Fiasco

In the series premiere of "Fiasco," amidst the backdrop of the 1979 Iranian revolution, President Jimmy Carter's failure to free the American hostages in Iran sets the stage for President Ronald Reagan's own hostage crisis. Leon Neyfakh hosts.

After revolution comes to Nicaragua, the President Ronald Reagan's Administration is convinced that the Soviet Union is on the march. Lt. Colonel Oliver North is tapped to support the Contras, and he vows to keep the rebel effort alive, "body and soul." Leon Neyfakh hosts.

A civil war in Lebanon catapults President Reagan into a new hostage crisis. While the President tries to avoid the same fate as his predecessor, National Security Advisor Robert "Bud" McFarlane is presented with a proposal that may be too good to be true. Leon Neyfakh hosts.

In a desperate attempt to free American hostages being held in Lebanon, President Reagan's cabinet strikes an illegal weapons-for-hostages deal with an Iranian arms merchant. And the proceeds are funneled to pay for the Nicaraguan civil war. Leon Neyfakh hosts.

Two bizarre events, one in Iran and the other in Nicaragua, spark a frenzy among the press and the public. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, President Reagan's team debates how best to respond. Leon Neyfakh hosts.

In the season finale, as the Justice Department launches an investigation into the Reagan administration's deals with Iran, a plot is hatched to cover up the details, and one man is chosen to take the fall for the president…Oliver North. Leon Neyfakh hosts.

In this six-part docu-series, host Leon Neyfakh transports listeners into the day-to-day reality of our country's most pivotal historical events, bringing to life the forgotten twists and turns of the past. Season One tells the story of the Iran-Contra affair, the Cold War-era debacle - involving a secret war and an arms-for-hostages deal - that almost took down the presidency of Ronald Reagan.