Susan Lacy
Director
American Masters (1986)
Season 31
American Masters is a PBS television series which produces biographies on enduring writers, musicians, visual and performing artists, dramatists, filmmakers, and others who have left an indelible impression on the cultural landscape of the United States.
Released June 23, 1986
Episode 90 min
14+
Genres: Biography, Documentary, History
Keywords: tmdb.biography, mdblist.has-trailer, imdb.two-word-title, imdb.art-documentary, tmdb.people, imdb.music-documentary, imdb.reenactment + 3 more, tmdb.art, awards.emmy-award-winner, awards.emmy-award-nominated
Watch Providers: PBS, PBS, KQED, Thirteen, WETA+WETA+
Production Companies: Eagle Rock Entertainment, Thirteen
Network: PBS
Country: United States
Languages:
English
S31E1 - By Sidney Lumet
In a 2008 interview, director Sidney Lumet talks about his life and career, which included 44 films in 50 years.
Jan. 3, 2017, midnight
S31E2 - Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise
The life of author and activist Maya Angelou, with comments from Oprah Winfrey, Common, Bill and Hillary Clinton and others.
Feb. 21, 2017, midnight
S31E3 - Patsy Cline
A profile of influential country singer Patsy Cline (1932-63), featuring archival performances of such songs as "Walkin' After Midnight," "I Fall to Pieces" and "Crazy"; and remarks from artists who knew her and others influenced by her.
March 1, 2017, midnight
S31E4 - James Beard: America’s First Foodie
Experience a century of food through the life of one man, James Beard (1903-1985). Dubbed the “Dean of American Cookery” by The New York Times, Beard was a Portland, Ore., native who loved and celebrated the bounty of the Pacific Northwest. He spoke of the importance of localism and sustainability long before those terms had entered the vernacular.
May 19, 2017, midnight
S31E5 - Jacques Pépin: The Art of Craft
Discover the story of Chef Jacques Pépin (b. December 18, 1935), a young immigrant with movie-star looks, a charming Gallic accent, and a mastery of cooking and teaching so breathtaking he became an early food icon—joining James Beard and Julia Child among the handful of Americans who transformed the way the country views the food world.
May 26, 2017, midnight
S31E6 - Richard Linklater: Dream is Destiny
A trove of never-before-seen archival footage provides an unconventional look at the fiercely independent style of filmmaking that emerged out of Austin, Texas in the late 1980s and 1990s with Linklater as its poster boy.
Sept. 1, 2017, midnight
S31E7 - Tyrus
The unlikely story of 106-year old Chinese American artist Tyrus Wong, and how he overcame poverty and racism in America to become a celebrated modernist painter, Hollywood sketch artist, and “Disney Legend” for his groundbreaking work on the classic animated film, Bambi.
Sept. 8, 2017, midnight
S31E8 - Edgar Allan Poe: Buried Alive
This documentary draws on the rich palette of Poe’s evocative imagery and sharply drawn plots to tell the real story of the notorious author, exploring the misrepresentations of Poe as a drug-addled madman akin to the narrators of his horror stories.
Oct. 30, 2017, midnight
S31E9 - Inspiring Woman Web Series
Six innovators tell their own stories and explain how they’re changing their respective industries: podcast host Tracy Clayton, Chef Angie Mar, JavaScript developer Sara Chipps, web-cam performance artist Molly Soda, entrepreneur Rakia Reynolds, and visual artist Tatyana Fazlalizadeh.
Nov. 8, 2017, midnight
S31E10 - This is Bob Hope
A candid look at a remarkable life with unprecedented access to Bob Hope’s personal archives, including writings voiced by Billy Crystal and clips from Hope’s body of work to reveal a gifted and very human individual who recognized the power of fame, embraced its responsibilities and handled celebrity with extraordinary wit and grace.
Nov. 13, 2017, midnight
Network: PBS
Episode Runtime: 90 min.
Season Runtime: 27720 min.
Released: June 23, 1986
Last Air Date: Dec. 12, 2025, midnight
Status: Returning Series
Certification: TV-14 / 14+
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