''This Is Life with Lisa Ling'' is a

CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...

original

documentary television Television documentaries are televised media productions that screen documentaries. Television documentaries exist either as a television documentary series or as a television documentary film. * Television documentary series, sometimes called d ...

series produced by Brooklyn-based production company

Part2 Pictures Part2 Pictures is an American production company that launched in 2007 in Brooklyn, New York. It is known for projects including (U.S. TV channel) CNN’s ''This Is Life with Lisa Ling,'' ''Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi'' for Hulu, the seri ...

and American journalist

Lisa Ling Lisa J. Ling (born August 30, 1973) is an American journalist and television personality. She is a news contributor for CBS News. Previously, she was the host for ''This Is Life with Lisa Ling '' on CNN, a reporter on Channel One News, a co-host ...

, who is also the show's host. The program's first season premiered on September 28, 2014, and its last season was in 2022.

Summary

In the investigative docuseries, host Lisa Ling journeys to the far corners of America. The premiere episode features Ling investigating the world of "sugaring" and opening up about her relationship experience being a self-proclaimed sugar baby. Later in the first season, Ling delved into topics such as drug abuse in Utah's Mormon community, and the gay rodeo scene. The music for the first season was composed by

Mike Shinoda Michael Kenji Shinoda ( ; born February 11, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and graphic designer. He co-founded the rock band Linkin Park in 1996 and is the band's co-lead vocalist, as well as rhythm guitarist, ...

of the band

Linkin Park Linkin Park is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Agoura Hills, California, in 1996. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist/rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Mike Shinoda, lead guitarist Brad Delson, DJ/turntablist Joe Hahn, bass ...

."Mike Shinoda Contributes Music for 'This is Life with Lisa Ling
'' MikeShinodaClan'', September 25, 2014. The series is a continuation of Ling's prior documentary series, '' Our America with Lisa Ling'', which ran for five seasons until 2014 on OWN.

Background

''This Is Life'' was one of 12 anticipated nonfiction series to air on CNN, amid its typical daily newscasts, in 2015. The influx of these original primetime shows was part of a new initiative to "help CNN reduce its dependence on the network’s traditional format," according to
Variety article
Other nonfiction series that occupied primetime slots on CNN when her show debuted included Anthony Bourdain's '' Parts Unknown'' and a series featuring the Discovery Channel's Mike Rowe. Celebrity writer Greg Gilman speculated that ''This is Life'' would be similar in concept to Lisa Ling's previous show, '' Our America''. However, Ling told the

Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (''The Huffington Post'' until 2017, itself often abbreviated as ''HPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and covers ...

that ''This is Life'' would be "edgier" and "much more in your face" than the last series, which aired on OWN.

Episodes

Series overview

Season 1 (2014)

Season 2 (2015)

Season 3 (2016)

Season 4 (2017)

Season 5 (2018)

Season 6 (2019)

Season 7 (2020)

Season 8 (2021)

Season 9 (2022)

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * * {{CNN 2014 American television series debuts 2022 American television series endings CNN original programming 2010s American television news shows 2020s American television news shows 2010s American documentary television series 2020s American documentary television series