NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC DEBUTS TRAILER FOR THE STANFORD PRISON EXPERIMENT: UNLOCKING THE TRUTH

Premieres Nov. 13 at 8/7c on National Geographic: Streams Next Day on Disney+ and Hulu

From Director Juliette Eisner, Executive Producer Alex Braverman and Award-Winning Production Company Muck Media, Explosive Docuseries Is a Gripping Journey Through the Infamous Six-Day Experiment as Some Original Participants Break 50-year Silence and Reunite In Person for the First Time Since 1971

Series Interviews The Man Behind the Experiment, Dr. Philip Zimbardo, in One of His Final Interviews

National Geographic today revealed the trailer for THE STANFORD PRISON EXPERIMENT: UNLOCKING THE TRUTH, slated for Wednesday, Nov. 13, at 8/7c on National Geographic and streaming next day on Disney+ and Hulu. The three-part docuseries comes from director Juliette Eisner, executive producer Alex Braverman and award-winning production company Muck Media, which recently won five News & Documentary Emmy® Awards for “Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller” and one News & Documentary Emmy Award for “Science Fair: The Series.” THE STANFORD PRISON EXPERIMENT: UNLOCKING THE TRUTH, which premiered at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, is an unprecedented look at one of history’s most infamous psychology studies through the firsthand accounts of the original “guards” and “prisoners,” many of whom are speaking on camera for the very first time. Their stories unravel a new narrative that interrogates the motives of the man in charge, Dr. Philip Zimbardo, while exploring larger questions of human nature and the power of perspective.

What started out as a self-contained university experiment turned into a media spectacle that captured the imagination and attention of the world, shaping our understanding of human nature and forever changing the field of psychology.

There was only one problem: The story of what happened during the experiment was shared with the world by only one person. Today, most of the participants have gone on record to tell … the whole story.

“In the fifty years since the Stanford Prison Experiment took place, I was surprised to learn that few of the study’s participants had ever spoken about their experiences, and that their stories exposed a web of secrets, inconsistencies, and layers that questioned the experiment’s seemingly simple narrative about whether human beings are inherently good or evil,” said Director Juliette Eisner. “In light of Dr. Zimbardo’s recent passing, this project couldn’t be more timely in its exploration of human nature and the repercussions of differing narratives.”

Through unparalleled access, THE STANFORD PRISON EXPERIMENT: UNLOCKING THE TRUTH embarks on a gripping, ticking-clock journey through the six-day Stanford Prison Experiment with a deluge of reveals, new subjects and a smoking-gun archive. The docuseries weaves together shocking, poignant and sometimes humorous firsthand accounts from the very participants who were at the heart of the experiment. Then, in an unexpected turn, the series brings the participants to a replica film set of the “prison,” where they revisit pivotal moments and attempt to find consensus — and closure — about what really happened over the course of those six days.

In one of his final interviews, the late Dr. Zimbardo, along with his wife, Dr. Christina Maslach, sit down to discuss their own experience. The series offers an unflinching look at Zimbardo’s childhood, his motivations for beginning the project, and the notoriety he found in the aftermath.

Episodes of the three-part series include the following:

● “THE HALLWAY”

Premieres Wednesday, Nov. 13, at 8/7c on National Geographic; streams next day on Disney+ and Hulu

Introducing one of history’s most notorious psychological experiments — but with a twist. The study’s prisoner and guard participants take a seat in front of the camera to reveal never-before-heard details of an event that has shaped our understanding of human nature and good versus evil for the past 50 years. Together, they track the key events that took place over the six fateful days in 1971.

● “THE UNRAVELING”

Premieres Wednesday, Nov. 13, at 9/8c on National Geographic; streams next day on Disney+ and Hulu

What if we told you the Stanford Prison Experiment is not what it seems? The participants reveal new perspectives surrounding what happened in the fateful hallway, putting to question Dr. Zimbardo’s long-held claims. With the help of an intrepid French researcher, we learn that the 50-year-old story is riddled with apparent inconsistencies. Meanwhile, the filmmakers expose their own storytelling devices.

● “A BEAUTIFUL LIE”

Premieres Wednesday, Nov. 13, at 10/9c on National Geographic; streams next day on Disney+ and Hulu

In a pivotal interview, Dr. Zimbardo takes a seat in front of the camera and defends his notorious experiment and its lessons. Meanwhile, an unexpected and exciting reunion takes place that exposes new layers of the story. This isn’t a tale about an experiment debunked but rather one about the power of perspective and mythmaking.

THE STANFORD PRISON EXPERIMENT: UNLOCKING THE TRUTH is directed by Juliette Eisner and executive produced by Alex Braverman and Juliette Eisner. For Muck Media, Darren Foster, Cristina Costantini, Jennifer Wood and Krista Manis are executive producers. For National Geographic, Josh Cole is executive producer, Bengt Anderson is senior vice president of Unscripted Content, and Tom McDonald is executive vice president of Global Factual and Unscripted Content.