简介：OmnibuswasthemostsuccessfulculturalmagazineseriesinthehistoryofU.S.commercialtelevisionandaprototypeforthedevelopmentofprogrammingoneducationaltelevision.DevelopedbytheTelevision-RadioWorkshopoftheFordFoundation,Omnibusgeneratedbothcorporatesponsorshipandaloyal,butlimited,networkaudienceforintellectualprogrammingovernineyears(1952to1961)onallthreenetworks. OmnibuswasthevisionofRobertSaudek,aformerABCvice-presidentofpublicaffairswhobecamedirectoroftheWorkshopin1951.Commissionedtodeviseaninnovativeseriesfornetworktelevision,Saudekcreatedavarietyshowfortheintellect,acompendiumofthearts,literature,science,history,andevensomepureentertainment.SaudekhiredjournalistAlistairCooketoserveasmasterofceremonies.CookewasknownforhisliteratecommentaryonLetterfromAmerica,aBBCradioseriesheardthroughoutGreatBritain.WithinitialunderwritingfromtheFordFoundation,whichTVGuidecalled"riskcapital"fortheuntried,Saudekalsosecuredfinancingfromadvertiserstoproduceaweekly,ninety-minuteseries,firstairing4:30-6:00P.M.onSundayafternoons.Omnibuspremieredon9November1952overCBS.ThefirstinstallmentfeaturedRexHarrisonandLilliPalmerasHenryVIIIandAnneBoleyn;WilliamSaroyannarratinganadaptationofhisshortstory"TheBadMen";andthefirstimagesofX-raymovies,aninsidelookattheworkinghumandigestivesystem. Saudekandhisproducers,amongthemFredRickey,WilliamSpier,andMaryV.Ahern,deftlyinterwovethehighandpopularartsintoaculturalsmorgasbord.Theirdefinitionof"culture"wasflexibleenoughtoencompassOrsonWelles'striumphantreturnformEuropetostarinPeterBrook'sadaptationofKingLear;aproductionofWilliamInge's"GloryintheFlower"withJessicaTandy,HumeCroyn,andastillverygreenJamesDean;S.J.Perelman'spaeantoburlesquewithBertLahr;severalappearancesbyAgnesDeMille,includingtheperformanceofherballet"ThreeVirginsandtheDevil("Virgins"becoming"Maidens"becauseofnetworkcensors);JackBennyrecreatinghisnotoriousroleasanavengingangelin"TheHornBlowsatMidnight";andPeterUstinovinhisAmericantelevisiondebutasDr.SamuelJohnson.Omnibusalsogaveairtimetoartistsnewtothemassmedia:WilliamFaulknergaveatourofOxford,Mississippi;JamesAgeecontributedafive-partdocudramaonthelifeofAbrahamLincoln,nowconsideredoneofthefirstminiseries;FrankLloydWrightdiscussedarchitecturalformswithCooke;andpainterThomasHartBentongaveatourofhisstudio.Inaddition,individualswhowouldlaterbecomefixturesinprimetimereceivedacareerboostonOmnibus,includingMikeNicholsandElaineMay,whobroughttheirsardonichumortoaneditionentitled"SuburbanRevue";LesFordandMaryFord,whodemonstratedmulti-trackrecordingwithamadrigal-singingCooke;andJacquesCousteau,whoscreenedhisfirstunderseaadventureonAmericantelevision. BeginningwithLeopoldStokowskiandBenjaminBritten's"YoungPerson'sGuidetotheOrchestra,"Saudeklinkedpedagogywithshowmanshiptoproduceaseriesofvisuallecturesthatbecameamodelforeducationaltelevision.ThemoststimulatingandoriginaloftheelectronicteacherswasLeonardBernstein,whosingle-handedlyenlargedthepossibilitiesofmusicalanalysisandperformanceontelevision.CommencingwithhisdissectionofBeethoven'sFifthSymphonyin1954,Bernsteinbroughtanintellectualpassionofexcitementanddiscoverytohissubjectandlaterexploredmusicalcomedy,jazz,grandopera,andmodernmusicwiththesamevigor.GeneKellyinhisvideolecturecomparedtheartandchoreographyofballetdancerstothemovementsofprofessionalathletes,exemplifiedbyhistapdancewithboxerSugarRayRobinson. Formostofitsrun,Omnibus,nearlyalwaysbroadcastlive,gracedthe"ghetto"ofweekendprogramming,Sundayafternoon.Asthatdaypartbecamemorevaluable,beginningonCBSwiththesuccessofprofessionalfootball,Omnibusshiftedtoothernetworks.TheserieswasseenonCBSfrom1952to1956;onABC1956to1957;andNBC1957to1961.DuringthefinalseasonOmnibusappearedasaseriesofirregularspecials,concludingwithalookatthefutureofthewesternhemisphere.Inall,Saudekandhisteamassembled166volumestotalingmorethan230hoursofentertainingenlightenment.TheserieswasrevivedbyproducerMartinStargerasaseriesofspecialonABCin1981. TheartisticconcernsandapproachestoproductionofOmnibusprovidedaroadmapforpublictelevision.TheFordFoundation,citingOmnibus'sstruggleforratings,questionedwhethercommercialbroadcasterswerededicatedto"thedevelopmentofmature,wiseandresponsiblecitizens,"andbegantofundeducationaltelevisionprojects.WithouttheFoundation'ssupport,Saudekin1955formedhisownproductioncompanytocreateandgainnetworksponsorshipfortheseries.TheOmnibussensibilityhasbeenfeltthroughoutthehistoryofpublictelevision.DuringtheNationalEducationalTelevisionyears,NETPlayhouse(1966-72)andNETFestival(1967-70)weredirectdescendants.SincetheformationofthePublicBroadcastingService,GreatPerformances(1974-present)partakesoftheOmnibusethostoshareaculturalmelangewithadiscriminatingaudience.And,ofcourse,theringmasterofOmnibus,AlistairCookebecameaPBSiconforovertwentyyearsashostofMasterpieceTheater. -RonSimon HOST AlistairCooke PRODUCERS RobertSaudek,FredRickey,WilliamSpier,MaryV.Ahern PROGRAMMINGHISTORY CBS October1953-April1956Sunday5:00-6:00ABC October1956-March1957Sunday9:00-10:30NBC April1957-April1961SundayIrregularSchedule FURTHERREADING Beck,Kirstin.CultivatingtheWasteland.NewYork:AmericanCouncilfortheArts,1983. Bernstein,Leonard.TheJoyofMusic.NewYork:Fireside,1963. Henderson,Amy.OntheAirPioneersofAmericanBroadcasting.Washington,D.C.:SmithsonianInstitutionPress,1988. LeonardBernstein:TheTelevisionWork.NewYork:MuseumofBroadcasting,1985. Rose,Brian.TelevisingthePerformingArts.Westport,Connecticut:GreenwoodPress,1992. _______________.TelevisionandthePerformingArts.Westport,Connecticut:GreenwoodPress,1986.…