An anthology series is a radio or television series that presents a different story and a different set of characters in each episode. Several series employed a permanent troupe of character actors who would appear in a new drama each week. Some anthology series, such as Studio One, began on radio and then expanded to television.

Contents 1 Radio 2 Television 3 References 4 External links

[edit] Radio

Many popular old-time radio programs were anthology series. On some series, such as Inner Sanctum Mysteries. the only constant was the host, who introduced and concluded each dramatic presentation. One of the earliest such programs was The Collier Hour, broadcast on the NBC Blue Network from 1927 to 1932. Radio's first major dramatic anthology, it adapted stories and serials from Collier's Weekly in a calculated move to increase subscriptions and compete with The Saturday Evening Post. Airing on the Wednesday prior to each week's distribution of the magazine, the program soon moved to Sundays in order to avoid spoilers with dramatizations of stories simultaneously appearing in the magazine.

Radio drama anthology series include:

• Academy Award Theater
• Arch Oboler's Plays
• The Campbell Playhouse
• Cavalcade of America
• CBS Radio Workshop
• Earplay
• Lux Radio Theater
• The Mercury Theater of the Air
• The Screen Guild Theater

Radio anthology series provided a format for science fiction, horror, suspense and mystery genres:

• 2000 Plus
• 2000X
• Dimension X
• Escape
• Inner Sanctum Mysteries
• Lights Out
• Suspense
• The Whistler
• X Minus One

[edit] Television

In the history of television, live anthology dramas were especially popular during the Golden Age of Television of the 1950s with series such as The United States Steel Hour and The Philco Television Playhouse. American television networks would sometimes run summer anthology series which consisted of unsold television pilots.^[1] Beginning in 1971, the long-run Masterpiece Theatre drama anthology series brought British productions to American television.

Television drama anthology series included

• The Barbara Stanwyck Show
• The Danny Thomas Hour
• Dramarama
• Espionage
• Fireside Theater
• Kraft Television Theater
• Lux Video Theater
• Masterpiece Theatre
• The Millionaire
• Playhouse 90
• Thriller

Science fiction, horror, suspense and mystery anthology TV series:

• Alfred Hitchcock Presents
• Amazing Stories
• Are You Afraid of the Dark?
• Goosebumps
• The Hitchhiker
• Journey to the Unknown
• Mystery!
• Night Gallery
• The Outer Limits
• Ray Bradbury Theatre
• The Twilight Zone
• Tales from the Crypt
• Tales from the Darkside

Anthology comedy TV series:

• George Burns Comedy Week
• Love, American Style
• Undressed

Anthology animated series:

• The Cartoon Cartoon Show
• House of Mouse
• Oh Yeah! Cartoons

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• National Audio Theatre: "Inebriate of Air: A Short History of Contemporary American Radio Drama" by Sarah Montague, June 8, 1999)