I love this show.

This program was pre-empted last night by an excellent biography of Ted Kennedy. Will it be rescheduled? Thanks.

can wide angle be put on an hour it can be watched.two am is a bit too late for me.it is an excellent show.

hola, porqué no se puede ver el video ese en españa. porfavor dejarnos un link para que podamos acceder al vdeo.

the best show around

My husband watched it last night but when I tried to access it on this side, it said that the content was unavailable. Do you need to be a member to access it?

i must say : this is what real & extarordinary
journal is all about , i support this kind of reportings, and please continue wit great reports & success, very educationaland emotional

Teodoro is number 2 AFRIKAS STRONGEST presidents
from 1979 to present (30 years of power)
first is the col Gaddaffi of LIBYA with 40 years
where was the U.N ,the U.S & the media channel, The hollywood celebs. like IN Sudan ,rwanda etc oops they were dealin wit Teodoro’s oil land (its ok to be a dictator 4 all those years BUT NOT NOW.)

seriously Teodoro is the clear winner
the way he lived an amazin home in california ,
a bank in washington DC ..yet just aleader of small country, that is a one mans rule No Elections , oppositions. and very few pple know about it.. unlike zimbabwe and Sudan.
this dictactor is what other african leaders should
definately follow… who needs who?
afrika needs afriend in deed, not democracy

I saw this program advertised in local paper, but it was replaced by a special on JFK’s life. Will it be programmed again as we really want to see it. The Kennedy special on JFK, however, was fascinating. Thanks. Pam Manson from Parksville, Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada

I was in EG in May and wish more had been shown on what he is doing to improve the country as well.

ust finished watching a documentary call “ ONCE UPON A COUP” ; It was very well photographed and edited, (enjoyed that part very much) but the political content lacked ALL the facts, cause they talked about a country that is immensely oil rich and has been help by British and Americans. Once they thought they didn’t have no need for the prime minister, they sent mercenaries to get rid of him, frozen his assets (over 800 billion dollars) ironically, former State secretary under the Bush administration Condoleezza Rice welcomed him once.Americans support these people, they are as guilty as the people they are condemning

It is really very saddenning to watch this. It is sad that a few of the country men are enjoying while millions are living in poor conditions. Most saddening is that others, whether Chinese or Westerners, are trying thier best to loot their share. Mark my word, China will be the alltime looter of African resources. Please Africans wake up. Westerns can help to stop this and develop a win-win arrangement for all parties. May God help African nations.

THIS WAS PBS SHOW YET.AS A AFRICAN AMERICAN I NEVER KNEW ABOUT THIS,BUT CHINA NEEDS TO LEAVE AFRICA ALONE!

In “Once Upon a Coup” it did not say anything about the current president doing the things his uncle had done during his administration.

The claim of helping the people of the country is typical smoke and mirrors anglo behavior. If he had continued his uncles behavior that’s one thing but he didn’t. All countries have to deal with THEIR criminals or the whole country will collapse. It takes time to build a collapsed economy which the current president inherited. They care not. We may not agree but it’s their country and there is no DARFUR or RAWANDA type situation. Therefore it’s just an attempt at back-door colonialism on spains part with tacit blessing from britain and the U.S. Same ‘ol same ‘ol.

They purposefully wanted to destabilize another african government and they’ll try again in the future. If not this country another.

They’ll continue this insanity until the continent and the world collapses. My whole life has been observing the wishes of western media/anglo institutions at the collapse of africa at which point the masses on the continent will beg for the master return.

A completely different outcome will be the reality. Rest assured.

This was an incredible episode and I think it helps bring to light the hand we all hold in supporting vicious dictators and corrupt politicians (is that an oxymoron?) around the world every time you fill up your car.

I am unable to see the intire/full version of “Once upon a coup”. The full episode itself is not available here at PBS and tried to google somewhere else but to no avail. Can someone help where to find the full version? Thank you.

It is sad to see and come to know that most of the civil wars and coups that have taken so many lives in Africa have been under the direction of the same super powers (western governments) that the Africans relia on to protect them and speak for them.

im from E.Q I have witness this painful events,
but seriously this is normal .. after the slavery
and the scramble for Africa what did the colonies leave behind , please think wise and why are they
complaining now using human rights laws?
The biggest reason of afrikas failure is colonial Legacy’s Greed for oil ,diamonds ,ect
im sure T.Obiang learnt his lessons about his enemies,
and his true friends.

KENMIA Says: “THIS WAS PBS SHOW YET.AS A AFRICAN AMERICAN I NEVER KNEW ABOUT THIS,BUT CHINA NEEDS TO LEAVE AFRICA ALONE!”
US is the one that needs to leave Africa and the world alone. What is the US doing in Somalia, What is Afrcom for? Africa needs economic assistance not US soldiers to tackle terrorism, there was no terrorist in Africa, till US came .

this documentary is wonderful. i was in malabo during this period and i’ve never heard or read about this coup attempt as it’s disclosed in this documentary. there is no news papers, radio, or TV station in the country that can pass out information like this. one of the greattest thing we lack in E.G IS INFORMATION. i bet you there are people in the country that do not even now the country is rich and that there was an attemted coup. poverty and suffering in our country is something very normal and we don’t bother about any more. thanks once small for this documentary. i wish it could be translated in spanish so that more people in E.G could have a first hand knowledge of what happened in E.G and what is still going on WITH THE COUNTRY’S WEALTH.

i dont now why everyboddy talking like you never herd what going on in africa. in this time 2009 one of the biggest country in africa ethiopia with dictators government go end see what huppen there.

Can anyone tell me where/how to be able find this episode or full version of “Once upon a coup”. I missed it and could not find it anywhere. Thank you.

I like this documentary and it certainly illuminates what I thought was a pretty hilarious story when I first heard about it five years ago. This (story) is pretty typical of many African countries: despite what the west says about human rights only the resources it is able to extract is important to them. In the end I guess African leaders are willing to deal with a government that is less hypocritical and more gung-ho in their pursuit of said resources than the west. Either way both are a cancerous blight on the African continent. Why should Africa wake up? It doesn’t serve the interest of its master/looters. Obiang sold his country for cheap. All that oil money and he has only a quarter of a billion dollars stashed away in western banks? Compared to the resource in his country that is a pittance. Too many African countries are suffering for Dutch Disease.

The “Once upon a coup” was very informative,and once again P.B.S. was the winner , not C.N.N. Continue the good work, as always. LSK

My wife and I watched “Once in a coup.” and couldn’t help being reminded of the exploitation and manipulation of Africa, which was envisage by Chinua Echebe – Author: Things Fall Apart “The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amuse at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. He has won our brothers and our clan can no longer act as one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together. We have fallen apart.” A must read Novel!

In terms of kanking the bad guys of Africa …. Kadafhi is said to be the number 1 and Obiang the number 2. Well, this is all wrong. The number 1, by far, is Eduardo dos Santos (Angola). This guy is just a criminal!

well documentated.
im an afrikan well i learnt a friend in need is afriend indeed
if westerners fail to protect their afrikan (presidents like OBIANG) then dont enterfere in afrikan affairs and its menerials
By the way why does africas democaracy & humanrights
bother westerners yet when they ruled africa for centuries – afrikans suffered.
Africans learn from their masters

If you look at most African leaders,they have alot in common.They almost have the same age.Start from Equitorial Guinea,Congo,Angola,Zimbabwe,central african Republic,Cameroon,Lybia.They are all dictators and have not evolved with time.They rule like they were in the 1940’s, so the whiteman sees this as an opportunity to enrich themselves with africa’s natural resources while dealing with the ignorant and greedy leaders.If a young man tries to preach democracy and self reliance,he is immediately spotted and killed.Does the name Patrice Lumumba ring a bell? If you decide not to do business with the west,you will not live as a president because they master mind or know about every coup d’etat in Africa before it takes place.America has always been the policeman of the world and to see that they knew about this coup plot but did nothing,is shameful.

If you look at most African leaders,they have alot in common.They almost have the same age.Start from Equitorial Guinea,Congo,Angola,Zimbabwe,central african Republic,Cameroon,Lybia.They are all dictators and have not evolved with time.They rule like they were in the 1940’s, so the whiteman sees this as an opportunity to enrich themselves with africa’s natural resources while dealing with the ignorant and greedy leaders.If a young man tries to preach democracy and self reliance,he is immediately spotted and killed.Does the name Patrice Lumumba ring a bell? If you decide not to do business with the west,you will not live as a president because they master mind or know about every coup d’etat in Africa before it takes place.America has always been the policeman of the world and to see that they knew about this coup plot but did nothing,is shameful…very shamful.

When I was in the UCLA Screenwriting Program I wrote a screenplay about the situation in Equatorial Guinea. That screenplay won UCLA’s Best Screenplay of the Year award that year and got me my first agent at William Morris. If anyone is interested in more information about this screenplay, please feel free to contact me at screenwriter@consultant.com.

Why cant i watch episodes online from Europe? I have supported pbs for years, have used wideangle in my classes as an ESL teacher and now am left feeling a bit peeved not being able to check in with your site and watch video. What gives?!

it seems like a huge river that everyone is fishing in but there are some people not invited. how will be that country without obiang? and whom do you believe will be the next president?