Theater of the Mind
The Greatest Story Ever Told
46 episodes · 1947–1956 · ABC · Drama
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The Greatest Story Ever Told was a half-hour religious drama on ABC from January 26, 1947 to December 30, 1956. Each week it told a story from the life and teachings of Jesus, often through ordinary people who met him: the parables, the miracles, the Christmas story each December and the Easter story each spring. Jesus's words were taken straight from the Bible, and Warren Parker played him in the show's only continuing role; the other actors went uncredited. Henry Denker wrote the scripts, with Fulton Oursler, whose 1949 book took the same title, as consultant, and an interdenominational board advised the production. Norman Rose was the narrator. Goodyear paid for the program but ran no commercials, naming itself only at the close.
Sources: The Greatest Story Ever Told (radio program), Wikipedia
Episodes
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1947
- The Good Samaritan (1947)
The parable of the Good Samaritan, the story the series opened with. - The Prodigal Son
- The Second Mile
A young man who hates the Romans learns from the Master to turn the other cheek, from the Sermon on the Mount. - The Resurrection
The Easter story, the last of three Lenten dramas. - They Who See Not Shall See
Joshua, a blind man, demands that the Master give him sight, and learns he was blind in more than one way. - The Soldier's Servant
A Roman officer in Galilee turns to the Master for help for a dying friend. - The Parable of the Lost Coin
Young Jonathan has gambled away ten pieces of silver that weren't his. From the fifteenth chapter of Luke. - The Calling of Matthew
- Go and Be Counted
The third of the show's five Christmas dramas of 1947.
1948
- The Betrayal and the Crucifixion (1948)
Judas betrays Jesus, and the story ends at the cross. - Thou Shalt Be Recompensed
Reuben visits Simon, a kinsman of Jesus, and an invitation to a blind beggar follows. - The Idle Word (1948)
- Flight of the Children
- The Unbelieving
A merchant who doesn't believe finally puts his dying son's life in the Master's hands. - Ye Who Are Heavy Laden
- The Pursued
- The Reward Is Great
- A Blade from Damascus
- A Child in the House
A merchant's orphaned niece won't love anyone or be grateful for anything done for her. - Where Thieves Break Through
- Let Your Light Shine (1948)
A Christian couple must decide whether to take responsibility for an orphan boy.
1949
- Give Us This Day
A story of bearing false witness, and of our daily bread. - The House in Darkness
Rebecca still grieves for her dead son, and a child comes to live in her house, where another child once lived. - The Figure at the Door
A wealthy household invites the Master to a feast, but for the wrong reasons. - The Good Samaritan (1949)
The parable of the Good Samaritan, the show's first story, done again. - Ye Shall Know the Truth (1949)
1950
- The Betrayal and the Crucifixion (1950)
- The Man Who Was Not Humble
- The Woman and the Treasure (1950)
- A Cup of Cold Water (1950)
1951
1952
1953
- Sufficient Unto the Day
- The Betrayal and the Crucifixion (1953)
- Incident at Bethany
Nathan asks the Master what he must do to inherit eternal life, and who his neighbor is, and the Master answers with a parable.
1954
1955
- Blessed Are the Meek
- A Cup of Cold Water (1955)
A story from the tenth chapter of Matthew.