The Ford Television Theatre (1952)
A landmark 1950s anthology drama series that brought Broadway and Hollywood talent to American living rooms across eight seasons.
The Ford Television Theatre - Series Information
- Original Title: The Ford Television Theatre
- First Air Year: 1952
- Last Air Year: 1957
- Type: TV Series
- Genres: Drama
- Episode Runtime: Average runtime per episode (30 minutes)
- Number of Seasons: 8
- Number of Episodes: 141
- Status: Returning Series
- Original Language: English
- Spoken Languages: English
The Ford Television Theatre - Plot
This show started in New York City, with Broadway actors and actresses. It then moved to Hollywood, California, where Hollywood actors and actresses headed the cast.
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The Ford Television Theatre - Cast & Crew
Main Cast
- Helen Wallace
- Willis Bouchey
- Teresa Wright
- Ralph Dumke
- Horace McMahon
- Lawrence Dobkin
- Arthur Franz
- Frances Robinson
- Rosemary DeCamp
- George Macready
Writers
- Blake Edwards
- Rod Serling
- Mary W. Lacey
- Michael Kraike
- Jack Webb
The Ford Television Theatre - FAQs
What is The Ford Television Theatre about?
The Ford Television Theatre is a classic anthology drama series that originally aired from 1952 to 1957. It launched in New York City with Broadway-trained performers before relocating to Hollywood, where it featured prominent film and television actors in a rotating cast of self-contained dramatic stories.
When did The Ford Television Theatre first air?
The Ford Television Theatre first aired in 1952. The series ran for eight seasons and 141 episodes, concluding in 1957, making it one of the more enduring anthology drama programs of early American television.
How many seasons does The Ford Television Theatre have?
The Ford Television Theatre ran for eight seasons totaling 141 episodes. Season 1 contained 26 episodes, Season 2 had 34, Season 3 had 32, Season 4 had 20, Season 5 had 19, and Season 8 had 10 episodes, with Seasons 6 and 7 having no recorded episodes.
Who are the main actors in The Ford Television Theatre?
The series featured a rotating ensemble cast including Helen Wallace, Willis Bouchey, Teresa Wright, Ralph Dumke, Horace McMahon, Lawrence Dobkin, Arthur Franz, Frances Robinson, Rosemary DeCamp, and George Macready, among many other guest performers across its eight-season run.
Who wrote episodes of The Ford Television Theatre?
Several notable writers contributed scripts to The Ford Television Theatre, including Blake Edwards, Rod Serling, Mary W. Lacey, Michael Kraike, and Jack Webb. The presence of writers like Rod Serling and Blake Edwards highlights the series' significance in early television history.
Did Rod Serling write for The Ford Television Theatre?
Yes, Rod Serling — who would later create The Twilight Zone — contributed scripts to The Ford Television Theatre. His involvement places the anthology series within a broader tradition of prestige television drama writing that helped define the medium during the 1950s.
Why did The Ford Television Theatre move from New York to Hollywood?
The Ford Television Theatre initially produced episodes in New York City, drawing on the city's rich pool of Broadway-trained stage actors. As the television industry shifted westward during the early 1950s, the show relocated to Hollywood to access the film industry's established talent and production infrastructure.
What genre is The Ford Television Theatre?
The Ford Television Theatre is a Drama anthology series. Each episode presented a standalone dramatic story with a different cast, a format common to prestige television programming of the 1950s that allowed the series to explore a wide range of human stories and emotional themes.
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