American Genius

6.4
201545m

Behind every great genius was a great rival - an unstoppable adversary whose incredible vision, determination, and ambition is their match. Out of their struggles came the world's most brilliant inventions, the spoils of the heated battle between competitors.

Production

Logo for Stephen David Entertainment

Trailers & Videos

Thumbnail for video: American Genius | National Geographic

American Genius | National Geographic

Seasons

8 Episodes • Premiered 2015

Still image for American Genius season 1 episode 1: Jobs vs. Gates

1. Jobs vs. Gates

In the 1980s, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs break out in a heated battle to bring the personal computer to the masses.

Still image for American Genius season 1 episode 2: Wright Brothers vs. Curtiss

2. Wright Brothers vs. Curtiss

The Wright Brothers build and fly the world’s first airplane, but they keep it a secret, leaving an opening for motor designer, Glenn Curtiss, to swoop in and compete to be the first to fly in public.

Still image for American Genius season 1 episode 3: Farnsworth vs. Sarnoff

3. Farnsworth vs. Sarnoff

A young Midwestern farm boy creates an innovation that forever changes the future of communication, only to have it stolen away by one of America's greatest media moguls.

Still image for American Genius season 1 episode 4: Hearst vs. Pulitzer

4. Hearst vs. Pulitzer

The newspaper redefined the way America tells its stories, but its rise to prominence was born out of a bitter rivalry between a man who built himself up from nothing and the wealthy son of a business tycoon. Follow William Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer as they push the limits of journalism in unthinkable ways, forever changing the media landscape.

Still image for American Genius season 1 episode 5: Space Race

5. Space Race

America and the Soviet Union, deadlocked in the Cold War, set their sights on the final frontier — space. Go inside the more than decadelong struggle between the two superpowers as they both set out to conquer the moon. German scientist Werner Von Braun leads the charge for the U.S. and Sergei Korolev for the Soviets, but in the race to space, only one side can get there first.

Still image for American Genius season 1 episode 6: Colt vs. Wesson

6. Colt vs. Wesson

Samuel Colt and partners Edwin Smith & Daniel Wesson become locked in the first true “arms” race, as they compete to perfect the world’s first revolver.

Still image for American Genius season 1 episode 7: Oppenheimer vs. Heisenberg

7. Oppenheimer vs. Heisenberg

J. Robert Oppenheimer and Werner Heisenberg are in the world's largest arms race to build the first atomic bomb.

Still image for American Genius season 1 episode 8: Edison vs. Tesla

8. Edison vs. Tesla

Celebrated inventor Thomas Edison goes to war with his former assistant, Nikola Tesla, to determine who will power the world with electric light.

Cast

Photo of Jeff Wilburn

Jeff Wilburn

Narrator (voice)

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