The WORST episodes of 60 Minutes
Every episode ever - ranked by fan votes!
60 Minutes has been on the air since 1968, beginning on a Tuesday, but spending most of its time on Sundays, where it remains today. This popular news magazine provides both hard hitting investigations, interviews and features, along with people in the news and current events. 60 Minutes has set unprecedented records in the Nielsen's ratings with a number 1 rating, five times, making it among the most successful TV programs in all of television history. This series has won more Emmy awards than any other news program and in 2003, Don Hewitt, the creator (back in 1968), was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Emmy, along with the 60 Minute correspondents. Added to the 11 Peabody awards, this phenomenally long-lived series has collected 78 awards up to the 2005 season and remains among the viewers top choice for news magazine features.
#1 - My FBI, The Dinner Set Gang, NASCAR Family
Season 38 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/9/2005
Mike Wallace with a revealing report and interview with former FBI Director Louis Freeh about the Clinton years. Steve Kroft has a shocking interview with two professional thieves who stole millions of dollars worth of gems over their 20 year ’career’ while owners ate dinner downstairs. Lesley Stahl gets insider info about the ever-growing auto racing industry from the 3rd generation NASCAR family’s Brian France.
#2 - 38 Years 6 Months 4 Days, Michael Jordan, Rex
Season 38 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/23/2005
Make no judgements until you see this about Charles Jenkins, the soldier who deserted to North Korea almost 40 years ago. Scott Pelley reports. Ed Bradley gets a rare interview with Michael Jordan. Lesley Stahl explores musical savants; mentally challenged persons with extraordinary musical talents.
#3 - The Outing of Valerie Plame, Whose Life Is It Anyway? Prince Charles
Season 38 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/30/2005
Ed Bradley talks with friends, coworkers and family of CIA operative, Valerie Plame, who recently announced her sexual orientation. Morley Safer questions how much power an employer has, or should have in their employees lives. From smoking to fitness, why do so many employees just take it? Prince Charles in his first American interview in more than a decade, with Steve Kroft.
#4 - The Airport Road, The First Man, The Winner
Season 38 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/6/2005
Imagine the most dangerous road in the entire world. Lara Logan joins U.S. Soldiers on the Baghdad airport highway. The scenes are right from the evening news, but this time, a lot more personal. What do these soldiers think as they defend this volatile highway? Also: Neil Armstrong in an exclusive interview with Ed Bradley and Patriots quarterback, Tom Brady with Steve Kroft.
#5 - After Shock, Burning Rage, Mad Money Man
Season 38 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/13/2005
Tonight’s 60 Minutes profiles an incredible group of NY paramedics who left everything behind, paychecks and even their jobs, to step in when no one else would after the Pakistan earthquake left such devastation. Bob Simon asks them not just why, but sheds light on the need that made this team step up when no one else did. Ed Bradley examines environmental and animal rights groups using violent tactics. Dan Rather reports on the Wall Street millionaire making so much noise on cable t.v.
#6 - Juiced, A Deal With The Devil, Cirque Du Soleil
Season 38 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/13/2005
Steroid use and lies in baseball. Also, is there an admitted serial killer free among us? Leslie Stahl gets a front row seat and behind the scenes interviews with the Cirque Du Soleil
#7 - Old Soldiers, The New Free Space
Season 37 - Episode 41 - Aired 7/3/2005
How can the U.S. justify calling back to active duty, soldiers who have already put their time in and are now over 50 years old? Also: Is the space race growingly dependent on private investors?
#8 - Anonymous Revealed, Party at Gregg's, The Sea Gypsies
Season 37 - Episode 47 - Aired 8/21/2005
Michael Scheuer, once head of the CIA and highly critical of the government’s failure to succeed at getting Bin Laden, drops his veil of anonymity and interviews with Steve Kroft. Also, parents supplying alcohol to their underage children and how a society of people knew the tsunami was coming and escaped to safety in time.
#9 - Prescription For Trouble, The Killing In Sudan, Crusade Against Credit
Season 37 - Episode 48 - Aired 8/28/2005
How much did the makers of Vioxx know and when did they know it? Ed Bradley reports. Scott Pelley investigates mass murder and refugee desperation in Sudan. Lesley Stahl looks into Dave Ramsey’s crusade to return Americans to using cash, not credit.
#10 - Katrina, Echo Boomers, Medical Tourism
Season 37 - Episode 49 - Aired 9/4/2005
Scott Pelley tries to find out why the levees failed after Katrina’s rampage. The Baby Boomer’s kids start to replace their parents in the marketplace. Why do Americans flock to 3rd world countries for surgery? Bob Simon reports.
#11 - Parkinson's Drug Trial, Order Out Of Chaos, Mr. Feinberg
Season 37 - Episode 50 - Aired 9/11/2005
Is there hope within this lifetime of Parkinson’s patients and is the drug company with the possible treatment, withholding it? Ed Bradley looks into the efforts by New Orleans police to restore order and Morley Safer reports on the man who decided how much money each 9/11 victim-survivor received.
#12 - Ricky Williams, No Sex Teens, Andy Rooney
Season 37 - Episode 51 - Aired 9/18/2005
Mike Wallace profiles Ricky Williams who went from football to yoga and back again. He explains why. Ed Bradley talks to teens who join a club and make a no-sex-until-marriage pledge Andy Rooney and the obvious about smokers in America
#13 - Chalabi, A Fractured Mind, Elian
Season 38 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/2/2005
If you didn’t know Ahmed Chalabi before now, you will. Lesley Stahl interviews the Iraqi fallen leader who is now Deputy Prime Minister And meet Robert Oxnam, along with several of his other personalities. Morley Safer does. Elian Gonzalez made media madness five years ago when he was just 6 years old. Today, at 11, he recounts to Bob Simon what he remembers and feels about what he went through.
#14 - Addicted To Heroin, Romo, The Lord God Bird
Season 38 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/16/2005
Afghanistan is more than a hot bed of war, struggle for freedom and terrorism, it’s becoming the number one supplier of the raw material (opium) that produces heroin. Also: Former NFL linebacker Bill Romanowski candidly interviewed by Scott Pelley and Ed Bradley talks with the team on the look out for definitive proof the Ivory Billed Woodpecker is really back from extinction.
#15 - Justice at Guantanamo, Insider's Prescription, Not in My Backyard
Season 37 - Episode 36 - Aired 6/5/2005
Prisoners at Guantanamo cannot find proper representation if their attornies aren’t allowed access due to “national security”. A drug company exec is against high prices and are grizzly bears ok to exterminate if they get too close to the homes impinging on their native land?
#16 - The Closer, Beatrice's Goat, Bob Dylan
Season 37 - Episode 37 - Aired 6/12/2005
Canadian lottery scams just seem to get more bold and even vicious. Find out who is behind them and how to spot them. Also, a poor African girl and her family are given a goat that changes their lives. And Bob Dylan is interviewed.
#17 - Grand Theft Auto, Top 10%, Amazon Treasure
Season 37 - Episode 38 - Aired 6/19/2005
Popular video games are increasingly violent. Are they the cause of violence among teens, including murder? Should high performing high schoolers be automatically given spots in prestigious colleges? Also, a new species of monkey discovered!
#18 - Child Prodigies
Season 37 - Episode 40 - Aired 7/1/2005
Unbelievable feats by kids you typically see in any playground; even more unbelievable and highly gifted contributions from children who are considered challenged. How are these individuals discovered, nurtured and enjoyed?
#19 - Handouts for the Homeland, Submission, Highway in the Sky
Season 37 - Episode 42 - Aired 7/10/2005
We allot more than $10 BILLION for homeland security, so, want to know where it’s actually going? You might not! Film maker is victim of a Muslim ordered hit! Have you ordered your personal flying machine yet?
#20 - In Harm's Way, The Big Gun II, Staying at Home
Season 37 - Episode 43 - Aired 7/17/2005
Steve Kroft reports on the shortcomings of our own government in providing proper equipment, including armored vehicles, for our troops overseas.
#21 - Rendition, Born In The USA, Dustin Hoffman
Season 37 - Episode 44 - Aired 7/24/2005
Why would the CIA hand over terrorist suspects to countries known for their torture techniques? Black babies are increasingly be adopted by parents in other countries and Dustin Hoffman gives a pleasant, very open interview.
#22 - President Putin, Jane Fonda: My Life So Far
Season 37 - Episode 45 - Aired 7/31/2005
Mike Wallace with a revealing look at the Russian leader and Jane Fonda discusses her life so far, including her infamous Hanoi visit during the Viet Nam war.
#23 - The Governor, An Expensive Lesson, Hilary Swank
Season 37 - Episode 46 - Aired 8/14/2005
From actor to governor. Arnold Schwarzenegger talks with Morley Safer about foreign born citizens running for president. Also, are those career colleges all they promise to be? Hilary Swank is also featured.
#24 - Illegal and Thriving, New Orleans is Sinking, U2
Season 38 - Episode 10 - Aired 11/20/2005
Internet gambling is highly illegal in the U.S., yet without U.S. gamblers it wouldn’t thrive like it is. New Orleans’ flooding has just brought attention to the geographical problem that’s been there all along and isn’t going away soon. The group “U2” is profiled and interviewed.
#25 - Plan B, Living Large, James Blake
Season 38 - Episode 11 - Aired 11/27/2005
Plan B is an emergency contraceptive and an FDA official is upset about it not getting approval. Living Large examines the super-sizing of American homes, despite the typical family consisting of less members than ever. James Blake is interviewed