American Experience: McCarthy chronicles the rise and fall of Joseph McCarthy, the Wisconsin Senator who would test the limits of American decency and democracy. Free of restraint or oversight, he conducted a crusade against those he accused of being Communists and enemies of the state, a chilling campaign marked by groundless accusations, bullying intimidation, grandiose showmanship and cruel victimization. Finally, after years in the headlines, he was brought down by his own excesses and overreach. He died a broken man, but his name lived on. For more than half a century, it has been linked to an all-too-familiar phenomenon, the modern-day witch hunt we call McCarthyism.

Producer: Sharon Grimberg, Jen Hickey, Melissa Martin Pollard
Executive Producer: Mark Samels
Production Company: WGBH
Production Year: 2018
Copyright Year: 2020
Director: Sharon Grimberg
Actors: Ellen Schrecker, David Oshinsky, Sam Tanenhaus, Jelani Cobb, Donald A. Ritchie, Dolly McCarthy Plesser, Beverly Gage, Leon Kamin, Timothy Naftali, Cody Splitt, Thomas Doherty, David Lattimore, Alvin Spivak
Writers: Sharon Grimberg
Discs: 1
Subtitles: Y
Subtitle Language: English (SDH)
Audio Format: 5.1 Surround
Aspect Ratio: 16x9 Widescreen