Anthology series


An anthology series is a written series, radio, television, film, or video game series that presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a different cast in each episode, but several series in the past, such as Four Star Playhouse, employed a permanent troupe of character actors who would appear in a different drama each week. Some anthology series, such as Studio One, began on radio and then expanded to television.

Etymology

The word comes from Ancient Greek ἀνθολογία, from ἀνθολογέω, from ἄνθος + λέγω, coined by Meleager of Gadara circa 60BCE, originally as Στέφανος to describe a collection of poetry, later retitled anthology – see Greek Anthology. were collections of small Greek poems and epigrams, because in Greek culture the flower symbolized the finer sentiments that only poetry can express.

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. As 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.

Drama

  • Academy Award Theater
  • Arch Oboler's Plays
  • The Campbell Playhouse
  • Cavalcade of America
  • CBS Radio Workshop
  • Earplay
  • Family Hour of Stars
  • Ford Theater
  • Four Star Playhouse
  • Lux Radio Theater
  • Hollywood Star Time
  • The Mercury Theatre on the Air
  • Radio City Playhouse
  • The Screen Guild Theater
  • ''Stars over Hollywood''

    Genre series

Radio anthology series provided for science fiction, horror, suspense, and mystery genres :
  • Mystery House
  • The Witch's Tale
  • Lights Out
  • The Hermit's Cave
  • Famous Jury Trials
  • Dark Fantasy
  • Inner Sanctum Mysteries
  • The Whistler
  • Suspense
  • The Weird Circle
  • The Mysterious Traveler
  • Creeps by Night
  • Mystery Playhouse
  • The Strange Dr. Weird
  • The Haunting Hour
  • The Sealed Book
  • Mystery in the Air
  • Murder at Midnight
  • Quiet, Please
  • Escape
  • The Unexpected
  • Destination Freedom, written by Richard Durham
  • Murder by Experts
  • The Hall of Fantasy
  • 2000 Plus
  • Dimension X
  • ABC Mystery Theater, anthology, crime and mystery series
  • Sleep No More
  • Theater 10:30
  • X Minus One
The final episode of Suspense was broadcast on September 30, 1962, a date that has traditionally been seen as marking the end of the old-time radio era. However, genre series produced since 1962 include:
  • The Black Mass
  • The Creaking Door
  • Beyond Midnight
  • The Zero Hour
  • Mystery Theater
  • Nightfall
  • The Cabinet of Dr. Fritz
  • 2000X
  • ''The Twilight Zone''

    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.
Dick Powell came up with an idea for an anthology series, Four Star Playhouse, with a rotation of established stars every week, four stars in all. The stars would own the studio and the program, as Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz had done successfully with Desilu studio. Powell had intended for the program to feature himself, Charles Boyer, Joel McCrea, and Rosalind Russell. When Russell and McCrea backed out, David Niven came on board as the third star. The fourth star was initially a guest star. CBS liked the idea, and Four Star Playhouse made its debut in fall of 1952. It ran on alternate weeks only during the first season, alternating with Amos 'n' Andy. It was successful enough to be renewed and became a weekly program from the second season until the end of its run in 1956. Ida Lupino was brought on board as the de facto fourth star, though unlike Powell, Boyer, and Niven, she owned no stock in the company.
American television networks would sometimes run summer anthology series which consisted of unsold television pilots. Beginning in 1971, the long-run Masterpiece Theatre drama anthology series brought British productions to American television.
In 2011, American Horror Story debuted a new type of anthology format in the United States. Each season, rather than each episode, is a standalone story. Several actors have appeared in the various seasons but playing different roles—in an echo of the Four Star Playhouse format.
The success of American Horror Story has spawned other season-long anthologies such as American Crime Story and True Detective.

American drama

  • The 20th Century Fox Hour
  • ABC Movie of the Week
  • ABC Stage 67
  • Academy Theatre
  • Actors Studio
  • Alcoa-Goodyear Theatre
  • The Alcoa Hour
  • Alcoa Premiere
  • American Crime
  • American Crime Story
  • American Horror Story
  • American Film Theatre
  • American Playhouse
  • The American Playwrights Theater: The One Acts
  • The American Short Story
  • Appointment with Adventure
  • Armstrong Circle Theatre
  • The Barbara Stanwyck Show
  • Behind Closed Doors
  • The Best of Broadway
  • The Best of the Post
  • Betty Crocker Star Matinee
  • The Bigelow Theatre
  • The Billy Rose Show, also known as Billy Rose's Playbill
  • Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
  • The Bold Ones
  • Broadway Television Theatre
  • Buick-Electra Playhouse
  • Cameo Theatre
  • Camera Three
  • The Campbell Playhouse, also known as Campbell Soundstage and Campbell Summer Soundstage
  • Cavalcade of America
  • CBS Playhouse
  • CBS Summer Playhouse
  • CBS Television Workshop
  • CBS Workshop, also known as CBS Repertoire Workshop
  • Celanese Theatre
  • Celebrity Playhouse
  • Center Stage
  • Cheer Television Theatre
  • The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre also known as Chevrolet on Broadway
  • Chevron Hall of Stars
  • Chevron Theatre
  • Climax!
  • Colgate Theatre
  • Colgate Theatre
  • Conflict
  • Conrad Nagel Theater
  • Cosmopolitan Theatre
  • Crown Theatre with Gloria Swanson
  • Curtain Call
  • Damon Runyon Theater
  • Danger
  • The Danny Thomas Hour
  • The David Niven Show
  • 'Deadline'
  • Death Valley Days
  • Decision
  • Demi-Tasse Tales
  • The Dick Powell Show
  • Dispatches from Elsewhere
  • Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Presents, also known as Rheingold Theatre
  • Drama at Eight
  • DuMont Royal Theater
  • The DuPont Show of the Month
  • The DuPont Show of the Week
  • The DuPont Show with June Allyson
  • The Elgin Hour
  • The Errol Flynn Theatre
  • Ethel Barrymore Theatre
  • Faith Baldwin Romance Theatre
  • Fargo
  • Feud
  • Fireside Theater
  • The First Lady
  • Footlights Theater
  • Ford Star Jubilee
  • Ford Television Theatre
  • Ford Theatre
  • Four Star Playhouse
  • GE True
  • G.E. Summer Originals
  • General Electric Theater
  • Genius
  • Goodyear Television Playhouse
  • Goodyear Theatre
  • Goosebumps
  • Great Performances
  • Gruen Playhouse, also known as Gruen Guild Theatre
  • The Gulf Playhouse
  • Hallmark Hall of Fame
  • The Haunting
  • Hollywood Premiere Theatre, also known as Hollywood Theatre Time
  • International Playhouse
  • John Waters Presents Movies That Will Corrupt You
  • The Joseph Cotten Show, also known as On Trial
  • Joseph Schildkraut Presents
  • The Kaiser Aluminum Hour
  • Kraft Television Theatre
  • Law & Order True Crime
  • The Lloyd Bridges Show
  • The Loretta Young Show
  • Lottery!
  • Love Story
  • Love Story
  • Lux Playhouse
  • Lux Video Theater
  • The Magnavox Theatre
  • The Mail Story
  • Masterpiece Contemporary
  • Masterpiece Playhouse
  • Masterpiece Theatre
  • Matinee Theatre
  • Max Liebman Spectaculars, also known as Max Liebman Presents
  • Medallion Theatre, also known as Chrysler Medallion Theatre
  • MGM Parade
  • The Millionaire
  • Monodrama Theater
  • Monster
  • The Motorola Television Hour
  • Mr. Citizen
  • The Nash Airflyte Theater
  • NBC Presents
  • NBC Television Opera Theatre
  • NET Playhouse
  • New York Television Theatre
  • Night Editor
  • Nine Thirty Curtain
  • The O. Henry Playhouse
  • Ominbus
  • One Man's Experience
  • One Woman's Experience
  • Orient Express
  • 'The Passerby'
  • The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse
  • Personal Appearance Theater
  • The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse
  • The Philco Television Playhouse
  • The Philip Morris Playhouse
  • The Play of the Week
  • Playhouse 90
  • Playwrights '56
  • Plymouth Playhouse also known as ABC Album
  • Ponds Theater, also known as Kraft Television Theater
  • Premiere
  • Preview Tonight
  • Producers' Showcase
  • Program Playhouse
  • Prudential Family Playhouse
  • Pulitzer Prize Playhouse
  • Pulse of the City
  • Pursuit
  • The Revlon Mirror Theater
  • The Richard Boone Show
  • The Robert Herridge Theatre
  • Robert Montgomery Presents
  • Romance, also known as Theatre of Romance
  • Romance Theatre
  • Room 104
  • The Schaefer Century Theatre
  • Schilling Playhouse
  • Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
  • Scream
  • Screen Associates Films
  • Screen Director's Playhouse
  • The Seven Lively Arts
  • Short Short Dramas
  • The Silver Theatre
  • Sneak Preview
  • Somerset Maugham TV Theatre
  • Stage 7
  • The Star and the Story
  • Star Stage
  • Star Tonight
  • Starlight Theatre
  • Stars Over Hollywood
  • Startime
  • Studio One
  • Studio 57
  • Summer Playhouse
  • Sunday Showcase
  • Suspicion
  • Sweepstakes
  • Telephone Time
  • Television Playhouse
  • Television Theatre
  • Theatre Hour
  • Theatre of the Mind
  • Theatre '62
  • Tonight on Broadway
  • The Trap
  • TriBeCa
  • True Detective
  • TV Reader's Digest
  • The Twilight Zone
  • The United States Steel Hour
  • The White Lotus
  • Unsolved
  • Vacation Playhouse
  • Visions
  • Warner Bros. Presents
  • The Watcher
  • Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
  • Why Women Kill
  • Willys Theatre Presenting Ben Hecht's Tales of the City
  • Windows
  • Your Favorite Story
  • Your Jeweler's Showcase
  • Your Show Time
  • ''Your Story Theatre''