Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse 1958

Overview

Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse was an American television anthology series produced by Desilu Productions. The show aired on CBS television from 1958 to 1960. The series consisted of 48 episodes over its two-year run. This anthology format featured different stories and characters in each installment, showcasing the versatility of television drama during the late 1950s. Notably, two episodes from the series served as pilots for major television productions that would follow. One of these pilot episodes became the foundation for The Twilight Zone, while another served as the pilot for The Untouchables. Both of these subsequent series achieved significant popularity and critical acclaim in the following years. The show represented Desilu Productions' contribution to the golden age of television anthology programming. As a CBS production, it reached audiences across the United States during its broadcast period. The series demonstrated the studio's ability to create compelling dramatic content within the constraints of live television production. Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse remains notable for its role in launching two influential series that would define television drama in the early 1960s.