The WORST episodes of American Masters
Every episode of American Masters ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of American Masters!
To honor America's most notable creative artists and the inspiration behind their work. Special broadcasts profiles a cross-section of the nation's finest artistic pioneers from the past and present.
#1 - Norman Rockwell: Painting America
Season 14 - Episode 2 - Aired 11/24/1999
A presentation of the award-winning PBS series American Masters, Norman Rockwell: Painting America etches a warm and indelible portrait of one of America's most beloved artists. Insightful commentary by art experts and historians enhances one's appreciation of Rockwell's deceptively simple work. To look at Rockwell's paintings, one observer notes, is to enter "a mythical land of childhood innocence and exuberance." Director Steven Spielberg, who paid homage to a Rockwell tableau in his film Empire of the Sun, adds, "He dealt with every touchstone in life and made a meal out of it.... He captured us in the blink of an artistic eye." Norman Rockwell: Painting America traces the artist's life and career. One might be surprised, for example, that Rockwell was not born and raised in a small town but in cosmopolitan New York City. We also get a privileged look inside Rockwell's studio for a glimpse into how he created his masterworks. One of his daughters relates an anecdote with the same impish smile her father so wonderfully captured in a famous painting depicting a disheveled schoolgirl sitting outside the principal's office, the victor in a playground tussle with a boy. Rockwell's paintings captured the way we were and how we should be. His legacy and spirit can be seen, for example, in Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life. "He told us we were good," one historian states. Seen in a Person to Person broadcast with host Edward R. Murrow, Rockwell himself remarks, "I paint life as I would like it to be." --Donald Liebenson
#2 - Harold Clurman: A Life of Theatre
Season 4 - Episode 1 - Aired 7/3/1989
The life of the renowned Broadway director and arts critic, as well as co-founder of New York's Group Theatre.
#3 - Broadway's Dreamers: The Legacy of Group Theater
Season 3 - Episode 8 - Aired 6/26/1989
The story of "method" acting.
#4 - Neil Simon: Not Just for Laughs
Season 3 - Episode 7 - Aired 3/8/1989
The whimsical work of the beloved playwright.
#5 - Andre Kertesz of the Cities
Season 3 - Episode 3 - Aired 8/8/1988
A retrospective of the urban photography of Andre Kertesz, told by tracking him in the final years before his death.
#6 - Georgia O'Keeffe
Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 9/1/1986
A profile of the noted American artist originally produced to celebrate her 90th birthday.
#7 - Thomas Eakins: A Motion Portrait
Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 8/25/1986
The strikingly realistic and unsentimental paintings of the noted artist from Philadelphia.
#8 - Aaron Copland: A Self Portrait
Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 8/18/1986
One of America's signature classical composers and the unique elements he incorporated into his pieces.
#9 - James Levine: A Life in Music
Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 8/11/1986
The musical career of the long-time conductor of New York City's Metropolitan Opera as reflected by following his normal working day on camera.
#10 - Billie Holiday: The Long Night of Lady Day
Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 8/4/1986
A biography of Billie Holiday, one of America's most unique and emotional jazz singers and the tragic end of her life at an early age. Her story and career are portrayed through rare archival film and television appearances, memorable renditions of her greatest songs, and interviews with friends and colleagues.
#11 - Mort Sahl: The Loyal Opposition
Season 4 - Episode 7 - Aired 9/18/1989
The biting comedic satire of Mort Sahl and his rise to prominence in the 1960s.
#12 - Cachao: Uno Más
Season 24 - Episode 8 - Aired 9/20/2010
A feature on the Cuban-born bassist Israel "Cachao" Lopez, an internationally renowned musician, composer, and pioneer of Mambo.
#13 - Quincy Jones: In the Pocket
Season 16 - Episode 4 - Aired 11/18/2001
Profile of the career of the ground-breaking musician and producer.
#14 - Harold Lloyd: The Third Genius
Season 4 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/15/1989
Profile of the comedy standout from the silent era who is often mentioned third behind Chaplin and Keaton.
#15 - A Conversation with Gregory Peck
Season 15 - Episode 6 - Aired 4/9/2001
Documentary following the Hollywood star Gregory Peck on a tour of speaking engagements, as well as at home with his family in America and Italy. His career is illustrated by extracts from such movies as To Kill a Mockingbird, Roman Holiday, Cape Fear and McArthur.
#16 - Richard Avedon: Darkness and Light
Season 10 - Episode 3 - Aired 1/24/1996
The notable images of one of the nation's most famous fashion photographers.
#17 - Celebrating Bird: The Triumph of Charlie Parker
Season 4 - Episode 5 - Aired 8/17/1989
A biographical documentary on the short-lived career of brilliant jazz musician Charlie Parker. Features his only television appearance and rare concert footage. Includes cameos by such greats as Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonius Monk, and Charles Mingus.
#18 - Bill T. Jones: A Good Man
Season 25 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/11/2011
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.
#19 - Trumbo
Season 23 - Episode 6 - Aired 9/2/2009
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.
#20 - Sarah Vaughan: The Divine One
Season 6 - Episode 4 - Aired 7/29/1991
A look at the soulful interpretations of the remarkable singer, mostly through filmed performances.
#21 - Tennessee Williams: Orpheus of the American Stage
Season 9 - Episode 2 - Aired 12/19/1994
The plays of a master of portraying human relations and the shades of love and hate.
#22 - Rediscovering Will Rogers
Season 9 - Episode 1 - Aired 11/30/1994
The life of the famed commentator on the American condition and his style of humor.
#23 - Martha Graham: The Dancer Revealed
Season 8 - Episode 2 - Aired 5/13/1994
A documentary of the masterful American dancer.
#24 - Benny Goodman: Adventures in the Kingdom of Swing
Season 8 - Episode 1 - Aired 12/8/1993
The life of the clarinetist and band leader known as the "King of Swing."
#25 - D.W. Griffith: Father of Film
Season 7 - Episode 3 - Aired 3/24/1993
A look at the innovator of primary motion picture techniques that are still important today and the controversy surrounding his beliefs.