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Alfred Hitchcock Presents

CBS (Ended 1962)

Show Score

 
8.7 Great
405 votes

Your Score

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Alfred Hitchcock Presents ranks 903 out of the 18,229 shows on TV.com.

The 333 users who count themselves as Alfred Hitchcock Presents fans have written a total of 10 reviews.

Status

Ended

Premiered

October 2, 1955

Ended

June 1, 1962

Genre

Drama

Theme

Horror

Show Overview

Final Episode

More Episodes »
Episode Score
 
6.9

Where Beauty Lies

Performer Collin Hardy will stop at nothing to avoid men from wooing his sister.

Aired: 06/26/62

Show Summary

Edit Summary »


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... more »


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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From the Forums

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  • The Master Himself

    Hi :) I can't believe no one has written anything this show. I know it's off the air but it was one of the best ever programs. Alfred Hitchcock was, "The Master Of Suspense," IMO and no one can touch him. His television programs were just as good as his movies and I hope that someone picks this series up someday.

    6 comments, last one Jun 20, 2009 + Add Comment
  • My Favourite Director!

    What's your fave Hitchcock Movie (or your most fave Director?). Mine is "The Man Who Knew Too Much" (1956) version as I love Doris Day and Jimmy Stewart together!

    3 comments, last one Apr 5, 2009 + Add Comment
  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents Book

    I purchased two different books about the TV series and the one by Patrik Wikstrom and Martin Grams is the best. Tons of tri...more »

    2 comments, last one Jan 6, 2009 + Add Comment
More Topics »
  •  
    9.8 Superb

    Alfred Hitchcock had an amazing gift. hide « show »

    He had amazing power, and not only with his movies, which had the power to have the nation quit showering for years. This show was just as good, with in one hour, he had a well thought out plot, that would creep you out so badly, and he didn't need gore to get you there. He was so good he would let your imagination run wild, to the point some of us weren't able to sleep. Alfred Hitchcock had an amazing gift that I have yet to see repeated, let alone surpassed. Alfred Hitchcock Presents was definitely one of a kind.
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  •  
    9.1 Superb

    Master of suspense condensed onto a 30 minute format. hide « show »

    Not only could Hitchcock direct time-warping, ahead of his time, and unique films but he also could turn it into a cult hit television show. Hitchcock was the master of spinning tall-tales and spooky coincidences for our 30 minute pleasure. I have considered him one of my heroes and he will always have a place for me in my viewing pleasure. He had a way to hold my attention and keep it held through those many, many stories he directed on my television screen. How he came up wth these ideas and thoughts? We may never know but I will always watch his show, always.
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  •  
    9.9 Superb

    Great television drama presented by the big screen's Master of Suspense. hide « show »

    "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" is one of the staples of television drama, second only to the original version of "The Twilight Zone" in the category of anthology series. While the twist ending more associated with the latter of these series was also a key component of the Hitchcock series, it was the great director's own personality in presenting each story with his unique wit, his priceless delivery and his comedic knocking of the commercial sponsors each week that gave the show its own special style. An attempted remake of the series in the eighties by colorizing Hitch's same introductions to the original episodes only demonstrated how well they did it the first time. They also hit the jackpot on guest stars, many who were just starting out including Steve McQueen, Lee Majors, William Shatner, Burt Reynolds, Bill Mumy, Robert Vaughn and Walter Matthau, and many established movie legends many of whom otherwise didn't do television, such as Claude Rains, Joseph Cotten, Christopher Lee, Vincent Price, Raymond Massey, Peter Lorre, Robert Morley and Cedric Hardwicke. This is one show that will get you hooked after the first few episodes.
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  •  
    9.6 Superb

    Hitchcock the true star! hide « show »

    Alfred Hitchcock was and is the true star of this
    Show and despite the shows being good and bad in
    Between, still, you can't deny Hitchcock's intimidating but in a good kind of way presence as well as that British classy accent. Who can ever forget "Good Evening" knowing that you were in for a ride. Great show and a true classic like Hitchcock himself.
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  •  
    8.4 Great

    It's good but Hitchcock could've done better. hide « show »

    If you like or love Hitchcock, then you'll like or love this.
    It's pretty much a worse version of the Twilight Zone.
    I'm not saying it's bad. It's worth seeing if you like older suspense shows/movies.
    Each episode is a 30 minute suspense story. The characters change in each episode, so no episode ties into each other.
    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.
    This show doesn't air anymore which is too bad. But the first season has 39 EPISODES, and it's only $30 to buy on DVD, so if you're interested at all, go buy it.
    Do you agree?
      0 1
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