On Monday, May 10, 2004 at 8:28:03 PM UTC-7, Sweevil wrote:
Researching a project I recently discovered that in the 1950s a series of mostly 90 minute TV shows were broadcast, called PRODCUERS' SHOWCASE. Some were adaptations of current or classic musicals, others original musicals
and plays written for TV by big names such as Jule Styne who, with Leo
Robin, scored an original musical for the series. Has anyone seen any of these? They don't appear to be available on DVD or video, but some look
like they sure should be.
Their website seems to indicate that they are trying to prepare these programs for sale or cable broadcast. Some info from the site:
The budgets for Showcase, across the board, were so enormous, that there was first-rate talent involved at every stage of every production; the disparity between the one-hour shows and the 90-minute and 120-minute shows on the Producers' Showcase series, with one exception, was even greater. Many of
the programs were restagings of successful Broadway dramas and musicals.
Even though technical capabilities of the day were primitive compared to today, no expense was spared for the Producers' Showcase programs, and as a result, they are very entertaining even now. Directors such as Arthur Penn, Sidney Lumet, Kirk Browning, and Clark Jones knew even then how to create visually interesting television; the world-class authors who were adapted by writers at the top of the talent ladder, and the successful writers who created programs specifically for this series, all knew how to create an interesting story, with excellent plotting and character development; the actors were literally the best that there ever were, and their performances are first-rate by any standard; the legendary performing artists outdid themselves to dazzle the world's largest audiences; the composers and lyricists who created music and songs were already successful. As just one illustration of the quality of these programs, James van Heusen and Sammy Cahn wrote the classic song "Love and Marriage" specifically for the musical version of "OUR TOWN" from the Producer's Showcase series; Thornton Wilder's play remains the most performed American stage play. Overall, these programs still have the power to dazzle an audience.
Past Ratings as a Guide to Present Audience Potential
The programs were broadcast "live" and have not been seen since their original broadcasts, although NBC and Showcase have, from time to time, licensed clips from individual programs. Even making allowance for the limited number of programming choices available to audiences at the time, Producers' Shocase drew phenomenal "Nielsen" ratings and audiences -- the 23 programs for which we have records, averaged a 36.5% audience share. The
very highest ratings were garnered by the original March 7, 1955 broadcast
of "PETER PAN (68.3 share, estimated at a total audience of between 65,000,000 and 75,000,000 people), the March 30, 1955 broadcast of "THE PETRIFIED FOREST" (50.6 share), and the January 9, 1956 repeat of "PETER
PAN" (54.9 share). The "Trendex" ratings were even higher, with, respectively, shares of 69.2 for the first "PETER PAN" and of 51.2 for "THE PETRIFIED FOREST." (We have been told by many inerviewees that it was almost impossible to hail a taxicab in New York City on the nights of the "PETER PAN" broadcasts!) It should be remembered that this success was generally achieved in head-to-head combat with the most consistently popular program
in TV history, "I LOVE LUCY," running on CBS.
I'm curious if you ever came upon materials for MR. BROADWAY (1957). The Library of Congress says they have an audio recording. Is that all that exists, do you know?
--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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