Frontline: Season 4

Hostage in Iran

Jan 21, 1986

While the whole world watched, 52 Americans were held hostage in Iran by Islamic revolutionaries for 444 days. On the fifth anniversary of their release, using never-before-seen fo

Sue the Doctor?

Jan 28, 1986

For many doctors, practicing medicine has become a nightmare. Today, one out of every six American doctors faces a malpractice suit. Frontline takes an inside look at the fierce ba

Growing Up Poor

Feb 4, 1986

The children of Chester, Pennsylvania are plagued by poor health, malnutrition, drugs, and family problems. Half of them live below the poverty line. Frontline follows them through

Russia-Love It or Leave It

Feb 11, 1986

A unique look at the Soviet Union through the eyes of Americans as they attempt to escape the confines of a carefully managed Russian tour. They elude their government guides and s

Tobacco on Trial

Feb 18, 1986

Life-long smokers who say their health has been destroyed by cigarettes are suing tobacco companies. Frontline correspondent Judy Woodruff takes an inside look at the preparation o

Divorce Wars

Feb 25, 1986

Half of all American marriages end in divorce. Using unique access to mediation and court proceedings, Frontline profiles the couples, the lawyers, the judges, and most poignantly,

Who's Running this War?

Mar 18, 1986

Eight months before the Iran-contra scandal broke, Frontline investigated the contras, probed the legality of private aid, and asked questions about the role of the White House and

AIDS: a National Inquiry

Mar 25, 1986

Fabian Bridges, a homosexual prostitute, bragged he had sex with six partners a night and refused to stop even though he knew he had AIDS. In a special broadcast, Frontline first f

Standoff in Mexico

Apr 1, 1986

Political violence is breaking out in northern Mexico. Frontline documents the growing unrest in Mexico caused by fixed elections, corruption, violence, and the widening gap betwee

Inside the Jury Room

Apr 8, 1986

For the first time on American television, Frontline cameras move inside a jury room to record the deliberations in a Wisconsin criminal trial. The results yield a view of 12 Ameri

Taxes Behind Closed Doors

Apr 15, 1986

For more than a year, Frontline has been behind the scenes with congressmen and lobbyists covering the deals, dollars, and politics of tax reform. Correspondent William Greider inv

The Disillusionment of David Stockman

Apr 20, 1986

Former budget director David Stockman gives an exclusive interview to correspondent William Greider on what has been called 'the greatest free lunch fiscal policy' in modern times.

Visions of Star Wars

Apr 22, 1986

Frontline and Nova combine resources for the first time to explore the Strategic Defense Initiative. The program contains the most comprehensive information on Star Wars ever produ

Hollywood Dreams

May 13, 1986

Hollywood is called an industry, a place, a state of mind. But making it in Hollywood, and making movies, persists as part of the American dream. In the real world of agents, casti

The Bloods of 'Nam

May 20, 1986

A high percentage of men on the frontlines in Vietnam were young, poor, undereducated, and black. By most accounts, they had the highest casualties. But these young men say they we

A Matter of the Mind

May 27, 1986

Millions of Americans are mentally ill. They live in a world that is fragile and often frightening. Inside a halfway house in St. Paul, Minnesota, Frontline examines mental illness

Holy War, Holy Terror

Jun 3, 1986

Frontline correspondent John Laurence examines the background of the Islamic Revolution, the roots of radical Shiism and reveals why Iran's war with Iraq is an important step in sp

Will There Always Be an England?

Jun 10, 1986

England is a country divided. One in five workers in northern England is unemployed, while in the south of the country, power, privilege prevail. Ofra Bikel explores Britain's soci

Assault on Affirmative Action

Jun 17, 1986

The Supreme Court ruled against a Memphis firefighter who successfully fought for an affirmative action plan for the hiring of fellow firefighters in 1984. As a result, the Justice

Comrades I: The Education of Rita

Jul 1, 1986

Rita Tikhonova, 21, is a model Russian citizen. The lifestyle and ambitions of an outstanding Young Communist League member in Moscow are depicted as she completes her education at

Comrades II: Hunter and Son

Jul 8, 1986

For four months every year, Mikhail Kuzakov and his son, Yuri, leave the comforts of home for the Siberian wilderness, where they hunt on horseback for sable and other valuable fur

Comrades III: All that Jazz

Jul 15, 1986

Sergei Kuryokhin is a popular Russian jazz and rock musician who is disapproved of by the state because his music is difficult to control. Made without the permission of Soviet aut

Comrades IV: The Trial of Tamara Russo

Jul 22, 1986

Frontline examines the differences in Soviet and Western justice systems as it contrasts the lives of Tamara Russo, a 50-year-old hospital orderly on trial for theft in Soviet Mold

Comrades V: Master of Samarkand

Jul 29, 1986

Abdugaffar Khakkulov is a master craftsman of Uzbek heritage who for 35 years has been restoring the great Islamic mosques in Samarkand. Frontline examines daily life in a Muslim c

Comrades VI: Pacific Outpost

Aug 5, 1986

Frontline gained unique access in filming the inner workings of the local government system in Nakhodka, a town six thousand miles and seven time zones from Moscow. Here, Frontline

Comrades VII: Steel Mill Soccer

Aug 12, 1986

Frontline profiles the lives of players on a factory soccer team in the southern Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan as they fight for the town championship.

Comrades VIII: Doctor in Moscow

Aug 19, 1986

Svyatoslav Nilolaevich Fyodorov is an outspoken and provocative eye surgeon whose surgical technique for correcting nearsightedness has made him famous. He lives like a superstar w

Comrades IX: Baltic Chic

Aug 26, 1986

Comrades X: Soldier Boy

Aug 26, 1986

For the first time on Western television, Frontline details a recruit's life inside a Soviet Army barracks. Frontline cameras follow Valera Krylov, 18, through the exertion and bor

Comrades XI: October Harvest

Sep 2, 1986

The Kulinich family lives and works on a collective farm in southern Russia. Frontline follows the Kulinichs through their daily lives during harvest time and takes a close look at

Comrades XII: Leningrad Movie

Sep 9, 1986

Soviet film directors have one advantage over Westerners: the state takes care of the budget. But in return, the state expects firm control over all productions. Dinara Asanova, on