American Experience: Blackout

Documentary recalling a dramatic day in the history of New York City. As 13 July 1977 dawned, the crime-ridden city was on the edge of bankruptcy as unemployment soared and services were cut. When lightning strikes cut off electricity and plunged the city into darkness, a sustained period of looting began with 2,000 businesses robbed over a two-day period. Told through the memories of New Yorkers who lived through the events, the programme examines how the 1977 power outage came about.