Series synopsis
Independent Lens is an American documentary television series that premiered on PBS on August 9, 1999. It stars Susan Sarandon, Alona Tal, Edie Falco and Peter Coyote.
This acclaimed Emmy Award-winning anthology series features documentaries and a limited number of fiction films united by the creative freedom, artistic achievement and unflinching visions of their independent producers and featuring unforgettable stories about a unique individual, community or moment in history.
Premise
This acclaimed Emmy Award-winning anthology series features documentaries and a limited number of fiction films united by the creative freedom, artistic achievement and unflinching visions of their independent producers and featuring unforgettable stories about a unique individual, community or moment in history.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Susan Sarandon
- Alona Tal as Hannah Senesh (voice)
- Edie Falco as Host
- Peter Coyote
- Lance Reddick as James
- America Ferrera
- Maggie Gyllenhaal
- Stanley Tucci
Supporting cast
- Kal Penn as Jagdesh
- Mark Feuerstein as Antoine Tissandier (voice)
- Maureen Moore as Self
Guest cast
- Kal Penn as Jagdesh
- Mark Feuerstein as Antoine Tissandier (voice)
- Maureen Moore as Self
Episodes
This series spans 20 seasons with 427 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 8 | August 9, 1999 | October 11, 1999 |
| Season 2 | 10 | October 6, 2000 | December 4, 2000 |
| Season 3 | 10 | September 7, 2001 | November 9, 2001 |
| Season 4 | 14 | February 4, 2003 | June 3, 2003 |
| Season 5 | 28 | October 14, 2003 | June 15, 2004 |
| Season 6 | 27 | October 26, 2004 | June 14, 2005 |
| Season 7 | 29 | October 11, 2005 | June 22, 2006 |
| Season 8 | 27 | October 24, 2006 | June 5, 2007 |
| Season 9 | 26 | October 16, 2007 | June 19, 2008 |
| Season 10 | 25 | October 22, 2008 | June 6, 2009 |
| Season 11 | 27 | September 21, 2009 | June 1, 2010 |
| Season 12 | 25 | October 19, 2010 | June 14, 2011 |
| Season 13 | 27 | October 13, 2011 | July 26, 2012 |
| Season 14 | 24 | October 8, 2012 | June 17, 2013 |
| Season 15 | 21 | October 28, 2013 | June 15, 2014 |
| Season 16 | 19 | October 13, 2014 | June 15, 2015 |
| Season 17 | 21 | November 9, 2015 | August 2, 2016 |
| Season 18 | 20 | October 2, 2016 | June 19, 2017 |
| Season 19 | 20 | November 6, 2017 | May 28, 2018 |
| Season 20 | 19 | October 29, 2018 | May 20, 2019 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wannabe: Life and Death in a Small-Town Gang | August 9, 1999 |
| 2 | Nothing But the Truth | August 16, 1999 |
| 3 | Visas and Virtue / I Am Viet Hung | August 23, 1999 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Now & Then: From Frosh to Seniors | October 2, 2000 |
| 2 | No Hair Day | October 9, 2000 |
| 3 | Short Stories | October 16, 2000 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Confederacy Theory | September 7, 2001 |
| 2 | Secrets of Silicon Valley | September 14, 2001 |
| 3 | Abandoned: The Betrayal of America's Immigrants | September 21, 2001 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maggie Growls | February 4, 2003 |
| 2 | Off the Charts: The Song-Poem Story | February 11, 2003 |
| 3 | On This Island | February 18, 2003 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Worst Possible Illusion: The Curiosity Cabinet of Vik Muniz | October 14, 2003 |
| 2 | Foto-Novelas 2: Junkyard Saints and Broken Sky | October 21, 2003 |
| 3 | Shaolin Ulysses: Kungfu Monks in America | October 28, 2003 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Political Dr. Seuss | October 26, 2004 |
| 2 | Polka Time | November 9, 2004 |
| 3 | Afghanistan Unveiled | November 16, 2004 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parliament Funkadelic: One Nation Under a Groove | October 11, 2005 |
| 2 | En Route to Baghdad | October 18, 2005 |
| 3 | The Last Cowboy | October 25, 2005 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Still Life with Animated Dogs | October 24, 2006 |
| 2 | The World According to Sesame Street | October 24, 2006 |
| 3 | Muskrat Lovely | October 31, 2006 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wordplay | October 16, 2007 |
| 2 | Please Vote for Me | October 23, 2007 |
| 3 | Storm of Emotions | October 30, 2007 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago 10 | October 22, 2008 |
| 2 | Dinner with the President: A Nation's Journey | October 28, 2008 |
| 3 | Knee Deep | November 6, 2008 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Our Disappeared; Nuestros Desaparecidos | September 21, 2009 |
| 2 | Herb and Dorothy | October 13, 2009 |
| 3 | Butte, America | October 20, 2009 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Parking Lot Movie | October 19, 2010 |
| 2 | Art & Copy | October 26, 2010 |
| 3 | Reel Injun: On the Trail of the Hollywood Indian | November 2, 2010 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wham! Bam! Islam! | October 13, 2011 |
| 2 | Donor Unknown | October 20, 2011 |
| 3 | Lives Worth Living | October 27, 2011 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
As Goes Janesville Spend time in Janesville, Wisconsin - the front lines of the debate over the future of the middle class. |
October 8, 2012 |
| 2 |
Love Free or Die Experience the struggles and triumphs of Gene Robinson, the first openly gay elected bishop. |
October 29, 2012 |
| 3 |
Solar Mamas Explore India's Barefoot College, which gives impoverished women skills to change their communities. |
November 5, 2012 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey Follow the personal journey of Arnel Pineda, of the rock band Journey, on a whirlwind world tour. |
September 30, 2013 |
| 2 |
The Waiting Room View the healthcare system through the eyes of those stuck in an ER waiting room in Oakland. |
October 21, 2013 |
| 3 | The Graduates/Los Graduados | October 28, 2013 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Bully Get an unflinching look at the effects of bullying on the lives of five kids and their families. |
October 13, 2014 |
| 2 |
Twin Sisters Examine the inextricable bond between adopted twins reared apart. |
October 20, 2014 |
| 3 |
Brakeless Examine the Japanese pursuit of efficiency, even at the expense of safety. |
October 27, 2014 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Stray Dog Cameras follow an unconventional veteran of the Vietnam War as he rides his motorcycle with fellow servicemen to the Vietnam Memorial and runs a business with his wife while contending with the conflict's legacy and reaching out to others. |
November 9, 2015 |
| 2 |
India's Daughter The rape and murder of a 23-year-old medical student in Delhi, India, sparks an international movement. |
November 16, 2015 |
| 3 |
Mimi and Dona A 92-year-old woman, still caring for her 64-year-old disabled daughter, realizes it is time to find her daughter a new home. |
November 23, 2015 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Best of Enemies The debates between Gore Vidal and William F. Buckley during the 1968 political conventions. |
October 3, 2016 |
| 2 |
Meet the Patels Explore the influence of culture and identity on an intense, personal, important part of life - love. |
December 26, 2016 |
| 3 |
Best And Most Beautiful Things Join a quirky young woman on a journey of self-discovery that celebrates outcasts everywhere. |
January 2, 2017 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary Explore the life of jazz great John Coltrane; Denzel Washington speaks the words of Coltrane. |
November 6, 2017 |
| 2 |
Shadow World Explore the billion-dollar global arms trade through those who perpetrate and investigate it. |
November 20, 2017 |
| 3 |
Supergirl Meet Naomi, an Orthodox Jewish girl with a surprising talent: breaking world powerlifting records. |
December 18, 2017 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Wildland Meet a wildland firefighting crew whose members struggle with fear, loyalty, love and defeat. |
October 29, 2018 |
| 2 |
Dawnland Reveals the untold story and devastating impacts of Indigenous child removal in the U.S. |
November 5, 2018 |
| 3 |
The Cleaners Explore the shadow industry of "content moderators" and learn who controls what we see online. |
November 12, 2018 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | PBS |
|---|---|
| First aired | August 9, 1999 |
| Last aired | March 23, 2026 |
| Runtime | 60 minutes |
| Status | continue |
| Schedule | Monday at 22:00:00 |