William Wheeler

Journalist and Documentary Producer

Bluesman Robert Johnson left his mark on American music. In this documentary, part of Netflix's ReMaster Series, family, critics and famous fans look for the real man behind the music.

ReMastered: Devil at the Crossroads 

In 1976, reggae icon Bob Marley survived an assassination attempt as rival political groups battled in Jamaica. But who exactly was responsible?

ReMastered: Who Shot the Sheriff?

Insiders recount the events, controversies and lingering effects of the accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania.

Meltdown: Three Mile Island 

While Sam Cooke rose to stardom as a soul singer, his outspoken views on civil rights drew attention that may have contributed to his death at age 33.

ReMastered: The Two Killings of Sam Cooke

After discovering the family of Solomon Linda, the writer of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," a reporter tries to help them fight for fair compensation.

ReMastered: The Lion's Share

With exclusive access inside one of New York’s hardest hit hospital systems during the terrifying first four months of the pandemic, Oscar®-nominated and Emmy® Award-winning director Matthew Heineman’s THE FIRST WAVE spotlights the everyday heroes at the epicenter of COVID-19 as they come together to fight one of the greatest threats the world has ever encountered. Leaving a devastating trail of death and despair, this once-in-a-century pandemic changed the very fabric of our daily lives and exposed long-standing inequities in our society. Employing his signature approach of character-driven cinema vérité, Heineman embeds with a group of doctors, nurses and patients on the frontlines as they all desperately try to navigate the crisis. With each distinct storyline serving as a microcosm through which we can view the emotional and societal impacts of the pandemic, THE FIRST WAVE is a testament to the strength of the human spirit.

The First Wave

The killing of three members of the Miami Showband sent shock waves across Ireland in 1975. Now one survivor doggedly pursues the truth.

ReMastered: The Miami Showband Massacre

​One of President Donald Trump’s favorite rhetorical motifs is stoking fear that members of the MS-13 gang from El Salvador intend to cross the U.S. border in force and wreak havoc on American society. It’s an inaccurate scenario, and in State of War, I tell the real story: In the 1980s, the U.S. supported the repressive Salvadoran government in a brutal civil war, and many Salvadoran families fled to America—especially Los Angeles, where teenagers in poor neighborhoods founded MS-13. A decade later, the U.S. responded to rising anti-immigrant sentiment by deporting many Salvadorans back home. Ever since, El Salvador has been one of the most violent countries in the world.

I interviewed gang members, frustrated intelligence officers, and crime investigators who give chilling insider reports of how corruption at the highest levels has helped the gangs become stronger, richer, and more influential than ever. I hope that State of War makes clear why Salvadorans are fleeing their country, and why Trump’s harsh immigration and asylum policies may only empower the gangs more.
 

State of War: MS-13 and El Salvador's World of Violence

This four-part season follows Central Americans on an odyssey to the United States (and others heading back home after being deported), while also delving into the shadow industries that prey on them every step of the way. The series sheds light on the smugglers and traffickers who take advantage of the migrants' vulnerability, and law enforcement pursuing them at the border, while providing a look at the rarely-seen underbelly of the migrants’ world and their struggle to survive.

William Wheeler

Journalist and Documentary Producer

ReMastered: Who Shot the Sheriff?

Meltdown: Three Mile Island

The First Wave

State of War: MS-13 and El Salvador's World of Violence

The Trade - Season Two

ReMastered: Devil at the Crossroads...

ReMastered: The Two Killings of Sam...

ReMastered: The Lion's Share

ReMastered: The Miami Showband Mass...