American Playhouse is an American anthology television series periodically broadcast by Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).^[1][2][3]

It premiered on January 12, 1982, with The Shady Hill Kidnapping, written and narrated by John Cheever and directed by Paul Bogart. Its final broadcast, In the Wings: Angels in America on Broadway, a rerun of a behind-the-scenes look at Tony Kushner's award-winning play in two parts, aired on January 1, 1994.

The series proved to be the springboard for the careers of numerous performers, including David Marshall Grant, Laura Linney, A Martinez, Conchata Ferrell, Eric Roberts, Lynne Thigpen, John Malkovich, Peter Riegert, Lupe Ontiveros, Ben Stiller, and Megan Mullally.

As part of WGBH's development of the Descriptive Video Service (DVS), American Playhouse was one of the first U.S. television programs to air with audio description for the visually impaired on the Secondary audio program (SAP). After trialing the system during previous seasons, the 1990 season was the first to offer it as part of their wider rollout of DVS, initially through 32 member stations.^[4][5][6]

Some of the productions won multiple Emmys: one from Robert Morse in Tru,^[9] Outstanding Children's Program for Displaced Person^[10] and technical achievements for The Meeting alongside many nominations.^[11]

Academy Award recognitions included El Norte's nomination for Best Original Screenplay,^[12][13] a Best Actress nod for Jane Alexander in Testament^[14][15] and a Best Actor nod for Edward James Olmos in Stand and Deliver.^[16][17]

Golden Globe recognitions included 3 for Stand and Deliver (two for Olmos ( Leading Actor) and Diamond Phillips (Supporting Actor) and one for Best Motion Picture - Drama).^[18]

American Playhouse also won a Peabody Award in 1990.^[19]

Episodes like Nothing but a Man, The Thin Blue Line, El Norte and Stand and Deliver were each inducted into the National Film Registry.^[20]

Overdrawn at the Memory Bank was featured as an episode of the cult science fiction series Mystery Science Theater 3000.^[21][22]