6.5/1030 votes#1 - Ailey
Season 36 Episode 1 - Aired 1/11/2022
The life and career of choreographer Alvin Ailey, whose dances focus on the Black experience, interviews with those close to him and a glimpse into his dance studios.
Director: Jamila Wignot
Writer: N/A
7.8/1043 votes#2 - Marian Anderson: The Whole World in Her Hands
Season 36 Episode 2 - Aired 2/8/2022
Exploring the life and legacy of singer Marian Anderson and her work as an advocate for the civil rights advocate.
Director: Rita Coburn Whack
Writer: Rita Coburn Whack, Philip Gittelman
8.5/1049 votes#3 - Waterman – Duke: Ambassador of Aloha
Season 36 Episode 3 - Aired 5/10/2022
The journey and legacy of five-time Olympic medalist Duke Kahanamoku, who broke swimming records and popularized modern-day surfing while overcoming racism.
Director: Isaac Halasima
Writer: N/A
7.2/1023 votes#4 - Joe Papp in Five Acts
Season 36 Episode 4 - Aired 6/3/2022
No description available
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.9/1055 votes#5 - Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road
Season 36 Episode 5 - Aired 6/14/2022
Follow musician, singer, songwriter, record producer and co-founder of The Beach Boys, Brian Wilson on a drive through Los Angeles with his longtime friend and Rolling Stone editor Jason Fine. With Fine behind the wheel and Wilson selecting the music, they reflect on the formative and creative periods in Wilson’s life as they revisit the places that helped to shape his career.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.8/1027 votes#6 - Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On
Season 36 Episode 6 - Aired 11/22/2022
Experience the story of the Oscar-winning Indigenous artist from her rise to prominence in New York’s Greenwich Village folk music scene through her six-decade groundbreaking career as a singer-songwriter, social activist, educator and artist.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
6.7/1026 votes#7 - The Adventures of Saul Bellow
Season 36 Episode 7 - Aired 12/12/2022
Explore Nobel Prize winner Saul Bellow's impact on American literature and how he navigated through issues of his time, including race, gender and the Jewish immigrant experience. Featuring interviews with Philip Roth, Salman Rushdie and others.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.6/10143 votes#8 - Groucho & Cavett
Season 36 Episode 8 - Aired 12/27/2022
Discover the enduring friendship between television personality Dick Cavett and his mentor iconic comedian Groucho Marx. Their relationship is chronicled through interviews with Cavett, archival footage and interviews with George Burns and others.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
The Best Episodes of American Masters Season 36
Every episode of American Masters Season 36 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of American Masters Season 36!
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 36 Ratings Summary
"Ailey" is the best rated episode of "American Masters" season 36. It scored 6.5/10 based on 30 votes. Directed by Jamila Wignot and written by N/A, it aired on 1/11/2022. This episode is rated 1.3 points higher than the second-best, "Marian Anderson: The Whole World in Her Hands".