Heading toward a new millennium, Americans are still riding the wave of irrational exuberance, surfing on the success of the dot-com bubble.

At the countdown to the end of the century, pre-millennium tension is rising.

In the 90s, new attitudes and new technology equal more freedom, more fragmentation, more diversity, but also more conflict.

As America becomes more divided and fragmented, an obscure religious cult in Waco becomes a lightning rod for a fear of big government invading our homes.

The story of the early '90s growing obsession with sex, celebrity and reality TV.

The '90's were 10 years of irrational exuberance, when everybody got wired; war went hi-tech and everyone became a celebrity on reality TV.

Julia Child melded TV and food 50 or so years ago. Now with scads of celebrity chefs, cooking shows, and networks devoted to it, cuisine is even more popular. National Geographic Channel's six-hour miniseries salutes its history, science and culture. Each episode tackles a central theme: revolutionaries, meat, sugar, seafood, junk food, and grains -- with stories and reflections by a smorgasbord of chefs, authors, scientists, etc. Interviewees include Padma Lakshmi, Nigella Lawson, Simon Majumdar, Rachael Ray, Marcus Samuelsson, Anna Boiardi and Graham Elliot.

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.

A look back at a memorable decade; the historical moments and trends that shaped the world.

Executive-produced by Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman and Mark Herzog, CNN's eight-part documentary picks up where the network's critically acclaimed and highly-rated series "The Sixties" ended. Episodes examine the people, events and cultural touchstones that defined the '70s, delving into everything from the impact of the Vietnam War to the unprecedented scandal of Watergate. Also covered are the Iran Hostage Crisis, the sexual revolution, the Munich Olympics massacre, and the kidnapping of Patty Hearst. The documentary combines archival newsreel footage, personal movies, interviews, and comments by historians, journalists, politicians, celebrities and others, bringing new perspectives about a consequential decade.

From the producers of the multiple-award-winning miniseries "The Men Who Built America," National Geographic Channel chronicles competitions in innovation that pit history's brightest minds in the race to lay claim to the future. For them, the greatest challenge wasn't beating the odds -- it was beating their adversaries. From Steve Jobs vs. Bill Gates to William Hurst vs. Joseph Pulitzer, each hourlong episode focuses on a specific rivalry, delving into fierce power struggles, deceit, fluke timing and raw ambition out of which great ideas turned into reality. The conflicts play out through re-enactments that feature interviews with modern-day visionaries like Bill Nye, Steve Wozniak, Jack Welch, Steve Wynn and Michio Kaku.

With the Vietnam War, the British Invasion, Woodstock, the Civil Rights Movement, and JFK's assassination, the 1960s represent, perhaps, the most consequential decade in U.S. history. It was a period of monumental social and political change, altering virtually every aspect of American life for future generations. "The Sixties," a 10-episode documentary executive-produced by Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman and Mark Herzog, explores the people, events and discoveries that defined how citizens came to think about their government, their place in the world, and themselves. It combines archival newsreel footage, personal movies, interviews, and comments by historians, journalists, politicians, celebrities and others, bringing new perspectives about a landmark decade.

Actor Kal Penn is producer/host of a series that attempts to explain how things like money, sex, food, sports and crime influence daily lives. The consequences are shown by analyzing data maps, and episodes investigate different themes through data mapping, creative visualization of information and in-depth personal stories involving fascinating characters. As well, documentary vignettes tell stories that personalize the number crunching, introducing real people who live and work at key intersections of each theme being explored. Penn serves as guide, making the information relatable to viewers.