The threat of dictatorship to democratic institutions is real, and it is exemplified by dictators such as Adolf Hitler, Saddam Hussein and Fidel Castro who find their way to power through similar methods.

An examination of Hitler's personal protection unit.

Former House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers hosts this CNN original series, an eight-part look at complex true stories of America's covert operations. The newly declassified missions are recounted firsthand by agents from all 16 U.S. intelligence bureaus, providing viewers with unprecedented access to a secret world of espionage. The missions span time periods from Cold War-era Moscow to modern-day Iran, from the streets of 1980s Cuba to Beijing of today. Among the stories covered are the military's hunts for Iraq dictator Saddam Hussein and al-Qaida leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

The third installment from executive producers Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman and Mark Herzog, following in the footsteps of critically-acclaimed series "The Sixties" and "The Seventies," tackles 10 years shaped by exceptionalism and excess. Like its predecessors, "The Eighties" intersperses rare archival newsreel footage, interviews, and comments by historians, journalists, politicians, celebrities and others, painting a perspective-rich picture of a vibrant decade. Episodes examine the age of Reagan, the AIDS crisis, the end of the Cold War, Wall Street corruption, the evolving TV and music scene, and everything in between.

The lost tapes of kidnappings, murders, riots, and attacks have been unearthed to be shown for the first time in decades. The Patty Hearst's kidnapping, the Pearl Harbor attacks, the riots in Los Angeles, and the Son of Sam murders that rocked and terrified New York City are all presented as they unfolded on radios and televisions across America. Each of these 20th-century events is presented in real-time as they were covered by journalists and local news broadcasts.