Anthology series


An anthology series is a written series, radio, television, film, or video game series that presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a different cast in each episode, but several series in the past, such as Four Star Playhouse, employed a permanent troupe of character actors who would appear in a different drama each week. Some anthology series, such as Studio One, began on radio and then expanded to television.

Etymology

The word comes from Ancient Greek ἀνθολογία, from ἀνθολογέω, from ἄνθος + λέγω, coined by Meleager of Gadara circa 60BCE, originally as Στέφανος to describe a collection of poetry, later retitled anthology – see Greek Anthology. were collections of small Greek poems and epigrams, because in Greek culture the flower symbolized the finer sentiments that only poetry can express.

Radio

Many popular old-time radio programs were anthology series. On some series, such as Inner Sanctum Mysteries, the only constant was the host, who introduced and concluded each dramatic presentation. One of the earliest such programs was The Collier Hour, broadcast on the NBC Blue Network from 1927 to 1932. As radio's first major dramatic anthology, it adapted stories and serials from Collier's Weekly in a calculated move to increase subscriptions and compete with The Saturday Evening Post. Airing on the Wednesday prior to each week's distribution of the magazine, the program soon moved to Sundays in order to avoid spoilers with dramatizations of stories simultaneously appearing in the magazine.

Drama

Academy Award TheaterArch Oboler's PlaysThe Campbell PlayhouseCavalcade of AmericaCBS Radio WorkshopEarplayFamily Hour of Stars Ford Theater (radio series) Four Star PlayhouseLux Radio TheaterHollywood Star TimeThe Mercury Theatre on the AirRadio City Playhouse The Screen Guild Theater

Genre series

Radio anthology series provided for science fiction, horror, suspense, and mystery genres :Mystery House The Witch's Tale Lights Out The Hermit's Cave Famous Jury Trials Dark Fantasy Inner Sanctum Mysteries The Whistler Suspense The Weird Circle The Mysterious Traveler Creeps by Night Mystery Playhouse The Strange Dr. Weird The Haunting Hour The Sealed Book Mystery in the Air Murder at Midnight Quiet, Please Escape The Unexpected Destination Freedom, written by Richard DurhamMurder by Experts The Hall of Fantasy 2000 Plus Dimension X ABC Mystery Theater, anthology, crime and mystery seriesSleep No More Theater 10:30 X Minus One
The final episode of Suspense was broadcast on September 30, 1962, a date that has traditionally been seen as marking the end of the old-time radio era. However, genre series produced since 1962 include:The Black Mass The Creaking Door Beyond Midnight The Zero Hour Mystery Theater Nightfall The Cabinet of Dr. Fritz 2000X

Television

In the history of television, live anthology dramas were especially popular during the Golden Age of Television of the 1950s with series such as The United States Steel Hour and The Philco Television Playhouse.
Dick Powell came up with an idea for an anthology series, Four Star Playhouse, with a rotation of established stars every week, four stars in all. The stars would own the studio and the program, as Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz had done successfully with Desilu studio. Powell had intended for the program to feature himself, Charles Boyer, Joel McCrea, and Rosalind Russell. When Russell and McCrea backed out, David Niven came on board as the third star. The fourth star was initially a guest star. CBS liked the idea, and Four Star Playhouse made its debut in fall of 1952. It ran on alternate weeks only during the first season, alternating with Amos 'n' Andy. It was successful enough to be renewed and became a weekly program from the second season until the end of its run in 1956. Ida Lupino was brought on board as the de facto fourth star, though unlike Powell, Boyer, and Niven, she owned no stock in the company.
American television networks would sometimes run summer anthology series which consisted of unsold television pilots. Beginning in 1971, the long-run Masterpiece Theatre drama anthology series brought British productions to American television.
In 2011, American Horror Story debuted a new type of anthology format in the United States. Each season, rather than each episode, is a standalone story. Several actors have appeared in the various seasons but playing different roles—in an echo of the Four Star Playhouse format.
The success of American Horror Story has spawned other season-long anthologies such as American Crime Story and True Detective.

American drama

The 20th Century Fox Hour ABC Movie of the Week ABC Stage 67 Academy Theatre Actors Studio Alcoa-Goodyear Theatre The Alcoa Hour Alcoa Premiere American Crime American Crime Story American Horror Story American Film Theatre American Playhouse The American Playwrights Theater: The One Acts The American Short Story Appointment with Adventure Armstrong Circle Theatre The Barbara Stanwyck Show Behind Closed Doors The Best of Broadway The Best of the Post Betty Crocker Star Matinee The Bigelow Theatre The Billy Rose Show, also known as Billy Rose's Playbill Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre The Bold Ones Broadway Television Theatre Buick-Electra Playhouse Cameo Theatre Camera Three The Campbell Playhouse, also known as Campbell Soundstage and Campbell Summer Soundstage Cavalcade of America CBS Playhouse CBS Summer Playhouse CBS Television Workshop CBS Workshop, also known as CBS Repertoire Workshop Celanese Theatre Celebrity Playhouse Center Stage Cheer Television Theatre The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre also known as Chevrolet on Broadway Chevron Hall of Stars Chevron Theatre Climax! Colgate Theatre Colgate Theatre Conflict Conrad Nagel Theater Cosmopolitan Theatre Crown Theatre with Gloria Swanson Curtain Call Damon Runyon Theater Danger The Danny Thomas Hour The David Niven Show Deadline Death Valley Days Decision Demi-Tasse Tales The Dick Powell Show Dispatches from Elsewhere Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Presents, also known as Rheingold Theatre Drama at Eight DuMont Royal Theater The DuPont Show of the Month The DuPont Show of the Week The DuPont Show with June Allyson The Elgin Hour The Errol Flynn Theatre Ethel Barrymore Theatre Romance Theatre Fargo Feud Fireside Theater The First Lady Footlights Theater Ford Star Jubilee Ford Television Theatre Ford Theatre Four Star Playhouse GE True G.E. Summer Originals General Electric Theater Genius Goodyear Television Playhouse Goodyear Theatre Goosebumps Great Performances Gruen Playhouse, also known as Gruen Guild Theatre The Gulf Playhouse Hallmark Hall of Fame The Haunting Hollywood Premiere Theatre, also known as Hollywood Theatre Time International Playhouse John Waters Presents Movies That Will Corrupt You The Joseph Cotten Show, also known as On Trial Joseph Schildkraut Presents The Kaiser Aluminum Hour Kraft Television Theatre Law & Order True Crime The Lloyd Bridges Show The Loretta Young Show Lottery! Love Story Love Story Lux Playhouse Lux Video Theater The Magnavox Theatre The Mail Story Masterpiece Contemporary Masterpiece Playhouse Masterpiece Theatre Matinee Theatre Max Liebman Spectaculars, also known as Max Liebman Presents Medallion Theatre, also known as Chrysler Medallion Theatre MGM Parade The Millionaire Monodrama Theater Monster (American TV series) The Motorola Television Hour Mr. Citizen The Nash Airflyte Theater NBC Presents NBC Television Opera Theatre NET Playhouse New York Television Theatre Night Editor Nine Thirty Curtain The O. Henry Playhouse Ominbus One Man's Experience One Woman's Experience Orient Express The Passerby The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse Personal Appearance Theater The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse The Philco Television Playhouse The Philip Morris Playhouse The Play of the Week Playhouse 90 Playwrights '56 Plymouth Playhouse also known as ABC Album Ponds Theater, also known as Kraft Television Theater Premiere Preview Tonight Producers' Showcase Program Playhouse Prudential Family Playhouse Pulitzer Prize Playhouse Pulse of the City Pursuit The Revlon Mirror Theater The Richard Boone Show The Robert Herridge Theatre Robert Montgomery Presents Romance, also known as Theatre of Romance Romance Theatre Room 104 The Schaefer Century Theatre Schilling Playhouse Schlitz Playhouse of Stars Scream Screen Associates Films Screen Director's Playhouse The Seven Lively Arts Short Short Dramas The Silver Theatre Sneak Preview Somerset Maugham TV Theatre Stage 7 The Star and the Story Star Stage Star Tonight Starlight Theatre Stars Over Hollywood Startime Studio One Studio 57 Summer Playhouse Sunday Showcase Suspicion Sweepstakes Telephone Time Television Playhouse Television Theatre Theatre Hour Theatre of the Mind Theatre '62 Tonight on Broadway The Trap TriBeCa True Detective TV Reader's Digest The Twilight Zone The United States Steel Hour The White Lotus Unsolved Vacation Playhouse Visions Warner Bros. Presents The Watcher Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse Why Women Kill Willys Theatre Presenting Ben Hecht's Tales of the City Windows Your Favorite Story Your Jeweler's Showcase Your Show Time

Anime

Gokujō!! Mecha Mote Iinchō The Grimm Variations Hakken Taiken Daisuki! Shimajirō Mewkledreamy Mix! Miracle! Mimika Shimajirō Hesoka Shimajirō no Wow!
  • ''Shūkan Storyland''

British drama

Armchair 30 Armchair Theatre Armchair Mystery Theatre Armchair Thriller BBC Play of the Month BBC Sunday-Night Theatre BBC2 Playhouse Beasts Black Mirror A Choice of Coward City '68 The Canterbury Tales Creeped Out Drama Escape Gaslight Theatre Hammer House of Horror Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense H.M. Tennent Globe Theatre Hour of Mystery Inside No 9 ITV Play of the Week ITV Playhouse ITV Sunday Night Theatre ITV Sunday Night Drama Festival Late Night Theatre Love Story London Playhouse Moving On Mystery and Imagination National Theatre Live Orson Welles' Great Mysteries Performance Play for Today Play for Tomorrow Playhouse Presents Saturday Playhouse Second City Firsts Screen One Screen Two Skins Stage 2 Tales of the Unexpected Theatre Night Theatre Parade Theatre 70 Theatre 625 Theatre Royal Thirty-Minute Theatre Thursday Theatre The Afternoon Play The Wednesday Play Wales Playhouse

Canadian drama

First Performance General Motors Theatre Encounter Norman Corwin Presents On Camera Plan B Playdate

[Korean drama]

Indian drama

Aahat Bible Ki Kahaniya Gumrah: End of Innocence Hoshiyar… Sahi Waqt, Sahi Kadam Ishq Kills Kabhie Kabhie (2003 TV series) Katha Sagar Kaun Hai? Kirdaar Koi Aane Ko Hai Khidki Kya Hadsaa Kya Haqeeqat Laal Ishq (2018 TV series) MTV Big F Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya (TV series) Rishtey (TV series) Robi Thakurer Golpo Saturday Suspense Star Bestsellers Stories by Rabindranath Tagore Teri Meri Love Stories

Mexican drama

Mujer, Casos de la Vida Real Lo que callamos las mujeres La rosa de Guadalupe

Pakistani drama

Kitni Girhain Baaki Hain Sasural Ke Rang Anokhay Shareek-e-Hayat Kitni Girhain Baqi Hain! Phir Se Ustani Jee Kabhi Band Kabhi Baja

Philippine drama

Maalaala Mo Kaya Magpakailanman

Thai drama

Animated

Adventures from the Book of Virtues Andersen Monogatari Animal Stories Animated Tales of the World Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales The Bob Clampett Show Bugs 'n' Daffy The Bugs Bunny Show The Busy World of Richard Scarry A Bunch of Munsch Cartoon Alley The Cartoonstitute The Cat&Birdy Warneroonie PinkyBrainy Big Cartoonie Show CB Bears The Chuck Jones Show Ciné si The Comic Strip Cream Lemon DC Nation Shorts Donald Duck Presents Donald's Quack Attack Dragons et princesses Fabulous Funnies The Fairytaler Famous Classic Tales Festival of Family Classics Fix & Foxi and Friends Force Five Freaky Stories Fred Flintstone and Friends Funpak General Electric Fantasy Hour Good Morning, Mickey! The Great Book of Nature Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids The Hanna-Barbera New Cartoon Series Hanna–Barbera's World of Super Adventure Hans Fischerkoesen's commercial films Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child The Harveytoons Show HBO Storybook Musicals House of Mouse Infinity Train The Ink and Paint Club KaBlam! Kideo TV The Kwicky Koala Show Late Night, Black and White Legends of Bikini Bottom A Little Curious MAD Manga Sekai Mukashi Banashi The Marvel Super Heroes The Merrie Melodies Show Merrie Melodies Starring Bugs Bunny & Friends Mickey Mouse and Friends Mickey Mouse Works Mickey's Mouse Tracks Mighty Mouse Playhouse Mononoke The Mouse Factory The Moxy Show My Little Pony The New Woody Woodpecker Show O Canada Oh Yeah! Cartoons Peanuts The Pink Panther Show The Popeye Show The Porky Pig Show Princes et princesses Random! Cartoons Raw Toonage Right Now Kapow The Road Runner Show Rumic Theater Saturday Supercade Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories Short Circutz Shorts in a Bunch Shorty McShorts' Shorts Super Sunday Super Why! Tales From the Cryptkeeper The Tex Avery Show Timeless Tales from Hallmark ToonHeads Toon In with Me Totally Tooned In Two More Eggs The Wacky World of Tex Avery What a Cartoon! The Woody Woodpecker Show The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends

Adult animation

The Boys Presents: Diabolical Cake Cartoon Sushi Greatest Party Story Ever Jokebook Like, Share, Die Liquid Television Love, Death & Robots Off the Air Party Legends Robot Chicken The Shivering Truth Spicy City Sunday Pants

Children and family

ABC Afterschool Special ABC Weekend Special CBS Afternoon Playhouse CBS Children's Film Festival CBS Children's Mystery Theatre CBS Schoolbreak Special CBS Storybreak Disneyland Dramarama Faerie Tale Theatre The Fox Cubhouse It's Itsy Bitsy Time Jackanory Kaboodle Lift Off NBC Children's Theatre Noddy Off to See the Wizard Once Upon a Classic Power Rangers Shining Time Station Shirley Temple's Storybook Special Treat, also known as NBC Special Treat Tall Tales and Legends Walt Disney Presents Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color The Wonderful World of Disney WonderWorks

Comedies

The Comic Strip Presents... Carol and Company Cilla's Comedy Six Cilla's World of Comedy Comedy Lab Comedy Playhouse Comedy Playhouse The Comedy Spot Comedy Theater Comedy Theatre Comedy Time Dear Uge Dr. Terrible's House of Horrible The Eddie Cantor Comedy Theatre El Chapulín Colorado Ripping Yarns George Burns Comedy Week Good Heavens The Guest Book High Maintenance Human Remains Inside No. 9 Just for Laughs Love, American Style

Crime dramas

Adventure Theater American Crime American Crime Story Agatha Christie's Marple Agatha Christie's Poirot The Big Story The Black Robe, also known as Police Night Court Crime Patrol Fargo FBI: The Untold Stories Gang Busters Lawbreakers The Man Behind the Badge Official Detective Police Call Police Story Police Story Tatort The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes They Stand Accused True Detective Underbelly The Walter Winchell File The Whistler

Educational

Inside/Out Omnibus''''

Historical

Captain Newfoundland from the Tip of Atlantis/''Captain Atlantis Late Night The Great Adventure Our American Heritage Profiles in Courage Saga of Western Man You are There''

Medical

The Doctor, also known as The Visitor Medic

Military

Flight Men of Annapolis Navy Log The Silent Service The West Point Story aka ''West Point''

Religious

TitleStartedEndedSeasonsEpisodesNotes
Patriarchs and ProphetsVolume 1Volume 2Volume 3––
Crossroads also known as Way of Life19551957278–
Family Theater19491958–540–
Insight1960198423250–
Lamp Unto My Feet19481969–––
Look Up and Live19671971–––
This Is the Life also known as The Fisher Family19521988––

Science fiction and horror

TitleStartedEndedSeasonsEpisodesNotes
Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond19591961396–
Amazing Stories 19851987245–
Amazing Stories 2020202015–
American Horror Story2011Present11114–
American Horror Stories2021Present324–
Are You Afraid of the Dark?19902000791–
Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction19972002445–
Black Mirror2011Present627British series
Castle Rock20182019220–
Channel Zero20162018424–
Chiller1995199515–
Darknet2013201416–
Dark Realm20012001113–
Deadtime Stories20122013111–
Dimension 4042017201716–
Electric Dreams20172018110–
Exposure20002002242–
Fantasy Island197719847152Includes 2 Movies
Fear and Fancy19531953115–
Fear Itself20082008113–
The Fearing Mind20002000112–
Freddy's Nightmares – A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Series19881990244–
Ghost Stories19971998144–
Ghost Story1972197312223 total includes 1 Pilot
Goosebumps19951998474–
Great Ghost Tales19611961112–
Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities2022202218–
A Haunting2005202210105Stopped in 2007 and returned in 2012
The Haunting20182020219–
Historias para no dormir19661982329–
The Hunger19972000244British/Canadian Series
Infinity Train2019Present440–
Inside No 920142024955–
Into the Dark20182021224–
Journey to the Unknown19681969117–
Lee Martin's The Midnight Hour20082015–
Lights Out19461952–
Lore20172018212–
Love, Death & Robots2019Present335–
Masters of Horror20052007226–
Masters of Science Fiction2007200716–
Métal Hurlant Chronicles20122014212–
Monsterland2020202018–
Monsters19881991372–
Mystery and Imagination19661970524British series
Night Gallery19701973343–
Night Visions20012001113–
The Nightmare Room20012002113–
Nightmare Cafe1992199216–
Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King2006200618–
Out of the Unknown19651971449British series
Out of This World19621962113British series
Out There19511952112–
The Outer Limits19631965249–
The Outer Limits199520027154–
Perversions of Science19971997110–
Play for Tomorrow1981198116British series
Quinn Martin's Tales of the Unexpected1977197718Not to be confused with the British series
The Ray Bradbury Theater19851992665–
R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour20102014476–
Room 10420172020448–
Science Fiction Theatre19551957278–
Scream20152019330–
Slasher2016Present324–
Strange Stories19561956–––
Tales from the Darkside19841988489Plus 1 Pilot
Tales from the Crypt19891996793–
Tales of Mystery19611963329–
Tales of Mystery and Imagination19951995113–
Tales of the Unexpected197919889112British series unconnected with the Quinn Martin series
Tales of Tomorrow19511953285–
The Terror20182019220–
Thriller19601962267–
Trapped19501951–––
The Twilight Zone 195919645156–
The Twilight Zone 19851989365–
The Twilight Zone 20022003143–
The Twilight Zone 20192020220–
The Unexpected19521952–––
Urban Gothic20002001222–
The Veil19581958111–
Way Out19611961114–
Welcome to Paradox19981998113–
What If...?20212024326–
Star Wars: Visions2021Present218–

Westerns

TitleStartedEndedSeasonsEpisodesNotes
Frontier Theatre19501950––No episodes are known to have survived.
Death Valley Days1952197018452–
Frontier19551956131–
Zane Grey Theater195619615149–
Cheyenne195719627107–
Dead Man's Gun19971999244–

Film

Anthology film series are rare compared to their TV and radio counterparts. There have been several attempts within the horror genre to have a franchise with an anthology format, such as with the Halloween franchise where the third film, Halloween III: Season of the Witch, was meant to be the beginning of a series of anthology horror films, but due to negative reception that plan was shelved.

Drama series

TitleStartedEndedInstalmentsNotes
Cities of Love2006N/A5

Genre

TitleStartedEndedInstalmentsNotes
Carry On...1958199231Comedy series which used the same roster of comedic actors and comedians
Yagyu Chronicles196119649Composed of two versions of the "Yagyu Bugeicho" novel by Kosuke Gomi and two stand-alone stories.
Shinobi no Mono196219709Composed of five unrelated stories/characters. Story 1, story 2, story 3, story 4, story 5.
Seventeen Ninja196319662Composed of Seventeen Ninja and the in-name-only sequel Seventeen Ninja: The Great Battle.
The Bloodthirsty Trilogy197019743
The Ninja Trilogy198119843Composed of Enter the Ninja, Revenge of the Ninja, and Ninja III: The Domination.
Shake, Rattle & Roll1984202517
Hanna-Barbera Superstars 101987198810The series of syndicated animated television films produced by Hanna-Barbera, as part of The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera programming block.
Gonin199519962Composed of Gonin and the in-name-only sequel Gonin 2.
Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy200420133
Cloverfield2008N/A3

Video games

Anthology video games have been rare since the 1980s. Compilation or package video games are not included.
TitleStartedEndedInstallmentsNotes
Far Cry2004N/A6While taking place in the same fictional universe, each game features different protagonists, characters, locations, mechanics, etc. One game takes place in the Stone Age while another takes place in a retrofuturistic world.
Fatal Frame2001N/A6Each of the Fatal Frame games has a mostly standalone story in which the protagonists investigate a haunted location to learn about how it became cursed.
Fears to Fathom2021N/A5An episodic psychological horror game where each episode unveils a short story narrated by the ones who survived.
Final Fantasy1987N/A16Many games have different settings and playable characters. Each game incorporates a different fantasy genre and a new setting, with some supporting or minor characters having recurring names.
Resident Evil Outbreak 200320042A spin-off of PlayStation-era mainlines ; each chapter or "scenario" is set in a different location of Raccoon City, and features nonlinear gameplay.
Silent Hill1999N/A10Each game presents a different story and set of characters, but is usually set in the same titular town of Silent Hill; a major exception is Silent Hill f, which is instead set in a fictitious Japanese town.
The Dark Pictures Anthology2019N/A5It is planned to consist of eight games, with one entry per year.