After unifying much of Japan, fearsome samurai Oda Nobunaga is dead. His loyal supporter Toyotomi Hideyoshi has launched a coup and seized power for himself. Enraged, powerful General Katsuie has launched his own bid to control the nation. After defeating Katsuie, Hideyoshi finally ascends to power as the de facto ruler of Japan. Still, Date Masamune, a young daimyo in the north, ignores his missives.
This featured documentary delves into the tangled web of politics, show business, and organized crime in post-World War II America. It traces the unlikely connections between President John F. Kennedy, iconic singer Frank Sinatra, and notorious mobsters, revealing a saga of mutual assistance amidst corruption and betrayal. The film highlights the complex interplay of fame, money, and power, illustrating how these forces helped these figures rise to prominence in a chaotic and corrupt American landscape, ultimately leading to personal and political tragedies. The documentary paints a vivid picture of Kennedy and Sinatra's ascent, influenced by their ties with the mafia. Kennedy, groomed for power from birth, and Sinatra, rising from humble beginnings, both relied on mafia connections for their successes. As Kennedy's political career and Sinatra's entertainment stature grew, so did their dependence on the underworld. The film culminates in the portrayal of Sinatra's deep involvement in Kennedy's 1960 presidential campaign and the subsequent betrayal of the mafia by the Kennedy administration, suggesting that this complex network of relationships may have played a role in Kennedy's assassination. This provocative tale is a stark reminder of the dark intersection of fame, power, and crime.
The Pirate Republic of Nassau gets fat attacking trade between Britain and the Americas. But its foundations are rocked by the death of the most successful pirate who ever lived, Black Sam Bellamy, washed up on a New England beach. But Edward Thatch reinvents himself and becomes the most devilish pirate of all, Blackbeard. Woodes Rogers' campaign begins with the offer of a pardon, which Hornigold and Jennings accept; but not all Nassau pirates agree.
Located in Central America, Tikal is one of the largest of the ancient cities of the Mayan civilization. Occupied for more than a millennium, Tikal, founded in the 8th century BC and nestled in the jungle of Guatemala, will have up to 12,000 structures and reach over 2 million inhabitants. This episode shows its extraordinary pyramid-temples, designed with human power alone. Thanks to new technologies, the ancient Mayan city is revealed there, entirely reconstituted in 3D synthetic images.
By August 1949 the USSR became the world's second superpower, thanks to its spies who had stolen America's atomic secrets. But by March 1953, Stalin is dead and KGB chief, Beria, is executed later the same year. Nikita Kruschev tries to reduce the power of the security service, splitting it into several sections...but it doesn't last and, soon, the KGB is back. In the USSR, countless KGB operatives spied on opponents of the regime at home, guarded the state and party leadership, and abroad tried to find out as much as possible about the intentions of the NATO countries and, if possible, to sabotage them.
After defeating Katsuie, Hideyoshi finally ascends to power as the de facto ruler of Japan. Still, Date Masamune, a young daimyo in the north, ignores his missives.