Skip to content
MovieCove
Iconoclasts

Iconoclasts

2005–2012Ended7 seasons38 episodes~55 min/epMidcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

In this Sundance Channel original series, leading innovators and creative visionaries come together to discuss their passions and creative processes to provide viewers with an inside glimpse into the inspiration and motivation that made these Iconoclasts who they are today. World leaders and entrepreneurs, actors and artists, athletes and musicians all appear to help make the series a cult favorite for a full six seasons, in partnership with Grey Goose Entertainment.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch Iconoclasts?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Iconoclasts to rent or buy on Apple TV, and on no subscription service.

Rent / Buy

Buy

Highlights

What stands out about Iconoclasts?

Iconoclasts earns 3 badges, led by Hidden Gem and Hopeful.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is Iconoclasts worth watching?

Iconoclasts' Midcredits score is the 67th percentile of all shows, from 234 ratings across 2 sources. 75% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

67th percentile

Better received than 67% of shows

58th percentile among Documentary58th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)70th
Approval (how many liked it)60th

Acclaim

Mixed: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

75 /100

70th percentile of all shows

60th percentile among Documentary63rd percentile among 2000s

Rating distribution

Big peaks at both ends — people either love this or bounce off it hard.

Approval

How many liked it

75% liked it

60th percentile of all shows

54th percentile among Documentary54th percentile among 2000s
75% rated it 7–1025% rated it 1–6

Reach

Hidden Gem: Loved by those who saw it, seen by few

How many have seen it

33rd percentile

232 ratings across platforms

58th percentile among Documentary25th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 3% in 30 days

Episodes

6 seasons

Season 6 · 2012 · 6 episodes

  • S6E1
    S6E1

    James Franco & Marina Abramovic

    Oct 9, 201260 min
  • S6E2
    S6E2

    Judd Apatow & Lena Dunham

    Oct 16, 201260 min
  • S6E3
    S6E3

    Seth McFarlane & Norah Jones

    Oct 23, 201260 min
  • S6E4
    S6E4

    Christy Turlington Burns & Tory Burch

    Oct 30, 201260 min
  • S6E5
    S6E5

    Jamie Oliver & Paul Smith

    Nov 6, 201260 min
  • S6E6
    S6E6

    Kareem Abdul-Jabbar & Chuck D

    Nov 13, 201260 minFinale

Watch experience

What is Iconoclasts like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, light and gentle — a slow-burn watch that leaves you hopeful.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
ContemplativeWarmHopeful
Heaviest: throughout
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
WarmTender · 10% of shows
Told as
Anthology episodes · 6% of showsStatus quo each season
ToneThe series treats its subjects with genuine admiration and affection, maintaining an intimate, observational tone that never judges or mocks.
The rideThe series sustains an even, reflective warmth; each conversation is gently paced and never swings toward high drama.
StructureEach episode follows a straightforward observational format without a constructed narrative structure; conversations unfold naturally.
Episode formatEach episode features a new pair of subjects with no continuity between episodes.
Season formatSeasons are interchangeable batches of the same format, any episode is an entry point.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
HopefulRousing · 9% of shows
Why it leaves you this wayThe series leaves viewers inspired by the subjects' creativity and humanity, with a gentle sense of possibility.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18%: Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 40% of shows: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeThis documentary series pairs creative visionaries for conversations; it has no narrative plot or central story arc.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfPurposeSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27% (this title): Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% (this title) · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% (this title) · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% (this title) · Technology 1%

Self

PurposeArt · 2% of showsCommunity: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe series explores what drives creative visionaries — their sense of purpose, the act of making, and the unplanned connections that sustain their work.
StanceThe series maintains a neutral, observational posture toward its subjects, letting their conversation reveal their own attitudes without editorializing.

The world

ContemporaryInstitutionalDomesticRealistic
AmbientElectronicBackground music · original score
Settingintimate settings such as studios, homes, or creative spaces where two visionaries meet
MusicOriginal score is likely ambient or low-key, but composer is not confirmed from synopsis.

Cast and crew

Who is in Iconoclasts?

Cast

DJ King Assassin
as Sound guy

Crew

More like this

What are shows like Iconoclasts?

TMDB's suggestions for shows like Iconoclasts include History 101 (2020), How Do They Do It? (2006) and Superpowered: The DC Story (2023).

Like this, but

Explore by

What other shows share a tag with Iconoclasts?

Each tag opens Browse with the shows that share it.