Playhouse 90

Considered by many to be the most ambitious of the anthology dramas to emerge during the "Golden Age of Television," Playhouse 90, according to historian William Boddy, was voted the greatest television series of all time in a 1970 Variety poll of television editors. Appearing Thursday evenings on CBS from 1956 to 1959, the program presented new ninety-minute dramas, many of which were telecast live. Like other "anthology dramas" of the era, Playhouse 90 is often remembered as a fertile ground for quality performances and an opportunity for writers and directors to showcase dramatic talents for a national audience. During its four-year run, Playhouse 90 launched careers, lured stars back to television, and allowed actors the opportunity to take chances performing roles which they otherwise might not have been offered. The program began on October 4, 1956, with Forbidden Area, starring Charlton Heston, Tab Hunter, and Vincent Price. It was followed by Rod Serling's classic Requiem for a Heavyweight, which won the Emmy as best single program of the year, and starred Jack Palance, who won an Emmy for best single performance by an actor. Other Playhouse 90 stars included Johnny Carson (in his first dramatic television role), Errol Flynn, Kim Hunter, Paul Newman (in his last dramatic television role) and Joanne Woodward, Cliff Robertson, Jack Lemmon, Claude Rains, Burt Reynolds, and Robert Redford. Among the memorable programs from this series are For Whom the Bell Tolls, Judgement at Nuremberg, The Male Animal, The Days of Wine and Roses, and Joseph Conrad's The Heart of Darkness. Playhouse 90 was recognized with five Emmys during its first season and won the award for best drama each of the next three years it was on the air. In its final season of production, Playhouse 90 was limited to sixteen programs or specials as it shared a time slot with The Big Party.

—James Friedman