- published: 07 Jul 2016
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Masterpiece (formerly known as Masterpiece Theatre) is a drama anthology television series produced by WGBH Boston. It premiered on Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) on January 10, 1971, making it America's longest-running weekly prime time drama series. The series has presented numerous acclaimed British productions. Many of these are produced by the BBC, but the line-up has also included programs shown on the commercial services ITV and Channel 4.
Masterpiece is best known for presenting adaptations of novels and biographies, but it also shows original television dramas. The first title to air was The First Churchills, starring Susan Hampshire as Sarah Churchill. Other programs presented on the series include The Six Wives of Henry VIII; Elizabeth R; I, Claudius; Upstairs, Downstairs; The Duchess of Duke Street; The Citadel; The Jewel in the Crown; Reckless, House of Cards; Traffik; and Jeeves and Wooster. More recent popular titles include Prime Suspect; The Forsyte Saga; Sherlock; and Downton Abbey.
Alistair Cooke KBE (20 November 1908 – 30 March 2004) was a British journalist, television personality and broadcaster. Outside his journalistic output, which included Letter from America and Alistair Cooke's America, he was well known in the United States as the host of PBS Masterpiece Theatre from 1971 to 1992. After holding the job for 22 years, and having worked in television for 42 years, Cooke retired in 1992, although he continued to present Letter from America until shortly before his death. He was the father of author and folk singer John Byrne Cooke.
Cooke was born in Salford, Lancashire, England, the son of Mary Elizabeth (Byrne) and Samuel Cooke. His father was a lay Methodist preacher and metalsmith by trade; his mother's family were of Irish Protestant origin. Originally named Alfred, he changed his name to Alistair when he was 22. He was educated at Blackpool Grammar School, Blackpool and won a scholarship to Jesus College, Cambridge, where he gained an honours degree (2:1) in English. He was heavily involved in the arts, was editor of Granta, and set up the Mummers, Cambridge's first theatre group open to both sexes, from which he notably rejected a young James Mason, telling him to stick to architecture.
Full Episodes of The First Churchills PBS Masterpiece Theatre tv series
Based on the Gothic romance novel by Daphne Du Maurier, Rebecca is a classic tale of love and hate. Maxim De Winter marries a woman half his age only a year after his first wife, the beautiful and accomplished Rebecca, dies. She finds herself in an aristocratic social world her middle class upbringing did not prepare her for, and housekeeper Mrs Danvers despises her for taking her darling Rebecca's place. But these are not the only problems to face...
'Sleepers,' featuring Nigel Havers and Warren Clarke, had it's U.S. television premiere on PBS's 'Masterpiece Theatre' in 1991. When it was released on DVD a few years ago, some of the music was changed due to the licensing costs. Also, Alistair Cooke's always thoughtful intros and tags for the episodes were not included. Here is the 'Masterpiece Theatre' opening sequence and Cooke's original intro for the first episode of 'Sleepers.' Cooke did not do a tag for this episode.
PBS/Music Publishing Collecting Society (2000). Leo Tolstoy's powerful tale of love and marriage in imperial Russia comes to Masterpiece Theatre in a stunningly modern adaptation of Anna Karenina. Starring: Helen McCrory, Kevin McKidd, and Stephen Dillane.
In 2008, the PBS drama anthology series "Masterpiece Theatre" received a - no pun intended - dramatic revamp. Dropping the word "Theatre" from the name, the series was split into 3 strands: "Classic", reflecting their original premise of television adaptations of novels; "Mystery," absorbing the namesake spinoff series of detective and crime dramas; and "Contemporary," featuring more modern stories (as of 2013, "Contemporary" has been canceled). All three versions received individual opening sequences and theme tunes reflecting their genres, but linking them together is a familiar signature based on the original theme to "Masterpiece": the Rondeau from Jean-Joseph Mouret's "Symphonies and Fanfares for the King's Supper". Here are the closing themes to each "Masterpiece" series, taken from...
Full Episodes of The First Churchills PBS Masterpiece Theatre tv series
Just in time for the premiere of the reimagined Poldark, see Alistair Cooke's introduction of the original, 1977 series. #PoldarkPBS
Full Episodes of The First Churchills PBS Masterpiece Theatre tv series
1) Alias Smith and Jones 2) Masterpiece Theatre 3) Persuaders! 4) The New Dick Van Dyke Show 5) Primus 6) The Smith Family 7) Man and the City
Full Episodes of The First Churchills PBS Masterpiece Theatre tv series
Where I was born ev`rything was dull and dingy
I lived in a place they called "The Inner City"
Getting ahead was strictly a no no
'Cause nobody cares what happens to the folks
That live in the ghetto
Thousands of lives wasting away
People living from day to day
It`s a challenge just staying alive
`Cause in the ghetto only the strong survive
Money I ain`t got none, job can`t find one
The streets raised me from a baby, ooh
Thousands of lives wasting away
People living from day to day
It`s a challenge just staying alive
`Cause in the ghetto only the strong survive
Broken down homes, kids strung out
They don`t even know what life`s all about
Stealin` cars, robbin` bars
Mugging, drugs, rat infested
And no one`s interested
Kids dodging cars for recreation
Only adds to a mother`s frustration
Break-ins, folks comin` home
And finding all their possessions gone
Oh it`s an ev`ry day thing - well well - in the ghetto
Oh it`s an ev`ry day thing in the ghetto