# American Playhouse

American Playhouse is an American anthology television series periodically broadcast by Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).
It premiered on January 12, 1982, with The Shady Hill Kidnapping, written and narrated by John Cheever and directed by Paul Bogart. Its final broadcast, In the Wings: Angels in America on Broadway, a rerun of a behind-the-scenes look at Tony Kushner's award-winning play in two parts, aired on January 1, 1994.
The series proved to be a springboard for the careers of numerous performers, including David Marshall Grant, Laura Linney, A Martinez, Conchata Ferrell, Eric Roberts, Lynne Thigpen, John Malkovich, Peter Riegert, Lupe Ontiveros, Ben Stiller, and Megan Mullally.
As part of WGBH's development of the Descriptive Video Service (DVS), American Playhouse was one of the first U.S. television programs to air with audio description for the visually impaired on the Secondary audio program (SAP). After trialing the system during previous seasons, the 1990 season was the first to offer it as part of their wider rollout of DVS, initially through 32 member stations.

## Episodes
### Season 1 (1982)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
| 1 | 1 | "The Shady Hill Kidnapping" | Paul Bogart | John Cheever | January 12, 1982 (1982-01-12) |
| 2 | 2 | "King of America" | Dezső Magyar | B.J Merholz | January 19, 1982 (1982-01-19) |
| 3 | 3 | "Seguin" | Jesús Salvador Treviño | Jesús Salvador Treviño | January 26, 1982 (1982-01-26) |
| 4 | 4 | "Who Am I This Time?" | Jonathan Demme | Neal Miller, based on the short story by Kurt Vonnegut | February 2, 1982 (1982-02-02) |
| 5 | 5 | "Any Friend of Nicholas Nickleby Is a Friend of Mine" | Ralph Rosenblum | Mary Trimble, based on the story by Ray Bradbury | February 9, 1982 (1982-02-09) |
| 6 | 6 | "Come Along with Me" | Joanne Woodward | June Finfer, Neal Miller and Joanne Woodward, based on the unfinished novel by Shirley Jackson | February 16, 1982 (1982-02-16) |
| 7 | 7 | "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf" | Oz Scott | Ntozake Shange, based on her stage play | February 23, 1982 (1982-02-23) |
| 8 | 8 | "Carl Sandburg: Echoes and Silences" | Perry Miller Adato | Paul Shyre, based on poems by Carl Sandburg | March 2, 1982 (1982-03-02) |
| 9 | 9 | "Fifth of July" | Kirk Browning Marshall W. Mason | Lanford Wilson, based on his stage play | March 9, 1982 (1982-03-09) |
| 10 | 10 | "The Great American Fourth of July and Other Disasters" | Richard Bartlett | Jean Shepherd, based on his work In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash | March 16, 1982 (1982-03-16) |
| 11 | 11 | "Pilgrim, Farewell" | Michael Roemer | Michael Roemer | March 23, 1982 (1982-03-23) |
| 12 | 12 | "Northern Lights" | John Hanson Rob Nilsson | John Hanson and Rob Nilsson | March 30, 1982 (1982-03-30) |
| 13 | 13 | "Medal of Honor Rag" | Lloyd Richards | Tom Cole, based on his stage play | April 6, 1982 (1982-04-06) |
| 14 | 14 | "Working" | Stephen Schwartz and Kirk Browning | Stephen Schwartz and Nina Faso, based on their musical | April 13, 1982 (1982-04-13) |
| 15 | 15 | "Weekend" | Paul Bogart | Ann Beattie, based on her short story | April 20, 1982 (1982-04-20) |
| 16 | 16 | "Private Contentment" | Vivian Matalon | Reynolds Price | April 27, 1982 (1982-04-27) |
| 17 | 17 | "My Palikari" | Charles S. Dubin | George Kirgo and Leon Capetanos | May 4, 1982 (1982-05-04) |
| 18 | 18 | "Oppenheimer (1)" | Barry Davis | Peter Prince | May 11, 1982 (1982-05-11) |
| 19 | 19 | "Oppenheimer (2)" | Barry Davis | Peter Prince | May 18, 1982 (1982-05-18) |
| 20 | 20 | "Oppenheimer (3)" | Barry Davis | Peter Prince | May 25, 1982 (1982-05-25) |
| 21 | 21 | "Oppenheimer (4)" | Barry Davis | Peter Prince | June 1, 1982 (1982-06-01) |
| 22 | 22 | "Oppenheimer (5)" | Barry Davis | Peter Prince | June 8, 1982 (1982-06-08) |
| 23 | 23 | "Oppenheimer (6)" | Barry Davis | Peter Prince | June 15, 1982 (1982-06-15) |
| 24 | 24 | "Oppenheimer (7)" | Barry Davis | Peter Prince | June 22, 1982 (1982-06-22) |
| 25 | 25 | "The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez" | Robert M. Young | Victor Villaseñor and Robert M. Young, based on the book With His Pistol in His Hand by Américo Paredes | June 29, 1982 (1982-06-29) |

### Season 2 (1983)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
| TBA | 1 | "The Skin of Our Teeth" | Jack O'Brien | Thorton Wilder | January 18, 1983 (1983-01-18) |
| TBA | 2 | "Miss Lonelyhearts" | Michael Dinner | Robert E. Bailey and Michael Dinner, based on the novel by Nathaniel West | January 25, 1983 (1983-01-25) |
| TBA | 3 | "Family Business" | John Stix | Dick Goldberg, based on his stage play | February 1, 1983 (1983-02-01) |
| TBA | 4 | "Keeping On" | Barbara Kopple | Horton Foote | February 8, 1983 (1983-02-08) |
| TBA | 5 | "The File on Jill Hatch (1)" | Alastair Reid | Kenneth Cavander | February 15, 1983 (1983-02-15) |
| TBA | 6 | "The File on Jill Hatch (2)" | Alastair Reid | Kenneth Cavander | February 22, 1983 (1983-02-22) |
| TBA | 7 | "The File on Jill Hatch (3)" | Alastair Reid | Alex Mount | March 1, 1983 (1983-03-01) |
| TBA | 8 | "For Us the Living: The Medgar Evers Story" | Michael Schultz | Ossie Davis and J. Rotcop, based on the book by Myrlie Evers-Williams and William Peters | March 22, 1983 (1983-03-22) |
| TBA | 9 | "Verse Person Singular" | Robert Deubel | created by Richard Kiley | March 29, 1983 (1983-03-29) |
| TBA | 10 | "Until She Talks" | Mary Lampson | Doris Baizley | April 5, 1983 (1983-04-05) |
| TBA | 11 | "Wings" | John Madden (director) | Arthur Kopit, based on his stage play | April 26, 1983 (1983-04-26) |
| TBA | 12 | "The Rothko Conspiracy" | Paul Watson | Michael Baker | May 3, 1983 (1983-05-03) |

### Season 3 (1984)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
| TBA | 1 | "The Ghost Writer" | Tristram Powell | Tristram Powell and Philip Roth, based on the novel by Roth | January 17, 1984 (1984-01-17) |
| TBA | 2 | "Pudd'nhead Wilson" | Alan Bridges | Philip H. Reisman Jr., based on the novel by Mark Twain | January 24, 1984 (1984-01-24) |
| TBA | 3 | "True West" | Allan Goldstein and Gary Sinise | Sam Shepard, based on his stage play | January 31, 1984 (1984-01-31) |
| TBA | 4 | "Nothing but a Man" | Michael Roemer | Michael Roemer and Robert M. Young | February 7, 1984 (1984-02-07) |
| TBA | 5 | "Popular Neurotics" | Sheldon Larry | Aubrey Wertheim, based on his stage play | February 14, 1984 (1984-02-14) |
| TBA | 6 | "The Cafeteria" | Amram Nowak | Ernest Kinoy, based on the short story by Isaac Bashevis Singer | February 21, 1984 (1984-02-21) |
| TBA | 7 | "Refuge" | Huck Fairman | Huck Fairman and Luther Sperberg | February 28, 1984 (1984-02-28) |
| TBA | 8 | "The Gin Game" | Terry Hughes | Donald L. Coburn, based on his stage play | March 6, 1984 (1984-03-06) |
| TBA | 9 | "Haunted" | Michael Roemer | Michael Roemer | March 20, 1984 (1984-03-20) |
| TBA | 10 | "The Killing Floor" | Bill Duke | Leslie Lee | April 10, 1984 (1984-04-10) |
| TBA | 11 | "Heartland" | Richard Pearce | Beth Ferris and William Kittredge, based on the letters of Elinore Pruitt Stewart | April 17, 1984 (1984-04-17) |
| TBA | 12 | "City News" | David Fishelson and Zoe Zinman | David Fishelson and Zoe Zinman | April 24, 1984 (1984-04-24) |
| TBA | 13 | "Hughie" | Terry Hughes and José Quintero | Eugene O'Neill | May 1, 1984 (1984-05-01) |
| TBA | 14 | "Concealed Enemies (1)" | Jeff Bleckner | Hugh Whitemore | May 7, 1984 (1984-05-07) |
| TBA | 15 | "Concealed Enemies (2)" | Jeff Bleckner | Hugh Whitemore | May 7, 1984 (1984-05-07) |
| TBA | 16 | "Concealed Enemies (3)" | Jeff Bleckner | Hugh Whitemore | May 8, 1984 (1984-05-08) |
| TBA | 17 | "Concealed Enemies (4)" | Jeff Bleckner | Hugh Whitemore | May 9, 1984 (1984-05-09) |

### Season 4 (1984–1985)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
| TBA | 1 | "Testament" | Lynne Littman | John Sacret Young, based on the short story "The Last Testament" by Carol Amen | November 26, 1984 (1984-11-26) |
| TBA | 2 | "A Matter of Principle" | Gwen Arner | Morton Neal Miller and Nancy Miller, based on the short story by John D. Weaver | December 3, 1984 (1984-12-03) |
| TBA | 3 | "Solomon Northup's Odyssey" | Gordon Parks | Lou Potter and Samm-Art Williams, based on the autobiography Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup | December 10, 1984 (1984-12-10) |
| TBA | 4 | "Tomorrow" | Joseph Anthony | Horton Foote, based on his stage play | December 17, 1984 (1984-12-17) |
| TBA | 5 | "Go Tell It on the Mountain" | Stan Lathan | Gus Edwards and Leslie Lee, based on the novel by James Baldwin | January 14, 1985 (1985-01-14) |
| TBA | 6 | "Noon Wine" | Michael Fields | Michael Fields, based on the novel by Katherine Anne Porter | January 21, 1985 (1985-01-21) |
| TBA | 7 | "The Joy That Kills" | Tina Rathborne | Tina Rathborne and Nancy Dyer, based on the short story "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin | January 28, 1985 (1985-01-28) |
| TBA | 8 | "Overdrawn at the Memory Bank" | Douglas Williams | Corinne Jacker, based on the short story by John Varley | February 4, 1985 (1985-02-04) |
| TBA | 9 | "The Star-Crossed Romance of Josephine Cosnowski" | Fred Barzyk | Jean Shepherd, based on his work In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash | February 11, 1985 (1985-02-11) |
| TBA | 10 | "Some Men Need Help" | Allan Goldstein | John Ford Noonan, based on his play | February 18, 1985 (1985-02-18) |
| TBA | 11 | "Charlotte Forten's Mission: Experiment in Freedom" | Barry Crane | Samm-Art Williams | February 25, 1985 (1985-02-25) |
| TBA | 12 | "Breakfast with Les and Bess" | Perry Rosemond | Lee Kalcheim | March 11, 1985 (1985-03-11) |
| TBA | 13 | "Nightsongs" | Marva Nabili | Marva Nabili, based on journal entries by Fae Myenne Ng | April 15, 1985 (1985-04-15) |
| TBA | 14 | "Under the Biltmore Clock" | Neal Miller | Neal Miller and Ilene Cooper, based on the short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald | April 22, 1985 (1985-04-22) |
| TBA | 15 | "Displaced Person" | Alan Bridges | Fred Barron, based on the short story by Kurt Vonnegut | May 6, 1985 (1985-05-06) |
| TBA | 16 | "The Europeans" | James Ivory | Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, based on the novel by Henry James | May 13, 1985 (1985-05-13) |
| TBA | 17 | "El Norte" | Gregory Nava | Gregory Nava and Anna Thomas | May 20, 1985 (1985-05-20) |
| TBA | 18 | "Three Sovereigns for Sarah (1)" | Philip Leacock | Victor Pisano | May 27, 1985 (1985-05-27) |
| TBA | 19 | "Three Sovereigns for Sarah (2)" | Philip Leacock | Victor Pisano | June 3, 1985 (1985-06-03) |
| TBA | 20 | "Three Sovereigns for Sarah (3)" | Philip Leacock | Victor Pisano | June 10, 1985 (1985-06-10) |
| TBA | 21 | "Paper Angels" | John Lone | Genny Lim, based on her stage play | June 17, 1985 (1985-06-17) |
| TBA | 22 | "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" | Jack Hofsiss | Tennessee Williams, based on his stage play | June 24, 1985 (1985-06-24) |

### Season 5 (1986)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
| TBA | 1 | "The Rise and Rise of Daniel Rocket" | Emile Ardolino | Peter Parnell, based on his stage play | January 20, 1986 (1986-01-20) |
| TBA | 2 | "The Roommate" | Nell Cox | Morton Neal Miller, based on the short story "The Christian Roommates" by John Updike | January 27, 1986 (1986-01-27) |
| TBA | 3 | "Valentine's Revenge" | Paul Saltzman | Paul M. Lally, based on the short story by O. Henry | February 3, 1986 (1986-02-03) |
| TBA | 4 | "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1)" | Peter H. Hunt | Guy Gallo, based on the novel by Mark Twain | February 10, 1986 (1986-02-10) |
| TBA | 5 | "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (2)" | Peter H. Hunt | Guy Gallo, based on the novel by Mark Twain | February 17, 1986 (1986-02-17) |
| TBA | 6 | "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (3)" | Peter H. Hunt | Guy Gallo, based on the novel by Mark Twain | February 24, 1986 (1986-02-24) |
| TBA | 7 | "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (4)" | Peter H. Hunt | Guy Gallo, based on the novel by Mark Twain | March 3, 1986 (1986-03-03) |
| TBA | 8 | "Tell Me a Riddle" | Unknown | Unknown | March 17, 1986 (1986-03-17) |
| TBA | 9 | "The Little Sister" | Unknown | Unknown | April 7, 1986 (1986-04-07) |
| TBA | 10 | "The House of Ramon Iglesia" | Unknown | José Rivera | April 14, 1986 (1986-04-14) |
| TBA | 11 | "A Flash of Green" | Unknown | Unknown | April 21, 1986 (1986-04-21) |
| TBA | 12 | "Damien" | Unknown | Aldyth Morris | April 28, 1986 (1986-04-28) |
| TBA | 13 | "Rocket to the Moon" | Unknown | Unknown | May 5, 1986 (1986-05-05) |
| TBA | 14 | "A Case of Libel" | Unknown | Henry Denker | May 12, 1986 (1986-05-12) |
| TBA | 15 | "Painting Churches" | Unknown | Tina Howe | May 19, 1986 (1986-05-19) |
| TBA | 16 | "Roanoak (1)" | Unknown | Unknown | May 26, 1986 (1986-05-26) |
| TBA | 17 | "Roanoak (2)" | Unknown | Unknown | June 2, 1986 (1986-06-02) |
| TBA | 18 | "Roanoak (3)" | Unknown | Unknown | June 9, 1986 (1986-06-09) |
| TBA | 19 | "Sunday in the Park with George" | Unknown | James Lapine, Stephen Sondheim | June 16, 1986 (1986-06-16) |

### Season 6 (1987)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
| TBA | 1 | "All My Sons" | Unknown | Arthur Miller | January 19, 1987 (1987-01-19) |
| TBA | 2 | "The Prodigious Hickey" | Unknown | Unknown | January 26, 1987 (1987-01-26) |
| TBA | 3 | "The Wide Net" | Unknown | Unknown | February 2, 1987 (1987-02-02) |
| TBA | 4 | "Smooth Talk" | Unknown | Unknown | February 9, 1987 (1987-02-09) |
| TBA | 5 | "A Mistaken Charity" | Unknown | Lawrence DuKore, adapted from the story by Mary Wilkins Freeman | February 16, 1987 (1987-02-16) |
| TBA | 6 | "Eleanor: In Her Own Words" | Unknown | Russell Vandenbroucke | March 9, 1987 (1987-03-09) |
| A one-women show with Lee Remick as Eleanor Roosevelt ||||||
| TBA | 7 | "The Innocents Abroad" | Unknown | Unknown | March 23, 1987 (1987-03-23) |
| TBA | 8 | "Story of a Marriage (1)" | Unknown | Unknown | April 6, 1987 (1987-04-06) |
| TBA | 9 | "Story of a Marriage (2)" | Unknown | Unknown | April 13, 1987 (1987-04-13) |
| TBA | 10 | "Story of a Marriage (3)" | Unknown | Unknown | April 13, 1987 (1987-04-13) |
| TBA | 11 | "A Case of Libel" | Unknown | Unknown | May 4, 1987 (1987-05-04) |
| TBA | 12 | "Charley's Aunt" | Unknown | Unknown | May 11, 1987 (1987-05-11) |
| TBA | 13 | "Gal Young 'Un" | Unknown | Unknown | May 18, 1987 (1987-05-18) |
| TBA | 14 | "The House of Blue Leaves" | Unknown | John Guare | May 25, 1987 (1987-05-25) |
| TBA | 15 | "Blue Window" | Unknown | Craig Lucas | June 1, 1987 (1987-06-01) |
| TBA | 16 | "Dottie" | David Gelfand | Bruce Gelfand | June 8, 1987 (1987-06-08) |
| TBA | 17 | "Waiting for the Moon" | Unknown | Unknown | June 15, 1987 (1987-06-15) |

### Season 7 (1988)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
| TBA | 1 | "Strange Interlude (1)" | Unknown | Unknown | January 18, 1988 (1988-01-18) |
| TBA | 2 | "Strange Interlude (2)" | Unknown | Unknown | January 19, 1988 (1988-01-19) |
| TBA | 3 | "Strange Interlude (3)" | Unknown | Unknown | January 20, 1988 (1988-01-20) |
| TBA | 4 | "The Return of Hickey" | Unknown | Unknown | February 3, 1988 (1988-02-03) |
| TBA | 5 | "Lemon Sky" | Unknown | Lanford Wilson | February 10, 1988 (1988-02-10) |
| TBA | 6 | "The Revolt of Mother" | Unknown | adapted from the story by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman | February 17, 1988 (1988-02-17) |
| TBA | 7 | "Pigeon Feathers" | Sharron Miller | Jan Hartman | February 17, 1988 (1988-02-17) |
| TBA | 8 | "Billy Galvin" | Unknown | Unknown | February 24, 1988 (1988-02-24) |
| TBA | 9 | "A Flash of Green" | Unknown | Unknown | March 23, 1988 (1988-03-23) |
| TBA | 10 | "Journey Into Genius" | Unknown | Lanie Robertson | April 6, 1988 (1988-04-06) |
| TBA | 11 | "Suspicion" | Andrew Grieve | Jonathan Lynn and Barry Levinson from the 1941 screenplay | April 20, 1988 (1988-04-20) |
| TBA | 12 | "The Trial of Bernard Goetz" | Harry Moses | Harry Morgan Moses | May 11, 1988 (1988-05-11) |
| TBA | 13 | "The Land of Little Rain" | Unknown | Unknown | June 1, 1988 (1988-06-01) |
| TBA | 14 | "I Never Sang for My Father" | Unknown | Unknown | June 15, 1988 (1988-06-15) |
| TBA | 15 | "Native Son" | Unknown | Unknown | June 29, 1988 (1988-06-29) |
| TBA | 16 | "The Big Knife" | John Jacobs | Unknown | July 27, 1988 (1988-07-27) |

### Season 8 (1989)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
| TBA | 1 | "A Raisin in the Sun" | Unknown | Lorraine Hansberry | February 1, 1989 (1989-02-01) |
| TBA | 2 | "Ask Me Again" | Deborah Reinisch | Laurie Colwin, Richard Greenberg | February 8, 1989 (1989-02-08) |
| TBA | 3 | "Stacking" | Martin Rosen | Victoria Jenkins | February 15, 1989 (1989-02-15) |
| TBA | 4 | "My American Cousin" | Unknown | Unknown | February 22, 1989 (1989-02-22) |
| TBA | 5 | "Love and Other Sorrows" | Unknown | based on Harold Brodkey's short story "First Love and Other Sorrows | March 1, 1989 (1989-03-01) |
| TBA | 6 | "Stand and Deliver" | Ramón Menéndez | Ramón Menéndez, Tom Musca | March 15, 1989 (1989-03-15) |
| TBA | 7 | "The Silence at Bethany" | Joel Oliansky | Joyce Keener | March 22, 1989 (1989-03-22) |
| TBA | 8 | "Life Under Water" | Unknown | Unknown | April 12, 1989 (1989-04-12) |
| TBA | 9 | "The Diaries of Adam and Eve" | Unknown | adapted from Extracts from Adam's Diary and Eve's Diary by Mark Twain | April 26, 1989 (1989-04-26) |
| TBA | 10 | "The Meeting" | Unknown | Unknown | May 3, 1989 (1989-05-03) |
| TBA | 11 | "A Walk in the Woods" | Unknown | Lee Blessing | May 10, 1989 (1989-05-10) |
| TBA | 12 | "Big Time" | Unknown | Unknown | May 17, 1989 (1989-05-17) |
| TBA | 13 | "The Thin Blue Line" | Errol Morris | Errol Morris | May 24, 1989 (1989-05-24) |
| TBA | 14 | "Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss" | Unknown | Jean Shepherd | May 31, 1989 (1989-05-31) |
| TBA | 15 | "Imagining America" | Unknown | Unknown | June 7, 1989 (1989-06-07) |

### Season 9 (1990)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
| TBA | 1 | "Sensibility and Sense" | David Hugh Jones | Richard Nelson | January 24, 1990 (1990-01-24) |
| TBA | 2 | "Women & Wallace" | Don Scardino | Jonathan Marc Sherman, based on his play | January 31, 1990 (1990-01-31) |
| TBA | 3 | "Zora Is My Name!" | Neema Barnette | Unknown | February 14, 1990 (1990-02-14) |
| TBA | 4 | "Andre's Mother" | Unknown | Terrence McNally | March 7, 1990 (1990-03-07) |
| TBA | 5 | "Bloodhounds of Broadway" | Unknown | Unknown | May 23, 1990 (1990-05-23) |
| TBA | 6 | "Hyde in Hollywood" | Gerald Gutierrez | Peter Parnell | July 6, 1990 (1990-07-06) |

### Season 10 (1991)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
| TBA | 1 | "Into the Woods" | Unknown | James Lapine, Stephen Sondheim | March 15, 1991 (1991-03-15) |
| TBA | 2 | "The Grapes of Wrath" | Unknown | Unknown | March 22, 1991 (1991-03-22) |
| TBA | 3 | "Three Hotels" | Jon Robin Baitz | Jon Robin Baitz | March 29, 1991 (1991-03-29) |
| TBA | 4 | "The Sunset Gang" | Unknown | adapted from stories by Warren Adler | April 5, 1991 (1991-04-05) |
| TBA | 5 | "Hot Summer Winds" | Unknown | adapted from stories by Hisaye Yamamoto | May 22, 1991 (1991-05-22) |
| TBA | 6 | "The Hollow Boy" | Unknown | Jay Neugeboren, adapted from the short story by Hortense Calisher | June 12, 1991 (1991-06-12) |

### Season 11 (1992–1993)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
| TBA | 1 | "Fool's Fire" | Julie Taymor | Julie Taymor, adapted from the short story by Edgar Allan Poe | March 25, 1992 (1992-03-25) |
| TBA | 2 | "Tales from Hollywood" | Unknown | Unknown | October 19, 1992 (1992-10-19) |
| TBA | 3 | "Tru" | Unknown | Unknown | November 23, 1992 (1992-11-23) |
| TBA | 4 | "Andre's Mother" | Unknown | Unknown | January 17, 1993 (1993-01-17) |
| TBA | 5 | "Fires in the Mirror" | Unknown | Unknown | April 28, 1993 (1993-04-28) |
| TBA | 6 | "In the Wings: Angels in America on Broadway" | Tom Bywaters | Tom Bywaters | June 11, 1993 (1993-06-11) |
| TBA | 7 | "La Carpa" | Carlos Avila | Carlos Avila and Edit Villarreal | June 16, 1993 (1993-06-16) |
| TBA | 8 | "Porgy and Bess" | Unknown | Unknown | October 6, 1993 (1993-10-06) |
| TBA | 9 | "Tales of the City" | Unknown | Unknown | November 15, 1993 (1993-11-15) |
| TBA | 10 | "Hallelujah" | Charles Lane | Unknown | December 22, 1993 (1993-12-22) |

### Season 12 (1994)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
| TBA | 1 | "Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City" | Unknown | Unknown | January 10, 1994 (1994-01-10) |
| TBA | 2 | "The Sunset Gang" | Calvin L. Skaggs | Ronald Ribman, based on the book by Warren Adler | March 21, 1994 (1994-03-21) |
| TBA | 3 | "Long Shadow" | Sheldon Larry | Milan Stitt | August 26, 1994 (1994-08-26) |
| TBA | 4 | "Break of Dawn" | Isaac Artenstein | Isaac Artenstein | September 9, 1994 (1994-09-09) |
| TBA | 5 | "La Carpa" | Carlos Avila | Carlos Avila and Edit Villarreal | September 23, 1994 (1994-09-23) |

### Season 13 (1995–1996)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
| TBA | 1 | "The Making of Angels and Insects" | Unknown | Unknown | January 2, 1995 (1995-01-02) |
| TBA | 2 | "Fires in the Mirror" | Unknown | Unknown | February 3, 1995 (1995-02-03) |
| TBA | 3 | "Blown Sideways Through Life" | Christopher Ashley | Claudia Shear, based on her play | July 19, 1995 (1995-07-19) |
| TBA | 4 | "Drawn from Memory" | Paul Fierlinger | Paul Fierlinger | October 30, 1995 (1995-10-30) |
| TBA | 5 | "The Beans of Egypt, Maine" | Unknown | Unknown | August 11, 1996 (1996-08-11) |
| TBA | 6 | "Passion" | Unknown | Stephen Sondheim | September 29, 1996 (1996-09-29) |

## Notable cast

* Tom Aldredge
* Anne Bancroft
* Christine Baranski
* Claire Bloom
* Jacques Boudet
* Kenneth Branagh
* Kate Burton
* Christopher Collet
* Jeff Daniels
* Jeffrey DeMunn
* Pedro De Pool
* Ruby Dee
* Matt Dillon
* Olympia Dukakis
* Megan Follows
* Matt Frewer
* Boyd Gaines
* Lillian Gish
* Joanna Gleason
* Danny Glover
* Annie Golden
* Louis Gossett Jr.
* George Grizzard
* Julie Hagerty
* Ed Harris
* Rosemary Harris
* Edward Herrmann
* Helen Hunt
* Glenda Jackson
* James Earl Jones
* Raul Julia
* Swoosie Kurtz
* Cloris Leachman
* John Malkovich
* Butterfly McQueen
* Caroline McWilliams
* Rita Moreno
* Paul Newman
* Geraldine Page
* Sarah Jessica Parker
* Estelle Parsons
* Mandy Patinkin
* Bernadette Peters
* Lenka Peterson
* Vanessa Redgrave
* Keanu Reeves
* Lee Remick
* Jason Robards
* Esther Rolle
* Liliane Rovère
* Susan Sarandon
* Sylvia Sidney
* Jean Simmons
* Gary Sinise
* Anna Deavere Smith
* Elaine Stritch
* Richard Thomas
* Anne Twomey
* Dick Van Dyke
* Chuck Wagner
* Christopher Walken
* Eli Wallach
* Robert Westenberg
* Lynn Whitfield
* Paul Winfield
* Alfre Woodard
* Chip Zien

## Accolades

Some of the productions won multiple Emmys: one from Robert Morse in Tru, Outstanding Children's Program for Displaced Person and technical achievements for The Meeting alongside many nominations.
Academy Award recognitions included El Norte's nomination for Best Original Screenplay, a Best Actress nod for Jane Alexander in Testament and a Best Actor nod for Edward James Olmos in Stand and Deliver.
Golden Globe recognitions included three for Stand and Deliver (two for Olmos (Leading Actor) and Diamond Phillips (Supporting Actor) and one for Best Motion Picture - Drama).
American Playhouse also won a Peabody Award in 1990.

## Legacy

Episodes like Nothing but a Man, The Thin Blue Line, El Norte and Stand and Deliver were each inducted into the National Film Registry.
Overdrawn at the Memory Bank was featured as an episode of the cult science fiction series Mystery Science Theater 3000.