Short Short Dramas

Last updated

Short Short Dramas is an American dramatic anthology series which aired from September 30, 1952 to April 9, 1953 on NBC. During the original run it was hosted by Ruth Woods, [1] whose segments were dropped when it was syndicated.[ citation needed ]

Contents

Each episode began with Woods introducing a storyteller. He or she set the scene for the episode's play and then took a starring role in it. [2]

While most American anthology TV series of the 1950s aired weekly in either half-hour or hour-long time-slots,[ citation needed ]Short Short Dramas aired in a 15-minute time-slot, with episodes broadcast each week on Tuesday and Thursday from 7:15 to 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time. [2] Episodes were 12-minutes excluding ads, and a total of 78 episodes were produced. Additionally, unlike most early anthology series which were live, Short Short Dramas was an early example of a filmed dramatic series, still a relatively new idea at the time (the first filmed dramatic TV series had aired in 1949, but they were only just starting to become more common in 1952).[ citation needed ]

Among its guest stars were Cliff Robertson, E.G. Marshall, Leslie Nielsen, Bethel Leslie, Tony Randall, Neva Patterson, [2] Richard Kiley, and Ernest Borgnine, Directors included Daniel Petrie.[ citation needed ]

Syndication

Although it only ran for one season, it nevertheless proved popular enough to have syndicated repeats under the title Playhouse 15. A 1955 trade ad lists MCA as being the distributor. [3]

It was also exported to Australia. Starting in 1959 it aired in Sydney on ATN-7 and in Melbourne on GTV-9, as this was prior to the creation of the Nine Network and Seven Network.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for initial showing in movie theaters, and direct-to-video films made for initial release on home video formats. In certain cases, such films may also be referred to and shown as a miniseries, which typically indicates a film that has been divided into multiple parts or a series that contains a predetermined, limited number of episodes.

The following is the 1961–62 network television schedule for the three major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States. The schedule covers primetime hours from September 1961 through April 1962. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series cancelled after the 1960–61 season.

<i>Death Valley Days</i> American television series

Death Valley Days is an American television anthology series featuring true accounts of the American Old West, particularly the Death Valley country of southeastern California. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program was broadcast on radio until 1945. From 1952 to 1970, it became a syndicated television series, with reruns continuing through August 1, 1975. The radio and television versions combined to make the show "one of the longest-running Western programs in broadcast history."

<i>The Twilight Zone</i> (1985 TV series) Television series (1985-1989)

The Twilight Zone is an anthology television series which aired from September 27, 1985, to April 15, 1989. It is the first of three revivals of Rod Serling's acclaimed 1959–64 television series, and like the original it featured a variety of speculative fiction, commonly containing characters from a seemingly normal world stumbling into paranormal circumstances. Unlike the original, however, most episodes contained multiple self-contained stories instead of just one. The voice-over narrations were still present, but were not a regular feature as they were in the original series; some episodes had only an opening narration, some had only a closing narration, and some had no narration at all. The multi-segment format liberated the series from the usual time constraints of episodic television, allowing stories ranging in length from 8-minutes to 40-minute mini-movies. The series ran for two seasons on CBS before producing a final season for syndication.

The following is the 1958–59 network television schedule for the four major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States. The schedule covers primetime hours from September 1958 through March 1959. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series cancelled after the 1957–58 season.

The following is the 1957–58 network television schedule for the four major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States. The schedule covers primetime hours from September 1957 through March 1958. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series cancelled after the 1956–57 season.

The following is the 1952–53 network television schedule for the four major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States. The schedule covers primetime hours from September 1952 through March 1953. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series cancelled after the 1951–52 season.

<i>The Alcoa Hour</i> American TV dramatic anthology series (1955–1957)

The Alcoa Hour is an American anthology television series that was aired live on NBC from October 16, 1955, to September 22, 1957.

<i>Schlitz Playhouse of Stars</i> US television series 1951-1959

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars is an anthology series that was telecast from 1951 until 1959 on CBS. Offering both comedies and drama, the series was sponsored by the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company. The title was shortened to Schlitz Playhouse beginning with the fall 1957 season.

Ford Theatre, spelled Ford Theater for the original radio version and known, in full, as The Ford Television Theatre for the TV version, is a radio and television anthology series broadcast in the United States in the 1940s and 1950s. At various times the television series appeared on all three major television networks, while the radio version was broadcast on two separate networks and on two separate coasts. Ford Theatre was named for its sponsor, the Ford Motor Company, which had an earlier success with its concert music series, The Ford Sunday Evening Hour (1934–42).

Your Show Time is an American anthology drama series that debuted on NBC Television on the East Coast in September 1948 and then on both the East and the West Coast, as a network show, on January 21, 1949.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Television show</span> Segment of audiovisual content intended for broadcast on television

A television show – or simply TV show – is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set which is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable. This includes content made by television broadcasters and content made for broadcasting by film production companies. It excludes breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed between shows. Television shows are most often scheduled for broadcast well ahead of time and appear on electronic guides or other TV listings, but streaming services often make them available for viewing anytime. The content in a television show is produced by one of two production methodologies, live taped shows such as variety and news magazine shows shot on a television studio stage or sporting events The other production model includes animation and the variety of film productions ranging from movies to series. Shows not produced on a television studio stage are usually contracted or licensed to be made by appropriate production companies.

Front Row Center is the title of two American television programs with different formats that were broadcast on different networks.

Out There is a science fiction television program that was broadcast on Sundays at 6:00 p.m. EST on CBS Television from October 28, 1951 through January 13, 1952. It was one of the first science fiction anthology series, and one of the first shows to mix filmed special effects with live action. It only lasted twelve half-hour episodes before being cancelled. The awkward time slot may have led to its failure. In its short run, the program featured episodes adapted from stories by authors including Robert A. Heinlein, Ray Bradbury, Theodore Sturgeon, John D. MacDonald, Murray Leinster, Frank Belknap Long and Milton Lesser. After its initial cancellation, there was at least one report that the network planned on reviving it, but this did not happen.

Public Prosecutor is an American television series produced in 1947–1948, which first aired in 1951.

<i>Startime</i> (American TV series) American anthology TV series (1959–1960)

Startime is an anthology show of drama, comedy, and variety, and was one of the first American television shows broadcast in color. The program was aired Tuesday nights in the United States on the NBC network in the 1959–60 season.

Ethel Barrymore Theatre was a half-hour anthology television series hosted by Ethel Barrymore and the last series produced by the DuMont Television Network.

Magnavox Theatre is an American television anthology of comedies and dramas that aired seven hour-long episodes on CBS in 1950, alternating weekly with Ford Theatre. All were live except episode six, which according to CBS, was the first hour-long film made in Hollywood for television. The film was made by Hal Roach Studios Inc., which also made "The Battle of Pilgrim Hill", which was scheduled to be broadcast on December 8, 1950.

Stars Over Hollywood is an American anthology series of "original comedies and light dramas" produced by Revue Productions. Revue's first television series, it was a filmed in Hollywood and aired on the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) from September 6, 1950 to August 29, 1951. There were a total of 50 episodes.

Hollywood Opening Night is an American anthology television program that was broadcast on CBS in 1951-1952 and on NBC in 1952-1953. The NBC version was the first dramatic anthology presented live from the West Coast. Episodes were 30 minutes long.

References

  1. McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 752. ISBN   0-14-02-4916-8.
  2. 1 2 3 Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (1999). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present (7th ed.). New York: The Ballentine Publishing Group. pp. 913–914. ISBN   0-345-42923-0.
  3. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 1993-06-12. p.  9. ISSN   0006-2510 . Retrieved 2014-10-24.