American Masters Episode Ratings Heatmap
1986 · 30 Seasons · 228 Episodes · Overall Score: 6.4/10 (45 rated)
Season 25 holds the highest collective average score across the series.
Season 25 Details →Lowest score variance (σ = 0), maintaining an average of 1.0.
Complete Episode Rating Matrix
Interactive score chart by season and episode number. Darker green indicates higher ratings; amber and red denote lower reception.
| Episode | Season 1 | Season 2 | Season 3 | Season 4 | Season 5 | Season 6 | Season 7 | Season 8 | Season 9 | Season 10 | Season 11 | Season 12 | Season 13 | Season 14 | Season 15 | Season 16 | Season 17 | Season 18 | Season 19 | Season 20 | Season 21 | Season 22 | Season 23 | Season 24 | Season 25 | Season 26 | Season 27 | Season 28 | Season 29 | Season 30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ep 1 | 7.0 | – | – | – | 6.3 | – | – | – | – | – | 6.5 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 8.0 | – | 1.0 | – |
| Ep 2 | – | 7.7 | 10.0 | 8.0 | 10.0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 8.0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 3.5 |
| Ep 3 | 8.0 | 9.0 | – | – | 6.0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 9.0 | – | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| Ep 4 | – | 7.0 | 9.0 | – | 7.0 | – | – | – | 7.0 | – | – | 9.0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| Ep 5 | – | 9.0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 7.7 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 8.0 | – | – | 1.0 | – |
| Ep 6 | – | – | – | 10.0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| Ep 7 | – | – | – | 8.0 | 10.0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 9.5 | – | – | – | – | – | 9.0 | – | – | – | 1.0 | – |
| Ep 8 | – | – | 6.5 | 9.0 | 7.0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 8.0 | – | – | – | – | – | 9.0 | – | – | – | 1.0 | – |
| Ep 9 | – | – | – | 6.8 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 6.0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 10 | 9.0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 11 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ep 12 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Season Avg | 8.0 | 8.2 | 8.5 | 8.4 | 7.7 | – | – | – | 7.0 | 7.7 | 6.5 | 8.5 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 8.8 | 6.0 | – | – | – | – | 9.0 | 8.0 | 8.5 | – | 1.0 | 1.6 |
Ratings Analysis & Trajectory
Across 30 seasons and 228 episodes, American Masters has earned an overall series rating of 6.4 out of 10. The series reached its critical peak early, showing a slight contraction in audience satisfaction in later chapters.
The single highest-rated hour of television in the series is Season 3, Episode 2 ("A Duke Named Ellington"), rated at an extraordinary 10.0/10 with 1 ratings. Conversely, the lowest-rated installment is Season 30, Episode 6 ("Janis: Little Girl Blue"), landing at 1.0/10.
The most precipitous single-episode shift occurred in Season 5 between Episode 2 ("John Cassavetes", 10) and Episode 3 ("Martin Scorsese Directs", 6), a swing of 4 points.
Top 10 Highest Rated Episodes of American Masters
| Rank | Episode | Title | Score | Votes | Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Season 3, Ep 2 | A Duke Named Ellington | 10.0 | 1 | Jul 18, 1988 |
| #2 | Season 4, Ep 6 | Jasper Johns: Ideas in Paint | 10.0 | 1 | Sep 11, 1989 |
| #3 | Season 5, Ep 2 | John Cassavetes | 10.0 | 1 | Jul 9, 1990 |
| #4 | Season 5, Ep 7 | Sanford Meisner: The American Theatre's Best Kept Secret | 10.0 | 1 | Aug 27, 1990 |
| #5 | Season 19, Ep 7 | Bob Dylan: No Direction Home (1) | 9.5 | 3 | Sep 26, 2005 |
| #6 | Season 1, Ep 10 | Thomas Eakins: A Motion Portrait | 9.0 | 1 | Aug 25, 1986 |
| #7 | Season 2, Ep 3 | Rubinstein Remembered | 9.0 | 1 | Jul 20, 1987 |
| #8 | Season 2, Ep 5 | George Gershwin Remembered | 9.0 | 1 | Aug 24, 1987 |
| #9 | Season 3, Ep 4 | Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul | 9.0 | 1 | Aug 22, 1988 |
| #10 | Season 4, Ep 8 | W. Eugene Smith: Photography Made Difficult | 9.0 | 1 | Sep 25, 1989 |