CBS Playhouse

Summary

CBS Playhouse is an American anthology drama television series that aired on CBS from 1967 to 1970. Airing twelve plays over the course of its run, the series won ten Primetime Emmy Awards and featured many noteworthy actors and playwrights.

CBS Playhouse
Arthur Hill and Barbara Bel Geddes in Secrets, 1968
GenreAnthology drama
Written byRon Cowen
Robert J. Crean
Earl Hamner
Loring Mandel
J.P. Miller
Tad Mosel
Ronald Ribman
Reginald Rose
Ellen M. Violet
Directed byPaul Bogart
Robert Butler (director)
William A. Graham (director)
David Greene (director)
Delbert Mann
George Schaefer (director)
Theme music composerAaron Copland
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes12
Production
Executive producerBarbara Schultz
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time90 mins.
Original release
NetworkCBS
ReleaseJanuary 29, 1967 (1967-01-29) –
February 10, 1970 (1970-02-10)

History edit

The CBS Playhouse series was announced in 1966, with CBS announcing a $500,000 outlay for new scripts to film. CBS was specifically looking to "encourage authors to write original and significant dramas for television," and offered $25,000 per optioned script.[1] This occurred shortly after ABC announced its dramatic arts program ABC Stage 67,[citation needed] along with many CBS dramas.

Playhouse ultimately commissioned thirteen playwrights to write scripts for the series.[2] The first program aired in 1967, called The Final War of Olly Winter starring Ivan Dixon and written by noted playwright Ronald Ribman. According to CBS, over 30 million people watched the broadcast, making it a popular hit for the time.[3]

Twelve broadcasts ultimately occurred before production stopped due to lack of sponsorship funding.[4] CBS would later revive the genre in CBS Playhouse 90, which would refer back to both CBS Playhouse and the early drama series Playhouse 90 that broadcast in the late 1950s.[citation needed]

Episodes edit

CBS broadcast twelve teleplays over the three television seasons between 1967 and 1970.[citation needed]

1967-68 Season edit

1968-69 Season edit

1969-70 Season edit

Episode status edit

The broadcasts have been preserved in a variety of archives, with all twelve broadcasts archived between the Paley Center for Media, the UCLA film archive, and the Peabody Awards Collection.[citation needed]

Awards edit

The CBS Playhouse series of broadcasts were nominated for a number of awards over the course of its run. In total, the dramatic series was nominated for twenty-eight Primetime Emmy Awards, including ten wins, and seven Directors Guild of America awards, including three wins.[5]CBS Playhouse was also honored with a Peabody Award in 1967.[6]

References edit

  1. ^ New York Times: C.B.S. SEEKS OUT ORIGINAL DRAMAS. June 22, 1966.
  2. ^ New York Times: Where's CBS Playhouse? October 23, 1966.
  3. ^ Advertisement from early 1967 as seen in many national newspapers.[citation needed]
  4. ^ New York Times: TV Drama Faces Cutback in Fall. May 22, 1970
  5. ^ Emmys.com: CBS Playhouse
  6. ^ Profile for CBS Playhouse from PeabodyAwards.com (accessed 11/8/2014)

External links edit

  • CBS Playhouse at CVTA with episode list
  • CBS Playhouse at IMDb