Masterpiece is a Long Running prime time dramatic anthology series produced by (W)GBH Boston and aired on PBS which acts as a U.S. showcase for British TV shows (usually from The BBC, though Channel Four, Granada, and ITV programs have also been featured) as a Sunday Evening Drama Series.
The series premiered in 1971 as Masterpiece Theatre, with a focus on Costume Drama and literary adaptations. Its well-known classical title theme was Jean-Joseph Mouret's Rondeau
from Suite de Symphonies. It was hosted by Alistair Cooke until his retirement in 1992, and then by Russell Baker until 2004.
In 1980 it gained a sister series, Mystery!, which showcased British detective and mystery series. Mystery! had a specially-created animated title sequence inspired by the artwork of Edward Gorey. It was hosted by Gene Shalit for its first year, succeeded by Vincent Price (1981–89) and then Diana Rigg (1989–2003). Neither Masterpiece Theatre nor Mystery! had an on-screen host between 2004 and 2008.
In 2008, the two programs were combined into a single Masterpiece series, featuring three strands in rotation: Masterpiece Classic, hosted by Gillian Anderson (2008) and then Laura Linney (2009–present); Masterpiece Mystery, hosted by Alan Cumming; and Masterpiece Contemporary, hosted by Matthew Goode (2008) and then David Tennant (2009) before the "Contemporary" label was quietly dropped.
Adaptations for TV by the BBC of Shakespeare and other classic works are very often syndicated to appear on Masterpiece in the U.S. through WGBH Boston, often in multiple parts.
Not to be confused with World Masterpiece Theater, another long runner anime children's classics series in Japan.
See also Merchant Ivory, Hallmark Hall of Fame.
Shows that have aired on Masterpiece and its offshoots include:
- All Creatures Great & Small (2020)
- Annika (2021)
- Around the World in 80 Days (2021)
- Baptiste
- Bertie and Elizabeth
- Bleak House
- Bramwell
- Call the Midwife
- The Choir
- Death Comes to Pemberley
- Downton Abbey
- Elizabeth R
- Emma
- Endeavour
- The Forsyte Saga (the initial US broadcast on NET served as a precursor to the series; later rerun on the show proper)
- Foyle's War
- The First Churchills — The first series aired
- Grantchester
- Hetty Wainthropp Investigates
- House of Cards (UK)
- Howards End
- I, Claudius
- Indian Summers
- Inspector Morse
- Inspector Lewis
- Jeeves and Wooster
- The Jewel in the Crown
- Little Women
- Midsomer Murders
- Les Misérables (2018)
- Miss Scarlet & The Duke
- Moll Flanders
- Mr Selfridge
- My Mother And Other Strangers
- Page Eight
- Poirot
- Poldark
- Press
- Prime Suspect
- Rebecca (1997)
- Roadkill
- Rumpole of the Bailey
- Sharpe
- Sherlock
- Sherlock Holmes
- Silk
- The Six Wives of Henry VIII
- To Walk Invisible
- Tom Brown's Schooldays
- A Town Like Alice
- Turks & Caicos
- Unforgotten
- Upstairs Downstairs
- Victoria
- Wallander
- Wives and Daughters
- Wolf Hall
- World on Fire
