Independent Lens · SEASON 8
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room
Episode 22 · 2007-04-24
- Documentary
Episode overview
Enron dives from the seventh largest US company to bankruptcy in less than a year in this tale told chronologically. The emphasis is on human drama, from suicide to 20,000 people sacked: the personalities of Ken Lay (with Falwellesque rectitude), Jeff Skilling (he of big ideas), Lou Pai (gone with $250 M), and Andy Fastow (the dark prince) dominate. Along the way, we watch Enron game California's deregulated electricity market, get a free pass from Arthur Andersen (which okays the dubious mark-to-market accounting), use greed to manipulate banks and brokerages (Merrill Lynch fires the analyst who questions Enron's rise), and hear from both Presidents Bush what great guys these are.
60 minutes
Season 8 episodes
1. Still Life With Animated Dogs2006-10-24
2. The World According to Sesame Street2006-10-24
3. Muskrat Lovely2006-10-31
4. Paul Conrad: Drawing Fire2006-11-07
5. Democracy on Deadline2006-11-21
6. Two Square Miles2006-11-28
7. A Sad Flower in the Sand2006-12-12
8. Revolucion: Five Visions2006-12-19
9. Short Stack 20062006-12-26
10. A Fish Story2007-01-02
11. Shadya2007-01-16
12. Beyond the Call2007-01-23
13. Twisted2007-01-30
14. Billy Strayhorn: Lush Life2007-02-06
15. Motherland Afghanistan2007-02-13
16. Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes2007-02-20
17. Can Mr. Smith Get to Washington Anymore?2007-02-27
18. Stolen2007-03-20
19. Race to Execution2007-03-27
20. China Blue2007-04-03
21. Black Gold2007-04-10
22. Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room2007-04-24
23. The Cats of Mirikitani2007-05-08
24. Sentenced Home2007-05-15
25. Knocking2007-05-22
26. The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill2007-05-29
27. La Lupe Queen of Latin Soul2007-05-06
