Tag Archives: NET Playhouse

Balladeer’s Blog’s look at this example of Forgotten Television continues with N.E.T. Playhouse‘s episodes from 1967. For the opening look at the 1966 episodes click HERE.

1967

THE AMOROUS FLEA (January 6th) – Majestic Productions put together this operatic comedy adaptation of Moliere’s play School for Wives. A young woman raised in virtual isolation is competed over by her much older patron and the son of that patron’s best friend. Lew Parker starred in this 90-minute presentation, repeating his stage role as the older suitor Arnolphe.

COMEDY OF ERRORS (January 13th) – This was first aired on British television’s show Festival in 1964. It’s a production of Shakespeare’s comedy, which was itself based on Plautus’ play Menaechmi. Diana Rigg, Donald Sinden, Ian Richardson and others starred. Though many reference sites claim this ran just an hour the actual U.K. site says it’s 90 minutes, having first aired from 9:25PM to 10:55PM. 

Balladeer’s Blog

LAMAMA PLAYWRIGHTS aka THREE FROM LAMAMMA  (January 20th) – In this 1 hour & 45 minute episode, New York’s experimental LaMama Theater Club presented three short plays: Pavane by Jean-Claude van Italie, in which social customs are lampooned … Sam Shepard’s Fourteen Hundred Thousand about generation gaps and incompatible visions of “community” … and The Recluse by Paul Foster, about two older women who live together in mutual hostility. The 1st section was performed in a studio, the latter 2 were shot at New York City locations. James Coco and others starred. Continue reading →

N.E.T. PLAYHOUSE (1966-1972) – This anthology series from National Educational Television presented dramas, comedies, fantasies and musicals. Many were produced by N.E.T. themselves, others were produced overseas and a very few were movies theatrically released before being shown on N.E.T. Playhouse.

Below is a representative example of the program’s offerings, which could run from one hour to three and a half hours. An incredible range of productions were broadcast during the six-year run of this excellent program. I will examine N.E.T. Playhouse one year at a time.

1966

TEN BLOCKS ON THE CAMINO REAL (October 7th) – Martin Sheen starred as the downtrodden ex-boxer Kilroy in this 90-minute episode adapted from the play by Tennessee Williams. Janet Margolin, Albert Dekker and Lotte Lenya also starred.

THE JOURNEY OF THE FIFTH HORSE (October 14th) – This 2 1/2 hour production was based on the play by Ronald Ribman which was itself based on Ivan Turgenev’s novel The Diary of a Superfluous Man. Dustin Hoffman starred as Zoditch, with a supporting cast which included Michael Tolan, Charlotte Rae, Susan Anspach and Susan Lipton.

THE STAR WAGON (October 21st) – Another 2 1/2 hour production, this one based on Maxwell Anderson’s play about an inventor who devises a time machine then goes to the past to try to change the course of his life. Once again Dustin Hoffman starred, playing Hanus Wicks. In support were Eileen Brennan, Orson Bean, Richard Castellano and others.

L’AVVENTURA (October 28th) – This was a broadcast of the 1961 film from Michelangelo Antonioni and starring Monica Vitti. It occupied a 3 1/2 hour time slot. Continue reading →