Vacation Playhouse
Vacation Playhouse is an American anthology comedy-drama television series that was broadcast during the summer months on CBS from July 22, 1963, to August 21, 1967. The series aired 50 episodes.[1]
| Vacation Playhouse | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Created by | Richard Michaels |
| Directed by | Hy Averback Richard Crenna Jack Donohue Claudio Guzmán Jerry Hopper Fletcher Markle Norman Z. McLeod Gene Reynolds Barry Shear Don Taylor Richard Whorf Don Weis |
| Starring | (see below) |
| Composer(s) | Jerry Fielding |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 5 |
| No. of episodes | 50 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Warren Lewis William Dozier |
| Producer(s) | Hal Kanter Arthur Julian Jack Donohue Stanley Shpetner Edward H. Feldman Jim McGinn |
| Production location(s) | Desilu Studios CBS Television City |
| Editor(s) | Bill Heath Robert L. Swanson |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Bing Crosby Productions Desilu Productions Four Star Television Universal Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Original release | July 22, 1963 – August 21, 1967 |
Premise
Vacation Playhouse premiered on Monday, July 22, 1963, on CBS. The show aired as a Summer replacement for CBS's sitcom The Lucy Show which starred Lucille Ball.
The series was a showcase for previously unaired, primarily Desilu, unsold television pilot films. This half hour anthology became a home for several failed attempts at episodic programing which did not make a final cut on to a prime time network fall schedule. Considered "dogs" among media insiders, this short run summer program became a successful outlet for a financial return on these previously shelved productions. Another incentive was the lesser expense compared to earlier original limited run summer "filler" shows with big-name hosts and guest stars. During its later years, producers found a lack of first-run material on hand. During these final seasons, repeat broadcasts of shows from previous seasons began. During its 1966 summer run, the series aired eight new pilots and two repeats. For the 1967 final season, five new pilots and four repeats.
The final episode aired Monday, August 21, 1967 after four years, five seasons, and fifty episodes.[2][3]
Production notes
The series was directed by actors Don Taylor, and Richard Crenna and television producer/director Jack Donohue. The series was produced by producers Hal Kanter, Arthur Julian and Donohue.
The series was filmed alternatively between the Desilu Studios and Television City. The series was also produced with the association of Bing Crosby Productions, Desilu Productions, Four Star Television, and Universal Television.
Broadcast history
Vacation Playhouse aired on Mondays from 8:30-9PM during its first and second seasons as a Summer replacement for The Lucy Show. During its third season, (1965), the series aired on Friday nights from 9:30-10PM as a Summer replacement for Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.. It returned to its previous time slot on Monday nights in 1966 and for a final run in the summer of 1967.
Episodes
| Season | Episodes | Season Premiere | Season Finale |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | July 22, 1963 | September 23, 1963 |
| 2 | 14 | June 15, 1964 | September 14, 1964 |
| 3 | 12 | June 20, 1965 | September 5, 1965 |
| 4 | 9 | July 4, 1966 | September 5, 1966 |
| 5 | 5 | July 3, 1967 | August 21, 1967 |
Season 1
- Love Affair for Just Three - July 22, 1963
- Three Wishes - July 29, 1963
- Hide and Seek - August 5, 1963
- Mickey and the Contessa - August 12, 1963
- The Big Brain - August 19, 1963
- Swingin' Together - August 26, 1963
- All About Barbara - September 2, 1963
- Hooray for Love - September 9, 1963
- Come a-Runnin' - September 16, 1963
- Maggie Brown - September 23, 1963
Season 2
- Hey, Teacher - June 15, 1964
- Hooray for Hollywood - June 22, 1964
- Papa G.I. - June 29, 1964
- I and Claude - July 6, 1964
- He's All Yours - July 20, 1964
- Love is a Lion's Roar - July 27, 1964
- At Your Service - August 3, 1964
- The Graduation Dress - August 10, 1964
- The First Hundred Years - August 17, 1964
- My Darling Judge - August 31, 1964
- The Bean Show - September 7, 1964
- The Ivy League - September 14, 1964
Season 3
- Sybil - June 20, 1965
- Alec Tate - June 27, 1965
- The Barbara Rush Show - July 4, 1965
- Patrick Stone - July 11, 1965
- Starr - July 18, 1965
- The Brave Duke - July 25, 1965
- Luke and the Tenderfoot Part I - August 1, 1965
- Luke and the Tenderfoot Part II - August 8, 1965
- Coogan's Reward - August 15, 1965
- Three on an Island - August 22, 1965
- Cap'n Ahab - August 29, 1965
- Down Home - September 5, 1965
Season 4
- Hey, Teacher - July 4, 1966
- The Good Old Days - July 11, 1966
- Frank Merriwell - July 25, 1966
- Where's There Smokey - August 1, 1966
- My Lucky Penny - August 8, 1966
- The Hoofer - August 15, 1966
- My Son, the Doctor - August 22, 1966
- The Two of Us - August 29, 1966
- Off We Go! - September 5, 1966
References
- "Vacation Playhouse (1963-1967)". www.imdb.com. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
- "Status Guide - "Vacation Playhouse"". www.tvobscurities.com. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
- "Vacation Playhouse CBS (ended 1967)". www.tv.com. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
- "Vacation Playhouse Episode Guide". www.tv.com. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
- "Vacation Playhouse (1963-67)". ctva.biz. Retrieved October 12, 2014.