Alas, Babylon (Playhouse 90)

Alas, Babylon was a television adaptation of Pat Frank's 1959 novel of the same name. It aired as part of the Playhouse 90 anthology series on CBS on April 3, 1960. The episode, like the novel, centers on the residents of the small Florida town of Fort Repose and their struggles to survive after a nuclear war devastates the United States.

The Playhouse 90 adaptation starred Dana Andrews as Randy Bragg, the protagonist who attempts to lead the townspeople through the post-apocalyptic challenges. Other key cast members included Rita Gam as his sister-in-law, Helen Bragg, and Barbara Rush as his love interest, Lib McGovern. The teleplay was adapted by David Shaw.

While the novel focuses heavily on the immediate aftermath and long-term survival efforts, the Playhouse 90 version, constrained by its shorter runtime, necessarily condensed and altered some plot elements. Despite these changes, the television adaptation captured the essence of Frank's Cold War anxieties and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable catastrophe. Critically, the episode explored themes of community, leadership, and the adaptation to a radically changed world. While not as enduringly popular as the novel, the Playhouse 90 production served as a significant early example of post-apocalyptic storytelling on television.