Seasons & episodes
S23 · E5Garrison Keillor: The Man on the Radio in the Red Shoes 2009-07-01 · 90 min
A retrospective on the famed radio personality and author centering on A Prairie Home Companion.
S23 · E6Trumbo 2009-09-02 · 90 min
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.
S23 · E7Joan Baez: How Sweet the Sound 2009-10-14 · 90 min
The folk music career of Joan Baez and the progressive movements she both participated in and influenced.
S23 · E8Louisa May Alcott: the Woman Behind 'Little Women' 2009-12-28 · 90 min
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.
S24 · E1Sam Cooke: Crossing Over 2010-01-11 · 90 min
Sam Cooke put the spirit of the black church into popular music, creating a new American sound and setting into motion a chain of events that forever altered the course of popular music and race relations in America.
S24 · E2I.M. Pei: Building China Modern 2010-03-31 · 90 min
The work of the innovative Chinese-American architect with a focus on his efforts to build an historical museum in China.
S24 · E3The Doors: When You're Strange 2010-05-12 · 90 min
A documentary that traces the roots of Jim Morrison's iconic rock group and their live and studio performances.
S24 · E4Merle Haggard: Learning to Live with Myself 2010-06-21 · 90 min
Merle Haggard actually lived the rambling, gambling, love ‘em and leave ‘em, often brutal life that remains the bedrock of country music lyrics.
S24 · E5Cachao: Uno Más 2010-09-20 · 90 min
A feature on the Cuban-born bassist Israel "Cachao" Lopez, an internationally renowned musician, composer, and pioneer of Mambo.
S24 · E6A Letter to Elia 2010-10-04 · 90 min
Martin Scorsese pays tribute to the life and work of noted American film director Elia Kazan.
S24 · E7Lennon NYC 2010-11-22 · 90 min
A look at the period of time musician John Lennon and his family spent living in New York City during the 1970s.
S24 · E8Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould 2010-12-27 · 90 min
A fresh look at the life of a singular pianist and poet who made an international impact with his music and recordings.
S25 · E1Jeff Bridges: The Dude Abides 2011-01-12 · 90 min
A retrospective on the laid-back actor who has entertained audiences for close to 40 years.
S25 · E2Troubadors: Carole King/James Taylor & the Rise of the Singer-Songwriter 2011-03-02 · 90 min
Focusing on musicians ranging from James Taylor and Carol King to Elton John.
S25 · E3John Muir in the New World 2011-04-18 · 90 min
This documentary explores the life and legacy of America’s first environmentalist and Sierra Club’s founder. Mountaineers portray Muir in reenactments filmed in Yosemite, the Sierra Nevada, Alaska, Wisconsin, and Alhambra Valley.
S25 · E4James Levine: America's Maestro 2011-06-01 · 90 min
A behind-the-scenes lok at the internationally-renowned conductor of New York's Metropolitan Opera.
S25 · E5Pearl Jam Twenty 2011-10-21 · 90 min
Told in big themes and bold colors with blistering sound, Pearl Jam Twenty chronicles the years leading up to the band’s formation, the chaos that ensued soon-after being catapulted into superstardom, their step back from the spotlight with the instinct of self-preservation, and the creation of a trusted circle that would surround them — giving way to a work culture that would sustain them. Part concert film, part insider hang, part testimonial to the power of music and uncompromising artists, the film celebrates the freedom that allows Pearl Jam to make music without losing themselves, their fans, or the music lovers they’ve always been. Pearl Jam Twenty features new interviews with original band members Jeff Ament, Stone Gossard, Mike McCready, and Eddie Vedder, drummer Matt Cameron, and friend and Soundgarden singer/guitarist Chris Cornell, as well as archival performance and interview footage of Mother Love Bone, Pearl Jam, Temple of the Dog, Kurt Cobain, and Neil Young.
S25 · E6Bill T. Jones: A Good Man 2011-11-11 · 90 min
Bill T. Jones, the recipient of a prestigious MacArthur "genius" grant and winner of two Tony Awards, has been named "an irreplaceable treasure" by the The Dance Heritage Coalition. Above all, he is a socially conscious choreographer who never shies away from controversy -- tackling thorny subjects such as race and politics with elegance and intelligence, artistry and originality.
S25 · E7Woody Allen: A Documentary (1) 2011-11-20 · 90 min
A film that traces the life and accomplishments of America's unique and recognized comedian/writer/filmmaker.
S25 · E8Woody Allen: A Documentary (2) 2011-11-21 · 90 min
Iconic writer, director, actor, comedian, and musician Woody Allen allowed his life and creative process to be documented on-camera for the first time. With this unprecedented access, Emmy®-winning, Oscar®-nominated filmmaker Robert Weide followed the notoriously private film legend over a year and a half to create the ultimate film biography.
S25 · E9Charles & Ray Eames: The Architect and the Painter 2011-12-29 · 90 min
From 1941 to 1978, this husband-and-wife team brought unique talents to their partnership. He was an architect by training, she was a painter and sculptor. Together they are considered America’s most important and influential designers, whose work helped, literally, shape the second half of the 20th century and remains culturally vital and commercially popular today. They are, perhaps, best remembered for their mid-century modern furniture, built from novel materials like molded plywood, fiberglass-reinforced plastic, bent metal wire and aluminum – offering consumers beautiful, functional, yet inexpensive products. Revered for their designs and fascinating as individuals, Charles and Ray have risen to iconic status in American culture. But their influence on significant events and movements in American life – from the development of modernism, to the rise of the computer age – has been less widely understood. Charles and Ray Eames are now profiled as part of American Masters. A film by Jason Cohn and Bill Jersey. Narrated by James Franco.
S26 · E1Phil Ochs: There But for Fortune 2012-01-23 · 90 min
Three-time Emmy®-nominated filmmaker Kenneth Bowser examines one of American history’s most iconic folk music heroes and political agitators. Phil Ochs: There But for Fortune is a revealing biography of a conflicted, truth-seeking troubadour who, with guitar in hand, stood up for what he believed in and challenged us all to do the same.
S26 · E2Cab Calloway: Sketches 2012-02-27 · 90 min
A singer, dancer and bandleader, Cab led one of the most popular African American big bands during the jazz and swing eras of the 1930s-40s, with Harlem’s famous Cotton Club as his home stage. Best known for his “Hi de hi de hi de ho” refrain from signature song “Minnie the Moocher,” portrayal of Sportin’ Life in Porgy and Bess (1952), and role in The Blues Brothers (1980), Cab influenced countless performers, including Michael and Janet Jackson, and many of today’s hip-hop artists.
S26 · E3Margaret Mitchell: American Rebel 2012-04-02 · 90 min
Margaret Mitchell: American Rebel engages leading historians, biographers and personal friends to reveal a complex woman who experienced profound identity shifts during her life and struggled with the two great issues of her day: the changing role of women and the liberation of African Americans.