Plot Synopsis

AMERICAN MASTERS is a series of biographies and profiles about important figures in America's artistic and cultural life. Each episode features a different subject, ranging from the first quintessentially American dance company to an African-American gospel singer and guitar virtuoso who influenced rock and roll and from TV stars who affected American pop culture to filmakers who made American -- and international -- audiences cry with laughter.

This series returned for its 26th season on Friday, December 28, 2012 at 9pm ET, with an episode, "Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance," that uncovered the story of the Joffrey Ballet and its co-founders, Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino, who pioneered a new dance philosophy by daringly combining modern and traditional techniques and art with social statement, and integrating pop and rock music scores. The second episode of Season 26, which didn't air until February 22, 2013, revealed the life, music and influence of Rosetta Tharpe, an African-American gospel singer.

AMERICAN MASTERS launched it 29th season on Friday, January 23, 2015 at 9pm on PBS (check local listings). Narrated by Dick Cavett, the season opener, "Ricky Jay: Deceptive Practice," journeys into the mysterious world of sleight-of-hand and the small circle of eccentrics who are its perpetual devotees. Told largely in Jay's own distinctive voice, the documentary traces the story of his achievement, beginning at age 4 as apprentice to his grandfather Max Katz, an accomplished amateur magician, and features rare footage of some of the most influential magicians of the 20th century: Cardini, Slydini, Al Flosso, Dai Vernon and Charles Miller.

Season 30 of AMERICAN MASTERS premiered on Friday, January 29, 2016 at 9pm on PBS (check local listings). The season opener chronicles the life and impact of director, actor, writer, producer and comedian Mike Nichols, who won an Oscar, a Grammy, four Emmys, nine Tonys, three BAFTAs and many other awards. As the legendary comedy duo Nichols and May, Nichols and his partner Elaine May revolutionized comedy in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Now, May has directed the first documentary about her former partner. This program features new interviews with his friends and colleagues, including Meryl Streep, Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, Dustin Hoffman, Alec Baldwin, Paul Simon, Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, Bob Balaban, Tony Kushner, Neil Simon, Frank Langella, James L. Brooks and many others, conducted by film, TV and theater producer Julian Schlossberg. Schlossberg also conducted an exclusive interview with Nichols for the film. After Mike Nichols, the series' 30th anniversary season continues with new documentaries about music legends B.B. King (February 12), Carole King (February 19), Fats Domino (February 26), Loretta Lynn (March 4), Janis Joplin (May 3) and The Highwaymen (May 27).

PBS premiered the thirty-first season of AMERICAN MASTERS on Tuesday, January 3, 2017 at 8pm (check local listings). The season opener features prolific and versatile filmmaker Sidney Lumet (1924-2011), who made 44 films in 50 years, earning the Academy Honorary Award for lifetime achievement after four Oscar nominations. Considered a quintessential New York filmmaker, Lumet frequently used New York City's urban mettle to infuse his films with a realism and intensity that kept audiences in suspense while prodding them to consider their own morality. In this installment of AMERICAN MASTERS, he tells his own story in a never-before-seen interview shot in 2008 by late filmmaker Daniel Anker and producer Thane Rosenbaum.

AMERICAN MASTERS returned for its 36th season on Tuesday, January 11, 2022 at 9pm on PBS (check local listings) with a season opener that explores the life and impact of visionary choreographer and dancer Alvin Ailey, featuring previously unheard audio of Ailey and new interviews with Judith Jamison, Bill T. Jones, Carmen de Lavallade, Rennie Harris and others.
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On Tuesday, August 27, 2024 at 8pm (check local listings), PBS premiered "Blake Edwards: A Love Story in 24 Frames," a new installment of AMERICAN MASTERS. While known for cinema classics such as BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S, DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES, and the PINK PANTHER series, the iconic director, screenwriter and producer Blake Edwards was also a sculptor and painter, loving husband and devoted father. Discover the man behind the camera and explore his iconic career and his professional and personal relationships. Featuring never-before-seen archival video and stills, the program offers an exploration into the filmmaker's complex life and genre-spanning career, as shared by filmmakers and family. Edwards' story is further illuminated through interviews with devoted family members, fans and those who have worked with him, including wife Julie Andrews, children Jennifer and Geoffrey Edwards, Lesley Ann Warren (VICTOR/VICTORIA), Bo Derek (10), Rob Marshall, Rian Johnson and more. Born in 1922, an artistically minded young Blake Edwards began his Hollywood career as an actor but quickly pivoted to writing and directing. While Edwards redefined slapstick comedy through a lens that still resonates with today's directors and actors, he was influential across many genres, including dramas, detective films, musicals and even Broadway theater productions. See how his life changed when he met Andrews and how their creative partnership informed such films such as 10, S.O.B. and THAT'S LIFE! Edwards is remembered fondly by those who knew him. Or as Andrews herself puts it, "I don't think I ever met a man as charismatic, as wicked, as funny, as vulnerable, as angry at times, as adorable and sweet as Blake." Produced, directed and co-written by Danny Gold, "Blake Edwards: A Love Story in 24 Frames" introduces the original song, "Take Me As I Am," performed by The Uninvited and written by Steven V. Taylor and John A. Taylor. Using a unique approach, the song is written from the perspective of Blake Edwards.