Plot Synopsis

Narrated by Rob Lowe, this two-night, four-hour documentary series chronicles the cultural, political and financial impact of the 2000s in the United States. It was a decade that started with the September 11 tragedies and ended with the election of the nation's first African-American president. Lending their voices in new, original interviews are Dick Cheney, Mary Cheney, Rudy Giuliani, Perez Hilton, Randy Jackson, Adam McKay, Michael Moore, Bill O'Reilly, Sharon Osbourne, Nancy Pelosi, General David Petraeus, Dan Rather, Geraldo Rivera, Cindy Sheehan, Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger and Donald Trump. The nearly 120 total interviews cross every political aisle, racial divide and class schism as contributors seek to uncover and illuminate this first draft of history. The series opens with the most controversial election in American history, and uncovers how the result may have turned on the fate of a 7-year-old child, Elian Gonzalez. Despite the drama of the hanging chads, politics are still eclipsed by entertainment as more Americans watch hit series SURVIVOR than vote for both Bush and Gore, and THE OSBOURNES offers a new take on reality. The Gary Condit scandal and the summer of the shark fill the headlines before 9/11 shatters the world's reality. Terror strikes again as anthrax is mailed through the post and Bin Laden escapes from Tora Bora. The country is about to take a massive financial hit as Enron corporate fraud and corruption become one of the biggest financial stories in history. Fears about weapons of mass destruction mount, and America prepares for war as the country begins to divide on the wisdom of invading Iraq. After a military campaign of "shock and awe," the president is riding high and declares "mission accomplished," despite the fact that weapons of mass destruction are never found. America's definition of reality is beginning to take on new meaning. The series closes with TV host Nate Berkus sharing his vivid and emotional personal experience of the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, a tragedy that gave rise to citizen journalism. A nation traumatized by terrorism and an unpopular war is given a triumphant reprieve with the capture of Saddam Hussein. But away from the war on terror, celebrity gossip dominates the news - and no story is bigger than Janet Jackson's infamous "wardrobe malfunction," which helps kick-start the creation of YouTube. The launch of the first iPhone and the arrival of social media give us an "always on" culture in which we are more connected than ever before. Hurricane Katrina's devastation exposes the government's weak points, and climate change becomes "inconvenient." Despite all the bad news, the economy seems secure as housing prices shoot through the roof and a host of TV shows celebrate our obsession with property. But economic disaster is just around the corner as the bubble bursts and Lehman Brothers goes bankrupt. New political stars Sarah Palin and Barack Obama shine, but it's Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger's actions on the Hudson that give the country a hero everyone can agree on. On Monday, July 13, 2015 from 9-11pm ET/PT, Nat Geo premiered the finale of this two-part program.