TV series
The stories behind the movies we love
Explore American cinema through the decades and the cultural, societal and political shifts that framed its evolution.
Streaming, rental and purchase options
Checked Jul 22, 2026
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Explore American cinema through the decades and the cultural, societal and political shifts that framed its evolution.
Choose an episode, then use the watch options above for the show.
Episode 1
In the Eighties, stars like Tom Cruise, Meryl Streep and Eddie Murphy explode on the screen. Aliens, time travelers, ghosts and road warriors share the cineplex with troubled teens, battered boxers, classical composers and career girls.
Guest stars Jessica Savitch
Episode 2
As America falls for stars like Julia Roberts, Denzel Washington and Will Smith, masters like Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Martin Scorsese, Jonathan Demme, Jane Campion and the Coen Brothers direct some of their best-loved work. A robust independent film movement introduces directors like Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson, John Singleton and David Fincher.
Where to watch The Movies
Episode 3
As the new century begins, beloved books and comic-book crusaders become box-office gold, musicals and cartoons win audiences and Oscars, coarse comedies and epic dramas showcase Hollywood’s biggest stars, and a new generation of filmmakers from diverse backgrounds finds its voice.
Where to watch The Movies
Episode 4
Directors become masters of the medium as Spielberg, Coppola, Scorsese, Lucas and other filmmakers create a New Hollywood that pushes the medium of moviemaking to its apex, just as a new generation of movie stars like Robert DeNiro, Jack Nicholson, and Pam Grier light up the screen.
Where to watch The Movies
Episode 5
The Sixties are a decade of change off-screen and on. Classic musicals and epics featuring luminaries like Julie Andrews, Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor make room for meaningful masterpieces from filmmakers like Kubrick, Hitchcock and Nichols and stars like Redford, Newman and Poitier.
Where to watch The Movies
Episode 6
From the 1930s through the 1950s, Hollywood studios create the most iconic and beloved films of all time, and America falls in love with the movies as stars like Bogie, Brando and Marilyn became icons.
Where to watch The MoviesEpisode information updated Jul 24, 2026
Jessica SavitchSelf (archive footage)
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