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Masterpiece Theatre

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TV Series

The Resume

    (January 10, 1971- )
    Drama anthology series
    Airs on PBS
    Hosted by Alistair Cooke (1971-92) and Russell Baker (1992-2004)
    In 2008, split into three parts: Masterpiece Classic (initially hosted by Gillian Anderson), Masterpiece Mystery (hosted by Alan Cumming) and Masterpiece Contemporary (hosted by Matthew Goode)
    Notable presentations include 'The First Churchills,', 'The Six Wives of Henry VIII,' 'Elizabeth R,' 'Upstairs, Downstairs,' 'I, Claudius,' 'The Citadel,' 'The Jewel in the Crown,' 'Jeeves and Wooster,' 'Prime Suspect,' 'The Forsyte Saga' and 'Downton Abbey'

Why Masterpiece Theatre might be annoying:

    It is basically an excuse to recycle British programming.
    As if to emphasize the point, it used the British spelling of theater.
    Underwriter Mobil (later ExxonMobil) got its name added to the show's title (1996-2004).
    When viewers were asked to choose the best of Masterpiece for the show's 35th anniversary, the #7 choice was 'Brideshead Revisited,' which had not aired on 'Masterpiece Theatre' but as part of the series 'Great Performances.'

Why Masterpiece Theatre might not be annoying:

    It is an Anglophile's wet dream.
    It is the longest-running prime time dramatic series in the US.
    It is one of the most honored television series, with 33 Emmys and 15 Peabody Awards (as of 2011).
    It has brought in younger viewers by revamping its website, offering online streaming of programs, and embracing social networking sites like Facebook. (Executive producer Rebecca Eaton on the results: 'Let's not exaggerate. They're not coming in droves leaving American Idol for us... but we're not being dismissed as something your mom used to watch.')

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 6 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 61 Votes: 45.90% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 23 Votes: 47.83% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 15 Votes: 73.33% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 5 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 4 Votes: 25.00% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 8 Votes: 37.50% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 7 Votes: 57.14% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 23 Votes: 47.83% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 67 Votes: 52.24% Annoying