Release CalendarDVD & Blu-ray ReleasesTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsIn TheatersComing SoonMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysLGBTQ+ Pride MonthSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Episode guide
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
IMDbPro

This American Life

  • TV Series
  • 2007–20122007–2012
  • TV-14TV-14
  • 22m
IMDb RATING
8.4/10
613
YOUR RATING
This American Life (2007)
  • Documentary
An anthology of true stories pertaining to various themes are illustrated.An anthology of true stories pertaining to various themes are illustrated.An anthology of true stories pertaining to various themes are illustrated.
IMDb RATING
8.4/10
613
YOUR RATING
  • Creators
    • Adam Beckman(developed for television by)
    • Alex Blumberg(developed for television by)
    • Ira Glass
  • Stars
    • Ira Glass
    • Milo Finch
    • Chris Partyka
Top credits
  • Creators
    • Adam Beckman(developed for television by)
    • Alex Blumberg(developed for television by)
    • Ira Glass
  • Stars
    • Ira Glass
    • Milo Finch
    • Chris Partyka
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 4User reviews
    • 11Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 3 Primetime Emmys
      • 5 wins & 13 nominations total

    Episodes14

    Browse episodes
    TopTop-rated

    Photos17

    This American Life (2007)
    Ira Glass in This American Life (2007)
    Ira Glass in This American Life (2007)
    Ira Glass in This American Life (2007)
    Ira Glass in This American Life (2007)
    Ira Glass in This American Life (2007)
    Ira Glass in This American Life (2007)
    This American Life (2007)
    Ira Glass in This American Life (2007)
    This American Life (2007)
    Ira Glass in This American Life (2007)
    This American Life (2007)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Ira Glass
    Ira Glass
    • Selfas Self
    12 episodes12 eps • 2007–2008
    Milo Finch
    • Ghosts of Pashaas Ghosts of Pasha
    Chris Partyka
    • Ghosts of Pashaas Ghosts of Pasha
    G.J. Echternkamp
    G.J. Echternkamp
    • Selfas Self
    1 episode1 ep • 2007
    Barbara Beneville
    Barbara Beneville
    • Selfas Self
    1 episode1 ep • 2007
    Frank Garcia
    • Selfas Self
    1 episode1 ep • 2007
    Cynthia Brown
    • Selfas Self
    1 episode1 ep • 2007
    Mark Westhusin
    • Self - Director of Reproductive Sciences at Texas A&Mas Self - Director of Reproductive Sciences at Texas A&M
    1 episode1 ep • 2007
    Johnny Depp
    Johnny Depp
    Rosie Tran
    Rosie Tran
    • Selfas Self
    1 episode1 ep • 2009
    Louis Ortiz
    • Selfas Self
    1 episode1 ep • 2012
    • Creators
      • Adam Beckman(developed for television by)
      • Alex Blumberg(developed for television by)
      • Ira Glass
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Time of Death
    8.6
    Time of Death
    Gossip
    6.5
    Gossip
    The Trade
    7.3
    The Trade
    Dark Net
    7.0
    Dark Net
    7 Deadly Sins
    7.0
    7 Deadly Sins
    Sleepwalk with Me
    6.7
    Sleepwalk with Me
    The Fourth Estate
    7.6
    The Fourth Estate
    Sleeper Cell
    8.0
    Sleeper Cell
    UFO
    6.5
    UFO
    The Reagans
    6.7
    The Reagans
    Mike Birbiglia: The New One
    7.7
    Mike Birbiglia: The New One
    Polyamory: Married & Dating
    5.4
    Polyamory: Married & Dating

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Connections
      Featured in We Cause Scenes (2013)

    User reviews4

    Review
    Top review
    9/10
    A Long Time Fan Wasn't Disappointed
    Even though there have been over 375 shows, I have heard many of them over and over again and the stories haunt me for days, they are so poignant and thought provoking and timeless. I don't wish to sound hyperbolic, but I think the show has deepened my appreciation for almost everything.

    This American Life focuses on stories that tend to fly below the radar, stories that you'll never hear anywhere else. As another commenter explained, Ira Glass finds the remarkable in the mundane, the beauty in everyday experiences, but he also finds the wacky stories that rarely happen and the real stories that should have been told but aren't.

    The TV show retells many of the stories originally told in the radio show, which may disappoint if you were expecting new stories. Ira Glass' deep respect for his interview subject's individual viewpoints, his insightful commentary, and his careful editing couples beautifully with some of the most gorgeous cinematography I have ever seen in a documentary. Most of the episodes have kept the radio show format of telling multiple stories on a single theme, although a few of the shows only focus upon a single story because of time restraints.

    Another commenter wrote that this TV show is like a "reality show". I have never seen a reality show that respects it's subjects or empathizes with them like this, nor one that explores the types of stories that Ira Glass brings to his audience. Perhaps she was responding to how raw the emotions are on the TV show, a feature that is fully present on the radio show, but it hits home so much harder when you see the expressions on the faces of the storytellers as they talk about their experiences. To me, it is honest and empathetic, and your heart breaks with them. It's beautiful.

    The first season of This American Life is available on Amazon Unbox for instant play and it only costs about two dollars per episode, so try it out. It's instant gratification for less than a latte. Each week's radio show may be streamed from the TAL website for free.
    helpful•1
    0
    • Chloepatra_bites_asp
    • Mar 23, 2009

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 22, 2007 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Эта американская жизнь
    • Filming locations
      • USA
    • Production companies
      • Killer Films
      • Left / Right Docs
      • Left/Right
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      22 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.78 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    This American Life (2007)
    Top Gap
    By what name was This American Life (2007) officially released in India in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page
    Add episode

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    The Best Movies and Shows to Watch in July
    See the full list
    View list
    List
    The Best Movies Coming This Summer
    See the full list

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.