The History Channel

This two-hour special goes inside the history of the second most used illicit drug in America. The human appetite for this narcotic goes all the way back to 3000 B.C., when South Americans chewed coca leaves, thinking they were a gift from God. But it wasn't until 1855, when cocaine was first extracted from the coca leaf and used in powder form that its use spiked. Initially it was utilized as an anesthesia. Soon, famed psychologist Sigmund Freud touted it as an effective cure for depression and impotence. In 1886, John Pemberton, an Atlanta pharmacist, added it to his new soft drink: Coca Cola or Coke for short. In 1914, the drug was outlawed, but the damaged had been done. The 70's ushered in another boost in the drug's use, fueled in part by new drug cartels in South America. To combat cocaine's rise, the Reagan administration started the War on Drugs in the 80's.

From the early cave dwellers who first stumbled upon psychedelic mushrooms to the over 6000-year-old tradition of opium cultivation in the East to a modern pharmaceutical industry with over 24,000 drugs on the market, drugs have played a role in our lives since well before recorded human history. Explore the reasons we've used drugs through the ages, while considering the devastating consequences that accompany the choice to use certain drugs. This fascinating, fresh, and insightful documentary will ask the question: overall, have drugs done more to help us or hurt us? Host Dean Norris will journey through the millennia and look in on the greatest civilizations in human history to discover if drugs helped these societies flourish or fail and whether drug use was holy or hedonistic, a savior or a curse?

The sin of gluttony isn't mentioned in the Bible, but as early as the 4th century those of Christian faith believed that eating to much could send you to Hell. During the Dark Ages theologians believed there were seven ways to commit the sin of gluttony, from "eating too much" to "eating too daintily." Italian writer Dante said those who committed the sin of gluttony would be punished in hell by being force-fed toads and vermin. This sin is thought to be the cause of obesity and alcoholism--and crusaders fought against the sin with everything from religious fasts to Prohibition.

Christianity says lust is a sin but the Greek and Roman empires celebrated it. The history of the sin of lust reveals surprising twists--including Gnostic Christian orgies, Puritan anti-fornication laws, and exorcists who battled the demon of lust called Asmodeus. Today scientists believe the sin of lust maybe more genetics than choice... but can they prove it?

A look at the storied and strange history of marijuana in America and how it has been front and center in the war on drugs. While many in the general public think of marijuana as the "safe drug," the DEA has referred to it as a "gateway" drug that can open the door to the use of stronger substances. This illustrates the paradox of marijuana, which is underscored by the fact that while the U.S. has spent over $100 billion dollars to fight its import, sale, and distribution, 14 states including New Jersey and Michigan have legalized it for medicinal purposes. Additional states are set to make it legal for the same purposes. This special will examine the changing social and legal landscapes of marijuana and its history in a fresh and compelling way.

Hitch a ride on the journey of a comet as it roars from the cold, dark outer reaches of the solar system to the fiery surface of the Sun. Visit the surface of each planet, from the mountains on the moons of Neptune, to the caves beneath Mars, to a solar tsunami. You'll also tour the lesser-known "neighborhoods" of the Solar System, like The Oort Cloud and planet-sized asteroids like Eris and Ceres. Witness the punishing extremes experienced by a massive, grit-covered snow-ball as it travels 300 million miles from the edge of the Solar System to the skies above earth.

Wick, Scotland, February 16, 1945--Allied convoy escorts sink a type-VIIC U-boat in the Moray Firth. But which U-boat is it? Exploring the unidentified U-boat wreck just recently discovered, we have the chance to finally determine the identities of the 50 sailors aboard and bring closure to the story. Join our intrepid deep-sea detectives as they use cutting-edge technology to make a wreck "tell its story."

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

On December 11, 1941, Adolf Hitler declared war on the United States. Among his stated reasons was that "[Roosevelt] ordered the German ships Phrygia, Idarwald, and Rhein to be shadowed by American ships until these steamers were compelled to scuttle themselves." Over six decades later, our Deep Sea Detectives John Chatterton and Richie Kohler dive a sunken wreck off Florida's coast and discover it is the Rhein, one of Hitler's lost merchant ships. Chatterton and Kohler track the twisting tale of its sinking--from cryptic newspaper reports to official US deck logs that appear to be missing important information. Along the way, they reveal the actions of an officially neutral US government in the tense period prior to her entry into WWII.

The universe began with a massive expansion, billions and billions of years ago, and it continues to expand with every passing second. The idea that the universe, and man's very existence, began with a "Big Bang" is no longer a topic of debate among most scientists--it is essentially taken as fact. How has man come to this conclusion, and how has our knowledge evolved so that we can recreate the very first seconds of our universe and all that has developed since? Interviews with the world's leading physicists and historians are woven together with animated recreations and first-person accounts to explain concepts such as the formation of galaxies, the creation of elements and the formation of Earth itself.

The sin of gluttony isn't mentioned in the Bible, but as early as the 4th century those of Christian faith believed that eating to much could send you to Hell. During the Dark Ages theologians believed there were seven ways to commit the sin of gluttony, from "eating too much" to "eating too daintily." Italian writer Dante said those who committed the sin of gluttony would be punished in hell by being force-fed toads and vermin. This sin is thought to be the cause of obesity and alcoholism--and crusaders fought against the sin with everything from religious fasts to Prohibition.

Christianity says lust is a sin but the Greek and Roman empires celebrated it. The history of the sin of lust reveals surprising twists--including Gnostic Christian orgies, Puritan anti-fornication laws, and exorcists who battled the demon of lust called Asmodeus. Today scientists believe the sin of lust maybe more genetics than choice... but can they prove it?

A look at the storied and strange history of marijuana in America and how it has been front and center in the war on drugs. While many in the general public think of marijuana as the "safe drug," the DEA has referred to it as a "gateway" drug that can open the door to the use of stronger substances. This illustrates the paradox of marijuana, which is underscored by the fact that while the U.S. has spent over $100 billion dollars to fight its import, sale, and distribution, 14 states including New Jersey and Michigan have legalized it for medicinal purposes. Additional states are set to make it legal for the same purposes. This special will examine the changing social and legal landscapes of marijuana and its history in a fresh and compelling way.