American Genius

American Genius is a documentary series from National Geographic Channel that aired eight episodes in June 2015. It examines inventors and pioneers whose work led to major advances in their fields and influenced history. Each episode uses re-enactments to highlight two rivals or competing groups in the same area, showing how their competition drove key inventions. Historians and experts also provide commentary. Before the series began, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak shared his views on the “Jobs vs Gates” episode with the press. The show earned positive reviews. Melissa Camacho of Common Sense Media gave it four out of five stars, noting it makes viewers reconsider modern technology. Neil Genzlinger of The New York Times praised the expert interviews as insightful but felt the “versus” in episode titles was misleading, since some inventors had collaborated.