8.0/1056 votes#1 - By Sidney Lumet
Season 31 Episode 1 - Aired 1/3/2017
In a 2008 interview, director Sidney Lumet talks about his life and career, which included 44 films in 50 years.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.8/1047 votes#2 - Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise
Season 31 Episode 2 - Aired 2/21/2017
The life of author and activist Maya Angelou, with comments from Oprah Winfrey, Common, Bill and Hillary Clinton and others.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.6/1040 votes#3 - Patsy Cline
Season 31 Episode 3 - Aired 3/1/2017
A profile of influential country singer Patsy Cline (1932-63), featuring archival performances of such songs as "Walkin' After Midnight," "I Fall to Pieces" and "Crazy"; and remarks from artists who knew her and others influenced by her.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.4/1046 votes#4 - James Beard: America’s First Foodie
Season 31 Episode 4 - Aired 5/19/2017
Experience a century of food through the life of one man, James Beard (1903-1985). Dubbed the “Dean of American Cookery” by The New York Times, Beard was a Portland, Ore., native who loved and celebrated the bounty of the Pacific Northwest. He spoke of the importance of localism and sustainability long before those terms had entered the vernacular.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.1/1051 votes#5 - Jacques Pépin: The Art of Craft
Season 31 Episode 5 - Aired 5/26/2017
Discover the story of Chef Jacques Pépin (b. December 18, 1935), a young immigrant with movie-star looks, a charming Gallic accent, and a mastery of cooking and teaching so breathtaking he became an early food icon—joining James Beard and Julia Child among the handful of Americans who transformed the way the country views the food world.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.7/1025 votes#6 - Richard Linklater: Dream is Destiny
Season 31 Episode 6 - Aired 9/1/2017
A trove of never-before-seen archival footage provides an unconventional look at the fiercely independent style of filmmaking that emerged out of Austin, Texas in the late 1980s and 1990s with Linklater as its poster boy.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.9/1032 votes#7 - Tyrus
Season 31 Episode 7 - Aired 9/8/2017
The unlikely story of 106-year old Chinese American artist Tyrus Wong, and how he overcame poverty and racism in America to become a celebrated modernist painter, Hollywood sketch artist, and “Disney Legend” for his groundbreaking work on the classic animated film, Bambi.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.4/1075 votes#8 - Edgar Allan Poe: Buried Alive
Season 31 Episode 8 - Aired 10/30/2017
This documentary draws on the rich palette of Poe’s evocative imagery and sharply drawn plots to tell the real story of the notorious author, exploring the misrepresentations of Poe as a drug-addled madman akin to the narrators of his horror stories.
Director: Eric Stange
Writer: Eric Stange
NaN/100 votes#9 - Inspiring Woman Web Series
Season 31 Episode 9 - Aired 11/8/2017
Six innovators tell their own stories and explain how they’re changing their respective industries: podcast host Tracy Clayton, Chef Angie Mar, JavaScript developer Sara Chipps, web-cam performance artist Molly Soda, entrepreneur Rakia Reynolds, and visual artist Tatyana Fazlalizadeh.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.9/10133 votes#10 - This is Bob Hope
Season 31 Episode 10 - Aired 11/13/2017
A candid look at a remarkable life with unprecedented access to Bob Hope’s personal archives, including writings voiced by Billy Crystal and clips from Hope’s body of work to reveal a gifted and very human individual who recognized the power of fame, embraced its responsibilities and handled celebrity with extraordinary wit and grace.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
The Best Episodes of American Masters Season 31
Every episode of American Masters Season 31 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of American Masters Season 31!
American Masters is a PBS television series which produces biographies on enduring writers, musicians, visual and performing artists, dramatists, filmmakers, and others who have left...
Genre:Documentary
Network:PBS
Season 31 Ratings Summary
"By Sidney Lumet" is the best rated episode of "American Masters" season 31. It scored 8/10 based on 56 votes. Directed by N/A and written by N/A, it aired on 1/3/2017. This episode is rated 0.2 points higher than the second-best, "Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise".