Published Oct. 29, 2024, 10:30 a.m. ET
Citizen Nation is nearing its end.
Created by Bret Sigler and directed by Singeli Agnew, the four-part docuseries “follows the nation’s brightest minds” as they set out to compete in the national “We the People” competition in Washington, D.C.
At the competition, some of the country’s most driven students face off in the National Finals to prove their deep knowledge of the U.S. Constitution.
DECIDER has an exclusive look at what’s in store for the fourth and final installment of PBS and Retro Report’s docuseries, which airs tonight. As noted in the clip, the national “We the People” competition “gets tougher every year, and it’s the same schools that really dominate.”
Viewers meet ambitious students and administrators as they gear up for the competition of a lifetime.
“Our school has won more national titles than I think any other school in the country,” one admin reveals, while another notes that their school has “always made Top 10.”
Testimonials from both administrators and students shed light on the tremendous preparation involved in the competition, including “mentorship from professional attorneys” and “practicing everyday.”
But the students make clear that We The People isn’t the only important part of their high school experience. They spend time in a slew of other extracurricular activities, serving as the respective presidents of organizations such as the Asian-American Club, the Science Olympiad Club, and Habitat for Humanity, just to name a few. We also catch a glimpse of students preparing for the competition, in their pursuit of “as close to perfection as possible.”
DECIDER contributor Liz Kocan recommended that viewers STREAM IT in her Citizen Nation review, describing the docuseries as “the antidote to every show you’ve seen about teens lately.”
The finale of Citizen Nation airs Oct. 29 at 9/8c on PBS, PBS.org, and the PBS app, and will also stream on Prime Video and YouTube. Check out the exclusive clip from tonight’s finale above.