Plot Synopsis

Hosted by journalist Celeste Headlee and artist Masud Olufani, RETRO REPORT ON PBS is a one-hour series that offers viewers a fresh perspective on current headlines, revealing their unknown -- and often surprising -- connections to the past. Each episode will explore four distinct stories, closing with "Now It All Makes Sense," a special segment featuring the wit author and comedian Andy Borowitz, who provides historical context to today's headlines. Topics to be explored include how decades-old research on human behavior shows that social media's addictive power is by design rather than chance; why half a million children still have dangerously high lead levels even though it was banned from gasoline and household products decades ago; how the sex education policies of today are informed by failures of programs created during the Clinton era; and why mandatory arbitration agreements enacted on Wall Street 20 years ago have negatively impacted today's #MeToo movement.

RETRO REPORT ON PBS airs at 9pm on Mondays and Tuesdays, starting October 7 through the end of October:

Episode 1 (Monday, October 7): Explore how social media's addictive power today might be explained by psychological experiments from the 1950s. Discover how recent NFL protests have ties to 1968. See how Wall Street women fought harassment before #MeToo, and learn why pythons are invading the Everglades. Andy Borowitz compares political ads to cigarettes.

Episode 2 (Tuesday, October 8): See how data pulled from DNA websites is solving cold cases and how drug rules stem from one pill's side effects. Learn how a screen addiction cure is rooted in the past and why Americans are ambivalent about robots. Andy Borowitz objects to "no news."

Episode 3 (Monday, October 14): Dig into bystander behavior and learn how a decades old murder can shed light on how we react to online violence. Explore the surprising connection between the Navy's 1990s Tailhook scandal and the decision to open combat roles to women today. See why psychedelic drugs like LSD, which sparked fear in the 1960s, have now become a promising treatment for depression. Follow the voyage of a trash barge in the 1980s that persuaded us to recycle. Andy Borowitz highlights lunar hoaxes.

Episode 4 (Tuesday, October 15): President Trump's strategy for dealing with the press may seem new, but it's strikingly similar to the path taken decades ago by a previous president. Learn the origin of vaccine fears and why measles cases are soaring. Discover the origins behind free agency in sports, which date back to a baseball pioneer, and the unintended consequences of a law intended to rescue wild horses. Andy Borowitz bemoans the no-apology apology.

Episode 5 (Monday, October 21): Learn why texting may be able to reduce suicide rates based on by forgotten research from decades ago and why surrogate parenthood is still being shaped by the Baby M. case. Investigate why lead, banned years ago, is still a danger, and why a solution for global warming may come from a Cold War concept. Andy Borowitz recalls a flaming river.

Episode 6 (Tuesday, October 22): Discover the lessons from a 1970s public housing experiment and understand the roots of routine newborn testing. Explore head injuries in pro sports and see why too few people, not too many, is a problem. Andy Borowitz takes on Space Force.

Episode 7 (Monday, October 28): Learn how risks are measured after the Challenger disaster and how current immigration controversies echo the past. Discover the truth behind the infamous lawsuit over hot coffee and the origin of special ops forces. Andy Borowitz tackles TV bullying.

Episode 8 (Tuesday, October 29) Discover how current sex education programs are informed by past failures and how a myth about juvenile crime has now been debunked. Uncover the story behind new AIDS hot spots and learn the legacy of Napster. Andy Borowitz looks at Anita Bryant's unintended influence.