Life in a Glimpse

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 an indelible impression on the cultural landscape of the United States.

Biography is a documentary television series. It was originally a half-hour filmed series produced for CBS by David Wolper from 1961 to 1964 and hosted by Mike Wallace. The A&E Network later re-ran it and has produced new episodes since 1987. The older version featured historical figures such as Helen Keller and Mark Twain, or long-dead entertainment figures such as Will Rogers or John Barrymore. The A&E series has placed the emphasis on such people as Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Plácido Domingo, Freddie Mercury, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Eric Clapton, Pope John Paul II, Gene Tierney, Selena, Diego Rivera, Mao Zedong and Queen Elizabeth II, and fictional characters like The Phantom, Superman, Hamlet, Betty Boop, and Santa Claus. The program ended up profiling enough figures that in 1999, A&E spun it off into an entire network, The Biography Channel.

He was part of the most famous rock-'n'-roll quartet in history. But George Harrison was much more than just a member of The Beatles.

Explores WWII from Germany's invasion of Poland through the atomic age, examining pivotal battles, wartime leaders like Churchill and Roosevelt, and the human cost of total war.

Infographics and archival footage deliver bite-size history lessons on scientific breakthroughs, social movements and world-changing discoveries.

A look at the life of Australian pop star Kylie Minogue, who opens her personal archives and reflects on a career in which she has sold 80 million records and reinvented herself, and by extension pop, several times. Home movies, personal photographs and new interviews reveal the picture, as Kylie addresses how she’s faced public scrutiny, personal loss and illness.

Don Wildman unearths relics from the world's greatest institutions to reveal secrets from the past. He examines each artifact to illuminate history's most incredible triumphs, sensational crimes and bizarre encounters.

A celebration of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward’s iconic careers and decades-long partnership. Director Ethan Hawke brings life and color to this definitive history of their love, lives, and philanthropy.

Explore Marvel’s rich legacy of pioneering characters, creators and storytelling to reflect the world outside your window. Each documentary, helmed by a unique filmmaker, showcases the intersections of storytelling, pop culture, and fandom within the Marvel Universe.

Before he was Hulk Hogan, he was Terry Bollea. Uncover the man behind the legend in this unfiltered documentary featuring his very last interview.

A portrait of celebrated filmmaker David Chase: his life, his career and his groundbreaking work on the HBO original series The Sopranos.

An in-depth look at the history and pop cultural significance of horror films.

Actor, model, and global superstar Brooke Shields’ journey from a sexualized young girl to a woman who embraces her identity and voice.

Explore the surprising things we know (and don’t know) about why people are the way they are through expert interviews, rare footage from historical experiments, and brand-new, ground-breaking demonstrations of human nature at work.

Explore Ali’s challenges, confrontations, comebacks and triumphs through recordings of his own voice. The two-part documentary paints an intimate portrait of a man who was a beacon of hope for oppressed people around the world and, in his later years, was recognized as a global citizen and a symbol of humanity and understanding.

Steve Martin is one of the most beloved and enigmatic figures in entertainment. Dive into his extraordinary story from two distinct points of view—past and present—as Martin reflects on how his beginnings led to his unexpectedly fulfilling life today.

Porn has gone mainstream; the question is, can we handle it? This exploration of the intersection of sex and technology is told through the stories of the people whose lives are defined by the current explosion of internet porn-whether they're creating it, consuming it, or both.

Influential builders, dreamers and believers whose feats transformed the United States, a nation decaying from the inside after the Civil War, into the greatest economic and technological superpower the world had ever seen. The Men Who Built America is the story of a nation at the crossroads and of the people who catapulted it to prosperity.

Witness the stories of history's most notorious kingpins, their terrifying enforcers, and the men and women who've sworn to bring them down.

A series of standalone documentaries powered by the unparalleled journalism and insight of The New York Times, bringing viewers close to the essential stories of our time.

A story of spies and silent pacts, this fascinating docuseries, told in first person by witnesses and experts, exposes how the machinery of the state is keen to protect the former King of Spain, Juan Carlos I, and conceal his scandals.

TV's most-watched history series brings to life the compelling stories from our past that inform our understanding of the world today.

Written and presented by Martin Gilbert, Sir Winston Churchill's official biographer and the author of Churchill: A Life, The Complete Churchill is a treasury of rare newsreel clips and interviews with Churchill's family, staff, and political contemporaries, both the supporters and the detractors.

A deep dive into the decade's untold history, revealing secrets, and prespectives.

A life as dramatic as her work. Lucy Worsley discovers the origins of Agatha Christie's macabre magic - and with some compelling characters, uncovers carefully concealed secrets.

Napoleon's extraordinary rise from obscure military man to hero of the French people convinces him that he is destined for greatness.

A portrait of a public woman, interweaving moments from never-before-seen 2016 campaign footage with biographical chapters of Hillary Rodham Clinton's life. Featuring exclusive interviews with Hillary herself, Bill Clinton, friends, and journalists, an examination of how she became simultaneously one of the most admired and vilified women in the world.

Tutored by Aristotle, helpless witness to his father's assassination, and a brilliant, pioneering tactician, Alexander the Great had conquered the known world--and sealed his legacy as one of history's most remarkable rulers--by the age of 25. In the year 334 B.C., 20-year-old King Alexander of Macedonia decided to bring the farthest reaches of the world under one domain. Over the next 12 years, he led a grand army across more than 20,000 miles and eventually brought all of Asia under his control, only to perish from battle wounds at the age of 32. Incorporating dramatic onsite reenactments with high-end computer graphics and the expertise of renowned scholars, THE TRUE STORY OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT is a special presentation from THE HISTORY CHANNEL®, examining the life and career of this military genius, impassioned lover, and fearless leader.

How, from 1974 to 1993, Totò Riina (1930-2017), supreme boss of the Corleone family, ruled by blood and terror over the Sicilian Mafia. An implacable account, based on the testimony of his men and those who fought against them.

“Biography: The Trump Dynasty” draws from first-hand accounts and never-before-seen archival footage to examine the life and heritage of the 45th President of the United States.

Historian Andrew Roberts journeys through the history and geography of Europe to bring the story of Napoleon vividly to life as he retraces the footsteps of the legendary leader himself.

A fascinating look at the life of trailblazing Hollywood icon Sara Montiel, widely considered Spain's first international star.

From South Africa to Silicon Valley - the enigmatic, compelling and controversial inside story of the world's richest man, as told by family, friends and enemies.

The career of Alain Prost, four-time Formula 1 world champion, four-time runner-up and winner of 51 races, undoubtedly the greatest and best French racing driver in F1 history.

A story about Sweden's monarchy, the role of the royal family in society and what happens when the person behind the monarch is reminded.

Documentary about Leif GW Persson, told by Jens Lind. The story spans over seven decades, from Leifs birth at the end of world war II in march 1945, until now when the working class kid has become one of Swedens most appreciated writers and tv-personalities.

An all access series chronicling the epic past and uncertain future of the iconic band Bon Jovi. A 40-year odyssey of rock 'n roll idolatry on the precipice as a vocal injury threatens to bring everything to a halt.