STEAMBATH (PBS 5/473) Bill Bixby, José Pérez, Valerie Perrine, Herb Edelman, Stephen Elliott, Kenneth Mars, Art Metrano, Peter Kastner, Biff Elliott

STEAMBATH (PBS 5/473) Bill Bixby, José Pérez, Valerie Perrine, Herb Edelman, Stephen Elliott, Kenneth Mars, Art Metrano, Peter Kastner, Biff ElliottEnter one of the most unusual and daring television productions of the 1970s with Steambath, a surreal comedy drama based on the acclaimed play by Bruce Jay Friedman. Originally broadcast on PBSs Hollywood Television Theatre on May 4, 1973, this imaginative teleplay presents a wildly unconventional vision of the afterlife. In this satirical tale, the afterlife takes the form of an ordinary steam bath a waiting room where the recently deceased slowly

Enter one of the most unusual and daring television productions of the 1970s with Steambath, a surreal comedy-drama based on the acclaimed play by Bruce Jay Friedman. Originally broadcast on PBS’s Hollywood Television Theatre on May 4, 1973, this imaginative teleplay presents a wildly unconventional vision of the afterlife.

In this satirical tale, the afterlife takes the form of an ordinary steam bath — a waiting room where the recently deceased slowly begin to realize their earthly lives are over. Presiding over the facility is none other than God, portrayed by José Pérez, who appears not as a distant celestial figure, but as the weary Puerto Rican attendant responsible for maintaining order among the confused new arrivals.

When businessman Tandy (Bill Bixby) enters the steam bath, he refuses to accept that he has died. As the other patrons — each still clinging to the anxieties and obsessions that defined their lives — confront their strange new reality, Tandy desperately searches for a way to return to the world he left behind.

Blending sharp satire with philosophical humor, Steambath features a remarkable ensemble cast including Valerie Perrine, Herb Edelman, Stephen Elliott, Kenneth Mars, Art Metrano, Peter Kastner, and Biff Elliott.

The production is also historically notable for featuring the first brief female frontal nudity on American network television, performed by Valerie Perrine — a moment that reflected the era’s growing willingness to push creative boundaries.

Bold, irreverent, and thought-provoking, Steambath remains a fascinating and darkly comic exploration of mortality, religion, and the human condition — unlike anything else ever broadcast on American television.

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Number of DVDs: 1

Quality: 9/10, Color

Region: 0

Running Time: 1 hr 30 min (approx)

Aspect Ratio: Fullscreen, 1.33:1

IMPORTANT NOTES: This is a fan-made collection on high-quality DVD-R discs. It is intended for collectors and fans. Do not order if you are expecting a commercially packaged boxed set with full-color disc art. There is no retail packaging included. 

DVDs are shipped in protective sleeves.

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