Meeting of Minds 47 years old

Meeting of Minds is a television series, created by Steve Allen, which aired on PBS from 1977 to 1981. The show featured guests who played significant roles in world history. Guests would interact with each other and host Steve Allen, discussing philosophy, religion, history, science, and many other topics. It was conceptually quite similar to the Canadian television series Witness to Yesterday, created by Arthur Voronka, which preceded Meeting Of Minds to the air by three years. Steve Allen actually appeared on a 1976 episode of Witness to Yesterday as George Gershwin, one year before Meeting Of Minds premiered. As nearly as was possible, the actual words of the historical figures were used. The show was fully scripted, yet the scripts were carefully crafted to give the appearance of spontaneous discussion among historic figures. Guests included: Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, Cleopatra, Marie Antoinette, Florence Nightingale, Thomas Paine, Francis Bacon, Thomas Jefferson, Voltaire, Karl Marx, Charles Darwin, Daniel O'Connell, Catherine II, and Oliver Cromwell. Typically, each episode would be split into two parts, broadcast separately, with most or all of the guests introduced over the course of the first part, and the discussions continuing into the second part. A total of 24 episodes were produced.

Credits

Cast

Name Character
Stefan Gierasch He was 50 , 88 years old when he died
Harris Yulin He was 39 , now 87 years old
Keye Luke He was 72 , 86 years old when he died
Salome Jens She was 41 , now 89 years old
Alfred Ryder He was 61 , 79 years old when he died
Steve Allen He was 55 , 78 years old when he died
Shepperd Strudwick He was 69 , 75 years old when he died
John Hoyt He was 71 , 85 years old when he died
Alexander Scourby He was 63 , 71 years old when he died
Ivor Francis She was 58 , 67 years old when she died
Al Mancini He was 44 , 74 years old when he died
Leon Askin He was 69 , 97 years old when he died
Jayne Meadows She was 57 , 95 years old when she died
Joseph Sirola He was 47 , 89 years old when he died
Katherine Helmond She was 47 , 89 years old when she died
James Booth He was 49 , 77 years old when he died
Beulah Quo She was 53 , 79 years old when she died
Roscoe Lee Browne He was 51 , 81 years old when he died
Fred Sadoff He was 50 , 67 years old when he died
Louis Turenne He was 43 , now 91 years old

Crew

Name Job title
Steve Allen Writing He was 55 , 78 years old when he died Writer
Meeting of Minds (47 years)

Ended

  • First Air Date: 1977-01-10
  • Runtime: [60] minutes
  • Number of Episodes: 24