Marriage (disambiguation)

Marriage is a socially or ritually recognized union or legal contract between spouses.

Marriage may also refer to:

The Marriage (TV series)

The Marriage is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from July to August 1954. The series is noted as the first prime-time network television series to be broadcast regularly in color. Broadcast live by NBC for seven episodes in the summer of 1954, the series stars real-life couple Hume Cronyn (who also produced the show) and Jessica Tandy as a New York lawyer and his wife with two children, played by Susan Strasberg and Malcolm Brodrick.

Synopsis

The half-hour show, written by Ernest Kinoy, debuted on July 8, 1954, originating from the Colonial Theatre in New York City, NBC's color television production facility.

The television series was adapted from an NBC radio series of the same title, also starring Cronyn and Tandy and written by Kinoy, that ran from October 1953 to February 1954. The television show was directed by Jack Garfein and Marc Daniels.

Reception

The New York Times television critic called the show "new and different and delightful," and wrote, "'The Marriage' is a sparkling, crisp portrayal of some charming people." The Washington Post called it among the best of the summertime replacement series, praising its "adult approach to situation comedy," with believable situations and intelligent characters.

The Marriage (radio)

The Marriage was a short-lived (1953–54) radio series which starred Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy. Based on their earlier Broadway play, The Fourposter, the series aired Sunday evenings on NBC at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

Characters and story

New York attorney Ben Marriott (Hume Cronyn) was married to former department store fashion buyer Liz (Jessica Tandy), who struggled with her switch to domestic life. The sophisticated couple discussed such subjects as art, theater, literature and philosophy, while raising a son, Pete, and an awkward teenage daughter, Emily (Denise Alexander).

Written by Ernest Kinoy, the series had an unusual gimmick of alternating viewpoints, as Ben narrated one week and Liz the next.

The show was scheduled to move from radio to television, with Cronyn producing as well as acting in the show. However, Tandy suffered a miscarriage, and the show's debut was delayed a week. The TV series premiered in July 1954 to "warm and enthusiastic reviews." It ran through August, and abruptly ended after eight episodes.