- published: 22 Nov 2007
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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.
MASTERPIECE THEATRE | The Complete Jane Austen | PBS
MASTERPIECE | Poldark: 1977 Series Introduction by Alistair Cooke | PBS
Rebecca 1997 TV
THE DURRELLS IN CORFU on MASTERPIECE | Episode 2 Preview | PBS
MASTERPIECE | Indian Summers: Coming in September | PBS
'Sleepers' - Episode 1 - 'Masterpiece Theatre' Intro 1991-10-27
Victoria | Teaser Trailer, Full Trailer and 3 Minute Clip
Aidan Turner's Poldark PBS Drama Preview
MASTERPIECE | Victoria: UK Preview | PBS
INDIAN SUMMERS, Season 2 on MASTERPIECE | Episode 1 Scene | PBS
Buy the DVD: http://www.shoppbs.org/entry.point?entry=3052871&source;=PBSCS_YOUTUBE_MAST453_JANEAUSTEN:N:DGR:N:N:209:QPBS MASTERPIECE THEATRE presents The Complete Jane Austen. This four-month, first-ever U.S. television extravaganza includes new productions of "Persuasion," "Northanger Abbey," "Mansfield Park," and "Sense and Sensibility," along with classic productions of "Emma" and "Pride and Prejudice." Save your Sundays! For more information visit http://www.pbs.org/janeausten PBS air dates: Starting Sunday, January 13 at 9/8C (check local listings).
Just in time for the premiere of the reimagined Poldark, see Alistair Cooke's introduction of the original, 1977 series. #PoldarkPBS
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...
The Durrell family navigates the mysteries of the heart in The Durrells in Corfu, Episode 2, premiering on MASTERPIECE on PBS Sunday, October 23, 2016 at 8/7c. #DurrellsPBS Learn more: pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/programs/series/durrells-corfu-s1/ | #DurrellsPBS Subscribe to the PBS channel for more clips: https://www.youtube.com/user/PBS/feat... Enjoy full episodes of your favorite PBS programs at pbs.org/video. Like PBS on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pbs/ Follow PBS on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PBS Follow PBS on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/PBS Official website: http://www.pbs.org/ Get PBS merchandise: http://www.shoppbs.org/home/index.jsp Keeley Hawes stars as a widow who transplants her four unruly children from Britain to sun-drenched Corfu in 1935. Based on G...
See a preview of the new series "Indian Summers," premiering Sunday, September 27, 2015 at 9/8c on MASTERPIECE on PBS.
'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.
This is most of the released content for the new period drama Victoria all content belongs to itv, mammoth screen and pbs
PBS' Drama Preview of Aidan Turner's Poldark which premieres in the USA on Masterpiece Theatre on Sunday, June 14 at 9pm for an 8-episode run. This series will first air in the UK on BBC One in March. Poldark will also air in Australia & New Zealand in May. Other international sales are in the works. Aidan Turner Forever • Please like our facebook fan page, we're trying to show our support for Aidan, the man and his works: www.facebook.com/aidan.turner.fan.page Thank you!
She's every inch a queen. Victoria, starring Jenna Coleman and Rufus Sewell, comes to MASTERPIECE on January 15, 2017. #VictoriaPBS
Three years may have passed, but some things never change. See a scene from the Season 2 premiere of Indian Summers, airing Sunday, September 11, 2016 at 10/9c on MASTERPIECE on PBS. Learn more: http://www.pbs.org/indiansummers/ | #IndianSummersPBS Subscribe to the PBS channel for more clips: https://www.youtube.com/user/PBS/featured Enjoy full episodes of your favorite PBS programs at pbs.org/video. Like PBS on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pbs/ Follow PBS on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PBS Follow PBS on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/PBS Official website: http://www.pbs.org/ Get PBS merchandise: http://www.shoppbs.org/home/index.jsp The series described by Variety as “picturesque, wonderfully soapy and set against a rich historical backdrop” returns for a second seas...
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