Overview - Playhouse 90

Overview

Playhouse 90 is an American television anthology series that was telecast on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 133 episodes. It originated from CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California. Since live anthology drama series of the mid-1950s were usually hour-long shows, the title highlighted the network's intention to present something unusual, a weekly series of hour-and-a-half dramas rather than 60-minute plays. Playhouse 90 began as a pitch by Frank Stanton—the formidable, forward-thinking right-hand man to CBS chairman William S. Paley—during a brainstorming session for program ideas. The project was ultimately developed by Hubbell Robinson, a CBS vice president who received no screen credit on Playhouse 90 but is often described as its creator.

Seasons

• Name: Season 1

  Episode: 39

  Date first aired: 1956-10-04

• Name: Season 2

  Episode: 40

  Date first aired: 1957-09-12

• Name: Season 3

  Episode: 38

  Date first aired: 1958-09-25

• Name: Season 4

  Episode: 17

  Date first aired: 1959-10-01