From the late 1940s through the early 1960s, live dramatic presentations were a staple of commercial television (see entry under 1940s—TV and Radio in volume 3), helping earn this era the reputation as TV's "golden age." Each week, various anthology series presented classic and original dramas starring familiar older Hollywood (see entry under 1930s—Film and Theater in volume 2) stars and hot new up-and-comers. One of the oldest and most distinguished and innovative shows was Studio One, which aired on CBS from November 1948 through September 1958.

The hour-long show offered a vast and impressive array of programming. Across the decade, almost five hundred plays were broadcast. Among the most notable early Studio One productions: "Mary Poppins" (see entry under 1960s—Film and Theater in volume 4) and Somerset Maugham's (1874–1965) "Of Human Bondage" (both of which aired in 1949), and William Shakespeare's (1564-1616) "Julius Caesar" (staged twice in 1949), "MacBeth" (1950), and...