Rosalind P. Walter News

American Masters joins PBS' summer-long celebration of female trailblazers in honor of the women's vote centennial with three new documentaries exploring the lives of remarkable changemakers, both past and present.

Today, THIRTEEN's American Masters series and Philip Gittelman Productions, in association with Black Public Media, announced a new documentary on contralto Marian Anderson (1897-1993) in production for PBS.

This summer, Great Performances explores the lives of two trailblazing American women with two acclaimed theatrical productions. Great Performances: Ann, Emmy Award winner Holland Taylor's compelling portrayal of the legendary Texas Governor Ann Richards, premieres Friday, June 19 at 9 p.m. on PBS.

Nature's spies are back undercover. Their mission? To go deeper into the animal world than ever thought possible. From the hot and humid tropics to the freezing poles, the sequel to 2017's popular Nature: Spy in the Wild miniseries places even more spy creatures in the middle of some of nature's greatest events.

Beginning this Women's History Month, American Masters illuminates the inspiring stories of little-known American heroines from the early years of feminism and the women who now follow in their footsteps with Unladylike2020, an innovative multimedia series launching in honor of the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage. Narrated by Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife; ER; Billions) and Lorraine Toussaint (Selma; Orange is the New Black; The Glorias),  American Masters – Unladylike2020 spotlights 26 diverse changemakers, in 26 documentary shorts premiering Wednesdays, beginning March 4 through August 26, Women's Equality Day, on the American Masters YouTube channel. In addition, an hour-long American Masters – Unladylike2020 special will premiere as part of PBS' summer-long celebration of female trailblazers.

American Masters presents the broadcast premiere of award-winning filmmaker Stanley Nelson's deep dive into the world of a beloved musical giant. American Masters a?" Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool, which earned a Grammy nomination in the a?oeBest Music Filma?? category, premieres nationwide Tuesday, February 25 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings), pbs.org/milesdavis and the PBS Video app in honor of Black History Month.

On December 12, NYC-ARTS will feature a look at the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art dedicated to providing a platform for artistic exploration through multi-faceted LGBTQ perspectives located in SoHo.

Octopus behavior has fascinated humans for centuries; their unique shape and skillsets often provide the inspiration for extraterrestrials in science fiction. New in the world of cephalopod research is the extent to which these intelligent animals are individual personalities – able to recognize faces and interact with other individuals – all of which is an odd adaptation for an animal thought to live an asocial existence. Follow this new science through the story of a pet octopus and its evolving relationship with the passionate American scientist studying it in Nature – Octopus: Making Contact, premiering nationwide Wednesday, October 2 at 8 p.m. on PBS(check local listings), pbs.org/nature and the PBS Video app.

One of the most influential artists of the 20th century, Mark Rothko's signature style helped define Abstract Expressionism, the movement that shifted the center of the art world from Paris to New York. American Masters — Rothko: Pictures Must Be Miraculous, premiering nationwide Friday, October 25 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings), pbs.org/americanmasters and the PBS Video app, is an intimate portrait of the celebrated painter whose luminous canvasses now set records at international auctions. Interviews with Rothko's children, Kate and Christopher, as well as leading curators, art historians and conservators present a comprehensive look at the artist's life and career, complemented by original scenes with Alfred Molina in the role of Rothko. Molina performs segments from Rothko's diaries, and the documentary features clips from the six-time Tony-winning play Red. Great Performances will premiere Red nationwide on Friday, November 15 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings), pbs.org/gperf and the PBS Video app as part of the series' third annual “Broadway's Best” lineup of acclaimed theatrical productions.

THIRTEEN's American Masters and Latino Public Broadcasting's VOCES join forces to present the first documentary about Raúl Juliá, the versatile Puerto Rican actor whose work on stage and screen took the world by storm. American Masters a?" Raúl Juliá: The World's a Stage premieres Friday, September 13, 2019 at 9 p.m. ET on PBS (check local listings), pbs.org/rauljulia and the PBS Video App in honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month. 

 Today at the Television Critics Association Press Tour, PBS and THIRTEEN announced a new documentary about the EGOT-winning entertainer Rita Moreno, slated to premiere in 2020. AMERICAN MASTERS a?oeRita Moreno: The Girl Who Decided to Go For Ita?? (w.t.) is a partnership between THIRTEEN's AMERICAN MASTERS series and Norman Lear's Act III Productions in association with Maramara and executive producer Lin-Manuel Miranda.

FIRING LINE WITH MARGARET HOOVER returns to PBS for a second season of spirited debate focusing on the most important issues facing our democracy today. Host Margaret Hoover will once again bring together the brightest minds and freshest voices from across the political spectrum, along with thought leaders and cultural figures, to engage in a contest of ideas.

Best known for her science fiction and “Earthsea” fantasy series, celebrated and beloved author Ursula Kroeber Le Guin (1929–2018) wrote 21 novels, 11 volumes of short stories, four collections of essays, 12 children's books, six volumes of poetry and four of translation during her life. American Masters presents the first documentary film exploring the remarkable life and legacy of the prolific and versatile author: Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin, premiering nationwide Friday, August 2 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings), pbs.orgamericanmasters and the PBS Video app.

Spring is one of nature's greatest performances – a time of rebirth, renewed energy and dramatic transformations. For three consecutive nights, Monday, April 29 - Wednesday, May 1 at 8:00 p.m. ET on PBS (check local listings) and Facebook, Nature: American Spring LIVE presents the change from winter to spring in real time from iconic locations across America.

An outspoken political activist and singer-songwriter, Holly Near's music and life story illustrate how song can have the power to send a clarion call and influence the course of social justice a?" from the lesbian and women's movements to anti-war efforts and the fight to give South American women a voice. American Masters a?" Holly Near: Singing for Our Lives explores how the activist-artist provided an inspiring soundtrack to nearly a half-century of global and local struggles for equality and change. Directed by four-time Emmy Award-winner Jim Brown (American Masters a?" The Highwaymen: Friends Til The End, American Masters a?" Pete Seeger: The Power of Song), the documentary premieres nationwide Friday, March 1 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings) in honor of Women's History Month and will be available to stream the following day via pbs.org/americanmasters and PBS apps.

Hosted by Tony Award-winning actor and comedian Martin Short, Great Performances – Movies for Grownups® Awards with AARP The Magazine premieres nationwide Friday, February 15 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings) and will be available to stream beginning February 16 on pbs.org/moviesforgrownups and PBS apps. This is the second consecutive year the awards will be broadcast on PBS in a co-production with Great Performances. The AARP Movies for Grownups multimedia franchise was established in 2002 to celebrate and encourage filmmaking with unique appeal to movie lovers with a grownup state of mind — and recognize the inspiring artists who make them.

An outspoken political activist and singer-songwriter, Holly Near's music and life story illustrate how song can have the power to send a clarion call and influence the course of social justice - from the lesbian and women's movements to anti-war efforts and the fight to give South American women a voice. American Masters - Holly Near: Singing for Our Lives explores how the activist-artist provided an inspiring soundtrack to nearly a half-century of global and local struggles for equality and change. Directed by four-time Emmy Award-winner Jim Brown (American Masters - The Highwaymen: Friends Til The End, American Masters - Pete Seeger: The Power of Song), the documentary premieres nationwide Friday, March 1 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings) in honor of Women's History Month and will be available to stream the following day via pbs.org/americanmasters and PBS apps.

This February, for Black History Month, American Masters profiles two iconic performers who broke new ground in entertainment as the Civil Rights movement gathered momentum in America: Sammy Davis, Jr., and Charley Pride. American Masters – Sammy Davis, Jr.: I've Gotta Be Me, the first major film documentary to examine the performer's vast career and journey for identity through the shifting tides of civil rights and racial progress during 20th-century America, premieres nationwide Tuesday, February 19 at 9:00 p.m. ET on PBS (check local listings) and is available on DVD the same day through PBS Distribution. The PBS broadcast also features 20 minutes of exclusive bonus performance footage spanning Davis' 50-year career after the documentary. American Masters – Charley Pride: I'm Just Me premieres nationwide Friday, February 22 at 9:00 p.m. ET on PBS (check local listings). Both films will be available to stream the day after their respective broadcast premieres viapbs.org/americanmasters and PBS apps.

This January, NYC-ARTS will highlight trailblazing women in the arts, all of whom are celebrated for taking risks and bringing their respective crafts to new heights. 

Tony Award-winning director and producer Harold Prince discusses his creative process in a clip from Great Performances - Harold Prince: The Director's Life. Watch below!