“Masterpiece” Celebrates 50 Years of Must-Watch TV for Anglophiles

by Tom Warner Best & Next Department

2021 marks the 50th anniversary of Masterpiece (formerly known as Masterpiece Theatre), which premiered on PBS stations in January 1971, making it America’s longest-running weekly prime-time drama. Long before Britbox and Acorn TV, Masterpiece was the program that launched America’s love affair with prestige British television imports. From Upstairs, Downstairs to Downton Abbey; from Agatha Christie’s Poirot to Sherlock; and from The Six Wives of Henry VIII to Wolf Hall, Masterpiece has consistently presented critically acclaimed adaptations of literary classics, historical dramas, mystery whodunits, and clever “BritWit” comedies. Along the way, Masterpiece has garnered 83 Primetime Emmys,18 Peabody Awards, seven Golden Globes and two Oscars. To celebrate this golden anniversary, Best & Next compiled this list of classic “Masterpieces” that are available to check out from Pratt using our Sidewalk Service, Books-by-Mail or Hoopla digital streaming services.

Share this post: on Twitter on Facebook