In Their Own Words: Story, Cast and Series Facts

Story and premise

In Their Own Words is a unique and stylish new biography series that explores an elite few of the 20th century's greatest figures. The inaugural season features episodes on a diverse trio of extraordinary subjects: three-time World Heavyweight Champion boxer Muhammad Ali, Muppets creator Jim Henson and Britain's long-reigning monarch Queen Elizabeth II.

Each chapter in these artfully crafted biographies is inspired and marked by some of the most memorable words spoken by these world icons: words that describe the subject creatively and intimately. These memorable quotes keynote the storytelling, as each sequence sheds new light on key moments in our subjects' lives — illuminating their fascinating personalities and spotlighting their profound cultural and historical impact for a new generation of television viewers. Stylized, evocative recreations of significant moments in the subjects' lives add texture to the visual storytelling and also serve as background for some of the featured quotes.

This non-linear approach to the top of each episode alerts veiwers to the fact that In Their Own Words is a biography series unlike anything they've seen. The majority of the narrative is carried by deeply personal interviews with those who know the subjects intimately: family, co-workers, colleagues, biographers, etc.

Series details

• Title: In Their Own Words
• Format: Documentary
• Language: English
• Genres: Drama, History
• Premiere date: 2015-09-01
• Status in TVmaze: Running
• Network listed by TVmaze: PBS
• Network country: United States
• Typical episode runtime: 60 minutes
• TVMaze ID: 3010

Seasons in the TVmaze catalogue

• Season 1: premiered 2015-09-01; final listed air date 2015-09-15; episode order: 3.
• Season 2: premiered 2021-07-20; final listed air date 2021-12-28.

Source and licence

Adapted from In Their Own Words on TVmaze. The synopsis is reproduced as plain text; catalogue facts, cast and season records are selected and reformatted. This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, following the TVmaze API licence. Network and web-channel credits identify the service listed in this source; they do not establish current streaming availability.