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  • SHOWTIME
  • Mar 22, 2007
  • SHOWTIME
  • Mar 22, 2007
This American Life

Summary The widely popular, award-winning Chicago Public Radio show of the same name debuted on the small screen on March 22, 2007 on Showtime. Drawing on compelling stories from everyday folks culled from six months on the road, host Ira Glass and company create a specific brand of radio and television entertainment that is uniquely American.

Created By: Ira Glass

  • SHOWTIME
  • Mar 22, 2007
  • SHOWTIME
  • Mar 22, 2007
This American Life
Season 1
Season Premiere: Mar 22, 2007
Metascore Generally Favorable Based on 20 Critic Reviews
79
User Score Overwhelming Dislike Based on 5 User Ratings
1.8
My Score
Hover and click to give a rating Saved

Where to Watch

Summary The widely popular, award-winning Chicago Public Radio show of the same name debuted on the small screen on March 22, 2007 on Showtime. Drawing on compelling stories from everyday folks culled from six months on the road, host Ira Glass and company create a specific brand of radio and television entertainment that is uniquely American.

Created By: Ira Glass

Where to Watch

Season Episodes

View All Seasons
Episode 1 • Mar 22, 2007 • 29 m
Reality Check
Three stories of people who hatched plans in the hopes of making their dreams come true, but were snapped back to reality by unpleasant outcomes.
Episode 2 • Mar 29, 2007 • 28 m
My Way
Four segments that explore the cost of stubbornness, including a man who refuses to acknowledge some important events in his wife's life; a politician who attempts to win an election without ever lying.
Episode 3 • Apr 5, 2007 • 29 m
God's Close-up
Episode 4 • Apr 12, 2007 • 29 m
The Cameraman
Episode 5 • Apr 19, 2007 • 28 m
Growth Spurt
What do you do if you're unhappy with where you are in life? Some people simply will themselves to the next stage.
Episode 6 • Apr 26, 2007 • 29 m
Pandora's Box
Three stories of the unexpected consequences of trying new things including scientists that accidentally discover a way to erase memories and later get surprising requests from people who want their own minds wiped clean.

Top Cast

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View All Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 20 Critic Reviews
79
90% Positive
18 Reviews
10% Mixed
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 20 Critic Reviews
79
90% Positive
18 Reviews
10% Mixed
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
100
The show falls prey to a faint preciousness in the voiceover narration from its correspondents and host Glass. They overarticulate the ironies instead of just letting you watch. Which you should do. Watch. [26 Mar 2007, p.37]
By Tom Gliatto FULL REVIEW
88
In their own bizarre way each episode is very American, very naive and very full of hope. Oh, yeah - and a lot of laughs, too.
By Linda Stasi FULL REVIEW
80
"This American Life" features the same rich, rambling storytelling that makes the radio show so hypnotic, but it's enhanced by cinematography that's lovely and artful without distracting from the story lines or the tone of the show.
By Heather Havrilesky FULL REVIEW
80
The radio show is so much about voice and language and storytelling, I worried that the TV folks would mess it up. Luckily, the radio show's host, Ira Glass, hasn't allowed that to happen.
By Rob Owen FULL REVIEW
75
The television version of "This American Life" does not ruin the fragile, hip beauty of the radio version. Glass and the team responsible for adding pictures to words have created a compelling television series.
By Tim Goodman FULL REVIEW
70
The show's attitudinal mix of the jaded and amazed, the shocked and amused, is supported by the production itself.
By Robert Lloyd FULL REVIEW
60
“This American Life” really begins to show its TV potential in episode three, when the show stops trying so hard to be perfect and lets its storytelling sprawl.
By Maureen Ryan FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

 View All
User Score
Overwhelming Dislike Based on 5 User Ratings
1.8
20% Positive
1 Rating
0% Mixed
0 Ratings
80% Negative
4 Ratings

User Reviews

 View All
User Score
Overwhelming Dislike Based on 5 User Ratings
1.8
20% Positive
1 Rating
0% Mixed
0 Ratings
80% Negative
4 Ratings

There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.

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