1956 ABC press photo and news promo for the Omnibus series. Christopher Plummer played Oedpius Rex for Omnibus Jan. 6, 1957. Sep. 9, 1956 Washington Post, Top Talents to Entertain on 'Omnibus' Jan. 20, 1957 New York Times, Television Notebook, Season at Halfway Mark Shows Signs of Life |
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There is a detailed but incomplete TV list at IMDB: Christopher Plummer. Some of these programs can be seen at the Museum of Television and Radio (NY and LA) and the UCLA Film & Television archive. Here's a list of some programs at MTR NY.
The only early TV program released on commercial video was A Doll's House (1959) (cover scan below.) A few audio clips from these TV programs appeared on phonograph records and are on the Discography page, including clips from A Tribute to John F. Kennedy from the Arts (1963), Cyrano de Bergerac (1962), and Captain Brassbound's Conversion (1960). There are a few video clips from Hamlet at Elsinore on the video page and some screencaps on the Hamlet at Elsinore page. |
The source information for photos is usually included in the file name, such as autocrat_nyt1960mar18.jpg.
From "A Pictorial History of Television" by Daniel Blum, 1959 Bonanza Books New York
 
On August 7, 1955 Toast of the Town (Ed Sullivan show) was broadcast from the American Shakespeare Festival to promote the stage productions of Julius Caesar and The Tempest and the Festival's inaugural season. |
From "Hallmark Hall of Fame: The First Fifty Years"
published by the UCLA Film & Television archive.
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Cyrano (Cyrano Oct. 17, 1955);
Even the Weariest River (April 15, 1956)
Hallmark Hall of Fame: The First Fifty Years |
NY Times Oct. 16, 1955 |
Washington Post Oct. 18, 1955 |
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 Life Magazine Jan. 21, 1957 |
 Life Magazine Jan. 28, 1957 |
 Time Magazine Jan. 21, 1957 |
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The sailor in the back is Robert Redford.
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 TV Magazine Jan. 15-21, 1961 |
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Hallmark Hall of Fame: The First Fifty Years |
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 More on the Hamlet at Elsinore page |
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 TV Weekly Dec. 2-8, 1962 |
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 TV Digest Dec. 2-8, 1962 |
Hallmark Hall of Fame: The First Fifty Years |
 Life Magazine Dec. 7, 1962 |
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Cyrano de Bergerac TV Guide Oct 15 to 21, 1955 |
 The Prince and the Pauper TV Guide Oct 26 - Nov 1, 1957 |
Little Moon of Alban TV Guide March 22 to 28, 1958 |
 Omnibus - Oedipus Rex TV Guide Jan. 6 1957 |
 The Lady's Not For Burning TV Guide April 6, 1958 |
 A Doll's House TV Guide Nov 15, 1959 |
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 The Philadelphia Story TV Guide Dec. 5 to 11, 1959 |
 Prisoner of Zenda TV Guide Jan 14-20, 1961 |
 Time Remembered TV Guide Feb. 4 - 10, 1961 |
Cyrano de Bergerac TV Guide Dec 1-7, 1962 |
  The Secret of Michelangelo: Every Man's Dream TV Guide Nov 30-Dec 6, 1968 |
 Experiment in TV: A Bad Case of Shakespeare TV Guide March 21-27, 1970 |
Variety magazine reviews are from "Variety Television Reviews" a 17 volume set published by Garland Publishing Inc in 1989.
Othello CBC Canada 1951 (TV debut as Montano)
Death to My Love - Stage 53 - February 6, 1953
Feb 8 1953, Toronto Star, review
The Gathering Night CBS - Studio One Summer Theater - August 24, 1953
Aug 23, 1953, New York Times, news
Aug 26, 1953, New York Times, review
Sep 10, 1953, Washington Post, Walter Winchell column
Aug 26, 1953, Variety, review
The Riddle of Mayerling - Suspense - CBS - September 22, 1953
Sep 22, 1953, New York Times, listing
Dark Victory - Broadway Television Theatre - WOR - week of November 16, 1953
The same program was aired live on 5 successive weeknights.
March 19, 1952, New York Times, news item about the series
Nov 15, 1953, New York Times, listing - pdf
Nov 16, 1953, New York Times, listing - pdf
Nov 17, 1953, New York Times, listing - pdf
Nov 18, 1953, New York Times, listing - pdf
Richard II Camera Three - CBS November 1953
Nov 22, 1953, New York Times, news
Dec. 9, 1953, Variety, review
The Seeking Heart CBS 1954, serial
July 25, 1954, New York Times, listing
The Web: Sheep's Clothing - March 7, 1954
March 6, 1954, Chicago Tribune, listing
The Dashing White Sergeant - Kraft Television Theatre - NBC - July 29, 1954
July 25, 1959, New York Times, listing July 29
Toast of the Town (Ed Sullivan) August 7, 1955,
Show broadcast from the American Shakespeare Festival Theater in Stratford, Connecticut. TV Tome info.
Aug. 10, 1955, Variety, review
The King's Bounty - Kraft Television Theatre - NBC September 21, 1955
September 21, 1955, Washington Post, listing
Cyrano de Bergerac Producer's Showcase - NBC - Oct 17, 1955
Aug 24, 1955, New York Times, news
October 11, 1955, New York Times, news
October 16, 1955, New York Times, cast photo
October 16, 1955, New York Times, Ad / Hirschfeld drawing of Ferrer
October 18, 1955, New York Times, review & photo
October 23, 1955, New York Times, short review
Oct 16, 1955, Washington Post, listing
Oct 16, 1955, Washington Post, listing
Oct 16, 1955, Washington Post, photo Jose Ferrer, news
Oct 18, 1955, Washington Post, Ad / Hirschfeld drawing of cast
Oct 22, 1955, Washington Post, review
March 19, 1956, Washington Post, Dorothy Kilgallen column
Oct 15, 1955, Toronto Star, news
Oct 19, 1955, Variety review
A Letter from the Queen - General Electric Theatre - March 4, 1956
March 4, 1956, New York Times - news
March 4, 1956, New York Times - listing
March 7, 1956, Variety review
A Thief There Was - Appointment with Adventure - CBS - March 18, 1956
March 3, 1956, New York Times - news
March 18, 1956, New York Times - listing - pdf
Even the Weariest River - The Alcoa Hour - NBC - April 15, 1956
April 15, 1956, New York Times - cast photo
April 16, 1956, New York Times - review & Karloff photo
April 18, 1956, Washington Post, review
April 8, 1956, Variety review
Oedipus the King - Omnibus - ABC - January 6, 1957
Jan. 7, 1957, New York Times, review
Jan. 20, 1957, New York Times, Television Notebook, Season at Halfway Mark Shows Signs of Life
Sept. 9, 1956, Washington Post, Top Talents to Entertain on 'Omnibus'
Sept. 2, 1956, Washington Post, news
Jan. 21, 1957, Time Magazine review & photo
Jan. 8, 1957, Washington Star, Omnibus' 'Oedipus' Makes TV History
The Prince and the Pauper - DuPont Show of the Month - CBS October 28, 1957
Oct 27, 1957, New York Times, photo and article
Oct 28, 1957, New York Times, ad
Oct 29, 1957, New York Times, review
October 29, 1957, The New York Herald Tribune, review
October 30, 1957, Variety review
Little Moon of Alban - Hallmark Hall of Fame - NBC - March 24, 1958
March 25, 1958, New York Times, TV: A Poignant Drama, review
March 7, 1959, New York Times, Emmy news
March 1958, New York Herald Tribune, review
March, 24 1958, Washington Post, photo ad
March, 26 1958, Washington Post, review
March, 28 1958, Washington Post, review
May 7, 1959, Washington Post, Emmy news
March 26, 1958, Toronto Star, review quote
March 26, 1958, Variety review
April 14, 1959, Los Angeles Times, Emmy nominations
The Lady's Not For Burning - Omnibus - NBC - April 6, 1958
Apr 6, 1958, New York Times, photo
Apr 6, 1958, [NY Daily News?], photo
Apr 6, 1958, New York Times, review - TV
April 9, 1958, Variety review
Johnny Belinda - Hallmark Hall of Fame - NBC - October 13, 1958
Oct 13, 1958 - New York Times, ad
Oct 13, 1958, New York Times, review
Oct 15, 1958, Variety review
Prince Orestes (TV adaptation of Oresteia) - NBC - Jan 4, 1959
Jan 11, 1959, New York Times, review
Jan 4, 1959, New York Times, photo
Jan 5, 1959, New York Times, news
Jan 6, 1959, Washington Post, review
Jan 7, 1959, Washington Post, news
Jan 7, 1959, Washington Post, review
A Doll's House - Hallmark Hall of Fame - NBC - November 15, 1959
Nov 15, 1959, Lincoln Evening Journal, article
Nov 15, 1959, New York Times, article
Nov 15, 1959, New York Times, photo
Nov 16, 1959, New York Times, review
Nov 15, 1959, Washington Post, ad
Nov 17, 1959, Washington Post, review
Nov 18, 1959, Variety review
The Philadelphia Story - NBC - December 7, 1959
Nov 7, 1959, New York Times, news
Dec 6, 1959, New York Times, news and photo
Dec 8, 1959, Toronto Star, review
Dec 9, 1959, Washington Post, review
Dec 9, 1959, Variety review
Dec 9, 1959, Dallas Morning News review
The Perfomer (1959) - Interview with Herbert Whittaker in a program featuring Canadian artists.
NFB.ca
After Hours - Sunday Showcase - NBC - February 7, 1960
Feb 8, 1960, New York Times, review
February 3, 1960, Toronto Star, review
June 27, 1960, Toronto Star, ad
Feb. 10, 1960, Variety review
June 27, 1960, Los Angeles Times, photo
Feb. 5, 1960, Los Angeles Times, news
Feb. 7, 1960, Los Angeles Times, ad
Feb. 11, 1960, Los Angeles Times, review
Dec. 27, 1960, Los Angeles Times, news
Our American Heritage: Autocrat and Son NBC - March 1960
Mar 18, 1960, New York Times, photo
Mar 20, 1960, New York Times, ad
Mar 21, 1960, New York Times, review
Mar 20, 1960, Washington Post, news and photo
Mar 22, 1960, Washington Post, review
Captain Brassbound's Conversion - Hallmark Hall of Fame - NBC - May 2, 1960
May 3, 1960, New York Times, review
May 1, 1960, Washington Post, news & photo
May 4, 1960, Variety review
May 4, 1960, Dallas Morning News, review
April 26, 1960, Dallas Morning News, news
March 20, 1960, Los Angeles Times, interview, photo
May 4, 1960, Los Angeles Times, review
May 5 1960, Los Angeles Times, news
The Prisoner of Zenda - DuPont Show of the Month - CBS - January 18, 1961
Jan 7, 1961, New York Times, news
Jan 15, 1961, New York Times, news & photo
Jan 18, 1961, New York Times, ad
Jan 19, 1961, New York Times, review
Feb 1, 1961, Variety review
Jan 18, 1961, Los Angeles Times, news, drawing
Jan 15, 1961, Los Angeles Times, news, photo
Time Remembered Hallmark Hall of Fame - NBC - February 7, 1961
Dec 16, 1960, New York Times, news
Feb 5, 1961, New York Times, photo
Feb 7, 1961, New York Times, photo ad
Feb 15, 1961, Variety review
Feb 6, 1961, Dallas Morning News, news - gif
Feb 7, 1961, Los Angeles Times, photo ad
Feb 9, 1961, Los Angeles Times, review
Accent CBS - July 9, 1961
July 10, 1961, New York Times, review
July 9, 1961, New York Times, photo
July 12, 1961, Variety review
July 4, 1961, Los Angeles Times, news
Playdate (1961-62) host
July 23, 1962, Toronto Star, ad for episode "The Gopher Colony"
Macbeth scene - Telstar - July 23, 1962
July 20 and 23 1962, Toronto Star, news and ad
Trans-Canada Journey (1962) narrator
NFB.ca
30 Minutes Mister Plummer (1963)
NFB.ca
Front Page Challenge Guest 1962 & 1973
Cyrano de Bergerac - Hallmark Hall of Fame - NBC - December 6, 1962
December 6, 1962, Washington Post, news
December 2, 1962, Los Angeles Times, news, photo
December 6, 1962, Los Angeles Times news, photo
April 9, 1963, Los Angeles Times, Emmy News
A Tribute to John F. Kennedy from the Arts - Nov. 24, 1963
Nov. 24, 1963, New York Times, news
Nov. 24, 1963, Washington Post, news
Nov. 27, 1963, Variety review
Hamlet at Elsinore
See Hamlet at Elsinore page
The TV movie was broadcast in many countries. Some broadcast dates based on news articles:
Canada: April 15, 1964
BBC: April 19, 1964; Jan. 24, 1965
USA: Nov. 15, 1964; Aug 15, 1965; May 2, 1966
California Jan 3, 1965
The Young Set - ABC 1965
interview program
The Secret of Michelangelo: Every Man's Dream - ABC December 5, 1968 (rebroadcast April 6, 1969)
April 6, 1969, New York Times ad
April 3, 1969, Washington Post ad
Experiment in TV: A Bad Case of Shakespeare - NBC March 22, 1970
March 25, 1970, Variety review
March 22, 1970, Washington Post listing
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