The Golden Age of Television

This still-in-print sampler of 8 groundbreaking ;50s teleplays is a great addition to your collection if you're curious about some of the live broadcast renderings of classic dramas (and one comedy) that aired on the likes of Kraft Playhouse, US Steel Hour, etc.

These original kinescopes are quite rare and while the prints are scratched, they're in pretty good shape considering their age, and Criterion has done its best to preserve them. They're packaged with a fantastic book and full introductions from the PBS series of the title.

Included are original live broadcasts of Marty (1953) with Rod Steiger and Nancy Marchand, a performance of Rod Serling's Patterns (1955) that is jaw-dropping in its intensity, Days of Wine and Roses, Bang the Drum Slowly, and more.

What's really intriguing here is how border-pushing much of this material still is and the irony in that all of these productions had corporate sponsors as opposed to commercial network backing. A great value and a fascinating history and drama lesson on 3 discs.