Alfred Hitchcock Presents

Summary

• Airs Next: CBS at Sunday 9:30 PM (30 min.)
  
• Status: Ended
  
• Premiered: October 2, 1955
  
• Last Aired: June 1, 1962
  
• Show Categories: Drama
  

Alfred Hitchcock Presents was a mystery and suspense anthology hosted by the master of supsense Alfred Hitchcock. Each 30 minute episode included opening and closing vingettes featuring Hitchcock who would often explain some aspect of the day’s show and would often offer subtle (or not so subtle) jabs at the shows sponsors.

The series premiered on CBS on Sunday, October 2, 1955 in the 9:30-10:00 PM timeslot opposite ABC’s The Original Amateur Hour and NBC’s Alcoa-Goodyear Playhouse. In its sixth season the show moved to NBC and was shown on Tuesday 8:30-9:00 PM. On NBC it served as the lead in for two other anthology shows Thriller and The Dick Powell Show.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents featured both original works produced directly for television and adaptations of existing source material. Some authors whose work was adapted for the series include: Alexander Woollcott, Ambrose Bierce, Cornell Woolrich, Frederic Brown, Henry Slesar, H.H. Munro (aka Saki), John Cheever, John Collier, John Wyndham, Ray Bradbury, Roald Dahl, and Robert Bloch. The show also featured work by famous (or later famous) directors Alfred Hitchcock and Robert Altman. It also served as a proving ground for stars and future stars: Charles Bronson, Robert Redford, Steve McQueen, Peter Lorre, Robert Duvall, and Vera Miles.

In 1962, Alfred Hitchcock Presents was expanded to one hour and was shown under the title the The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. In 1985, the these shows experienced a revival under the title Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

Spinoff:
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour

Revivals:
Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1985)

Broadcast History

CBS: October 1955-September 1960—-Sunday—-9:30 p.m.

NBC: September 1960-June 1962—-Tuesdays—-8:30 p.m.

Nielsen Ratings:
(Top 30 or Better)

#6 in the 1956-1957 Season

#12 in the 1957-1958 Season

#24 in the 1958-1959 Season

#25 in the 1959-1960 Season

Emmy Awards and Nominations

1955

Nominated: Alfred Hitchcock Presents Best Action or Adventure Series
Nominated: Alfred Hitchcock Best MC or Program Hose (Male or Female)
Nominated: Alfred Hitchcock, “The Case of Mr. Pelham” Best Director (Film Series)
Winner: Edward W. Williams, “Breakdown” Best Editing of a Television Film

1956

Nominated: Alfred Hitchcock Presents Best Series (Half-Hour or Less)
Nominated: Alfred Hitchcock Best Male Personality (Continuing Performance)
Winner: James P. Cavanagh, “Fog Closes In” Best Teleplay Writing (Half-Hour or Less)

1957

Nominated: Alfred Hitchcock Presents Best Dramatic Anthology Series
Winner: Robert Stevens, “The Glass Eye” Best Direction (Half-Hour or Less)

1958

Nominated: Alfred Hitchcock Presents Best Dramatic Series (Less Than One Hour)
Nominated: Alfred Hitchcock, “Lamb to the Slaughter” Best Direction of a Single Program of a Dramatic Series (Less Than One Hour)
Nominated: Roald Dahl, “Lamb to the Slaughter” Best Writing of a Single Program of a Dramatic Series (Less Than One Hour)

1959

Nominated: John J. Lloyd Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction and Scenic Design
Nominated: Edward W. Williams, “Man from the South” Outstanding Achievement in Film Editing for Television

1960

Nominated: Edward W. Williams, “Incident in a Small Jail” Outstanding Achievement in Film Editing for Television

Other Awards or Nominations

The Golden Globe Awards (Voted each year since 1944 by members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association):

1957 Winner: Alfred Hitchcock Presents Best Television Program

Look Magazine’s Annual Television Awards (Voted initially by poll of TV executives, producers, directors, advertising executives and TV columnists, then, in 1955, via polls taken of TV critics and editors. The Award was Presented annually from 1950 to 1959 by the editors of Look magazine):

1955 Winner: Alfred Hitchcock Best Director
1956 Winner: Alfred Hitchcock Presents Best Dramatic Series (One-Half Hour)
1957 Winner: Alfred Hitchcock Presents Best Dramatic Series (One-Half Hour)

Television Champion Awards (Voted each year since 1949 by polls of the nation’s TV critics taken by the publishers of Television Almanac. The awards ceased in 1972):

1955 Winner: Alfred Hitchcock Presents Best Mystery Program
1956 Winner: Alfred Hitchcock Presents Best Mystery Program
1960 Winner: Alfred Hitchcock Presents Best Mystery Program

First Telecast: October 2, 1955

Last Telecast: June 26, 1962

Unaired Episodes: 1

Episodes: 266 B&W Episodes

(266 half-hour episodes, 1 three-part episode)

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