Episode 1
By Sidney Lumet
1h 30m
In a 2008 interview, director Sidney Lumet talks about his life and career, which included 44 films in 50 years.
Episode credits
Guest stars Sidney Lumet
TV series
American Masters
1986TV-1440 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.
Streaming, rental and purchase options
Where to watch in United States
Checked Jul 22, 2026
American Masters is available to stream on YouTube TV in United States. You can also rent or buy it from Google Play and Apple TV. Use the direct links below to open the provider.
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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 31 episodes
Choose an episode, then use the watch options above for the show.
Where to watch American Masters
Episode 2
Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise
1h 30m1.0 / 10
The life of author and activist Maya Angelou, with comments from Oprah Winfrey, Common, Bill and Hillary Clinton and others.
Episode credits
Guest stars Maya Angelou, Oprah Winfrey, Common, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton
Episode 3
Patsy Cline
1h 30m
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.
Episode credits
Guest stars Patsy Cline
Episode 4
James Beard: America’s First Foodie
1h 30m
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.
Where to watch American Masters
Episode 5
Jacques Pépin: The Art of Craft
1h 30m8.0 / 10
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.
Where to watch American Masters
Episode 6
Richard Linklater: Dream is Destiny
1h 30m
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.
Where to watch American Masters
Episode 7
Tyrus
1h 30m1.0 / 10
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.
Where to watch American Masters
Episode 8
Edgar Allan Poe: Buried Alive
1h 30m
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.
Episode credits
Directed by Eric StangeWritten by Eric StangeGuest stars Denis O'Hare, Kathleen Turner
Episode 9
Inspiring Woman Web Series
1h 30m1.0 / 10
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.
Where to watch American Masters
Episode 10
This is Bob Hope
1h 30mfinale
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.
Where to watch American MastersEpisode information updated Jul 24, 2026
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
- 311
- Original language
- English
Networks & production
PBSUnited States
Eagle Rock EntertainmentUnited Kingdom
ThirteenUnited States
Themes
artbiographypeople
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