From director Juliette Eisner, the documentary series The Stanford Prison Experiment: Unlocking the Truth, which premiered at this year’s 2024 Tribeca Film Festival, debuts on Wednesday, November 13, at 8/7c on National Geographic. The series will be available for streaming the next day on Disney+ and Hulu.

The Stanford Prison Experiment: Unlocking the Truth 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 began 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: only one person shared with the world the story of what happened during the experiment. Today, most of the participants have gone on record to tell … the entire story.

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 weave 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 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.”

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

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. An intrepid French researcher helps us discover that the 50-year-old story is ridOdled 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 one about the power of perspective and mythmaking.

Watch the official trailer for The Stanford Prison Experiment: Unlocking the Truth.