Goodyear Television Playhouse | |
---|---|
Genre | Anthology |
Directed by |
Sidney Lumet Delbert Mann Vincent J. Donehue Robert Mulligan Arthur Penn Daniel Petrie Jack Smight |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language(s) | English |
No. of seasons | 6 |
No. of episodes | 143 |
Production | |
Producer(s) |
Robert Alan Aurthur Fred Coe Gordon Duff David Susskind |
Camera setup | Multi-camera |
Running time | 48–50 minutes |
Production company(s) | Showcase Productions |
Release | |
Original network | NBC |
Picture format | Black-and-white |
Audio format | Monaural |
Original release | October 14, 1951 | – September 12, 1957
Chronology | |
Related shows |
Philco Television Playhouse The Alcoa Hour |
The Goodyear Television Playhouse is an American anthology series that was telecast live on NBC from 1951 to 1957 during the "Golden Age of Television". Sponsored by Goodyear, Goodyear alternated sponsorship with Philco, and the Philco Television Playhouse was seen on alternate weeks.
In 1955, the title was shortened to The Goodyear Playhouse and it aired on alternate weeks with The Alcoa Hour. The three series were essentially the same, with the only real difference being the name of the sponsor.
Producer Fred Coe nurtured and encouraged a group of young, mostly unknown writers that included Robert Alan Aurthur, George Baxt, Paddy Chayefsky, Horton Foote, Howard Richardson, Tad Mosel and Gore Vidal. Notable productions included Chayefsky's Marty (May 24, 1953) starring Rod Steiger, Chayefsky's The Bachelor Party (1955), Vidal's Visit to a Small Planet (1955), Richardson's Ark of Safety and Foote's The Trip to Bountiful.
From 1957 to 1960, it became a taped, half-hour series titled Goodyear Theater, seen on Mondays at 9:30 p.m.
Goodyear Television Playhouse finished #16 in the Nielsen ratings for the 1951-1952 season, #15 for 1952-1953 and #22 for 1953-1954.