Actors Studio
Also known asThe Play's the Thing
GenreDrama
Directed byRalph Warren (1948)
David Pressman (1948–50)
Fred Carr (1949)
Alex Segal (1949–50)
Yul Brynner (1949–50)
Presented byMarc Connelly
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes65
Production
ProducersDonald Davis (1949–50)
Hume Cronyn
Production companyActors Studio
Original release
NetworkABC (September 26, 1948 – October 26, 1949)
CBS (November 1, 1949 – June 23, 1950)
ReleaseSeptember 26, 1948 (1948-09-26) –
June 23, 1950 (1950-06-23)

Actors Studio is an American television series that was hosted by Marc Connelly. It originally aired on ABC from September 26, 1948 to October 26, 1949 and then on CBS from November 1, 1949, to June 23, 1950. It was one of the first series to be picked up by a network after being cancelled by another network.[1] CBS departed from its own precedent when it took the World Video-owned series. Until then it had not shown any sustaining programs that were not owned (at least partially) by CBS.[2]

The series showcased short pieces of adapted, classic and original drama, performed and produced live each week from New York.[3] Among some of the known authors were William Saroyan, James Thurber, Ring Lardner, Edgar Allan Poe, Irwin Shaw and Budd Schulberg. Featured actors included Martin Balsam, Richard Boone, Marlon Brando, Hume Cronyn, Julie Harris, Jean Muir and Jessica Tandy. Recurring performers included Jocelyn Brando, Tom Ewell, Steven Hill, Kim Hunter and Cloris Leachman.

In February 1950, the series moved to Friday nights and was expanded to one hour, alternating every other week with broadcasts of Ford Theatre. In March, the name of the show was changed to The Play's the Thing.[4]

The series received a Peabody Award in 1949, being cited for its "outstanding contribution to the art of television".[5] Henry S. White of World Video Inc. produced the series, and Donald Davis was the director.[6] It originated from WCBS-TV.[7]

The series had no sponsors, which led to a reduction in funds available for purchasing rights to properties for adaptation. The result of that change was a shift from "well-known one-act plays" to short stories".[8]

Critical reception

A review of the January 9, 1949, episode in the trade publication Variety said that "I'm No Hero" was "better-than-average . . . but still shows a need for even better material."[9] While complimenting the direction, production, and settings, the review blamed the plot and some of the acting as the reasons that the story "never quite came alive."[9]

Variety also reviewed the January 23, 1949, episode, "The Lady in 142", saying that James Thurber's story "was given firstrate (sic) styling with cast, settings and direction merging into an amusing flight of fancy."[10]

Broadcast history

NOTE: The most frequent time slot for the series in bold text.

Episodes

Series overview

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast airedNetwork
135September 26, 1948 (1948-09-26)May 26, 1949 (1949-05-26)ABC
230September 28, 1949 (1949-09-28)June 23, 1950 (1950-06-23)ABC (episodes 1–5)
CBS (episodes 6–30)

Season 1 (1948–49)

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleOriginal air date
11"Portrait of a Madonna"September 26, 1948 (1948-09-26)
22"Night Club"October 3, 1948 (1948-10-03)
33"The Giant's Stair"October 10, 1948 (1948-10-10)
44"The Thousand Dollar Bill"October 17, 1948 (1948-10-17)
55"The Catbird Seat"October 24, 1948 (1948-10-24)
66"The Inexperienced Ghost"October 31, 1948 (1948-10-31)
77"Ropes"November 7, 1948 (1948-11-07)
88"Esther"November 14, 1948 (1948-11-14)
99"Goodnight, Miss Lizzie Borden"November 21, 1948 (1948-11-21)
1010"Ten Percent"November 28, 1948 (1948-11-28)
1111"The Night the Ghost Got In"December 5, 1948 (1948-12-05)
1212"The Widow of Wasdale Head"December 12, 1948 (1948-12-12)
1313"The Man Who Lost Christmas"December 19, 1948 (1948-12-19)
1414"To the Lovely Margaret"December 26, 1948 (1948-12-26)
1515"A Day in Town"January 2, 1949 (1949-01-02)
1616"I'm No Hero"January 9, 1949 (1949-01-09)
1717"The Little Wife"January 16, 1949 (1949-01-16)
1818"The Lady on 142"January 23, 1949 (1949-01-23)
1919"A Trip to Czardis"January 30, 1949 (1949-01-30)
2020"Jim Pemberton and His Boy Trigger"February 6, 1949 (1949-02-06)
2121"Zone of Quiet"February 13, 1949 (1949-02-13)
2222"The Tell-Tale Heart"February 20, 1949 (1949-02-20)
2323"Greasy Luck"February 27, 1949 (1949-02-27)
2424"Joe McSween's Atomic Machine"March 6, 1949 (1949-03-06)
2525"Dead Man"March 13, 1949 (1949-03-13)
2626"Concerning a Woman of Sin"March 24, 1949 (1949-03-24)
2727"Three O'Clock"March 31, 1949 (1949-03-31)
2828"A Reputation"April 7, 1949 (1949-04-07)
2929"I Can't Breathe"April 14, 1949 (1949-04-14)
3030"From Paradise to Butte"April 21, 1949 (1949-04-21)
3131"Here Comes Spring"April 28, 1949 (1949-04-28)
3232"Somebody Has to Be Nobody"May 5, 1949 (1949-05-05)
3333"Salt of the Earth"May 12, 1949 (1949-05-12)
3434"Spreading the Word"May 19, 1949 (1949-05-19)
3535"You're Breaking My Heart"May 26, 1949 (1949-05-26)

Season 2 (1949–50)

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleOriginal air date
361"The Canterville Ghost[11]"September 28, 1949 (1949-09-28)
372"Terror in the Streets"October 5, 1949 (1949-10-05)
383"It's a Free Country"October 12, 1949 (1949-10-12)
394"We'll Never Have a Nickel"October 19, 1949 (1949-10-19)
405"Clarissa"October 26, 1949 (1949-10-26)
416"The Return to Kansas City"November 1, 1949 (1949-11-01)
427"O'Halloran's Luck"November 8, 1949 (1949-11-08)
438"The Frame-Up"November 15, 1949 (1949-11-15)
449"The Three Strangers"November 22, 1949 (1949-11-22)
4510"The Thousand Dollar Bill (restaged)"November 29, 1949 (1949-11-29)
4611"The Man with the Heart in the Highlands"December 6, 1949 (1949-12-06)
4712"The Midway"December 13, 1949 (1949-12-13)
4813"A Child Is Born"December 20, 1949 (1949-12-20)
4914"County Full of Swedes"December 27, 1949 (1949-12-27)
5015"Hannah"January 3, 1950 (1950-01-03)
5116"An Ingenue of the Sierras"January 10, 1950 (1950-01-10)
5217"The Little Wife"January 17, 1950 (1950-01-17)
5318"The Timid Guy"January 24, 1950 (1950-01-24)
5419"Joe McSween's Atomic Machine (restaged)"January 31, 1950 (1950-01-31)
5520"Telas, the King"February 3, 1950 (1950-02-03)
5621"Mr. Mummy's Suspicion"February 17, 1950 (1950-02-17)
5722"The Apple Tree"March 3, 1950 (1950-03-03)
5823"The Pink Hussar"March 17, 1950 (1950-03-17)
5924"The Salt of the Earth (restaged)"March 31, 1950 (1950-03-31)
6025"Sanctuary in Paris"April 14, 1950 (1950-04-14)
6126"Screwball"April 28, 1950 (1950-04-28)
6227"Alison's House"May 21, 1950 (1950-05-21)
6328"The Token"May 26, 1950 (1950-05-26)
6429"The Swan"June 9, 1950 (1950-06-09)
6530"The Good Companions"June 23, 1950 (1950-06-23)

See also

References

  1. ^ Terrace, Vincent (2009). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2007 (Volume 1). Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-3305-6.
  2. ^ "CBS Surprises, Goes Outside For 'Studio'". Billboard. November 5, 1949. p. 7. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
  3. ^ 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. 14. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
  4. ^ Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (24 June 2009). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. Random House Publishing Group. p. 12. ISBN 978-0-307-48320-1. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  5. ^ "Radio and Television: Peabody Awards Presented at Hotel Roosevelt -- Two Video Shows Are Honored". The New York Times. April 22, 1949. p. 46. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  6. ^ "Radio and Television: C. B. S. Video Network to Offer Tuesdays 'Actor's Studio,' Dropped by A. B. C.". The New York Times. October 29, 1949. p. 28. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  7. ^ "Dramatic Shows". Ross Reports on Television including The Television Index. November 27, 1949. p. 5. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  8. ^ Hawes, William (November 16, 2015). Live Television Drama, 1946-1951. McFarland. pp. 34–35. ISBN 978-1-4766-0849-5. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
  9. ^ a b "Tele Follow-up Comment". Variety. January 12, 1949. p. 30. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
  10. ^ "Tele Follow-up Comment". Variety. January 26, 1949. p. 36. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
  11. ^ "Radio and Television: ' Actors' Studio' Returns to ABC Video Chain Sept. 28 With 'The Canterville Ghost'". The New York Times. September 20, 1949. p. 58. Retrieved May 25, 2022.

External links

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