American Masters

Watch American Masters

  • TV-14
  • 1986
  • 38 Seasons
  • 8.2  (1,137)

American Masters is a PBS series that has been running since 1985. It features biographical information on artists and performers who have made significant contributions to American culture. The show has become a staple of American television and has featured numerous celebrities, from musicians to actors, writers, and activists.

The show's featured guests include celebrities like Lee Grant, Peter Bogdanovich, Jack Lemmon, Eli Wallach, James Dean, Abiola Abrams, Ray Charles, Hugh Hefner, Carlos Santana, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Gene Hackman, S. Epatha Merkerson, Peter Coyote, Harvey Keitel, Yoko Ono, Paul Newman, CCH Pounder, Betty White, Cesar Romero, Peggy Lipton, John Cage, Dylan McDermott, Oliver Platt, Bert Lahr, Lily Tomlin, James Garner, Clarke Peters, June Havoc, Alexis Smith, Pat Boone, Tony Martin, Laurie Anderson, Lennie Niehaus, Mary Martin, Signe Hasso, Fielder Cook, Janis Paige, Earl Holliman, Pete Seeger, Eartha Kitt, Rosemary Clooney, Patricia Morison, Ben Vereen, Arthur Penn, Turhan Bey, Edie Adams, Michael Wright, William Goldman, Terry Southern, Nicholas Pileggi, Joan Baez, Jay Cocks, George Clayton Johnson, I. A. L. Diamond, Reed Birney, Jen Drohan, Dionne Warwick, Bill Irwin, Phyllis Diller, Shimon Peres, Harry Carey, Neil Hamilton, Neil Simon, Larry David, Harry James, Henry Kissinger, Hillary Clinton, Anne Jackson, Pippa Scott, Miriam Makeba, William Bakewell, Oscar Peterson, Gypsy Rose Lee, Richard Davalos, Douglas Fowley, Minta Durfee, D. A. Pennebaker, Mary Doran, Benson Fong, Henry Kolker, Vernon Reid, Dalton Trumbo, Josephine Dunn, Arthur Hohl, Robert Benchley, Hunter S. Thompson, Maria Sharapova, Chris Spedding, Michael Pollan, Tony Benn, Robbie Robertson, Edna Ferber, Bonnie Raitt, Joe Frazier, Bryan Ferry, Elizabeth Marvel, Priscilla Bonner, Peter Sellars, Sammy White, Omara Portuondo, Robert Harron, Jerome Kern, Eugenie Besserer, Ernest Cossart, Frances Foster, Steve Allen, Sarah Vaughan, Martha Tilton, Raymond Walburn, Jane Novak, David Margulies, Joel Fabiani, Anna Wintour, Ole Olsen, Chic Johnson, Eric Christmas, Betty Garrett, Whitney Houston, Harold Goodwin, George Morfogen, Molly Picon, Joseph Buloff, Mae Marsh, Sidney Lumet, Luise Rainer, Jon Hamm, Robin Hughes, Carole King, Nat Hentoff, Jimmy Page, Aretha Franklin, Peggy Cartwright, James Brown, James MacArthur, Martha Graham, James Taylor, Don Gordon, Adolph Hitler, Daniel J. Boorstin, Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, Benny Goodman, Lyndon B. Johnson, Martin Luther King Jr., Amiri Baraka, Dizzy Gillespie, Caroline Wozniacki, and Jean Howard.

Each episode of American Masters features a detailed portrait of the guest's life through interviews, archival footage, and dramatic reenactments. The show's creators strive to provide an interesting and insightful look into the cultural legacy of each featured guest.

The series is notable for the range of celebrities who have appeared on the show. From Oscar-winning actors to Nobel Prize-winning poets, American Masters has featured some of the most significant artists, writers, and performers of the 20th and 21st centuries.

As the show has progressed over the years, it has expanded its focus to include a diverse range of cultural figures, including writers, musicians, actors, and activists. Despite this, the show has maintained a consistent commitment to quality storytelling and attention to detail, making it one of the most trusted sources of information on American cultural icons.

Overall, American Masters is a must-watch for anyone interested in American culture and the people who have shaped it. Each episode provides an engrossing and compelling look into the life of a significant cultural figure, making it a thoroughly enjoyable and educational experience for viewers of all ages.

American Masters is a series that is currently running and has 38 seasons (323 episodes). The series first aired on June 23, 1986.

American Masters
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Seasons
Little Richard: King and Queen of Rock ‘n' Roll
7. Little Richard: King and Queen of Rock ‘n' Roll
February 2, 2024
Little Richard is a legend from the golden era of rock. Richard is the cultural lightning rod who influenced some of rock music's most distinguished icons who will validate Richard's unquestionable role in rock history: Paul McCartney, Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Elton John, Bob Dylan, Prince and Bruce Springsteen. As Richard boastfully claims, "I am The King and Queen of Rock and Roll."
HOPPER: An American Love Story
6. HOPPER: An American Love Story
January 2, 2024
Discover the secrets behind Edward Hopper's most iconic and enigmatic works. Known for "Nighthawks" and other evocative paintings of American life, Hopper has left a lasting impression on our culture. Meet the man behind the brush, and see how his marriage to fellow artist Josephine Nivison Hopper shaped his art and career.
Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes
5. Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes
October 6, 2023
Experience the groundbreaking sounds of bebop pioneer and virtuoso composer Max Roach, whose far-reaching ambitions were inspired and challenged by the inequities of the society around him.
A Song for Cesar
4. A Song for Cesar
September 29, 2023
Trace the life and legacy of labor activist Cesar Chavez. Through interviews with Maya Angelou, Joan Baez, Carlos Santana and more, see how music and the arts were instrumental to the success of the farmworkers' movement Chavez helped found.
Floyd Abrams: Speaking Freely
3. Floyd Abrams: Speaking Freely
September 22, 2023
Follow the 50-year career of preeminent First Amendment attorney Floyd Abrams. See how his landmark cases, from the Pentagon Papers to Citizens United, helped define free speech as it is known today.
Jerry Brown: The Disrupter
2. Jerry Brown: The Disrupter
September 15, 2023
Experience the political and personal journey of California's longest-serving governor.
Bella! This Woman's Place is in the House
1. Bella! This Woman's Place is in the House
September 8, 2023
Follow the spectacular rise of Bella Abzug, a fiery politician and activist. See how her dedication to women's rights and progressive causes upended the Washington status quo.
Description
Where to Watch American Masters
American Masters is available for streaming on the PBS website, both individual episodes and full seasons. You can also watch American Masters on demand at Amazon Prime, Vudu, Google Play and PBS.
  • Premiere Date
    June 23, 1986
  • IMDB Rating
    8.2  (1,137)