History

American Masters

American Masters, committed to producing comprehensive film biographies about the broad cast of characters who comprise our cultural history.

Maryam Taghavi: Estranged Letters

15m 4s

This short documentary traces the Iranian-American artist Maryam Taghavi's journey toward her first major solo exhibition — a body of work where abstraction, perspective, and Islamic culture converge.

Episodes

  • Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore

    S39 E7 - 1h 36m

    Learn about the life and career of 4-time Emmy nominee Marlee Matlin as she shares her story in her native American Sign Language. Known for roles in The West Wing and CODA, at 21 years old, Matlin became the first Deaf actor to win an Oscar.

  • Marcella: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Marcella

    S39 E6 - 1h 22m

    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.

  • Hannah Arendt: Facing Tyranny: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Hannah Arendt: Facing Tyranny

    S39 E5 - 1h 23m

    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.

  • Janis Ian: Breaking Silence: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Janis Ian: Breaking Silence

    S39 E4 - 1h 51m

    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.

  • Art Spiegelman: Disaster is My Muse: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Art Spiegelman: Disaster is My Muse

    S39 E3 - 1h 36m

    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.

  • LIZA: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    LIZA: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story

    S39 E2 - 1h 42m

    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.

  • The Disappearance of Miss Scott: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    The Disappearance of Miss Scott

    S39 E1 - 1h 23m

    Learn about jazz virtuoso and screen superstar Hazel Scott, the first Black American to have their own television show. An early civil rights pioneer, she faced down the Red Scare at the risk of losing her career and was a champion for equality. The film features interviews with Mickey Guyton, Tracie Thoms, Amanda Seales, and Sheryl Lee Ralph as the voice of Hazel Scott.

Extras + Features

  • Make Marcella Hazan’s easy roast chicken with lemon: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Make Marcella Hazan’s easy roast chicken with lemon

    S39 E6 - 2m 29s

    One of Marcella Hazan’s most famous recipes is a simple roast chicken with lemons. Watch chef Shola Olunloyo demonstrate the delicious dish.

    See the full recipe on the American Masters website.

  • How Marcella Hazan accidentally became a teacher: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    How Marcella Hazan accidentally became a teacher

    S39 E6 - 2m 17s

    In 1969, Marcella Hazan enrolled in a cooking class taught by Grace Zia Chu. Madame Chu decided to take a sabbatical on the first day of class, and with the other students’ encouragement, Marcella stepped in to teach the students Italian cooking instead. Thus began the start of Marcella’s long teaching career.

  • Make the Perfect Roman-style Artichokes: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Make the Perfect Roman-style Artichokes

    S39 E6 - 8m 4s

    One of Marcella Hazan’s most interesting recipes is her upside-down artichokes, also known as Roman-style artichokes. Watch teacher and writer Giuliano Hazan make it here and level up your artichoke game.

  • How Marcella Hazan published her first cookbook: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    How Marcella Hazan published her first cookbook

    S39 E6 - 2m 39s

    In the early 70s, an editor reached out to Marcella Hazan to write a cookbook. Hesistant because she didn’t write in English, her husband Victor offered to help translate the book for her. Within a year, the two delivered “The Classic Italian Cook Book,” which is now considered “the most seminal Italian cookbook ever published in this country.”

  • Make the Perfect Meatballs and Tomatoes: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Make the Perfect Meatballs and Tomatoes

    S39 E6 - 5m 31s

    Writer and teacher Giuliano Hazan demonstrates his mother's meatballs and tomatoes. Marcella's meatballs were a classic in the household - a dish that Giuliano would bring to school in a thermos for lunch.

  • Marcella: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Marcella

    S39 E6 - 2m 11s

    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.

  • Make the Perfect Macerated Orange Slices: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Make the Perfect Macerated Orange Slices

    S39 E6 - 4m 43s

    Teacher Giuliano Hazan shows us how to make his mother Marcella Hazan's simple and delicious macerated orange slices. All you need is some oranges, lemon and sugar!

  • Hannah Arendt: Facing Tyranny: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Hannah Arendt: Facing Tyranny

    S39 E5 - 2m

    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.

  • Why McCarthyism was familiar to Hannah Arendt: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Why McCarthyism was familiar to Hannah Arendt

    S39 E5 - 2m

    Hannah Arendt was teaching at Berkeley when McCarthyism took hold of the United States. She found the outrage, fear and chilling effect similar to her experiences in 1930s Germany: “They are introducing police methods, they name names, and in this way, the informant system is being integrated into the society.”

  • What sparked Hannah Arendt's ideas behind "The Origins of Totalitarianism": asset-mezzanine-16x9

    What sparked Hannah Arendt's ideas behind "The Origins of Totalitarianism"

    S39 E5 - 2m 49s

    Adolf Hitler projected his own narrative into his campaign speeches, giving his followers a coherent story that the Nazi movement was winning, even when they weren’t. Hannah Arendt began to come up with ideas for “The Origins of Totalitarianism” while observing what Hitler provided his followers: “The Nazis translated the propaganda lies of the movement into a functioning reality.”

Schedule

  • Image
    American Masters: Starring Dick Van Dyke: TVSS: Banner-L1

    American Masters

    Starring Dick Van Dyke

    Friday
    Dec 12

    2 Hours

    Celebrating the life and career of actor Dick Van Dyke on his 100th birthday; featuring never-before-seen footage, photos and home movies that detail his legacy in show business.
  • Image
    American Masters: Starring Dick Van Dyke: TVSS: Banner-L1

    American Masters

    Starring Dick Van Dyke

    Friday
    Dec 12

    2 Hours

    Celebrating the life and career of actor Dick Van Dyke on his 100th birthday; featuring never-before-seen footage, photos and home movies that detail his legacy in show business.
  • Image
    American Masters: Starring Dick Van Dyke: TVSS: Banner-L1

    American Masters

    Starring Dick Van Dyke

    Saturday
    Dec 13

    2 Hours

    Celebrating the life and career of actor Dick Van Dyke on his 100th birthday; featuring never-before-seen footage, photos and home movies that detail his legacy in show business.
  • Image
    American Masters: Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes: TVSS: Iconic

    American Masters

    Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes

    Saturday
    Dec 13

    1 Hour 30 Minutes

    Bebop pioneer and virtuoso composer Max Roach's far-reaching ambitions were inspired and challenged by the inequities of the society around him.
  • Image
    American Masters: Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes: TVSS: Iconic

    American Masters

    Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes

    Sunday
    Dec 14

    1 Hour 30 Minutes

    Bebop pioneer and virtuoso composer Max Roach's far-reaching ambitions were inspired and challenged by the inequities of the society around him.
  • Image
    American Masters: Starring Dick Van Dyke: TVSS: Banner-L1

    American Masters

    Starring Dick Van Dyke

    Sunday
    Dec 14

    2 Hours

    Celebrating the life and career of actor Dick Van Dyke on his 100th birthday; featuring never-before-seen footage, photos and home movies that detail his legacy in show business.
  • Image
    American Masters: Starring Dick Van Dyke: TVSS: Banner-L1

    American Masters

    Starring Dick Van Dyke

    Sunday
    Dec 14

    2 Hours

    Celebrating the life and career of actor Dick Van Dyke on his 100th birthday; featuring never-before-seen footage, photos and home movies that detail his legacy in show business.
  • Image
    American Masters: Starring Dick Van Dyke: TVSS: Banner-L1

    American Masters

    Starring Dick Van Dyke

    Monday
    Dec 15

    2 Hours

    Celebrating the life and career of actor Dick Van Dyke on his 100th birthday; featuring never-before-seen footage, photos and home movies that detail his legacy in show business.
  • Image
    American Masters: Starring Dick Van Dyke: TVSS: Banner-L1

    American Masters

    Starring Dick Van Dyke

    Monday
    Dec 15

    2 Hours

    Celebrating the life and career of actor Dick Van Dyke on his 100th birthday; featuring never-before-seen footage, photos and home movies that detail his legacy in show business.
  • Image
    American Masters: Starring Dick Van Dyke: TVSS: Banner-L1

    American Masters

    Starring Dick Van Dyke

    Monday
    Dec 15

    2 Hours

    Celebrating the life and career of actor Dick Van Dyke on his 100th birthday; featuring never-before-seen footage, photos and home movies that detail his legacy in show business.
  • Image
    American Masters: Starring Dick Van Dyke: TVSS: Banner-L1

    American Masters

    Starring Dick Van Dyke

    Monday
    Dec 15

    2 Hours

    Celebrating the life and career of actor Dick Van Dyke on his 100th birthday; featuring never-before-seen footage, photos and home movies that detail his legacy in show business.
  • Image
    American Masters: TVSS: Banner-L1

    American Masters

    Ten Times Better

    Tuesday
    Dec 16

    30 Minutes

    The astonishing and heartwarming story of George Lee, a pioneering Asian dancer who originated a featured role in George Balanchine's The Nutcracker ago as a teenage immigrant from China.
  • Image
    American Masters: TVSS: Banner-L1

    American Masters

    Ten Times Better

    Wednesday
    Dec 17

    30 Minutes

    The astonishing and heartwarming story of George Lee, a pioneering Asian dancer who originated a featured role in George Balanchine's The Nutcracker ago as a teenage immigrant from China.
  • Image
    American Masters: TVSS: Banner-L1

    American Masters

    Ten Times Better

    Wednesday
    Dec 17

    30 Minutes

    The astonishing and heartwarming story of George Lee, a pioneering Asian dancer who originated a featured role in George Balanchine's The Nutcracker ago as a teenage immigrant from China.
  • Image
    American Masters: LIZA: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story: TVSS: Banner-L1

    American Masters

    LIZA: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story

    Thursday
    Dec 18

    2 Hours

    An intimate look at the life and career of Liza Minnelli and how she built her own legacy in show business.
  • Image
    American Masters: LIZA: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story: TVSS: Banner-L1

    American Masters

    LIZA: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story

    Friday
    Dec 19

    2 Hours

    An intimate look at the life and career of Liza Minnelli and how she built her own legacy in show business.
  • Image
    American Masters: LIZA: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story: TVSS: Banner-L1

    American Masters

    LIZA: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story

    Friday
    Dec 19

    2 Hours

    An intimate look at the life and career of Liza Minnelli and how she built her own legacy in show business.
  • Image
    American Masters: LIZA: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story: TVSS: Banner-L1

    American Masters

    LIZA: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story

    Saturday
    Dec 20

    2 Hours

    An intimate look at the life and career of Liza Minnelli and how she built her own legacy in show business.

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