Movies are one of America's greatest contributions to culture, and that's what makes "Moguls & Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood" (TCM, 8 tonight), so wonderful.

The rise of "Hollywood" is the story of immigrants, ingenuity, creativity and big business; in other words, the history of movies has all the elements for great storytelling.

The seven-part series (each only an hour) looks at the industry from its very beginnings, through the ground shifting that occurred via the 1960s film auteurs.

The scope and depth of the documentary, narrated by the regal Christopher Plummer,  is impressive. There's rarely seen and never-before-seen footage, but more than that, it's packed with facts presented in an agile way.