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Theatre of the Mind (TV series)

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Theatre of the Mind is an American psychological drama anthology series produced by Fred Coe and Ann Marlowe for the National Broadcasting Company (NBC).[1] Episodes dealt with emotional problems that might occur in homes.[2] Six 30-minute episodes were produced and aired on NBC from July 14 to September 15, 1949.[3] Each story was followed by a discussion led by moderator Dr. Houston Peterson[4] and featuring Dr. Marina Farnum, Dr. Edward Strecher, and Claire Savage Littledale, then editor of Parents Magazine.[5]

Actors included Lilia Skala, Faye Emerson, and Ilka Chase. Among its directors was Delbert Mann, later to win an Academy Award for directing Marty (film).

Marlowe was the show's writer.[4] The show was broadcast on Thursdays, initially from 9:30 to 10 p.m. Eastern Time. In August 1949 it was moved to 9 to 9:30 E.T.[2]

Theatre of the Mind was an experimental effort by a then-new creative program department at NBC. Network executives planned to make the show a regular series if the experiment was successful.[6]

Critical response

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A review in the trade publication Variety called Theatre of the Mind "a laudable endeavor", acknowledging that covering psychological material in 30 minutes was a challenge.[5] The review added that the problem was presented in an entertaining way and comments from the panel of experts were "on a level readily understood by the layman."[5]

References

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  1. ^ "Radio and Television; NBC Video Series to Depict Psychological Motivations in Human Behavior". The New York Times. 7 July 1949.
  2. ^ a b Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (June 24, 2009). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. Random House Publishing Group. p. 1377. ISBN 978-0-307-48320-1. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  3. ^ Irvin, Richard. The Early Shows: A Reference Guide to Network and Syndicated PrimeTime Television Series from 1944 to 1949.
  4. ^ a b McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 829. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
  5. ^ a b c "Theatre of the Mind". Variety. July 20, 1949. p. 32. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  6. ^ "NBC-TV's Psycho Series". Variety. July 6, 1949. p. 32. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
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