Sort by IMDb Rating - Highest Rated Movies and TV Shows With Melvin Van Peebles
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1. Homicide: Life on the Street (1993–1999)
TV-14 | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
An American police procedural television series chronicling the work of a fictional version of the Baltimore Police Department's Homicide Unit.
Stars: Richard Belzer, Clark Johnson, Yaphet Kotto, Kyle Secor
Votes: 14,175
2. René Vautier, le rebelle (2000)
25 min | Documentary, Short
Director: Nasreddine Guenefi | Stars: René Vautier, Romain Goupil, Melvin Van Peebles
Votes: 7
3. The Midnight Special (1972–1981)
90 min | Music, Talk-Show
Late night rock and pop music performances are featured.
Stars: Wolfman Jack, Helen Reddy, Donna Summer, Gladys Knight
Votes: 381
4. Bicentennial Minutes (1974– )
1 min | Short, History
Minute-long "on this day in history" shorts, used a countdown to America's bicentennial.
Stars: Walter Cronkite, Cleveland Amory, Edward Asner, Roddy McDowall
Votes: 51
5. The Steve Allen Show (1968–1971)
90 min | Comedy, Talk-Show
Stars: Steve Allen, Jayne Meadows, Pat Harrington Jr., Bob Einstein
Votes: 31
6. Sex: The Revolution (2008– )
42 min | Documentary
Frankly examines a colorful and controversial chapter of modern American history, when individuals and events coalesced to challenge the moral orthodoxy surrounding sex and sexual behavior.... See full summary »
Stars: John Waters, Hugh Hefner, Phil Donahue, Bruce Vilanch
Votes: 272
7. American Masters (1985– )
TV-14 | 90 min | Documentary, Biography, History
Documentary series focusing on great American artists and personalities.
Stars: Martin Scorsese, Peter Bogdanovich, Tony Bennett, Dick Cavett
Votes: 1,169
8. Independent Lens (1999– )
TV-14 | Documentary
Independent Lens is an award-winning PBS documentary series that streams on the PBS App and airs on public television. Independent Lens documentaries focus on stories of underrepresented ... See full summary »
Stars: America Ferrera, Terrence Howard, Stanley Tucci, Mary-Louise Parker
Votes: 634
9.
Living Single (1993–1998)
Episode:
Likes Father, Likes Son
(1996)
TV-PG | 22 min | Comedy
Regine is dating a handsome weather man. She visits him one day at work and on her way out, she bumps into a charming older man who asks her out. Later, she finds out they are father and ... See full summary »
Director: Ellen Gittelsohn | Stars: Queen Latifah, Kim Coles, Erika Alexander, Terrence 'T.C.' Carson
Votes: 33
10. Soul Train (1971–2006)
TV-14 | 60 min | Music, Talk-Show
Created by music impresario Don Cornelius, Soul Train is an African-American focused music-dance television program that aired 35 years, primarily featuring performances by R&B, soul, funk, pop, and hip hop artists.
Stars: Don Cornelius, Diana Puskas, Queen Turner, Carole Creekmore
Votes: 680
11.
American Masters (1985– )
Episode:
Satchmo: The Life of Louis Armstrong
(1989)
TV-14 | 85 min | Documentary, Biography, History
Home movies, film clips, and interviews provide insight into the remarkable life and career of jazz trumpeter and bandleader Louis Armstrong.
Directors: Gary Giddins, Kendrick Simmons | Stars: Louis Armstrong, Hattie Winston, Melvin Van Peebles, Wynton Marsalis
Votes: 149
12. The Sophisticated Gents (1981)
240 min | Drama
Successful black men who were saved from the streets as teenagers come together in a reunion to honor their mentor.
Stars: Bernie Casey, Sonny Jim Gaines, Roosevelt Grier, Rosalind Cash
Votes: 98
13. Unstoppable: Conversation with Melvin Van Peebles, Gordon Parks, and Ossie Davis (2005 TV Movie)
Documentary
Director: J. Gregory Lewis | Stars: Ruby Dee, Nelson George, Julie Dash, Reginald Hudlin
Votes: 20
14.
Homicide: Life on the Street (1993–1999)
Episode:
The Documentary
(1997)
TV-14 | 44 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
On New Year's Eve, Brodie screens his documentary about the detectives that reveals embarrassing lies and hidden truths.
Director: Barbara Kopple | Stars: Richard Belzer, Andre Braugher, Reed Diamond, Michelle Forbes
Votes: 150
15. The House I Live In (2012)
Not Rated | 108 min | Documentary
From the dealer to the narcotics officer, the inmate to the federal judge, a penetrating look inside America's criminal justice system, revealing the profound human rights implications of U.S. drug policy.
Director: Eugene Jarecki | Stars: Eugene Jarecki, David Simon, Shanequa Benitez, William Julius Wilson
Votes: 5,394 | Gross: $0.21M
16. The Outer Limits (1995–2002)
TV-PG | 44 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
A modern revival of the classic science fiction horror anthology show The Outer Limits (1963). Episodes often have twist-endings and involve aliens. Sometimes, a story from one episode continues in a later episode.
Stars: Kevin Conway, Alex Diakun, Eric Schneider, Garvin Cross
Votes: 13,763
17. Living Single (1993–1998)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy
Follows the lives of several single male and female roommates and friends in 1990s Brooklyn, New York.
Stars: Queen Latifah, Kim Coles, Erika Alexander, John Henton
Votes: 6,666
18. Wattstax (1973)
R | 103 min | Documentary, Comedy, Music
Documentary covering a Stax Records-sponsored all-day concert at the 1972 Watts Summer Festival with performances by Stax Records artists such as Isaac Hayes, Rufus Thomas, The Staples Singers, and more.
Director: Mel Stuart | Stars: The Dramatics, The Staple Singers, Kim Weston, Jimmy Jones
Votes: 1,088
19. In the Heat of the Night (1988–1995)
TV-14 | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The cases and adventures of the police forces in and around Sparta, Mississippi.
Stars: Carroll O'Connor, Alan Autry, David Hart, Hugh O'Connor
Votes: 6,196
20. Dream On (1990–1996)
TV-MA | 30 min | Comedy
Martin Tupper is a book editor in Manhattan, recently divorced from Judith, a psychologist. Martin's life is filled with fantasies and sexual thoughts, many times coming in the form of black-and-white shots from old TV shows and movies.
Stars: Brian Benben, Denny Dillon, Wendie Malick, Chris Demetral
Votes: 3,811
21. The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 (2011)
Not Rated | 100 min | Documentary, History
Footage shot by a group of Swedish journalists documenting the Black Power Movement in the United States is edited together by a contemporary Swedish filmmaker.
Director: Göran Hugo Olsson | Stars: Angela Davis, Stokely Carmichael, Bobby Seale, Abiodun Oyewole
Votes: 2,497 | Gross: $0.26M
22. Just an Old Sweet Song (1976 TV Movie)
78 min | Drama
A black family from Detroit takes a two-week vacation in the South. The trip changes their lives.
Director: Robert Ellis Miller | Stars: Cicely Tyson, Robert Hooks, Beah Richards, Lincoln Kilpatrick
Votes: 56
23. Infiltrating Hollywood: The Rise and Fall of the Spook Who Sat by the Door (2011)
57 min | Documentary
Infiltrating Hollywood: The Rise and Fall of the Spook Who Sat by the Door is an independent documentary on the controversial and FBI repressed 1973 black film The Spook Who Sat By the Door... See full summary »
Directors: Christine Acham, Clifford Ward | Stars: Sam Greenlee, Berlie Dixon, Todd Boyd, Paul Butler
Votes: 24
24. Charlie Rose (1991–2017)
60 min | News, Talk-Show
Charlie Rose interviews noteworthy people in fields including politics and government, business and economics, science and technology, media, sports and the arts.
Stars: Charlie Rose, Mark Halperin, Al Hunt, Thomas Friedman
Votes: 1,165
25.
In the Heat of the Night (1988–1995)
Episode:
An Angry Woman
(1990)
TV-PG | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Althea grieves when an impoverished coworker dies in a hit-and-run accident, while the Police investigate the incident.
Director: Winrich Kolbe | Stars: Carroll O'Connor, Howard E. Rollins Jr., Alan Autry, Anne-Marie Johnson
Votes: 60
26. Girlfriends (2000–2008)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy
A look at the lives, loves, and losses of four different women, Toni, Maya, Lynn, and Joan.
Stars: Tracee Ellis Ross, Golden Brooks, Persia White, Reginald C. Hayes
Votes: 5,057
27. Classified X (2007 TV Movie)
PG-13 | 53 min | Documentary
A history of the racially stereotyped portrayal of African Americans in cinema.
Director: Mark Daniels | Stars: Melvin Van Peebles, Margaret Barker, Joanna Barnes, Ethel Barrymore
Votes: 253 | Gross: $0.00M
28. Baadasssss! (2003)
R | 109 min | Biography, Drama
Mario Van Peebles' half-documentary/half-homage to his father Melvin Van Peebles' movie Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971).
Director: Mario Van Peebles | Stars: Mario Van Peebles, Nia Long, Joy Bryant, Ossie Davis
Votes: 5,161 | Gross: $0.37M
29. The David Frost Show (1969–1972)
90 min | Talk-Show
American show featuring the popular British talk show host.
Stars: David Frost, Gerri Granger, Tiny Tim, Dana Valery
Votes: 248
30. Fair Game? (2010)
Documentary
In the age of Barack Obama, prominent Black males from diverse fields debate the notion of a "level playing field" by weighing in on the complexities of critical issues such as education, ... See full summary »
Director: Mario Van Peebles | Stars: Mario Van Peebles, Barack Obama, Ronald B. Mincy, Glenn Martin
Votes: 16
31. The Story of a Three Day Pass (1967)
Not Rated | 87 min | Drama, Romance
A black American soldier is demoted for fraternizing with a white girl in France.
Director: Melvin Van Peebles | Stars: Harry Baird, Pierre Doris, Christian Marin, Nicole Berger
Votes: 616
32. Time of Her Time (2000)
R | 93 min | Drama
A thirty-something Irish-American former matador teaches a bull-fighting class in Greenwich Village. After the sexual conquest of a number of his female students, he meets his match in a 19-year-old co-ed.
Director: Francis Delia | Stars: Linden Ashby, Leslie Bega, Larry Drake, Melvin Van Peebles
Votes: 46
33. The Mike Douglas Show (1961–1982)
Comedy, Music, Talk-Show
Mike Douglas, aided by a different celebrity co-host every week, interviews a variety of figures from the world of entertainment.
Stars: Mike Douglas, Ellie Frankel, Ellie Frankel Sextet, Stan Kann
Votes: 579
34. Lauren Hutton and... (1995–1997)
30 min | Talk-Show
Former model Lauren Hutton interviews various personalities in an intimate, one-on-one format.
Stars: Lauren Hutton, Michael Gross, Valerie Harper, John Stamos
Votes: 51
35. How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (and Enjoy It) (2005)
Unrated | 85 min | Documentary
Feature-length documentary on renegade filmmaker, novelist, musician and theater impresario, Melvin Van Peebles.
Director: Joe Angio | Stars: Marva Allen, Emanuel Azenberg, Shelley R. Bonus, St. Clair Bourne
Votes: 320
36. Oscar Micheaux: The Superhero of Black Filmmaking (2021)
80 min | Documentary, Biography, History
A look at the life and work of Oscar Micheaux, a pioneer of the African-American film industry.
Director: Francesco Zippel | Stars: Gian Luca Farinelli, Chuck D, Amma Asante, Kwame Kwei-Armah
Votes: 204
37. Making Do the Right Thing (1989 TV Movie)
60 min | Documentary
The Behind-the-Scenes documentary of the dramatic comedy Do the Right Thing.
Director: St. Clair Bourne | Stars: Danny Aiello, Jennie Bourne, Nandi Bowe, Ossie Davis
Votes: 216
38.
CBS Schoolbreak Special (1984–1996)
Episode:
The Day They Came to Arrest the Book
(1987)
47 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
Uncomfortable with racist language in "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn", a high school student and his parents attempt to get the book removed from the school's library.
Director: Gilbert Moses | Stars: Jonathan Crombie, Réal Andrews, Jeremy Ratchford, Jessica Steen
Votes: 24
39.
Girlfriends (2000–2008)
Episode:
Everything Old Is New Again
(2005)
TV-PG | Comedy
While stressing over whether she should go with a restaurant or legal career, Joan finds herself suddenly pursued by an older man.
Director: Roger Christiansen | Stars: Tracee Ellis Ross, Golden Brooks, Persia White, Jill Marie Jones
Votes: 31
40.
Without Walls (1990–1996)
Episode:
Kiss My Baad Assss Ice-T's Guide to Blaxploitation
(1994)
25 min | Documentary, Biography
Ice-T Looks at the history of 1970s Blaxploitation cinema and its continuing influence.
Directors: Peter Stuart, Tony Fletcher | Stars: Ice-T, Regana Red, Robert Beck, Donald Bogle
Votes: 20
41.
Girlfriends (2000–2008)
Episode:
Trial and Errors
(2005)
TV-PG | Comedy
Toni is suddenly overwhelmed by Todd's aggressive campaign for custody of Morgan, as it attempts to portray her as a bad mother.
Director: Debbie Allen | Stars: Tracee Ellis Ross, Golden Brooks, Persia White, Jill Marie Jones
Votes: 30
42. Sonny Spoon (1988)
60 min | Comedy, Crime, Mystery
A slick, street-smart private eye and top disguise artist solves various crimes with a little help from his friends and also takes care of his dad, a bar owner.
Stars: Mario Van Peebles, Terry Donahoe, Bob Wieland, Melvin Van Peebles
Votes: 122
43. Baadasssss Cinema (2002 TV Movie)
58 min | Documentary
Filmmaker Isaac Julien uses film clips and interviews to illustrate the history of the so-called "blaxploitation" genre.
Director: Isaac Julien | Stars: Pam Grier, Fred Williamson, Melvin Van Peebles, Elvis Mitchell
Votes: 760
44. Us: A Love Story (2009)
30 min | Short, Drama
A short film that examines the impact and consequences of a union consecrated in blood. One couple's love story is a metaphor for the history of white and black race relations in the United States.
Director: Alrick Brown | Stars: Kandiss Edmundson, Tony Naumovski, Mark Lyons, Michael Anastasio
Votes: 19
45. All My Children (1970–2011)
TV-PG | 60 min | Drama, Romance, Mystery
Set in the fictional East Coast suburb Pine Valley, this show is the decades-old, risk-taking soap that centers around Erica Kane and her long line of husbands.
Stars: Susan Lucci, David Canary, Michael E. Knight, Cameron Mathison
Votes: 3,256
46. Bulworth (1998)
R | 108 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A suicidally disillusioned liberal politician puts a contract out on himself and takes the opportunity to be bluntly honest with his voters by affecting the rhythms and speech of hip-hop music and culture.
Director: Warren Beatty | Stars: Warren Beatty, Halle Berry, Kimberly Deauna Adams, Vinny Argiro
Votes: 27,292 | Gross: $26.53M
47. CBS Schoolbreak Special (1984–1996)
Adventure, Comedy, Drama
CBS late afternoon specials designed for middle school and high school students, dramatizing issues affecting teenagers.
Stars: Monica Calhoun, Tammy Lauren, Nick Angotti, Beau Dremann
Votes: 352
48. Kinyarwanda (2011)
Not Rated | 100 min | Drama, History, Romance
A young Tutsi woman and a young Hutu man fall in love amidst chaos; a soldier struggles to foster a greater good while absent from her family; and a priest grapples with his faith in the face of unspeakable horror.
Director: Alrick Brown | Stars: Cleophas Kabasita, Hadidja Zaninka, Marc Gwamaka, Cassandra Freeman
Votes: 504
49. Bamboozled (2000)
R | 135 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
A frustrated African-American TV writer proposes a blackface minstrel show in protest, but to his chagrin, it becomes a hit.
Director: Spike Lee | Stars: Damon Wayans, Savion Glover, Jada Pinkett Smith, Michael Rapaport
Votes: 12,346 | Gross: $2.27M
50. Watermelon Man (1970)
R | 100 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
Jeff Gerber, a racist white man, wakes up one morning to discover that he has become black.
Director: Melvin Van Peebles | Stars: Godfrey Cambridge, Estelle Parsons, Howard Caine, D'Urville Martin
Votes: 2,862 | Gross: $1.50M