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Great Performances Season 16 Episodes

  • 1971-2026
  • 53 Seasons
  • PBS
  • Comedy, Drama, Music
  • TV-G
  • Watchlist
    Where to Watch

Great Performances brings the best in the performing arts from across America and around the world to a US television audience. It presents a diverse programming portfolio of classical music, opera, popular song, musical theater, dance, drama, and performance documentaries.

Season 16 Episode Guide

Season 16

8 Episodes 1987 - 1989

Episode 1

Episode #16.1

Sat, Feb 6, 1988

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Episode 2

Nixon in China

Tue, Feb 2, 1988

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Episode 3

Pavarotti Returns to Naples

Thu, Feb 18, 1988

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Episode 4

Celebrating Gershwin: The Jazz Age

Fri, Nov 27, 198790 mins

Part one of a two-part tribute to the composer that blends newsreel clips, home movies, stills and musical performances.

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Episode 5

The Gershwin Gala

Fri, Dec 4, 1987

Part two of this tribute to the composer concludes with Hollywood, Broadway and concert music.

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Episode 5

The Gershwin Gala

Fri, Dec 4, 1987

Part two of this tribute to the composer concludes with Hollywood, Broadway and concert music.

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Great Performances, Season 16 Episode 5 image

Episode 8

John Gielgud: An Actor's Life

Fri, Dec 30, 1988

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Episode 11

Melba

330 mins

The story of opera singer Nellie Mitchell Armstrong 'Melba'.

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Great Performances, Season 16 Episode 11 image

Episode 25

The Aspern Papers

Sat, Sep 9, 1989

An opera based on Henry James's famous story about an adventurer in Venice trying to get hold of the secret letters of a famous, long-dead poet.

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Great Performances, Season 16 Episode 25 image