RAY BRADBURY THEATRE

   US tv series (1985-6). Atlantis Films/Wilcox Productions for Home Box Office. Executive prods Michael MacMillan, Larry Wilcox, Ray BRADBURY; prod Seaton McLean; teleplays by Bradbury, based on his own stories. Leading actors included Drew Barrymore, James Coco, Jeff Goldblum, NickMancuso, Peter O'Toole, William SHATNER. 6 25min episodes, the first 3 in 1985, the second 3 originally shown together as a 90min special in 1986.

   These playlets, introduced a little stiffly by Bradbury, were imaginative adaptations of "Marionettes, Inc." (1949), "The Playground" (1953), "The Crowd" (1943), "The Town Where No One Got Off" (1958), "TheScreaming Woman" (1951) and"Banshee"" (1984). Only the first could be called sf (it features a neglected wife's husband being replaced by an " ANDROID); the rest are dark fantasy. They were among the most successfulof many Bradbury dramatizations on tv (winning several awards and good ratings), perhaps because Bradbury dramatized them himself.Further Bradbury adaptations, intended as part of a new Ray Bradbury Theatrepackage but actually screened in 1988-9 in the UK as part of the Twist in the Tale series, were made by Granada TV in the UK. The 4 stories adapted were "The Coffin" (1947), "Punishment without Crime" (1950), "The Small Assassin" (1946) and "There was an Old Woman" (1944). Prod Tom Cotter,they starred among others Cyril Cusack, Roy Kinnear, Dan O'Herlihy and Donald Pleasence. Other programmes for the same package, which wasscreened in the USA, were made in France and Canada.

   PN