American Playhouse: Season 1
Episode Guide
Season 1 Progress Shield
The Shady Hill Kidnapping
Jan 12, 1982 · 59 min
John Cheever's comedy of a supposedly kidnapped five-year-old boy. At first, the police aren't interested until a ransom note is discovered. Then the town goes into action to suppo
King of America
Jan 19, 1982 · 74 min
Hot-tempered Greek immigrant Andreas arrives in 1915 America, and finds work on a railroad. However, after giving his corrupt foreman Mekakis a savage beating, Andreas flees and ma
Seguin
Jan 26, 1982 · 90 min
In 19th-century Texas, soldier Juan Nepomuceno Seguin fought at the Alamo and became a highly respected politician to insure better living conditions for his people. Frustration ar
Who Am I This Time?
Feb 2, 1982 · 53 min
Shy hardware store employee Harry Nash decides to step out of his comfort zone, and takes part in a local amateur theatre troupe, where he becomes the character he plays—literally.
Any Friend of Nicholas Nickleby Is a Friend of Mine
Feb 9, 1982 · 52 min
The arrival in a small town of a stranger who calls himself 'Charles Dickens' makes a magical and lasting change in the lives of an imaginative 12-year-old boy and a loving young w
Come Along with Me
Feb 16, 1982 · 54 min
Recently widowed Mabel Lederer sells all her belongings and leaves home to start a new life. Mabel believes she has powers to see into the future and to conduct seances. She change
For colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
Feb 23, 1982 · 78 min
Nameless women identified by color (e.g., Lady in Red, Lady in Blue) share their experiences with racism, sexism, abuse, and abandonment, ultimately finding strength and sisterhood
Echoes and Silences
Mar 2, 1982 · 119 min
In search of Carl Sandburg, actor John Cullum travels to the poet's native home, Galesburg, IL, speaking with close friends and family. Through a remarkable recently discovered tro
Fifth of July
Mar 9, 1982 · 130 min
Ken Talley is 32, strong, goodlooking and a Vietnam vet with both legs shot off seven years earlier. His lover Jed is bigger and stronger, a gardner, a good listener. On Independen
The Great American Fourth of July and Other Disasters
Mar 16, 1982 · 56 min
Teenage Ralph recounts the Fourth of July and similar chaoses with his family and friends. Based on the writings of Jean Shepherd.
Pilgrim, Farewell
Mar 23, 1982 · 102 min
A woman suffering from terminal cancer determines to resolve several relationships in her life, especially with her daughter.
Northern Lights
Mar 30, 1982 · 89 min
On a North Dakota wheat farm at the turn of the 20th century, Ray Sorenson builds his world around childhood sweetheart Inga. Then Ray sees his plans come apart when the bank forec
Medal of Honor Rag
Apr 6, 1982 · 90 min
A Medal of Honor-winning Vietnam vet has difficulty readjusting to civilian life, and turns to a psychiatrist for help when he finds himself descending to robbery.
Working
Apr 13, 1982 · 90 min
A musical following American workers from diverse backgrounds, from gravediggers to studio heads, exploring their feelings, frustrations, and search for meaning in their jobs.
Weekend
Apr 20, 1982 · 60 min
A drifting, affluent couple spend a weekend at their country home, where the husband cheats on his complacent wife as they host guests for their son's first birthday.
Private Contentment
Apr 27, 1982 · 90 min
A young soldier attends his mother's funeral just before he's shipped out to serve in World War II.
My Palikari
May 4, 1982 · 90 min
A middle-aged Greek immigrant visits his native village, with his American-born son in tow. The elder finds that the place he remembered as paradise on Earth now seems like a desol
Oppenheimer (1)
May 11, 1982 · 50 min
1938: Robert Oppenheimer meets and decides to marry the hard-drinking, much-divorced Kitty, although his friends and relatives dislike her.
Oppenheimer (2)
May 18, 1982 · 50 min
1942: America is at war. Now in charge of the top-secret Manhattan Project, Oppenheimer's left-wing politics mean that he's constantly under surveillance by the FBI and others.
Oppenheimer (3)
May 25, 1982 · 50 min
1943: Oppenheimer is appointed director of Los Alamos, but his past Communist associations alert the FBI. Meanwhile, his extramarital relationship with the neurotic Jean Tatlock co
Oppenheimer (4)
Jun 1, 1982 · 50 min
Summer 1944: With the death of President Roosevelt, the future of the Manhattan Project seems doubtful. Oppenheimer finds himself more and more at loggerheads with Teller.
Oppenheimer (5)
Jun 8, 1982 · 50 min
May 1945: The European war is over but the conflict with Japan rages on. Oppenheimer discusses the almost completed atomic bomb with the Secretary of War. However, his colleagues h
Oppenheimer (6)
Jun 15, 1982 · 50 min
1949: A few years after the war, Oppenheimer finds himself regarded as a security risk, and must face the HUAC committee.
Oppenheimer (7)
Jun 22, 1982 · 50 min
December 1953: Oppenheimer's examination by the committee proves disastrous and his career with the AEC is finished, whilst that of his rival Teller flourishes.
The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez
Jun 29, 1982 · 104 min
In 1901, Mexican American farmer Gregorio Cortez is forced on the run from Texas Rangers, evading a massive manhunt on horseback for days following a heated misunderstanding leads