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The Worst Episodes of American Masters

Every episode of American Masters ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of American Masters!

Worst episode
S6E5 Frederic Remington: The Truth of Other Days
3.381 votes
Best episode
S13E5 The Lives of Lillian Hellman
9.0105 votes
Top season
Season 8
7.8avg
Binge time
18d 23h
314 episodes
BestEpisodes
WorstEpisodes
BestSeasons
AllEpisodes

Seasons41

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Worst Episode
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    American Masters Season 6 Episode 5 - Frederic Remington: The Truth of Other Days
    3.3/10(81 votes)

    S6:E5

    The artistic career of a painter and sculptor who defined western art and influenced America's ideas of the west.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. American Masters Season 19 Episode 4 - Bob Newhart: Unbuttoned
    4.3/10(130 votes)

    S19:E4

    A chronicle of the famed comic's life and success, from humble accountant to world-famous funny man.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  3. American Masters Season 26 Episode 4 - Harper Lee: Hey, Boo
    4.7/10(105 votes)

    S26:E4

    One of the biggest bestsellers of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird (1960) is the first and only novel by a young woman named Nelle Harper Lee, who once said that she wanted to be South Alabama’s Jane Austen. Lee won the Pulitzer Prize and became a mystery when she stopped speaking to press in 1964. More than 50 years after its publication, To Kill a Mockingbird has been translated into more than 40 languages worldwide, still sells nearly one million copies each year and is required reading in most American classrooms, making it quite possibly the most influential American novel of the 20th century. The 1962 film version, starring Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch, won a trio of Academy Awards. Harper Lee: Hey, Boo chronicles how this beloved novel came to be written, provides the context and history of the Deep South where it is set, and documents the many ways the novel has changed minds and shaped history. For teachers, students or fans of the classic, Hey, Boo enhances the experience of reading To Kill a Mockingbird.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. American Masters Season 37 Episode 8 - A Song for Cesar
    5.2/10(26 votes)

    S37:E8

    Trace the life and legacy of labor activist Cesar Chavez. Through interviews with Maya Angelou, Joan Baez, Carlos Santana and more, see how music and the arts were instrumental to the success of the farmworkers’ movement Chavez helped found.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. American Masters Season 11 Episode 5 - Isamu Noguchi: Stones and Paper
    5.9/10(75 votes)

    S11:E5

    The free-flowing design and sculpture of a man influenced by Asian sensibilities.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. American Masters Season 24 Episode 8 - Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould
    5.9/10(75 votes)

    S24:E8

    A fresh look at the life of a singular pianist and poet who made an international impact with his music and recordings.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  7. American Masters Season 25 Episode 3 - John Muir in the New World
    6.0/10(91 votes)

    S25:E3

    This documentary explores the life and legacy of America’s first environmentalist and Sierra Club’s founder. Mountaineers portray Muir in reenactments filmed in Yosemite, the Sierra Nevada, Alaska, Wisconsin, and Alhambra Valley.

    Director:Catherine Tatge
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. American Masters Season 13 Episode 4 - Robert Rauschenberg: Inventive Genius
    6.0/10(81 votes)

    S13:E4

    The boundaries broken by the innovative experimental artist.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. American Masters Season 2 Episode 1 - Isaac in America: A Journey with Isaac Bashevis Singer
    6.1/10(122 votes)

    S2:E1

    A profile of the literary work of Isaac Bashevis Singer and his influence on preserving Jewish culture and the Yiddish language.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  10. American Masters Season 19 Episode 6 - Ernest Hemingway: Rivers to the Sea
    6.1/10(122 votes)

    S19:E6

    The famous author and his colorful life as told through his writings, letters, and interviews with family and scholars.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. American Masters Season 24 Episode 4 - Merle Haggard: Learning to Live with Myself
    6.1/10(111 votes)

    S24:E4

    Merle Haggard actually lived the rambling, gambling, love ‘em and leave ‘em, often brutal life that remains the bedrock of country music lyrics.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  12. American Masters Season 12 Episode 6 - Alexander Calder
    6.1/10(92 votes)

    S12:E6

    A biography of the acclaimed sculptor known for his mobiles and large public art pieces.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  13. American Masters Season 37 Episode 3 - In the Making
    5.3/10(19 votes)

    S37:E3

    Follow two performers as they break down barriers in music. Opera singer J’Nai Bridges takes the stage in “A Knee on the Neck,” a choral tribute to George Floyd. Country artist Rissi Palmer redefines success as she works on her latest album, while uplifting other artists of color in the Americana genres.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. American Masters Season 16 Episode 7 - Ralph Ellison: An American Journey
    6.3/10(98 votes)

    S16:E7

    The impact of African-American author Ellison on the state of culture and literature in the United States.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. American Masters Season 4 Episode 7 - Mort Sahl: The Loyal Opposition
    6.3/10(86 votes)

    S4:E7

    The biting comedic satire of Mort Sahl and his rise to prominence in the 1960s.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. American Masters Season 34 Episode 4 - Unladylike2020: The Changemakers
    6.2/10(33 votes)

    S34:E4

    Mark the women’s suffrage centennial with stories of pioneering women who shaped American politics.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. American Masters Season 2 Episode 9 - The Ten-Year Lunch: The Wit and Legend of the Algonquin Round Table
    6.6/10(246 votes)

    S2:E9

    A history of the famed social gathering of leaders, intellectuals, writers, and artists.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  18. American Masters Season 35 Episode 3 - Twyla Moves
    6.3/10(35 votes)

    S35:E3

    Explore legendary choreographer Twyla Tharp’s career and famously rigorous creative process, with original interviews, first-hand glimpses of her at work and rare archival footage of select performances from her more than 160 choreographed works.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  19. American Masters Season 4 Episode 5 - Celebrating Bird: The Triumph of Charlie Parker
    6.6/10(126 votes)

    S4:E5

    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.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  20. American Masters Season 25 Episode 9 - Charles & Ray Eames: The Architect and the Painter
    6.6/10(96 votes)

    S25:E9

    From 1941 to 1978, this husband-and-wife team brought unique talents to their partnership. He was an architect by training, she was a painter and sculptor. Together they are considered America’s most important and influential designers, whose work helped, literally, shape the second half of the 20th century and remains culturally vital and commercially popular today. They are, perhaps, best remembered for their mid-century modern furniture, built from novel materials like molded plywood, fiberglass-reinforced plastic, bent metal wire and aluminum – offering consumers beautiful, functional, yet inexpensive products. Revered for their designs and fascinating as individuals, Charles and Ray have risen to iconic status in American culture. But their influence on significant events and movements in American life – from the development of modernism, to the rise of the computer age – has been less widely understood. Charles and Ray Eames are now profiled as part of American Masters. A film by Jason Cohn and Bill Jersey. Narrated by James Franco.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  21. American Masters Season 24 Episode 2 - I.M. Pei: Building China Modern
    6.6/10(79 votes)

    S24:E2

    The work of the innovative Chinese-American architect with a focus on his efforts to build an historical museum in China.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  22. American Masters Season 33 Episode 4 - Holly Near: Singing for Our Lives
    6.3/10(28 votes)

    S33:E4

    For 40 years, singer and activist Holly Near works on global social justice coalition-building in the women's and lesbian movements.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  23. American Masters Season 21 Episode 7 - Orozco: Man of Fire
    6.4/10(30 votes)

    S21:E7

    A portrait of the dramatic work of a Mexican-born muralist and artist, Jose Clemente Orozco, as he made his mark on the United States.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  24. American Masters Season 34 Episode 7 - Keith Haring: Street Art Boy
    6.7/10(100 votes)

    S34:E7

    Explore the definitive story of international art sensation Keith Haring who blazed a trail through the art scene of ‘80s New York and revolutionized the worlds of pop culture and fine art. The film features previously unheard interviews with Haring.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  25. American Masters Season 33 Episode 11 - Rothko: Pictures Must Be Miraculous
    6.7/10(96 votes)

    S33:E11

    Explore the life of the celebrated artist whose luminous color field paintings helped define the abstract expressionist movement, which shifted the art world epicenter from Paris to New York.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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Worst Episodes Summary

"Frederic Remington: The Truth of Other Days" is the worst rated episode of American Masters. It scored 3.3/10 from 81 votes. Written and directed by Unknown, it aired on August 5, 1991. This episode scored 1.0 points lower than the second lowest rated, "Bob Newhart: Unbuttoned".

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