Series synopsis
Omnibus is an American talk television series that premiered on CBS on November 9, 1952. It ended on April 16, 1961. It was created by Robert Saudek. It stars Alistair Cooke, Gene Reynolds, Ludwig Donath and Carol Burnett.
Omnibus is an American, commercially sponsored, educational television series.
Premise
Omnibus is an American, commercially sponsored, educational television series.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Alistair Cooke as Self - Host
- Gene Reynolds as Archie Goodwin
- Ludwig Donath
- Carol Burnett
- Elliott Reid
- Michael Redgrave
- Carmen Mathews
- Bea Arthur as Ugly Witch
Supporting cast
- Lilia Skala
- William Saroyan
- Michael Strong
- Frank Sutton
- Cyril Ritchard
- Ethel Barrymore
- Eugene Ormandy
- Douglass Watson
- Nancy Wickwire
- Robert Altman
- James Mitchell
- Mike Nichols
Guest cast
- Gene Reynolds as Archie Goodwin
- Ludwig Donath
- Carol Burnett
- Elliott Reid
- Michael Redgrave
- Carmen Mathews
- Bea Arthur as Ugly Witch
- Lilia Skala
- William Saroyan
- Michael Strong
- Frank Sutton
- Cyril Ritchard
Episodes
This series spans 9 seasons with 160 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 0 | 1 | October 5, 2009 | October 5, 2009 |
| Season 1 | 28 | November 9, 1952 | May 17, 1953 |
| Season 2 | 24 | October 4, 1953 | March 28, 1954 |
| Season 3 | 26 | October 17, 1954 | April 10, 1955 |
| Season 4 | 24 | October 9, 1955 | April 1, 1956 |
| Season 5 | 22 | October 7, 1956 | March 31, 1957 |
| Season 6 | 13 | November 10, 1957 | April 27, 1958 |
| Season 7 | 15 | October 26, 1958 | May 3, 1959 |
| Season 8 | 7 | November 13, 1960 | April 16, 1961 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Life, The Universe, and Douglas Adams A celebration of Douglas Adams, the genius behind The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy who died in May 2001, aged just 49. First heard on radio in 1978, Hitch-Hiker turned Adams and his intergalactic cast of Arthur Dent, Ford Prefect, Zaphod Beeblebrox and Marvin the Robot into a worldwide cult, the books selling in their millions and enthralling fans from every continent. But Adams was as full of contradictions as the galaxies he created in Hitch-Hiker - a writer who found writing torture, a techie who was ill at ease with the modern world, a sci-fi fanatic who adored PG Wodehouse, and a giant of a man who forgot the extent of his own body and would shut his own legs in the car door. |
October 5, 2009 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Trial of Anne Boleyn | November 9, 1952 |
| 2 | Mr. Lincoln: Part 1 | November 16, 1952 |
| 3 | The Twelve Pound Look | November 23, 1952 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Glory in the Flower The program has five segments: (1) "Glory in the Flower" (story based on William Inge play), (2) "The Little Kitty Stayed Cool" (James Thurber short story), (3) "The Little Fugitive" (interview with the 8-year-old star of the prizewinning film), (4) "Excerpts from Oklahoma" (selections from Rodgers and Hammerstein's record-breaking musical), and (5) "Struggle for Survival" (showing of 1944 Swedish wildlife film). |
October 4, 1953 |
| 2 | The Battler | October 11, 1953 |
| 3 |
King Lear King Lear is a 1953 live television adaptation of the Shakespeare play with stage direction by Peter Brook and starring Orson Welles. It was aired on CBS as part of the U.S. television series Omnibus, and preserved on kinescope. A heavily abridged version of the play, this production condensed the play by eliminating the Edgar-Edmund subplot. Welles returned to America to star in this presentation. He was guarded by IRS agents, prohibited to leave his hotel room when not at the studio, prevented from making any purchases, and the entire sum he earned went to his tax bill. Welles returned to England after the broadcast. The cast included Micheál Mac Liammóir and the British actor Alan Badel. It was hosted by Alistair Cooke. |
October 18, 1953 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Treadmill to Oblivion The program has four segments: (1) "Treadmill to Oblivion" (play telling the story of Fred Allen's radio career), (2) "Percussion" (a demonstration of musical percussion instruments), (3) "Around the World" (an airplane trip around the world in 18 minutes), and (4) "Dance to Freedom" (two escaped Hungarian dancers from East Berlin perform a ballet number). |
October 17, 1954 |
| 2 | The Man Who Married a Dumb Wife | October 24, 1954 |
| 3 |
Young Man in Politics The program has three segments: (1) "Young Man in Politics" (sub-titled "A Clean, Fresh Breeze") ( a coming-of-age play), (2) "Toby and the Tall Corn" (play), and (3) (featuring art objects from the Whitney Museum of American Art). |
October 31, 1954 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Birth of Modern Times The program has only one segment: "The Birth of Modern Times" (a live program tracing the revival of the arts, literature, music and learning during the Renaissance period). |
October 9, 1955 |
| 2 |
The Jazz World The program has two segments: (1) "The Jazz World" (Leonard Bernstein discusses jazz and conducts a jazz number), and (2) "Famous America Boyhoods" (William Saroyan recreates scenes of his boyhood). |
October 16, 1955 |
| 3 |
The Adams House The program has five segments: (1) "The Adams House" (a follow-up to the series of Adams Family biographies), (2) "Television Magic" (featuring new television techniques), (3) "Bow Bells" (showing of a 1954 film in which a Cockney looks at life in the East End of London), (4) "Survival in the Bush" (showing of a 1954 film about survival in the wilds of Canada), and (5) "Animals in Motion" (short feature on animal locomotion). |
October 23, 1955 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The American Musical Comedy | October 7, 1956 |
| 2 | Androcles and the Lion | October 14, 1956 |
| 3 | The Last Day of Manolete | October 21, 1956 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 8 |
School for Wives To provide himself with an ideal wife, Arnolphe a bachelor, has had a girl educated from infancy in such a way as to keep her ignorant of the knowledge most young ladies possess. Second feature of this show: From Princeton University, where coach Charley Caldwell and members of the football team review yesterday's game with Harvard. Bud Palmer narrates the feature, which also includes a brief history of college football in the U.S. |
November 10, 1957 |
| 9 |
American Trial by Jury 1. Last month Leonard Bernstein, American Composer and Conductor, responded to an invitation to conduct the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. The occasion was the dedication, via several concerts, of the new Fredric R. Mann Auditorium in Tel Aviv. Omnibus covers this visit. 2. The other section of this 90 minute show is "American Trial By Jury". Boston attorney Joseph N. Welch turns to a trial which focused attention on the plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. This was the 1934 Massachusetts murder case of the Millen brothers and Faber. Verbatim transcripts of the trial will be dramatized. |
November 17, 1957 |
| 11 | The Suburban Review | January 12, 1958 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Capital Punishment The program has only one segment: "Capital Punishment" (an examination of the case for capital punishment). |
October 26, 1958 |
| 2 |
The Submariners The program has only one segment: "The Submariners" (Esther Williams joins a Connecticut naval submarine base and presents a feature on submarines and the life and training of submariners and Navy divers). |
November 9, 1958 |
| 3 |
The So-Called Human Race The program has only one segment: "The So-Called Human Race" (play in three acts). |
November 23, 1958 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | He Shall Have Power | November 13, 1960 |
| 2 | A Midwinter Night's Dream | January 1, 1961 |
| 3 | Robert Altman in England | January 8, 1961 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | CBS |
|---|---|
| First aired | November 9, 1952 |
| Last aired | April 16, 1961 |
| Runtime | 30 minutes |
| Status | ended |