CBS Reports (1959)

Season 1

CBS Reports is a long-form documentary television series launched by CBS News in 1959, designed as a platform for in-depth investigative reporting and international documentary journalism. Distinct from later programs of the same name, the original series presented feature-length nonfiction reports on Cold War geopolitics, science and technology, war, social change, and global political systems, using on-location filming and extended narrative structures rather than studio news formats. It established a model for serious broadcast documentary journalism that influenced subsequent public-affairs and investigative television programming.

Released Oct. 27, 1959 Episode 60 min None+

Genres: Documentary

Keywords: awards.emmy-award-winner, awards.emmy-award-nominated

Production Companies: Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)

Country: United States
Languages: English

IMDb

6.7

/58/

Trakt

TMDb

/1/

S1E1 - Biography of a Missile

A Cold War–era documentary report on the development and military significance of U.S. missile technology.

Oct. 27, 1959, midnight

S1E2 - The Population Explosion

A documentary analysis of global population growth, exploring its social, economic, and political consequences for nations facing rapid demographic change.

Dec. 11, 1959, midnight

S1E3 - Iran: Brittle Ally

An on-location report on Iran’s political stability and strategic importance, examining internal tensions and the fragility of U.S. alliances in the region during the Cold War.

Dec. 18, 1959, midnight

S1E4 - The Space Lag: Can Democracy Compete?

A Cold War–era investigation into the U.S.–Soviet space race, questioning whether democratic political systems can compete with centralized state models in scientific and technological development.

Jan. 6, 1960, midnight

S1E5 - The Population Explosion II

A continuation of the earlier report, further examining the long-term global implications of rapid population growth, with expanded focus on economic pressure and social infrastructure.

Jan. 14, 1960, midnight

60 min/ep

300 min

Oct. 27, 1959

Jan. 14, 1960, midnight

Returning Series