American Masters poster

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 39 episodes

Choose an episode, then use the watch options above for the show.

← Season 38

Episode 1

The Disappearance of Miss Scott

1.0 / 10

How could we forget the one and only Hazel Scott? She was not only the most famous jazz virtuoso of her time, but she was the first African-American to have her own television show. This feature documentary will shine a light on this incredible talent whose voice—like the voices of so many women, especially women of color—has been lost.

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Episode 2

LIZA: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story

2h 14m1.0 / 10

Take an intimate look into the life of Liza Minnelli, best known for her Oscar-winning role in Cabaret. Following in the footsteps of her mother Judy Garland, Minnelli used her boundless raw talent to build her own legacy in showbiz.

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Episode 3

Art Spiegelman: Disaster Is My Muse

2h1.0 / 10

Explore the work of cartoonist Art Spiegelman and the impact of his Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel Maus, about his parents’ survival of the Holocaust. A defender of free speech, Spiegelman has spoken out as book bans spread across the country.

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Episode 4

Janis Ian: Breaking Silence

2h 30m1.0 / 10

Discover the life of singer-songwriter Janis Ian and how she rose as a folk icon and gay rights advocate. She broke ground with “Society’s Child” (1966), a bold take on interracial love, and “At Seventeen” (1975), a searing anthem about bullying.

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Episode 5

Hannah Arendt: Facing Tyranny

2h1.0 / 10

Discover Hannah Arendt, one of the most fearless political thinkers of the 20th century, who transformed her time as a political prisoner and refugee during World War II into daring insights about totalitarianism which continue to resonate today.

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Episode 6

Marcella

1h 23m1.0 / 10

Discover how celebrated writer Marcella Hazan shaped Italian cuisine in America. After immigrating to New York in the 1950s, she began making authentic dishes from her Italian roots and inspired millions of Americans with her cookbooks.

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Episode 8

Starring Dick Van Dyke

1h 53m1.0 / 10

An episode of PBS' American Masters series, dedicated to the movie, TV and Broadway star Dick Van Dyke, with interviews with Dick plus many current and former colleagues and admirers.

Episode credits

Directed by John ScheinfeldWritten by John ScheinfeldGuest stars Dick Van Dyke, Julie Andrews, Pat Boone, Carol Burnett, Jim Carrey, Ted Danson, Eric Deggans, Karen Dotrice

Where to watch American Masters

Episode 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 ClintonSelf

Credits

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