Produced and funded by the Radio and Television Workshop of the Ford Foundation under the direction of Robert Saudek, Omnibus introduced Sunday afternoon and evening commercial television audiences in the 1950s to a wide variety of programs of cultural distinction. Hosted by Alistair Cooke, the BBC's (British Broadcasting Corporation) American correspondent, the 90 minute Omnibus was carried by the CBS network from 1952-1956; by ABC from 1956-1957; and by NBC from 1957-1959. NBC continued Omnibus on an irregular basis during the 1960-1961 season, and ABC revived it briefly in 1980. Notable segments included James Agee's Abraham Lincoln—The Early Years, which appeared in installments during the 1952-1953 season; Orson Welles' television debut in King Lear in 1953; and concerts conducted by Leonard Bernstein during the 1954-1956 seasons. Omnibus helped establish an elite audience for programming later carried by PBS (Public Broadcasting Service).

Further Reading:

Bergreen, Laurence. James Agee: A Life. New York, E.P. Dutton, 1984.

McNeil, Alex. Total Television: A Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present. New York, Penguin Books, 1991.