American Playhouse

American Playhouse
GenreAnthology
Directed by
ComposerDavid Amram
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons13
Production
Production companiesKCET, South Carolina Educational Television, WGBH, WNET
Original release
NetworkPBS
ReleaseJanuary 12, 1982 (1982-01-12) –
December 22, 1993 (1993-12-22)

American Playhouse is an American anthology television series periodically broadcast by Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).

Overview

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, In the Wings: Angels in America on Broadway, a rerun of a behind-the-scenes look at Tony Kushner's award-winning play in two parts, aired on January 1, 1994.

The series proved to be the 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 U.S. 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.

Episodes

Season 1 (1982)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
11"The Shady Hill Kidnapping"UnknownUnknownJanuary 12, 1982 (1982-01-12)
22"King of America"UnknownUnknownJanuary 19, 1982 (1982-01-19)
33"Seguin"UnknownUnknownJanuary 26, 1982 (1982-01-26)
44"Who Am I This Time?"UnknownUnknownFebruary 2, 1982 (1982-02-02)
55"Any Friend of Nicholas Nickleby Is a Friend of Mine"UnknownUnknownFebruary 9, 1982 (1982-02-09)
66"Come Along with Me"UnknownUnknownFebruary 16, 1982 (1982-02-16)
77"For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf"UnknownNtozake ShangeFebruary 23, 1982 (1982-02-23)
88"Carl Sandburg: Echoes and Silences"UnknownUnknownMarch 2, 1982 (1982-03-02)
99"Fifth of July"UnknownUnknownMarch 9, 1982 (1982-03-09)
1010"The Great American Fourth of July and Other Disasters"UnknownUnknownMarch 16, 1982 (1982-03-16)
1111"Pilgrim, Farewell"UnknownUnknownMarch 23, 1982 (1982-03-23)
1212"Northern Lights"UnknownUnknownMarch 30, 1982 (1982-03-30)
1313"Medal of Honor Rag"UnknownUnknownApril 6, 1982 (1982-04-06)
1414"Working"UnknownUnknownApril 13, 1982 (1982-04-13)
1515"Weekend"UnknownUnknownApril 20, 1982 (1982-04-20)
1616"Private Contentment"UnknownUnknownApril 27, 1982 (1982-04-27)
1717"My Palikari"UnknownUnknownMay 4, 1982 (1982-05-04)
1818"Oppenheimer (1)"Barry DavisPeter PrinceMay 11, 1982 (1982-05-11)
1919"Oppenheimer (2)"Barry DavisPeter PrinceMay 18, 1982 (1982-05-18)
2020"Oppenheimer (3)"Barry DavisPeter PrinceMay 25, 1982 (1982-05-25)
2121"Oppenheimer (4)"Barry DavisPeter PrinceJune 1, 1982 (1982-06-01)
2222"Oppenheimer (5)"Barry DavisPeter PrinceJune 8, 1982 (1982-06-08)
2323"Oppenheimer (6)"Barry DavisPeter PrinceJune 15, 1982 (1982-06-15)
2424"Oppenheimer (7)"Barry DavisPeter PrinceJune 22, 1982 (1982-06-22)
2525"The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez"UnknownUnknownJune 29, 1982 (1982-06-29)

Season 2 (1983)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
TBA1"The Skin of Our Teeth"UnknownUnknownJanuary 18, 1983 (1983-01-18)
TBA2"Miss Lonelyhearts"UnknownUnknownJanuary 25, 1983 (1983-01-25)
TBA3"Family Business"UnknownUnknownFebruary 1, 1983 (1983-02-01)
TBA4"Keeping On"UnknownUnknownFebruary 8, 1983 (1983-02-08)
TBA5"The File on Jill Hatch (1)"UnknownUnknownFebruary 15, 1983 (1983-02-15)
TBA6"The File on Jill Hatch (2)"UnknownUnknownFebruary 22, 1983 (1983-02-22)
TBA7"The File on Jill Hatch (3)"UnknownUnknownMarch 1, 1983 (1983-03-01)
TBA8"For Us the Living: The Medgar Evers Story"UnknownUnknownMarch 22, 1983 (1983-03-22)
TBA9"Verse Person Singular"UnknownUnknownMarch 29, 1983 (1983-03-29)
TBA10"Until She Talks"UnknownUnknownApril 5, 1983 (1983-04-05)
TBA11"Wings"UnknownUnknownApril 26, 1983 (1983-04-26)
TBA12"The Rothko Conspiracy"UnknownUnknownMay 3, 1983 (1983-05-03)

Season 3 (1984)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
TBA1"The Ghost Writer"Tristram PowellTristram Powell and Philip Roth, based on the novel by RothJanuary 17, 1984 (1984-01-17)
TBA2"Pudd'nhead Wilson"Alan BridgesPhilip H. Reisman Jr., based on the novel by Mark TwainJanuary 24, 1984 (1984-01-24)
TBA3"True West"UnknownUnknownJanuary 31, 1984 (1984-01-31)
TBA4"Nothing but a Man"UnknownUnknownFebruary 7, 1984 (1984-02-07)
TBA5"Popular Neurotics"Sheldon LarryAubrey WertheimFebruary 14, 1984 (1984-02-14)
TBA6"The Cafeteria"Amram NowakErnest Kinoy, adapted from the short story by Isaac Bashevis SingerFebruary 21, 1984 (1984-02-21)
TBA7"Refuge"Huck FairmanHuck Fairman and Luther SperbergFebruary 28, 1984 (1984-02-28)
TBA8"The Gin Game"UnknownUnknownMarch 6, 1984 (1984-03-06)
TBA9"Haunted"Michael RoemerMichael RoemerMarch 20, 1984 (1984-03-20)
TBA10"The Killing Floor"UnknownUnknownApril 10, 1984 (1984-04-10)
TBA11"Heartland"UnknownUnknownApril 17, 1984 (1984-04-17)
TBA12"City News"UnknownUnknownApril 24, 1984 (1984-04-24)
TBA13"Hughie"UnknownUnknownMay 1, 1984 (1984-05-01)
TBA14"Concealed Enemies (1)"UnknownUnknownMay 7, 1984 (1984-05-07)
TBA15"Concealed Enemies (2)"UnknownUnknownMay 7, 1984 (1984-05-07)
TBA16"Concealed Enemies (3)"UnknownUnknownMay 8, 1984 (1984-05-08)
TBA17"Concealed Enemies (4)"UnknownUnknownMay 9, 1984 (1984-05-09)

Season 4 (1984–1985)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
TBA1"Testament"UnknownUnknownNovember 26, 1984 (1984-11-26)
TBA2"A Matter of Principle"Gwen ArnerMorton Neal Miller and Nancy Miller, based on the short story by John D. WeaverDecember 3, 1984 (1984-12-03)
TBA3"Solomon Northup's Odyssey"UnknownUnknownDecember 10, 1984 (1984-12-10)
TBA4"Tomorrow"UnknownUnknownDecember 17, 1984 (1984-12-17)
TBA5"Go Tell It on the Mountain"UnknownUnknownJanuary 14, 1985 (1985-01-14)
TBA6"Noon Wine"UnknownUnknownJanuary 21, 1985 (1985-01-21)
TBA7"The Joy That Kills"UnknownUnknownJanuary 28, 1985 (1985-01-28)
TBA8"Overdrawn at the Memory Bank"Douglas WilliamsCorinne JackerFebruary 4, 1985 (1985-02-04)
TBA9"The Star-Crossed Romance of Josephine Cosnowski"UnknownUnknownFebruary 11, 1985 (1985-02-11)
TBA10"Some Men Need Help"Allan GoldsteinJohn Ford Noonan, based on his playFebruary 18, 1985 (1985-02-18)
TBA11"Charlotte Forten's Mission: Experiment in Freedom"UnknownUnknownFebruary 25, 1985 (1985-02-25)
TBA12"Breakfast with Les and Bess"UnknownUnknownMarch 11, 1985 (1985-03-11)
TBA13"Nightsongs"Marva NabiliMarva Nabili, based on journal entries by Fae Myenne NgApril 15, 1985 (1985-04-15)
TBA14"Under the Biltmore Clock"Neal MillerNeal Miller and Ilene Cooper, based on a short story by F. Scott FitzgeraldApril 22, 1985 (1985-04-22)
TBA15"Displaced Person"UnknownUnknownMay 6, 1985 (1985-05-06)
TBA16"The Europeans"UnknownUnknownMay 13, 1985 (1985-05-13)
TBA17"El Norte"UnknownUnknownMay 20, 1985 (1985-05-20)
TBA18"Three Sovereigns for Sarah (1)"UnknownUnknownMay 27, 1985 (1985-05-27)
TBA19"Three Sovereigns for Sarah (2)"UnknownUnknownJune 3, 1985 (1985-06-03)
TBA20"Three Sovereigns for Sarah (3)"UnknownUnknownJune 10, 1985 (1985-06-10)
TBA21"Paper Angels"UnknownUnknownJune 17, 1985 (1985-06-17)
TBA22"Cat on a Hot Tin Roof"UnknownUnknownJune 24, 1985 (1985-06-24)

Season 5 (1986)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
TBA1"The Rise and Rise of Daniel Rocket"UnknownUnknownJanuary 20, 1986 (1986-01-20)
TBA2"The Roommate"UnknownUnknownJanuary 27, 1986 (1986-01-27)
TBA3"Valentine's Revenge"UnknownUnknownFebruary 3, 1986 (1986-02-03)
TBA4"Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1)"UnknownUnknownFebruary 10, 1986 (1986-02-10)
TBA5"Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (2)"UnknownUnknownFebruary 17, 1986 (1986-02-17)
TBA6"Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (3)"UnknownUnknownFebruary 24, 1986 (1986-02-24)
TBA7"Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (4)"UnknownUnknownMarch 3, 1986 (1986-03-03)
TBA8"Tell Me a Riddle"UnknownUnknownMarch 17, 1986 (1986-03-17)
TBA9"The Little Sister"UnknownUnknownApril 7, 1986 (1986-04-07)
TBA10"The House of Ramon Iglesia"UnknownUnknownApril 14, 1986 (1986-04-14)
TBA11"A Flash of Green"UnknownUnknownApril 21, 1986 (1986-04-21)
TBA12"Damien"UnknownUnknownApril 28, 1986 (1986-04-28)
TBA13"Rocket to the Moon"UnknownUnknownMay 5, 1986 (1986-05-05)
TBA14"A Case of Libel"UnknownUnknownMay 12, 1986 (1986-05-12)
TBA15"Painting Churches"UnknownUnknownMay 19, 1986 (1986-05-19)
TBA16"Roanoak (1)"UnknownUnknownMay 26, 1986 (1986-05-26)
TBA17"Roanoak (2)"UnknownUnknownJune 2, 1986 (1986-06-02)
TBA18"Roanoak (3)"UnknownUnknownJune 9, 1986 (1986-06-09)
TBA19"Sunday in the Park with George"UnknownUnknownJune 16, 1986 (1986-06-16)

Season 6 (1987)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
TBA1"All My Sons"UnknownUnknownJanuary 19, 1987 (1987-01-19)
TBA2"The Prodigious Hickey"UnknownUnknownJanuary 26, 1987 (1987-01-26)
TBA3"The Wide Net"UnknownUnknownFebruary 2, 1987 (1987-02-02)
TBA4"Smooth Talk"UnknownUnknownFebruary 9, 1987 (1987-02-09)
TBA5"A Mistaken Charity"UnknownUnknownFebruary 16, 1987 (1987-02-16)
TBA6"Eleanor: In Her Own Words"UnknownUnknownMarch 9, 1987 (1987-03-09)
TBA7"The Innocents Abroad"UnknownUnknownMarch 23, 1987 (1987-03-23)
TBA8"Story of a Marriage (1)"UnknownUnknownApril 6, 1987 (1987-04-06)
TBA9"Story of a Marriage (2)"UnknownUnknownApril 13, 1987 (1987-04-13)
TBA10"Story of a Marriage (3)"UnknownUnknownApril 13, 1987 (1987-04-13)
TBA11"A Case of Libel"UnknownUnknownMay 4, 1987 (1987-05-04)
TBA12"Charley's Aunt"UnknownUnknownMay 11, 1987 (1987-05-11)
TBA13"Gal Young 'Un"UnknownUnknownMay 18, 1987 (1987-05-18)
TBA14"The House of Blue Leaves"UnknownUnknownMay 25, 1987 (1987-05-25)
TBA15"Blue Window"UnknownUnknownJune 1, 1987 (1987-06-01)
TBA16"Dottie"UnknownUnknownJune 8, 1987 (1987-06-08)
TBA17"Waiting for the Moon"UnknownUnknownJune 15, 1987 (1987-06-15)

Season 7 (1988)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
TBA1"Strange Interlude (1)"UnknownUnknownJanuary 18, 1988 (1988-01-18)
TBA2"Strange Interlude (2)"UnknownUnknownJanuary 19, 1988 (1988-01-19)
TBA3"Strange Interlude (3)"UnknownUnknownJanuary 20, 1988 (1988-01-20)
TBA4"The Return of Hickey"UnknownUnknownFebruary 3, 1988 (1988-02-03)
TBA5"Lemon Sky"UnknownUnknownFebruary 10, 1988 (1988-02-10)
TBA6"The Revolt of Mother"UnknownUnknownFebruary 17, 1988 (1988-02-17)
TBA7"Pigeon Feathers"UnknownUnknownFebruary 17, 1988 (1988-02-17)
TBA8"Billy Galvin"UnknownUnknownFebruary 24, 1988 (1988-02-24)
TBA9"A Flash of Green"UnknownUnknownMarch 23, 1988 (1988-03-23)
TBA10"Journey Into Genius"UnknownUnknownApril 6, 1988 (1988-04-06)
TBA11"Suspicion"UnknownUnknownApril 20, 1988 (1988-04-20)
TBA12"The Trial of Bernard Goetz"UnknownUnknownMay 11, 1988 (1988-05-11)
TBA13"The Land of Little Rain"UnknownUnknownJune 1, 1988 (1988-06-01)
TBA14"I Never Sang for My Father"UnknownUnknownJune 15, 1988 (1988-06-15)
TBA15"Native Son"UnknownUnknownJune 29, 1988 (1988-06-29)
TBA16"The Big Knife"John JacobsUnknownJuly 27, 1988 (1988-07-27)

Season 8 (1989)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
TBA1"A Raisin in the Sun"UnknownUnknownFebruary 1, 1989 (1989-02-01)
TBA2"Ask Me Again"UnknownUnknownFebruary 8, 1989 (1989-02-08)
TBA3"Stacking"Martin RosenUnknownFebruary 15, 1989 (1989-02-15)
TBA4"My American Cousin"UnknownUnknownFebruary 22, 1989 (1989-02-22)
TBA5"Love and Other Sorrows"UnknownUnknownMarch 1, 1989 (1989-03-01)
TBA6"Stand and Deliver"UnknownUnknownMarch 15, 1989 (1989-03-15)
TBA7"The Silence at Bethany"UnknownUnknownMarch 22, 1989 (1989-03-22)
TBA8"Life Under Water"UnknownUnknownApril 12, 1989 (1989-04-12)
TBA9"The Diaries of Adam and Eve"UnknownUnknownApril 26, 1989 (1989-04-26)
TBA10"The Meeting"UnknownUnknownMay 3, 1989 (1989-05-03)
TBA11"A Walk in the Woods"UnknownUnknownMay 10, 1989 (1989-05-10)
TBA12"Big Time"UnknownUnknownMay 17, 1989 (1989-05-17)
TBA13"The Thin Blue Line"UnknownUnknownMay 24, 1989 (1989-05-24)
TBA14"Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss"UnknownUnknownMay 31, 1989 (1989-05-31)
TBA15"Imagining America"UnknownUnknownJune 7, 1989 (1989-06-07)

Season 9 (1990)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
TBA1"Sensibility and Sense"David Hugh JonesRichard NelsonJanuary 24, 1990 (1990-01-24)
TBA2"Women & Wallace"Don ScardinoJonathan Marc Sherman, based on his playJanuary 31, 1990 (1990-01-31)
TBA3"Zora Is My Name!"Neema BarnetteUnknownFebruary 14, 1990 (1990-02-14)
TBA4"Andre's Mother"UnknownUnknownMarch 7, 1990 (1990-03-07)
TBA5"Bloodhounds of Broadway"UnknownUnknownMay 23, 1990 (1990-05-23)
TBA6"Hyde in Hollywood"Gerald GutierrezPeter ParnellJuly 6, 1990 (1990-07-06)

Season 10 (1991)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
TBA1"Into the Woods"UnknownUnknownMarch 15, 1991 (1991-03-15)
TBA2"The Grapes of Wrath"UnknownUnknownMarch 22, 1991 (1991-03-22)
TBA3"Three Hotels"UnknownUnknownMarch 29, 1991 (1991-03-29)
TBA4"The Sunset Gang"UnknownUnknownApril 5, 1991 (1991-04-05)
TBA5"Hot Summer Winds"UnknownUnknownMay 22, 1991 (1991-05-22)
TBA6"The Hollow Boy"UnknownUnknownJune 12, 1991 (1991-06-12)

Season 11 (1992–1993)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
TBA1"Fool's Fire"UnknownUnknownMarch 25, 1992 (1992-03-25)
TBA2"Tales from Hollywood"UnknownUnknownOctober 19, 1992 (1992-10-19)
TBA3"Tru"UnknownUnknownNovember 23, 1992 (1992-11-23)
TBA4"Andre's Mother"UnknownUnknownJanuary 17, 1993 (1993-01-17)
TBA5"Fires in the Mirror"UnknownUnknownApril 28, 1993 (1993-04-28)
TBA6"In the Wings: Angels in America on Broadway"Tom BywatersTom BywatersJune 11, 1993 (1993-06-11)
TBA7"La Carpa"Carlos AvilaCarlos Avila and Edit VillarrealJune 16, 1993 (1993-06-16)
TBA8"Porgy and Bess"UnknownUnknownOctober 6, 1993 (1993-10-06)
TBA9"Tales of the City"UnknownUnknownNovember 15, 1993 (1993-11-15)
TBA10"Hallelujah"Charles LaneUnknownDecember 22, 1993 (1993-12-22)

Season 12 (1994)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
TBA1"Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City"UnknownUnknownJanuary 10, 1994 (1994-01-10)
TBA2"The Sunset Gang"Calvin L. SkaggsRonald Ribman, based on the book by Warren AdlerMarch 21, 1994 (1994-03-21)
TBA3"Long Shadow"Sheldon LarryMilan StittAugust 26, 1994 (1994-08-26)
TBA4"Break of Dawn"Isaac ArtensteinIsaac ArtensteinSeptember 9, 1994 (1994-09-09)
TBA5"La Carpa"Carlos AvilaCarlos Avila and Edit VillarrealSeptember 23, 1994 (1994-09-23)

Season 13 (1995–1996)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
TBA1"The Making of Angels and Insects"UnknownUnknownJanuary 2, 1995 (1995-01-02)
TBA2"Fires in the Mirror"UnknownUnknownFebruary 3, 1995 (1995-02-03)
TBA3"Blown Sideways Through Life"Christopher AshleyClaudia Shear, based on her playJuly 19, 1995 (1995-07-19)
TBA4"Drawn from Memory"Paul FierlingerPaul FierlingerOctober 30, 1995 (1995-10-30)
TBA5"The Beans of Egypt, Maine"UnknownUnknownAugust 11, 1996 (1996-08-11)
TBA6"Passion"UnknownUnknownSeptember 29, 1996 (1996-09-29)

Notable cast

Accolades

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

Academy Award recognitions included El Norte's nomination for Best Original Screenplay, a Best Actress nod for Jane Alexander in Testament and a Best Actor nod for Edward James Olmos in Stand and Deliver.

Golden Globe recognitions included 3 for Stand and Deliver (two for Olmos ( Leading Actor) and Diamond Phillips (Supporting Actor) and one for Best Motion Picture - Drama).

American Playhouse also won a Peabody Award in 1990.

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.

Overdrawn at the Memory Bank was featured as an episode of the cult science fiction series Mystery Science Theater 3000.


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