American Playhouse
GenreAnthology
Director
ComposerDavid Amram
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Num seasons13
Executive producerDavid M. Davis
ProducerLindsay Law
CompanyKCET
South Carolina Educational Television
WGBH
WNET
ChannelPBS
First airedJanuary 12, 1982
Last airedSeptember 29, 1996

American Playhouse is an American anthology television series periodically broadcast by Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).[1][2][3]

Background

It premiered on January 12, 1982, with The Shady Hill Kidnapping, written and narrated by John Cheever and directed by Paul Bogart. Its final broadcast, a television version of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's Broadway musical Passion, aired on September 29, 1996.[4]

The series proved to be a springboard for the careers of numerous performers, including David Marshall Grant, Laura Linney, A Martinez, Conchata Ferrell, Eric Roberts, Lynne Thigpen, John Malkovich, Peter Riegert, Lupe Ontiveros, Ben Stiller, and Megan Mullally.

As part of WGBH's development of the Descriptive Video Service (DVS), American Playhouse was one of the first American television programs to air with audio description for the visually impaired on the Secondary audio program (SAP). After trialing the system during previous seasons, the 1990 season was the first to offer it as part of their wider rollout of DVS, initially through 32 member stations.[5][6][7]

In 1994, the series announced an ambitious joint venture with The Samuel Goldwyn Company, in which American Playhouse would produce theatrical motion pictures that would be released by Goldwyn.[8] Those films included Angels and Insects (1995), Reckless (1995), Palookaville (1995), My Family (1995), and I Shot Andy Warhol (1996).[9] However, the series was cancelled before any of the films aired on PBS.

Notable cast

Accolades

Some of the productions won multiple Emmys: one for Robert Morse in Tru,[10] Outstanding Children's Program for Displaced Person[11] and technical achievements for The Meeting alongside many nominations.[12]

Academy Award recognitions included El Norte's nomination for Best Original Screenplay,[13][14] a Best Actress nod for Jane Alexander in Testament,[15][16] a Best Live Action Short Film win for Ray's Male Heterosexual Dance Hall,[17] a Best Actor nod for Edward James Olmos in Stand and Deliver,[18][19] a Best Supporting Actor nod for Bruce Davison in Longtime Companion and a Best Original Screenplay nod for Metropolitan.[20]

Golden Globe recognitions included three for Stand and Deliver (two for Olmos (Leading Actor) and Diamond Phillips (Supporting Actor) and one for Best Motion Picture – Drama).[21]

American Playhouse also won a Peabody Award in 1990.[22]

Legacy

Episodes like Nothing but a Man, The Thin Blue Line, El Norte and Stand and Deliver were each inducted into the National Film Registry.[23]

Overdrawn at the Memory Bank was featured as an episode of the cult science fiction/comedy series Mystery Science Theater 3000.[24][25]

References

  1. ^ "American Playhouse' Appoints Lynn Holst (Published 1987)". The New York Times. 9 June 1987. Archived 2021-02-05 at the Wayback Machine.
  2. ^ Goodman, Walter (24 January 1990). "Review/Television; 'Hallmark' vs. 'American Playhouse' (Published 1990)". The New York Times. Archived 2016-08-11 at the Wayback Machine.
  3. ^ O'Connor, John J. (16 June 1993). "Review/Television; Cultures Clash on 'American Playhouse' (Published 1993)". The New York Times. Archived 2021-02-05 at the Wayback Machine.
  4. ^ King, Susan (September 28, 1996). "Sunday, No Park, Lots of 'Passion'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  5. ^ Gibson, Gwen (29 December 1989). "Words worth 1,000 pictures". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2019-04-22.
  6. ^ Molotsky, Irvin (1988-01-13). "New TV System Offers Descriptions for Blind". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-04-22.
  7. ^ Ellis, Katie (2019-02-01). Disability and Digital Television Cultures: Representation, Access, and Reception. Routledge. ISBN 9781317627845.
  8. ^ "Untitled". Communications Daily. 14 (62): 4. Warren Publishing. March 31, 1994.
  9. ^ Carver, Benedict (February 21, 1999). "Gannon prod'n director at Fox Searchlight pics". Variety. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  10. ^ Tru (American Playhouse)|Television Academy
  11. ^ Displaced Person American Playhouse|Television Academy
  12. ^ The Meeting American Playhouse|Television Academy
  13. ^ 1985|Oscars.org
  14. ^ Robert Benton and Peter Shaffer winning Writing Oscars® – Oscars on YouTube
  15. ^ 1984|Oscars.org
  16. ^ Shirley MacLaine Wins Best Actress: 1984 Oscars
  17. ^ Chanticleer Films Discovery and Directed By Shorts Collection|Oscars.org
  18. ^ 1989|Oscars.org
  19. ^ Dustin Hoffman Wins Best Actor: 1989 Oscars
  20. ^ 1991|Oscars.org
  21. ^ Stand and Deliver|Golden Globes
  22. ^ "American Playhouse". Retrieved 2019-03-02.
  23. ^ Brief Descriptions and Expanded Essays of National Film Registry Titles | Film Registry | National Film Preservation Board
  24. ^ Vorel, Jim (April 13, 2017). "Ranking Every MST3K Episode, From Worst to Best". Paste. p. 6. Archived June 19, 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
  25. ^ Cecchini, Mike (April 15, 2017). "The Top 100 Best MST3K Episodes". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved April 29, 2019.