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''Masterpiece Theatre'' is a drama Anthology Television Series produced by WGBH Boston . It premiered on PBS on January 10 , 1971 , making it America's longest-running primetime drama series. The series, which is credited with introducing American audiences to high quality British drama, has presented hundreds of acclaimed British productions. Many of these are produced by the BBC , but the line-up also include programs shown on the commercial ITV Network and Channel 4 . OVERVIEW ''Masterpiece Theatre'' is best known for presenting Adaptation s of famous Novel s and Biographies , but it also shows original television dramas. The first title to air was '' The First Churchills '', starring Susan Hampshire as Sarah Churchill . Other programs presented on the series include '' Elizabeth R ''; '' House Of Cards ''; '' I, Claudius ''; '' Jeeves And Wooster ''; '' The Jewel In The Crown ''; '' The Six Wives Of Henry VIII ''; '' Traffik ''; '' Upstairs, Downstairs ''; More recent popular titles include '' Prime Suspect '', '' The Forsyte Saga '', and '' Bleak House ''. The theme music played during the opening credits is the ''Rondeau'' from "Symphonies and Fanfares for the King's Supper" by French composer Jean-Joseph Mouret performed by Collegium Musicum de Paris, Roland Douatt, conducting (recorded in 1954). One of the most highly recognized themes in television history, the music has served as the bridal processional for countless fans. In 1979, ''Masterpiece Theatre'' gained a sister series, '''', nine works by American writers, including Thornton Wilder 's '' Our Town '', starring Paul Newman . SCHEDULING ''Masterpiece Theatre'' airs Sunday nights at 9pm on PBS from October through May. In the summer, ''Mystery!'' airs in the same timeslot. AWARDS One of television's most honored series, the various shows aired on ''Masterpiece Theatre'' have garnered 33 Primetime Emmy s, seven International Emmys, 15 Peabody s, and two Academy Award nominations HOSTS AND PRODUCERS Masterpiece Theatre was hosted by British/American broadcaster/journalist Alistair Cooke until 1992; Pulitzer Prize-winning author Russell Baker hosted from 1992 to 2004. Since 2004 it has been broadcast without a host. The original series producer was Christopher Sarson . He was suceeded in 1973 by Joan Wilson . The current series producer, Rebecca Eaton , took over in 1985.http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/series/theplayers.html#joan FUNDERS From its 1971 premiere, the series was underwritten by Mobil (which later became Exxon Mobil ). After an unprecedented 25 years of support, the series added the funder's name to its title. ExxonMobil ended its sponsorship in 2004, and the series remains without a corporate sponsor. The show is currently funded by the Corporation For Public Broadcasting and by contributions to various PBS station from, as PBS puts it, " Viewers Like You ". THE BEST OF ''MASTERPIECE THEATRE'' In March 2007, PBS aired “The Best of Masterpiece Theatre” hosted by Derek Jacobi . Based on 20,000 votes solicited on the Masterpiece Theatre web site and PBS affiliate web sites, the top 12 series were:
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