Movie fans already loved Turner Classic Movies for airing some of the greatest movies ever made, all day every day, but now they are using their knowledge to examine many of these all-time classics in a new docuseries, The Power of Film.
Across six episodes, renowned UCLA film professor Howard Suber will examine multiple classic movies, diving into the art of storytelling and what makes each one so successful.
"I am honored to have our series shown on TCM, surrounded by 17 of the most memorable American films, nearly all of which I discuss in depth in the series," said Suber. "TCM's commitment to the history of American films has always been remarkable."
What movies will be shown (Casablanca, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, others?), and when are episodes airing? We have everything that you need to know about The Power of Film docuseries right here.
The Power of Film release date
The Power of Film is set to premiere on Thursday, January 4, at 8 pm ET/PT on Turner Classic Movies. The show will air weekly on Thursdays. With six episodes that means it'll run through February 8.
The Power of Film host
Howard Suber is a UCLA professor emeritus, founding chair of the UCLA Film and Television Producer’s Program and one of the founders of the UCLA Film Archive. He has served as a consultant to all major film studios and is the author of two books, The Power of Film and Letters to Young Filmmakers, as well as co-author for the book Creativity and Copyright: Legal Essentials for Screenwriters and Creative Artists. So it's fair to say he knows what he is talking about when it comes to movies.
The Power of Film premise
The docuseries takes its name and inspiration from Howard Suber's book, The Power of Film. Turner Classic Movie teases that it goes "beyond an online masterclass," with Suber pairing his teaching and insights with about 50 classic movie scenes to "create a uniquely engaging narrative through humor, emotion and human experience."
Here is an official synopsis of all six episodes of the docuseries:
The Power of Film episode 1, "Part 1: Popular and Memorable"
"A large proportion of the most commercially successful American films are quickly forgotten. A tiny fraction, however, are truly memorable, lasting from one generation to another. Using iconic scenes from many of these classic films, this series explores films that were both popular and memorable. In this episode, Howard Suber asks why this small minority continues to have such power."
The Power of Film episode 2, "Part 2: Trapped"
"Nearly all memorable stories, whether told in movies or in real life, are about traps. The most memorable are generally about the loss, sacrifice and ultimate triumph the central character must engage in to escape their trap."
The Power of Film episode 3, "Part 3: Character Relationships"
"There's no such thing as an interesting character; there are only interesting character relationships. But, as is true for religions, myths and the longest-lasting dramas, the structure of most memorable dramatic plots centers on a single individual, around whom all the most important action and the other characters revolve."
The Power of Film episode 4, "Part 4: Heroes and Villains"
"Memorable films tend to be a compensation for what we don't see much of in the real world — justice, commitment and altruism. Film drama frequently treats the central characters as if they were heroes or villains, but often the two are very much alike."
The Power of Film episode 5, "Part 5: The Power of Paradox"
"In almost every memorable film, things are not what they seem, and learning the truth about characters and situations creates much of the tension in the film. Often, the truth of the film is quite paradoxical, which is what makes us want to keep watching."
The Power of Film episode 6, "Part 6: Love and Meaning"
"Although it's often said that in order to succeed, a Hollywood film has to have a happy ending, when you look at the most memorable love stories it's astonishing how many of them end with the separation or death of one or both lovers. Often, the paradox underlying the film helps explain why they stick in our memories."
The Power of Film trailer
There is no trailer for The Power of Film. If one is released, we'll add it here.
How to watch The Power of Film
Turner Classic Movies is a cable channel, so you either have to have a traditional pay-TV cable subscription or a live TV streaming service that carries the channel. Most traditional pay-TV providers offer packages that include TCM, while the channel is also part of the channel lineup on DirecTV Stream, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV and YouTube TV.
It is not confirmed at this time, but The Power of Film episodes may be made available on Max, as the streaming service includes a TCM hub.
