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Thirty-Minute Theatre

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Thirty-Minute Theatre
GenreDrama Anthology
Country of originUnited Kingdom
No. of episodes286
Production
ProducerGraeme MacDonald
Running time30 minutes
Production companyBBC
Original release
NetworkBBC2
ReleaseOctober 17, 1965 (1965-10-17) –
August 9, 1973 (1973-08-09)

Thirty-Minute Theatre is an anthology drama series of short plays shown on BBC Television between 1965 and 1973, whcih was used in part at least as a training ground for new writers, on account of its short running length, and which therefore attracted many writers who later became well known.[1] It was initiallty produced by Graeme MacDonald.[2]

Thirty Minute Theatre followed on from a similarly named ITV series, beginning on BBC2 in 1965 with an adaptation of the black comedy Parsons Pleasure (author, Roald Dahl). Dennis Potter contributed Emergency – Ward 9 (1966), which he partially recycled in the much later The Singing Detective (1986). In 1967 BBC2 launched the UK's first colour service, with the consequence that Thirty Minute Theatre became the first drama series in the country to be shown in colour.[3]

As well as single plays, the series showed several linked collections of plays, including a group of four plays by John Mortimer named after areas of London[4][5] in 1972, two three part Inspector Waugh series starring Clive Swift in the title role, and a trilogy of plays by Jean Benedetti, broadcast in 1969, focusing on infamous historical figures such as Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin. Other plays were broadcast by popular or up and coming writers like Charlotte and Denis Plimmer (The Chequers Manoeuvre, 1968)[6], David Rudkin (Bypass, 1972, and Atrocity, 1973)[7] and Jack Rosenthal (And For my Next Trick, 1972).[7]

Thirty Minute Theatre was cancelled in August 1973. Second City Firsts, also of 30 minutes duration, fulfilled much the same role.

Archive holdings

Out of an original total of 286 episodes, 239 episodes are missing, a further episode is incomplete and 2 others exist on formats inferior to the original.[8]

References

  1. ^ Re-viewing Television History: Critical Issues in Television Historiography, p.85
  2. ^ Play For Today: The Evolution of Television Drama, Irene Shubik, p.62
  3. ^ Thirty Minute Theatre - An Overview
  4. ^ BFI - Bermondsey
  5. ^ John Mortimer's Britain through the years
  6. ^ The Chequers Manoeuvre
  7. ^ a b Pebble Mill Studios
  8. ^ Lost Shows listing for Thirty Minute Theatre
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