Plot Synopsis

Host Lisa Ling goes on a journey through the lives of people who act normal in public, but in private lead very different and unusual lives, introducing viewers to sub-cultures and communities that are extraordinary and sometimes dangerous. Each hour-long episode of THIS IS LIFE WITH LISA LING focuses on a different lifestyle, including: sugar daddies and sugar babies, who often use websites that match wealthy older men with young, attractive women -- and for both parties, it can be an alluring opportunity; and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Utah, which has the lowest rates of tobacco use and alcohol-related deaths in the nation, yet more people die from prescription drug overdoses than car accidents.

The sophomore season of THIS IS LIFE WITH LISA LING premiered on Wednesday, September 30, 2015 at 9pm ET/PT on CNN. in the season opener, "Children of the Prophet," Ling talks with two children of imprisoned Fundamentalist Latter-Day Saints prophet Warren Jeffs, who give their first ever television interview. In the rest of the eight-episode new season, Ling gains exclusive access to the Mongol Nation outlaw bikers, the LA County Coroner's office, and a satanic temple in Detroit. She also introduces viewers to Electronic Dance Music fans, young girls vying to be models, Richmond City inmates preparing for a "Date with Dad" dance, and professional pickup artists in Nevada.

On Sunday, September 25, 2016 at 10pm ET/PT, CNN premiered the eight-episode third season of THIS IS LIFE WITH LISA LING. In the new season, Ling gains exclusive access to the LA County Jail, goes inside the cage with female MMA fighters, attends a wedding behind bars, and learns to code with Silicon Valley teens. She also explores legalized prostitution in Nevada and the heroin epidemic in Chicago, uncovers state laws that allow rapists parental rights, and embeds with the Philadelphia Police Department to examine how new technology is changing law enforcement.

Season 4 of THIS IS LIFE WITH LISA LING premiered on Sunday, October 1, 2017 at 10pm ET/PT on CNN. In the eight-episode new season, Lisa Ling embeds with a heavily-armed militia in the Arizona desert, visits a secret world under the Vegas strip and attends one of the world's biggest transgender beauty pageants in Thailand. She also explores the massive wave of Chinese immigrants coming to the U.S., polygamy outside of Mormon country, laws that criminalize teenage sexuality and what it means to be Black and Muslim in America. In the season premiere, "Sexual Healing," she looks at up close and personal therapeutic techniques that address issues related to sex and intimacy.

The fifth season of THIS IS LIFE premiered on Sunday, September 23, 2018 at 10:15pm ET on CNN. In the eight-episode fifth season, Ling examines gender fluidity, screen addiction, the crystal meth epidemic in Oklahoma, mediums in Lily Dale, New York, fathers dealing with custody battles after divorce, children of notorious killers, and animal super-fans called furries. In the season premiere, she embeds with law enforcement and community members combating the deadly resurgence of one of the world's most dangerous gangs, MS-13. This episode marks Ling's return to the ultraviolent world of MS-13, about 13 years after first reporting on this dangerous gang.

THIS IS LIFE WITH LISA LING returned for its sixth season on Sunday, September 29, 2019 at 10pm ET/PT on CNN. In Season 6, Lisa Ling investigates the shocking side effects of long-term benzodiazepine use, explores the inner workings of one of the fastest growing gangs in Mississippi and delves into our endless fascination with identical twins. Ling also meets women convicted of murder, joins the nation's largest swingers gathering in New Orleans, gains exclusive access to Marine Combat Training -- witnessing the experiences of females in the Marines, and embeds with the NYPD as they prepare for the biggest and most targeted high threat event of the year. In the season opener, "Porn Ed," Ling explores how pornography is shaping a generation's perception of sex and intimacy.

Season 7 of THIS IS LIFE WITH LISA LING premiered on Sunday, November 29, 2020, as CNN debuted back-to-back episodes from 9-11pm ET/PT. In the six-part seventh season, Ling explores the unlikely bond between prisoners and prep school students, how the digital age is affecting boys as they become men, the illicit massage parlor industry, heroin addiction, families affected by gun violence, and the rising popularity of psychedelic healing. In the season opener, "Prison & Prep School," Ling witnesses the melding of two worlds: a prison and a prep school and experiences the surprising outcome of the unlikeliest of bonds. Later in the season, Ling explores the critical transition when boys become men and investigates how the digital age is impacting a generation of young boys; Ling witnesses what happens when heroin addiction hits home; Ling investigates the illicit massage parlor industry; Ling meets families of victims and survivors who are joining forces to support each other and fight gun violence; and Ling explores the medical uses of psychedelics.

The eighth season of THIS IS LIFE WITH LISA LING premiered on Sunday, October 10, 2021 at 10pm ET/PT on CNN. Lisa Ling travels across America exploring communities that are often unknown or misunderstood. As the country tries to reckon with the events of this tumultuous year, there are two questions on everyone's mind: "How did we get here?" and "how do we go forward?" To help make sense of it all, Ling takes a deep dive into our collective past to uncover hard truths and find some answers. In the season opener, "The Legacy of Vincent Chin," Ling brings to light the deeply personal story of the death of a Chinese American in the Motor City in the 1980s, and witness communities trying to heal during a new wave of Anti-Asian hate crimes with centuries old history. In subsequent episodes, she traces the roots of street violence in Chicago to the stoning of an African American boy in 1919, investigates the murders of wealthy Native Americans during the 1920s and explores the decades long history of sexual assault in the military. She also uncovers a Cold War campaign to purge LGBTQ+ individuals from the government, learns how a program to regulate prostitution during the Civil War links to the current debate about sex work, explores the deep roots of conspiracy thinking/misinformation in America, and reveals how America's armed so-called militia movement is leading to these groups becoming a homeland security threat.

Season 9 of THIS IS LIFE WITH LISA LING premiered on Sunday, November 27, 2022 at 10pm ET/PT on CNN. Across six episodes, Ling dives into some of our country's most pressing issues and uncovers some surprising solutions. First, she surveys mothers who seek out sperm donors on Facebook and reveals the true motives of a man who has fathered over one hundred children with more on the way. In the backwoods of Arkansas, Ling discovers the fate of hundreds of tigers, bred and held captive by the so-called "kings" of a blockbuster TV series. Next, she examines how technology is shaping love, sex, and human relationships following the widespread social isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ling then journeys to the streets of her hometown of Los Angeles, an area that has become ground zero for America's severe mental health crisis, uncovering the horror but also the hope for those society seems to have cast aside. Later, with racial strife playing out in cities across the country, she communes with the followers of a newer religion that proclaims interracial marriage as a possible pathway to world peace. Finally, Ling travels to Denver, a city often known for its legal pot culture, and finds that another legal substance -- alcohol -- has become America's worst addiction.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On Sunday, December 18, 2022 from 9-11pm ET/PT, CNN premiered the series finale of THIS IS LIFE WITH LISA LING, debuting back-to-back episodes:

"We Have a Drinking Problem" (9pm): Lisa Ling explores America's epidemic of alcoholism, and how its upsurge through the pandemic is having a shocking impact on the health of approximately 15 million people.

"Interracial Love" (10pm): Even in 2022, stigma against interracial marriages continue. Tonight, Lisa Ling meets three different interracial couples that took the leap and explores the story of their lives -- and loves -- in a divided country.