Episode 1
Jerome Robbins: Something to Dance About
1h 30m
The work of the American dance pioneer and choreographer who brought ballet techniques to the Broadway stage.
Where to watch American Masters
TV series
American Masters
1986TV-1441 seasons7.0 / 10
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.
Availability
Not streaming in United States
Checked Sep 1, 2026
American Masters premiered June 23, 1986. We don't have a confirmed streaming, rental or purchase option yet.
Synopsis
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.
Season 23 episodes
Choose an episode, then use the watch options above for the show.
Episode 2
Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts
1h 30m
Scott Hicks' acclaimed 2007 film on a year in the life of the modern experimental composer.
Where to watch American Masters
Episode 3
Hollywood Chinese
1h 30m
From the first Chinese-American film produced in 1916, to Ang Lee's triumphant Brokeback Mountain nine decades later, this films brings together a group of actors, writers, directors -- and iconic film images -- to examine Chinese contributions to an industry that was often ignorant and dismissive about race. Such artists as Wayne Wang, Joan Chen, David Henry Hwang, Nancy Kwan and Amy Tan share their experiences of being "the other." These stories and film clips from more than 90 films -- some dating back to the 1890s -- weave a rich tapestry and complex history.
Where to watch American Masters
Episode 4
Neil Young: Don't Be Denied
1h 30m
The work of the legendary rock musician and his artistic and intellectual transitions over the decades.
Where to watch American Masters
Episode 5
Garrison Keillor: The Man on the Radio in the Red Shoes
1h 30m
A retrospective on the famed radio personality and author centering on A Prairie Home Companion.
Episode credits
Guest stars Robin Williams, Linda Williams
Episode 6
Trumbo
1h 30m
An account of Dalton Trumbo, a powerful motion picture screenwriter who refused to succumb to the stigma of the Hollywood "blacklist" and rose to prominence once again.
Where to watch American Masters
Episode 7
Joan Baez: How Sweet the Sound
1h 30m
The folk music career of Joan Baez and the progressive movements she both participated in and influenced.
Where to watch American Masters
Episode 8
Louisa May Alcott: the Woman Behind 'Little Women'
1h 30mfinale
The author of 'Little Women' is an almost universally recognized name whose reputation as a morally upstanding New England spinster masked a literary double life.
Where to watch American MastersEpisode information updated Sep 3, 2026
Available now in United States
What to watch instead
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More about American Masters
Cast
Scarlett JohanssonSelf
Goran VišnjićRobert Capa (voice)
Patsy ClineSelf (archive footage)
Maya AngelouSelf
Sidney LumetSelf
Oprah WinfreySelf
CommonSelf
Bill ClintonSelfCredits
- Created by
- Susan Lacy
Production details
- Status
- Returning Series
- Series type
- Documentary
- Episodes
- 315
- Original language
- English
Networks & production
PBSUnited States
Eagle Rock EntertainmentUnited Kingdom
ThirteenUnited States
Themes
artbiographypeople