Watch Download: The True Story of the Internet

Download: The True Story of the Internet is a six-part American television documentary series produced by The History Channel that premiered on Science Channel in 2008. The series, hosted by journalist and author John Heilemann, explores how the Internet has revolutionized communication, the economy, and even politics.

The show's first episode, "Browser Wars," examines the early days of the Internet in the 1990s, a time when companies like Netscape and Microsoft battled for dominance in the browser market. Heilemann interviews key players in the browser wars, including Netscape co-founder Marc Andreessen and Microsoft executive Brad Silverberg, and explores how the emergence of the World Wide Web changed the Internet from an academic tool to a global phenomenon.

The second episode, "Search," focuses on the rise of search engines like Google and Yahoo!, which transformed the way people find information online. Heilemann interviews Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, as well as Yahoo! co-founder Jerry Yang, and delves into how search algorithms were developed and how they have evolved over time.

The third episode, "Bubble," explores the dot-com bubble of the late 1990s and how it contributed to the collapse of many Internet-based companies. Heilemann interviews entrepreneurs and businessmen who were involved in the dot-com craze, including Mark Cuban, and examines how companies like Amazon and eBay survived the bubble.

In the fourth episode, "People Power," Heilemann looks at how the Internet has transformed politics and activism, from Howard Dean's grassroots presidential campaign in 2004 to the Arab Spring uprisings in 2011. He interviews political strategists and analysts who discuss how the Internet has given ordinary people a voice in politics and how it has created new opportunities for political candidates.

The fifth episode, "The Virtual Revolution," examines how the Internet has changed the entertainment industry, from music downloads to online gaming. Heilemann interviews musicians and game developers who discuss how the Internet has revolutionized their industries and created new opportunities for artists.

Finally, in the sixth and final episode, "Going Viral," Heilemann explores how the Internet has changed the way we communicate and share information. He examines the rise of social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, and interviews experts who discuss how these platforms have revolutionized the way we interact with each other and consume media.

In each episode of Download: The True Story of the Internet, Heilemann provides a comprehensive and engaging look at how the Internet has transformed our world. Through interviews with key players and experts, the show provides a unique perspective on how the Internet has evolved and how it will continue to shape our lives in the future.