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American Masters Season 35 Episodes
Season 35 Episode Guide
11 Episodes 2021 - 2021
Episode 1
How It Feels to Be Free
Mon, Jan 18, 2021
Explore the lives and trailblazing careers of six iconic African-American entertainers; Lena Horne, Abbey Lincoln, Nina Simone, Diahann Carroll, Cicely Tyson and Pam Grier; who changed American culture through their films, fashion, music and politics.
Episode 2
Flannery
Tue, Mar 23, 2021
The life and work of author Flannery O'Connor, featuring archival footage, newly discovered journals and interviews with Mary Karr, Tommy Lee Jones and Hilton Als.
Episode 3
Twyla Moves
Fri, Mar 26, 2021
Twyla Moves will provide a first-hand glimpse into the legendary choreographer's storied career and famously rigorous creative process. A pioneer of both modern dance and ballet, Tharp will share intimate details behind her trailblazing dances (Fugue, Push Comes to Shove, Baker's Dozen), her cinematic partnership with Milos Forman (Hair, Amadeus, Ragtime) and her wildly successful Broadway career alongside such luminaries as Billy Joel, Frank Sinatra and David Byrne. Tracing her influential career, the film follows Tharp as she builds a high-profile work from the ground up with an international cast of stars (Misty Copeland, Herman Cornejo, Maria Khoreva) who rehearse by video conference during the coronavirus pandemic. In Twyla Moves, Tharp will revisit her most memorable pieces through archival footage. Reflecting on her road to success and her quest to constantly evolve as a person and a choreographer, she will share her favorite stories of triumph and defeat, and how she remains deeply in love with dance. The documentary also features interviews with her family, friends and closest collaborators: the dancers, choreographers, directors and musicians she's worked with and influenced throughout her life, including Mikhail Baryshnikov, Billy Joel, David Byrne, Bob Dylan, and more.
Episode 4
Never Too Late: The Doc Severinsen Story
Fri, Apr 2, 2021
The life and career of jazz trumpeter Doc Severinsen, leader of the band for "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson," who continued a schedule of touring and performing into his 90's.
Episode 5
Oliver Sacks: His Own Life
Fri, Apr 9, 2021
The life and work of neurologist and storyteller Oliver Sacks, whose work redefined people's understanding of the brain.
Episode 6
Amy Tan: Unintended Memoir
Mon, May 3, 2021
A look at the life and work of author Amy Tan.
Episode 7
Ballerina Boys
Fri, Jun 4, 2021
Ballerina Boys celebrates the all-male dance company Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, whose male ballerinas have for 45 years taken great risks to practice their dazzling version of ballet parody. While the film celebrates the Trocks' joyful artistry, it also asks viewers to face issues of gender, inclusion, and social justice. "Ballerina Boys" interweaves a tour of the Carolinas (center of efforts to walk back LGBTQ rights) with portraits of the dancers and the survival saga of the Company itself-a story that begins with the Stonewall Riots in 1969 and culminates in "Stars and Stripes Forever" at the Stonewall 50th Anniversary Celebration where fifteen drag queens in red, white, and blue tutus exult in a moment of unabashed patriotism. "Ballerina Boys" is intimate and panoramic, historical and immediate. Now the world can look up to heroes who actually do wear tights.
Episode 8
Buddy Guy: The Blues Chase the Blues Away
Tue, Jul 27, 2021
American Masters presents the broadcast premiere of Buddy Guy: The Blues Chase the Blues Away, a documentary on living legend George "Buddy" Guy, a blues master who transcended his early years as a sharecropper in Lettsworth, Louisiana to become one of the most influential guitarists of all time. A Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and eight-time GRAMMY winner, Guy is a pioneer of Chicago's fabled West Side sound and a living link to the city's halcyon days of electric blues. This film features intimate, original interviews with Guy and archival and never-before-seen performances, including footage of the blues legend on stage with The Rolling Stones. Interweaving archival interviews with Muddy Waters, Lightnin' Hopkins and Willie Dixon with original interviews with musicians Guy influenced, including John Mayer, Carlos Santana, Gary Clark, Jr., Kingfish and more. Trace Guy's rich career and lasting impact as one of the final surviving connections to an historic era in the country's musical evolution. After moving from Louisiana in the 1950s, Guy quickly rose to prominence as the go-to guitarist for Waters and Howlin' Wolf amidst the iconic Chicago blues scene, directly inspiring The Rolling Stones, Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan and many more. Yet solo commercial success consistently eluded Guy until a late-career breakthrough in the 1990s. A tale of decades-long perseverance, Guy's journey reflects both the Black experience in America in the 20th century and the history of the blues.
Episode 9
Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It
Tue, Oct 5, 2021
The 70-year career of Rita Moreno, one of a select group of entertainers who have won Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Awards.
Episode 10
Becoming Helen Keller
Tue, Oct 19, 202186 mins
The life and legacy of Helen Keller, including how she used her celebrity to advocate for human rights and social justice for women, the poor and people with disabilities.
Episode 13
Renegades Pilot: Kitty O'Neil
Mon, Jul 26, 2021
In this new YouTube video series, musician and disability inclusion advocate Lachi explores the cultural contributions of people with disabilities and how they transformed America. This pilot episode for the series investigates the amazing life of racecar driver, stunt legend and daredevil Kitty O'Neil (1946-2018) and how her deafness impacted her career in Hollywood in the 1970s.