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22 Episodes 1956 - 1957
Episode 1
Sun, Oct 7, 195676 mins
The program has only one segment: "The American Musical Comedy" (Leonard Bernstein traces the development of this entertainment form, with staged excerpts).
Episode 2
Sun, Oct 14, 1956
The program has three segments: "Androcles and the Lion" (adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's play), (2) "The Silent World - Excerpts" (showing of the first of three excerpts from a 1956 French film by Jacques-Yves Cousteau on underwater life around the world), and (3) "The Man Who" (a look at campaigns for the U.S. Presidency through 1928).
Episode 3
Sun, Oct 21, 1956
The program has four segments: (1) "The Last Day of Manolete" (recording through still photos the day the celebrated Spanish bullfighter was killed), (2) "The Stranger Left No Card" (reshowing of a 1952 filmed short story), (3) "The Silent World" (showing of the second of three excerpts from a 1956 French film by Jacques-Yves Cousteau on underwater life around the world) and (4) "Rodeo" (reshowing of Agnes DeMille's 'Rodeo' from Season 1).
Episode 4
Sun, Oct 28, 1956
The program has three segments: (1) "My Heart's in the Highlands" (one-act play by William Saroyan), "Almost All about Horses" (looking at how sport uses different kinds of horses), and (3) "The Silent World" (showing of the third of three excerpts from a 1956 French film by Jacques-Yves Cousteau on underwater life around the world).
Episode 5
Sun, Nov 4, 1956
The program has three segments: (1) "Let There Be Farce" (prize-winning Canadian comedy), (2) (Eartha Kitt performs international folk songs), and (3) (a look at the Twenties through newsreel clips).
Episode 6
Sun, Nov 11, 1956
The program has two segments: (1) "Moliere's School for Wives" (comedy play by Moliere), and (2) "Skull Session" (survey of college football in the U.S.).
Episode 7
Sun, Nov 18, 1956
Scenes from various plays are performed, including "The Plough and the Stars" and "Juno and the Paycock" by Sean O'Casey; "The Whiteheaded Boy" and "Is Life Worth Living?" by Lennox Robinson; "The Countess Cathleen" by William Butler Yeats; "Shadow and Substance" by Paul Vincent Carroll; and "Dierdre of the Sorrows" by John Millington Synge. In addition, two new documentaries are screened: the one, ""The Era of Wonderful Nonsense," a short subject documenting the excesses of the 1920s, produced especially for this episode; the other, On the Bowery (1956), a feature length film looking at New York's Skid Row, recently awarded first prize at the Venice Film Festival, from which roughly 20 minutes are excerpted.
Episode 8
Sun, Nov 25, 1956
The program has three segments: "The Blue Hotel" (adaptation of a Stephen Crane story), (2) "The Children's Party" (comic monologue), and (3) "Vest-Pocket Symphony" (harmonica music).
Episode 9
Sun, Dec 2, 1956
The program has four segments: (1) "The Man without a Country" (adaptation of Edward Everett Hale's classic story), (2) "Amicable Parting" (drama), (3) "Different Drummers" (a celebrated Indian drummer joins American jazz musicians to combine their countries' rhythmic styles and patterns), and (4) "The Fastest Game of All" (speedy action and analysis of an ice hockey match between U.S. and Canadian teams).
Episode 10
Sun, Dec 9, 1956
The program has three segments: (1) "The Fine Art of Murder" (dramatization of a murder, which three famous detectives and their authors attempt to solve), (2) "The Great Adventure" (showing of an excerpt from a 1953 Swedish film about nature and wildlife), and (3) "Alice Pearce" (comedy and song from the celebrated comedienne).
Episode 11
Sun, Dec 16, 195630 mins
The program has four segments: (1) "The Christmas Tie" (re-staging of the William Saroyan play produced in Season 1), (2) "The Spirit of Freedom" (re-enactment of Sandor Szabo's flight from Communism), (3) "Drug Store, Sunday Noon" (story), and (4) "Szabo Interview" (interview with the subject of segment 2).
Episode 12
Sun, Dec 23, 1956
The program has five segments: (1) "Madeline and the Bad Hat" (adaptation of a children's story), (2) "Columbus Boychoir" (Christmas songs), (3) "Susie's Night Out" (film of a pet shop at night), (4) "Bill Baird's Marionettes" (puppet parody of Omnibus), and (5) "The Star of Bethlehem" (scientific explanation of the star in the Nativity story).
Episode 13
Sun, Dec 30, 1956
The program has two segments: (1) "The Art of Choreography" (tracing the history of choreography from earliest times), and (2) "Master Gunmanship" (comedy feature on the art of pistol-shooting).
Episode 14
Sun, Jan 6, 1957
The program has two segments: (1) "Oedipus, the King" (play by Sophocles), and (2) "Solo Khumbu" (excerpts from a film documentary on social life and customs in Nepal).
Episode 15
Sun, Jan 13, 1957
The program has three segments: (1) "Introduction to Modern Music" (Leonard Bernstein discusses modern music and composers, including Bartok, Berg, Hindemith, Ives, Prokofiev, Schoenberg and Stravinsky), (2) "Out" (showing of a 1957 UN documentary about the influx of Hungarian refugees into Austria as a result of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution), and (3) "John Hersey Interview" (interview with the writer of segment (2))
Episode 16
Sun, Jan 20, 1957
A verse drama treatment of the critical battle of the American Civil War.
Episode 17
Sun, Jan 27, 1957
The program has two segments: (1) "The Big Wheel" (a survey of the age of burlesque, featuring examples of acts of the period), and (2) "The Message" (showing of a 1956 UK film drama on the moral and ethical aspects of war).
Episode 18
Sun, Mar 3, 1957
Episode 19
Sun, Mar 10, 1957
Episode 20
Sun, Mar 17, 1957
Episode 25
Sun, Mar 24, 195730 mins
The program has two segments: (1) "The Trial of Lizzie Borden" (dramatization of the murder trial of Lizzie Borden), and (2) "The Fall River Legend" (dramatic ballet presentation of the Lizzie Borden story).
Episode 26
Sun, Mar 31, 195766 mins
The program has two segments: (1) "The Music of Johann Sebastian Bach" (Leonard Bernstein analyzes Bach's music and techniques, illustrated with an excerpt from 'The St. Matthew Passion' and other choral and orchestral works), and (2) "A Maine Lobsterman" (repeat showing of a feature from Season 3 about lobster-fishing in Maine).