Episodes | American Masters

EXPIRING SOON

S30 Ep3

King tells her story in the new documentary American Masters – Carole King: Natural Woman that weaves previously unseen and rare performances and home movies with a new, exclusive interview with King, friends, fellow songwriters Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, Tapestry producer Lou Adler, drummer Russ Kunkel, guitarist Danny “Kootch” Kortchmar, and more. How a 16-year-old songwriter became a star.

Premiered February 19, 2016

S34 Ep4

Unladylike2020

Illuminating the stories of extraordinary American heroines from the early years of feminism, American Masters — Unladylike2020 is a multimedia series consisting of a one-hour special for broadcast and 26 digital short films featuring courageous, little-known and diverse female trailblazers from the turn of the 20th century. Coming this summer on PBS.

Premieres July 10, 2020

S34 Ep1

Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

Discover the man behind the legend. With full access to the Miles Davis Estate, the film features never-before-seen footage, including studio outtakes from his recording sessions, rare photos and new interviews. American Masters Presents Stanley Nelson’s Grammy-nominated Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool February 25 at 9 p.m. ET on PBS in Honor of Black History Month.

Premieres February 25, 2020

S33 Ep12

N. Scott Momaday: Words From a Bear

Delve into the enigmatic life and mind of the Pulitzer Prize-winning author and poet N. Scott Momaday, best known for “House Made of Dawn” and a formative voice of the Native American Renaissance in art and literature.

Premiered November 18, 2019

S33 Ep11

Rothko: Pictures Must Be Miraculous

Explore the life of the celebrated artist whose luminous color field paintings helped define the abstract expressionist movement, which shifted the art world epicenter from Paris to New York. Featuring original scenes with Alfred Molina.

Encored October 26, 2019

Premiered October 25, 2019

S33 Ep10

Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage

Explore a warm and revealing portrait of the charismatic, groundbreaking actor’s journey from his native Puerto Rico to the creative hotbed of 1960s New York City, to prominence on Broadway and in Hollywood. Filled with passion, determination and joy, Juliá’s brilliant and daring career was tragically cut short by his untimely death 25 years ago, at age 54.

Encored September 14, 2019

Premiered September 13, 2019

S33 Ep9

Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin

Explore the remarkable life and legacy of late feminist author Ursula K. Le Guin whose groundbreaking work, including “The Left Hand of Darkness,” transformed American literature by bringing science fiction into the literary mainstream.

Premiered August 2, 2019

S33 Ep7

Robert Shaw – Man of Many Voices

Trace the journey of one of America’s greatest choral music conductors. With no formal training, Robert Shaw was legendary for his interpretations of classical music’s choral masterpieces and inspired generations of musicians with the power of music. Directed by Pamela Roberts (American Masters – Margaret Mitchell: American Rebel) and Peter Miller (Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story).

Premiered June 21, 2019

S33 Ep8

Terrence McNally: Every Act of Life

Explore four-time Tony-winning playwright Terrence McNally’s six groundbreaking decades in theater, from Kiss of the Spider Woman, Love! Valour! Compassion! and Master Class to Ragtime, The Visit and Mothers and Sons. The film also delves into McNally’s pursuit of love and inspiration throughout his career, LGBTQ activism, triumph over addiction, and the power of the arts to transform society.

Premiered June 14, 2019

Alfred Hitchcock

Premiered May 8, 2019

S33 Ep6

Garry Winogrand: All Things are Photographable

Discover the life and work of Garry Winogrand, the epic storyteller in pictures who harnessed the serendipity of the streets to capture the American 1960s-70s. His “snapshot aesthetic” is now the universal language of contemporary image-making. Directed by Sasha Waters Freyer (Independent Lens: Razing Appalachia).

Premiered April 19, 2019