G.E. Summer Originals | |
---|---|
Genre | Anthology series |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 1 |
No. of episodes | 10 |
Production | |
Running time | 30 minutes |
Original release | |
Network | ABC |
Release | July 3 September 18, 1956 | –
G.E. Summer Originals, [1] referred to in some sources as General Electric Summer Originals, is an American anthology television series that aired on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the summer of 1956. The 30-minute episodes consisted of unsold television pilots. [2] [3]
Among stars appearing in the unsold pilots were Ronald Reagan, James Mason, Vera Miles, Hugh Beaumont, and Barbara Billingsley. Their directors included feature directors Budd Boetticher and Don Weis.[ citation needed]
By the mid-1950s, the practice of television executives of ordering dozens of pilots for proposed television series each year — far more than their networks could possibly broadcast as series — had created a sizable body of unsold pilots that had never aired. [1] By 1954, the American television industry had begun to consider the idea of packaging these unsold pilots in anthology series and airing them during the summer, providing television networks with a way of both providing fresh programming during the summer rerun season and recouping at least some of the expense of producing them. [1]
On June 8, 1956, the New York Times reported that the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) would begin airing a package of unsold pilots that summer under the title G.E. Summer Originals, adding that "the problem of what to do with ‘pilot’ or sample films of projected television series that previously have failed to sell has been solved." [1] [4] The series premiered on the evening of July 3, 1956, at exactly the same time as another anthology series of unsold pilots, Sneak Preview on NBC, thus becoming one of the first two series of unsold pilots to air in the United States. [1]
G.E. Summer Originals ran for 10 episodes over the course of 12 weeks in the summer of 1956, airing on ABC from 9:00 to 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday evenings. [1] It premiered on July 3, [1] [5] and its last episode aired on September 18. [5] It was preempted on August 14 and 21 by ABC's coverage of the 1956 Democratic National Convention. [5]
No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "It's Sunny Again" | Unknown | Unknown | July 3, 1956 | |
A story of a singer looking for work and a smooth-talking manager. Starring
Vivian Blaine and
Jules Munshin. | |||||
2 | "Duel at Dawn" | Unknown | Unknown | July 10, 1956 | |
An
officer must choose between fighting a dangerous
duel or facing a charge of cowardice. Starring
James Mason,
Pamela Kellino, and
Scott Forbes. | |||||
3 | "Country Store" | Unknown | Unknown | July 17, 1956 | |
Someone takes advantage of the understanding owner of a store in a small town. Starring
Joe E. Brown. Unsold pilot for the proposed series The Joe E. Brown Show. | |||||
4 | "The Unwilling Witness" | Unknown | Unknown | July 24, 1956 | |
A courtroom drama plays out as an unwilling witness almost costs a boy his life. Starring
Zachary Scott and
Frances Rafferty. | |||||
5 | "Alias Mike Hercules" | Unknown | Unknown | July 31, 1956 | |
A
private investigator takes on a
kidnapping case. Starring
Hugh Beaumont,
Reginald Denny, and
Anne Kimbell. Unsold pilot for the proposed series Alias Mike Hercules. | |||||
6 | "The Green Parrot" | Unknown | Unknown | August 7, 1956 | |
A comedic episode in which a French agent must guard a talking parrot that knows nuclear secrets. Starring
Claude Dauphin. | |||||
7 | "Blizzard Bound" | Unknown | Unknown | August 28, 1956 | |
A
fur trapper and a beautiful
multiracial woman of
white and
Native American
ethnicity are trapped together during a blizzard. Starring
Forrest Tucker,
Donna Martell, and
Bill Phipps. | |||||
8 | "Dawn at Damascus" | Unknown | Unknown | September 4, 1956 | |
Love and intrigue play out in an oil camp in the
Middle East. Starring
Gene Raymond,
Paula Corday, and
Donald Murphy. | |||||
9 | "The Great Lady" | Unknown | Unknown | September 11, 1956 | |
After a wealthy actress retires and opens a
boarding house, she becomes involved in intrigue and murder. Starring
Ann Harding and
Vera Miles. | |||||
10 | "The Jungle Trap" | Unknown | Unknown | September 18, 1956 | |
While leading a
safari, an embittered man trying to escape the tragic memory of his brother learns that one of the men under his charge is the
judge who sentenced his brother to
death. Starring
Ronald Reagan and
Lewis Martin. |