The Story Behind the Story With Mike Rowe

Episode 2

The Man Behind The Microphone

In the middle of a baseball game, the newswire giving radio broadcasters the play-by-play goes down. So, the radio broadcaster, Ronald Reagan, makes up foul ball after foul ball while he waits on the signal to be resorted.

Episode 3

Fred's Final Wish

Fred was tasked to create a potato chip that wouldn’t turn to crumbles in the bottom of a bag after shipping. Instead, he created a completely new package design and molded the iconic chip to fit it.

Episode 4

The Biggest Name In Town

Small town girl, Peg Entwhistle, failed on Broadway and went to Hollywood to pursue her dreams. Her one movie bombed so she goes to the biggest name in town to have it out once and for all.

Episode 5

They Shook on It

During the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, Bank of America founder, Amadeo Giannini, made a deal on a handshake with a garbage man to hire his son in the future that changes the course of history.

Episode 6

Can You Be There By Nine?

Allen Hale Jr's odyssey to an audition that would change his life forever and give him a role in one of the most syndicated shows of all time.

Episode 7

A Very High Bar

Jim Thorpe is one of history’s greatest athletes. He didn’t let his education, his heritage, or even someone stealing his shoes stop him from competing at his best.

Episode 8

30 Minutes of Disappointing Television

Charles Schultz was given creative control to create a half-hour Christmas program for CBS, however, upon screening the film, the executives thought it was a bomb. Boy, were they wrong.

Episode 9

The Code Breaker

A young code breaker in the air force, intercepts a coded message that Stalin is dead. He turns the actual Morse code “dashes and dots” into the rhythm for one of the most well-known songs in history.

Episode 10

Keep Your Voice Down

Former drill sergeant becomes a celebrity and icon as one of the most calming voices on television.

Episode 11

The Missiles of December

A silent Christmas Eve in in 1955 at a strategic defense center is interrupted by a call on the single line red phone which started a Christmas tradition around the world.

Episode 12

He Really Stuck with It

Experiment, after experiment, after experiment, a lonely inventor finally creates the fix-all compound.

Episode 13

Francisco's Flakes

The creation, flop, and success of an iconic film and how it all hinged on fake snow.