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Limited Series – Stax: Soulsville, U.S.A.

2024 Documentary History Music List
100% Tomatometer 12 Reviews 88% Audience Score Fewer than 50 Ratings
In 1960s, Memphis, Tenn., a set of interracial collaborators make music on their own terms, forming Stax Records, one of America's most influential creators of Black music. Read More Read Less
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Stax: Soulsville, U.S.A. — Limited Series

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Stax: Soulsville, U.S.A. — Limited Series

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Critics Consensus

A compelling snapshot of a flashpoint in American history and a rollicking chronicle of great music, Stax will leave viewers reflecting while their feet are tapping.

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Critics Reviews

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Judy Berman TIME Magazine It’s a remarkable story, recounted with insight and nuance in the four-part docuseries Stax: Soulsville U.S.A., from Ailey director Jamila Wignot... Jun 4, 2024 Full Review Brian Lowry CNN.com Conveys a combination of the sweet and sour, with the joy of the label’s music offset by memories of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination and the shocking death of Redding in a 1967 plane crash. May 24, 2024 Full Review Matt Zoller Seitz RogerEbert.com This is a thrilling and often moving production, one that pushes the outer edge of the envelope of its innate limitations as product, and illuminates the material in a sorrowful, sensitive manner. Rated: 3.5/4 May 24, 2024 Full Review Steve Murray ArtsATL Even though we know the four-episode Soulsville will take us on a bummer of an arc, getting there is a funky joy. Jun 28, 2024 Full Review Marty Brown Common Sense Media The stories in Stax: Soulsville U.S.A. about classic songs and artists take on a deeper poignance when they're placed in historical context, and it's easy to see how they still influence American culture 60 years later. Jun 12, 2024 Full Review Rachel Ho Exclaim! An oral history of Stax that not only revels in the hits and music stylings, but also reflects on the racial tension prevalent within the studio halls. Rated: 8/10 May 23, 2024 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Tim R Episode 1 was amazing! Hope the rest are too. Videos of Booker T, Otis Redding, Sam & Dave... wow! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/21/24 Full Review Read all reviews
Stax: Soulsville, U.S.A. — Limited Series

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Cast & Crew

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Episodes

Episode 1 Aired May 20, 2024 Chapter One: Cause I Love You Executives and musicians at Stax Records, an influential record label on the Black music scene in the late 1950s in Memphis, look for ways to transcend racial divides and bring their music into the American mainstream. Details Episode 2 Aired May 20, 2024 Chapter Two: Soul Man Stax breaks through to the white market with the hit "Soul Man"; the death of Stax star Otis Redding, the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., legal obstacles and ongoing racial tensions in Memphis reveal cracks in the company's façade. Details Episode 3 Aired May 21, 2024 Chapter Three: Respect Yourself Stax promotions director Al Bell steps up to save the company after the death of Otis Redding and the Atlantic Records merger; Stax puts its efforts behind Isaac Hayes, who receives awards for his work. Details Episode 4 Aired May 21, 2024 Chapter Four: Nothing Takes the Place of You In the 1970s, a booming Stax expands to Los Angeles and gives back to the black community with the benefit concert "Wattstax" but when their bank goes under and the company faces other legal setbacks, Stax prepares to shutter its doors. Details
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Stax: Soulsville, U.S.A. — Limited Series

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Season Info

Director
Jamila Wignot
Executive Producer
Ezra Edelman, Caroline Waterlow, Nigel Sinclair, Nicholas Ferrall
Network
HBO
Rating
TV-MA
Genre
Documentary, History, Music
Original Language
English
Release Date
May 20, 2024