There were two TV arts programs called Omnibus. One aired in the U.S. from 1952 to 1961 and was sponsored by the Ford Foundation. The point of the 44 episodes was to raise American taste with educational programming. The show aired on Sunday afternoons at 4 p.m. (ET) on CBS and again on ABC that evening. Hosted by Alistair Cooke, the series won more than 65 awards, including eight Emmys and two Peabodys.
In the U.K., Omnibus was a British series that aired from 1967 to 2003 on BBC 1, broadcasting on Sunday evenings. Here's an Omnibus episode in 1977 with the spotlight on Count Basie, with a fabulous rendition of Body and Soul by Jimmy Forrest and other band highlights and analysis...
In the U.K., Omnibus was a British series that aired from 1967 to 2003 on BBC 1, broadcasting on Sunday evenings. Here's an Omnibus episode in 1977 with the spotlight on Count Basie, with a fabulous rendition of Body and Soul by Jimmy Forrest and other band highlights and analysis...
This story appears courtesy of JazzWax by Marc Myers.
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