We begin a deep dive into the incredible, barely believable story of Charles Manson and the Manson family - and how the cult's crimes changed the world.

In this first episode we hear about how the seeds for the murderous cult were sown in the early years of a young Charles Manson, and how he warped a bundle of religious texts, Beatles songs and self-help strategies into his own bizarre philosophy – and then drew in his army of followers, who believed he was the man to save a troubled world.

We delve into the early years of the family, and explore how they crossed paths with – and even lived with - the Hollywood elite, as Manson obsessed over both the coming apocalypse, and his own dreams of stardom.