History

Ben Stiller on hsi new documentary "Stiller and Meara: Nothing Is Lost". The film is about his parents, comedy duo Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara.

Documentary producer and director Ken Burns came to prominence 35 years ago with The Civil War, a massively popular multi-part nonfiction series on PBS. His latest effort is a six-part series called The American Revolution.

Burns' PBS documentary includes the perspectives of women, Native Americans, and enslaved and free Black people — all of whom were initially excluded from the declaration "all men are created equal."

HBO premieres a documentary film called "My Mom Jayne." It marks the directorial debut of "Law & Order: SVU" star Mariska Hargitay, who sets out in the film to learn about her mother, who died in a car accident when Mariska was 3. Her mother was Jayne Mansfield, the famous movie star of the 1950s and '60s. Our TV critic David Bianculli says that "My Mom Jayne" turns out to be much more intimate and full of genuine surprises than he expected.

Wilson, who died at age 82, was the creative force behind The Beach Boys. He wrote and produced many hits, including "Good Vibrations" and "God Only Knows." Originally broadcast in '88 and '98.

Our film critic Justin Chang says the documentary drama hybrid "Caught By The Tides" is one of the best and most unusual new movies he's seen this year. It's the latest from the acclaimed Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhangke, and it draws from footage that he began shooting in 2001 to tell a story of two lovers who separate and reunite over roughly two decades.

David Grann discusses his book about an 18th-century British warship that wrecked along the coast of Patagonia. Martin Scorsese is slated to direct the film adaptation. Originally broadcast in 2023.

The Oscar-nominated filmmaker directed both Black Panther films and Creed. Coogler's latest movie is a vampire thriller about twins who open a juke joint in Jim Crow Mississippi.

The jazz singer's 1960s concert career is amply documented on record, with live albums from Berlin, LA, Tokyo and the French Riviera. Now comes a newly released concert of Fitzgerald in Oakland, Calif.

In Bad Law, Elie Mystal argues that our country's laws on immigration, abortion and voting rights don't reflect the will of most Americans, and we'd be better off abolishing them and starting over.

The 1975 cult classic Rocky Horror turns 50 this year. To mark the occasion, we listen back to a 2005 interview with Curry, who played the cross-dressing scientist Dr. Frank-N-Furter.

Amer grew up in Kuwait, where he enjoyed a comfortable life — until the first Gulf War forced his family to flee to the U.S. His Netflix show Mo is in its second season. Originally broadcast in 2022.

Fugard, who died March 8, was a white South African whose plays explored the consequences of Apartheid. He was later awarded a Tony Award for lifetime achievement. Originally broadcast in 1986.

The 1970s band the New York Dolls was hugely influential, despite making only two studio albums. Today we remember Johansen, aka Buster Poindexter, who died Feb. 28. Originally broadcast in 2004.

Ross' Oscar-nominated film centers on two young Black men attempting to survive a brutal Florida reformatory school in the 1960s. He says he's sees the rural South as a "meaning-making space."

Questlove's new documentary called "Sly Lives! (AKA The Burden Of Black Genius)" is about the impact of Sly Stone and his band Sly and the Family Stone on music and culture.

Brody won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of a Hungarian-Jewish architect and Holocaust survivor who seeks a fresh start in post-WWII America. "I just was in awe when I read the script," he says.

The German filmmaker reflects on his unusual life and the curiosity that has fueled his career in the memoir, Every Man for Himself and God Against All. Originally broadcast Oct. 25, 2023.

Paxton plays guitar, banjo, piano and harmonica — among other instruments. He's known for performing music from the 1920s and '30s. Paxton's new album of original songs is Things Done Changed.

In Savings and Trust, historian Justene Hill Edwards tells the story of the Freedman's Bank. Created for formerly enslaved people following the Civil War, its collapse cost depositors millions.