In a first for the franchise, the new season of the Emmy Award-winning anthology series focuses on two iconic geniuses: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Genius: MLK/X explores the formative years, pioneering accomplishments, dueling philosophies and key personal relationships of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. While King advanced racial equality through nonviolent protest, Malcolm X argued forcefully for Black empowerment, identity and self-determination. With their formidable wives, Coretta Scott King and Betty Shabazz, by their sides, King and Malcolm X became synonymous with the civil rights era and the fight for racial and economic justice. While they met only once and often challenged each other's views, neither would have been as successful without the other.

The third series explores Franklin's musical genius, an incomparable career, and the immeasurable influence and enduring influence she has had around the world. Grammy-winning Franklin was a gospel prodigy and outspoken civil rights activist and widely considered the greatest singer of her generation, receiving countless awards throughout her career.

Not knowing how to read music, Franklin learned to play the piano, began recording songs, and sang on gospel tours with her father. At 18, she signed her first record deal with Columbia Records, then moved to Atlantic Records and then Arista, where she teamed up with founder Davis for over 40 years. The legendary singer is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with over 75 million records sold worldwide during her career. Her voice has been identified as a "natural resource" in her home state of Michigan.

As one of the most influential and famous artists of the 20th century, Pablo Picasso imagined and interpreted the world in completely new and unorthodox ways, reinventing our perception of creativity in the process. Starring Antonio Banderas in the second season of the 10-episode National Geographic Emmy-nominated Genius, he explores how the Spanish artist's passionate personality and relentless creative energy were inextricably linked to his personal life, including his turbulent marriages, numerous romances and ever-changing political and personal alliances.