Playhouse 90 (1956)

Comedy · Crime · Drama

Playhouse 90 is an American television anthology series that was telecast on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 133 episodes. It originated from CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California. Since live anthology drama series of the mid-1950s were usually hour-long shows, the title highlighted the network's intention to present something unusual, a weekly series of hour-and-a-half dramas rather than 60-minute plays. Playhouse 90 began as a pitch by Frank Stanton—the formidable, forward-thinking right-hand man to CBS chairman William S. Paley—during a brainstorming session for program ideas. The project was ultimately developed by Hubbell Robinson, a CBS vice president who received no screen credit on Playhouse 90 but is often described as its creator.

IMDb rating: 8.3 (486 votes)
Episode average: 7.5 -0.8 vs IMDb
Seasons: 4
Language: EN
Type: TV series

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Ratings refreshed Oct 3, 2026 · 4 seasons indexed

Seasons

Season 1 (1956)

7.24 avg 17 episodes 6.9 → 7.8 85 min avg

Season 1 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Forbidden Area	6.9	133
2	Requiem for a Heavyweight	8.3	366
8	Eloise	6.6	28
13	Massacre at Sand Creek	6.4	43
16	So Soon to Die	6.8	18
19	The Miracle Worker	7.9	25
20	The Comedian	7.8	303
23	Invitation to a Gunfighter	8.0	13
24	The Last Tycoon	7.7	27
25	The Hostess with the Mostes'	6.9	25
26	Where's Charley?	6.3	20
27	Clipper Ship	7.8	12
32	Homeward Borne	6.6	14
33	The Helen Morgan Story	7.2	21
34	Winter Dreams	7.0	13
36	Without Incident	7.1	16
38	Ain't No Time for Glory	7.8	18

Season 2 (1957)

7.24 avg 10 episodes 7.2 → 6.8 90 min avg

Season 2 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	The Death of Manolete	7.2	18
6	Around the World in 90 Minutes	5.3	19
19	The 80 Yard Run	5.9	13
23	No Time at All	7.7	34
25	Portrait of a Murderer	8.4	32
30	The Dungeon	7.4	13
35	Bomber's Moon	7.7	34
38	A Town Has Turned to Dust	8.3	76
39	The Great Gatsby	7.7	11
40	Bitter Heritage	6.8	11

Season 3 (1958)

7.80 avg 15 episodes 8.1 → 7.3 90 min avg

Season 3 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	The Plot to Kill Stalin	8.1	38
2	Days of Wine and Roses	7.8	198
3	The Time of Your Life	9.3	30
7	Heart of Darkness	6.0	57
8	Old Man	9.4	18
10	Free Weekend	7.3	14
12	The Nutcracker	7.8	14
16	The Velvet Alley	8.1	43
18	Child of Our Time	8.5	10
23	For Whom the Bell Tolls: Part 1	7.3	22
24	For Whom the Bell Tolls: Part 2	7.1	17
28	Judgment at Nuremberg	8.1	83
32	A Marriage of Strangers	7.6	16
35	The Killers of Mussolini	7.3	22
36	Project Immortality	7.3	18

Season 4 (1960)

7.85 avg 4 episodes 7.9 → 7.9 90 min avg

Season 4 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
12	Tomorrow	7.9	30
14	Alas, Babylon	8.8	46
16	The Shape of the River	6.8	9
17	In the Presence of Mine Enemies	7.9	30

Playhouse 90 (1956)

Seasons

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