstances. watch
Two WarsFree | iTunes
Length: 27:29
Aired: 5/11/2008
Two foreigners in the U.S., in the aftermath of two very different wars, try to make sense of life here. A young Iraqi arrives in America after fleeing his war-torn homeland and embarks on a road trip to let Americans ask him anything they want, with hilarious and poignant results; a Bulgarian man in Rhode Island realizes that an ongoing argument with his American wife about lawn maintenance has to do with the life he left 20 years ago, on the other side of the Iron Curtain. watch
