Matinee Theater

Matinee Theater is an American anthology series that aired on NBC during the Golden Age of Television, from 1955 to 1958. The series, which ran daily in the afternoon, was frequently live. It was produced by Albert McCleery, Darrell Ross, George Cahan and Frank Price with executive producer George Lowther. McCleery had previously produced the live series Cameo Theatre which introduced to television the concept of theater-in-the-round, TV plays staged with minimal sets.

Jim Buckley of the Pewter Plough Playhouse recalled:

When Al McCleery got back to the States, he originated a most ambitious theatrical TV series for NBC called Matinee Theater: to televise five different stage plays per week live, airing around noon in order to promote color TV to the American housewife as she labored over her ironing. Al was the producer. He hired five directors and five art directors. Richard Bennett, one of our first early presidents of the Pewter Plough Corporation, was one of the directors and I was one of the art directors and, as soon as we were through televising one play, we had lunch and then met to plan next week’s show. That was over 50 years ago, and I’m trying to think; I believe the TV art director is his own set decorator —yes, of course! It had to be, since one of McCleery’s chief claims to favor with the producers was his elimination of the setting per se and simply decorating the scene with a minimum of props. It took a bit of ingenuity.

Loading countdown...
The Outer Limits

The Outer Limits

1995

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour

1962

Crónicas urbanas

1991

Our Skyy 2

Our Skyy 2

2023

The Grimm Variations

The Grimm Variations

2024

Medical Story

1975

On the Edge

On the Edge

2018

WHAT / IF

WHAT / IF

2019

Lo que callamos las mujeres

Lo que callamos las mujeres

2013

Girl from Nowhere

Girl from Nowhere

2018

Danger

1950

Sweepstakes

1979

The Act

The Act

2019

Shadowlands

Shadowlands

2018

El colapso

El colapso

2023

Escenario 0

Escenario 0

2020

The Hidden Room

The Hidden Room

1991

Night Visions

Night Visions

2001

Caso Especial

Caso Especial

1971

Alma negra

2023