A.D. Through Aftershock

The Academy Awards have been nominated so often that its list is incomplete, but it is definitely the overall champ on this page. A few surprises here too - anyone expect The A-Team, Adam-12, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin and AfterM*A*S*H to be nominees? Well, they were, with three nods to The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, in fact.

A.D.
NBC Sunday-Thursday 8-11 p.m. or 9-11 p.m., March 31-April 4, 1985

W: Special Visual Effects (Albert Whitlock, Syd Dutton, Mark Whitlock, Bill Taylor, Dennis Glouner, Lynn Ledgerwood)

N: Film Editing, Miniseries or Special (John A. Martinelli)

The Roman toga epics that proliferated in 1950s movies finally trickled down to TV in the 1980s in this five-night, 12-hour miniseries featuring some great talent (including James Mason in a posthumous role and Ava Gardner in a rare TV appearance) supporting Anthony Andrews as Nero. Anyone familiar with just the basics of that character knows exactly what happened to Rome during the sprawling story, and depicting that fire prompted the Emmy wins for this effort. Albert Whitlock, who was joined on this project with his son Mark as he was in several 1980s movies, also received special Oscars for his matte effects on Earthquake (1974) and The Hindenburg (1975).

Dutton: Star Trek: The Next Generation. Taylor: Star Trek: The Next Generation. Martinelli: Defection of Simas Kudirka, Legend of Lizzie Borden, Marco Polo, Murder in Texas, Murder of Mary Phagan, S.O.S. Titanic, Winds of Kitty Hawk.

A.E.S. Hudson Street
ABC Thursdays 9:30-10 p.m., March 23, 1978-April 20, 1978

N: Art Direction, Comedy (Thomas E. Azzari)

Dr. Antonio “Tony” Menzies (Gregory Sierra) helmed a motley crew of Adult Emergency Service, or A.E.S., workers in an office somewhere on New York City’s Hudson Street (a real route) in this sitcom that followed Barney Miller and was created in part by the same producer, Danny Arnold. However, apart from M*A*S*H, funny TV doctors have never really been successful, and this series followed suit by ending after five weeks. Azzari won his category in 1977 for Fish.

Azzari: Fish, Goodtime Harry

The A-Team
NBC Tuesdays 8-9 p.m.*, Jan. 23, 1983-June 14, 1987

N: Film Sound Mixing, Series (James R. Cook, Robert L. Harman, John Norman,  Fast Eddie Mahler), 1983, 1984

In 1972 members of a crack commando unit led by cigar-smoking Col. John “Hannibal” Smith (George Peppard) were convicted of a crime they did not commit. They escaped from prison and survived as soldiers of fortune in Los Angeles, righting wrongs while being sought as fugitives. Violent, noisy, ridiculous action program that nevertheless knocked off its ABC competition Happy Days and was the only top 10 series on NBC for the 1982-83 and 1983-84 seasons. Its popularity declined substantially in 1985-86 when ABC’s Who’s The Boss? and Growing Pains outrated it. Officially Peppard’s co-star was Dirk Benedict as Lt. Templeton “Face” Peck, but most people remember better the appearance of Mr. T as Sgt. Bosco “B.A.” Baracus, particularly since the show basically was created around him in the wake of his popularity starring opposite Sylvester Stallone in the 1982 movie hit Rocky III. Nominees Cook and Harman worked together in three shows nominated in their category in 1982 - Hill Street Blues, A Woman Called Golda and World War III - but did not win for them either. Harman was the only person in the quartet of nominees here who won an Emmy (four, in fact).

Cook: China Beach, Hill Street Blues, A Woman Called Golda, World War III. Harman: Baby Comes Home, The Bunker, The Day After, Dial “M” for Murder, Evita Peron, Gidget’s Summer Reunion, Hart to Hart, Hill Street Blues, The Killing of Randy Webster, Roots, A Rumor of War, Sandburg’s Lincoln, The Savage Bees, Skag, A Woman Called Golda, A Woman Named Jackie, The Wool Cap, Word of Honor, World War III, Young Joe the Forgotten Kennedy. Norman: L.A. Law, Ripley’s Believe It or Not.

Abel’s Island
PBS 30 Minutes p.m., Feb. 11, 1989

N: Animated Program, Less Than One Hour (Giulani Nicodemi, EP; Michael V. Sporn, P/writer/director; Maxine Fisher, writer)

Based on a book by William Steig, this cartoon told of how Abel (voice of Tim Curry), a mouse, survived on an island for a year while his family anxiously awaited his return. This was the first PBS nomination in this category’s inaugural year, with the TV academy dividing cartoons based on length, and it was the network’s only nominee in it for the next five years.

Abraham
TNT 8-10 p.m., April 3 and 4, 1994

N: Costume Design, Miniseries or Special (Enrico Sabbatini); Hairstyling, Miniseries or Special (Elda Magnanti, Mauro Tamagnini, Gianna Viola); Makeup, Miniseries or Special (Amina Bencherki, Renato Francola, Frederico Laurenti, Mario Michisanti, Luigi Rocchetti)

Abraham (Richard Harris), along with his wife Sarah (Barbara Hershey), led his people to the promised land of Canaan to escape from the hardships they faced under the Pharaoh (Maximilian Schell) and others. This was the first of three miniseries done for TNT in the mid-1990s on Old Testament characters - the others were Jacob and Joseph. The nominees’ names clue you into the fact where this was shot, and in fact most of the supporting cast was Italian. Harris still had clout as the lead - Rocchetti was the makeup artist assigned specifically to him. Apparently the duo enjoyed working together, as Rocchetti earned his other nomination 10 years later for Caesar again doing just makeup for Harris.

Sabbatini: Cleopatra, Joseph, Marco Polo. Magnanti: Marco Polo. Viola: My House in Umbria. Laurenti: Rome. Rocchetti: Caesar.

Absolute Strangers
CBS Sunday 9-11 p.m., April 14, 1991

N: Directing, Miniseries or Special (Gilbert Cates)

When his pregnant wife lapsed into a coma, Marty Klein (Henry Winkler) learned that the best hope for her recovery would be an abortion. Eventually he and his family and friends agreed to the procedure, but pro-life groups protested in favor of the fetus, which led to a courtroom battle under Judge Ray (Patty Duke), who ruled in favor of Klein over the “absolute strangers” opposing his decision. Even if you are pro-choice, you will note the imperfections of this TV-movie that make it less than satisfying, such as Winkler and Duke being not quite on the mark for their characters. Though he lost this Emmy, Cates won an Emmy the same night for producing the 63rd Academy Awards (see next entry).

Cates: Academy Awards, Consenting Adult, Do You Know the Muffin Man?

The Academy Awards

A. 53rd Academy Awards

ABC Monday 10 p.m.-Conclusion, March 31, 1981

W: Art Direction, Variety or Music Program (Roy Christopher)

N: Directing, Variety, Music or Comedy Program (Martin Pasetta)

B. 54th Academy Awards

ABC Monday 9 p.m.-Conclusion , March 29, 1982

C. 55th Academy Awards

The film industry’s official highest honor has been taking multiple Emmy nominations for some three decades, often in the face of complaints that every presentation is boring and tacky.

Aghayan: Alice Through the Looking Glass, Carol Channing Pearl Bailey Broadway, Wonderful World of Burlesque. Mackie: Alice Through the Looking Glass, Ann-Margret: Hollywood Movie Girls, Blue Suede Shoes - Ballet Rocks, Carol & Company, Carol Burnett Show, Carol Burnett Show: A Reunion, Cher, Cher and Other Fantasies, Cher at the Mirage, Cher Live in Concert from Las Vegas, Cher the Farewell Tour, Evening with Diana Ross, Fresno, Gypsy, Julie & Carol: Together Again, Mama’s Family, Men Movies & Carol, Mrs. Santa Claus, Mitzi: Roarin’ in the 20s, Mitzi Zings into Spring, Neil Diamond … Hello Again, Once Upon a Mattress, Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, Wonderful World of Burlesque. Kanter: All in the Family, George Gobel Show, Julia.

Academy of Country Music Awards
NBC Monday 9-11 p.m., April 14, 1986

N: Lighting Direction, Electronic, Miniseries or Special (Ted Polmanski, Olin Younger)

Nashville honors its recognized musical format in this yearly celebration, not to be confused with those from the Association of Country Entertainers, which was created as a xenophobic protest to the CMAs awarding Australian Olivia Newton-John the female vocalist winner in 1974. Mac Davis, Reba McEntire and John Schneider co-hosted this 21st annual edition of the awards. Polmanski competed with himself and lost in the same category this year with another nomination for Nell Carter: Never Too Young to Dream.

Polmanski: Married … With Children, Nell Carter: Never Too Young to Dream. Younger: American Music Awards, Arista Records’ 25th Anniversary Celebration, Body and Soul, Liberty Weekend, Muppets Tonight, Three Tenors in Concert 1994, Three Tenors in Paris 1998.

According to Jim
ABC Tuesdays 9-9:30 p.m.*, Oct. 3, 2001-

N: Cinematography, Multi-Camera System (George Mooradian), 2006, 2007

Stocky Jim (Jim Belushi) had to cope with his beautiful wife Cheryl (Courtney Thorne-Smith), their three kids, his sister-in-law and her goofy husband, and just about every other tired sitcom stock character you have ever witnessed in a family comedy. This was ABC’s longest-running sitcom in the first decade of the 21st century, and it is a suitable testament to the utterly unremarkable crud the network offered in the genre in the period. Its nominations came late into its run and occurred for no apparent reason, making it just as puzzling as to why ABC keeping According to Jim on despite mostly mediocre ratings. 

Acts of Love - And Other Comedies
ABC Friday 9-10 p.m., March 16, 1973

W: Writing, Comedy, Variety or Music Special (Renee Taylor, Joseph Bologna), 1973

A series of humorous playlets starring Marlo Thomas, Acts of Love - and Other Comedies not only showed her acting range better than That Girl but also included one of the most eclectic casts ever for a show, among them Art Garfunkel, Gene Wilder, and co-writer Bologna. Taylor and Bologna, who were married in real life, were mild surprise winners over Fred Ebb in Singer Presents Liza with a “Z” and Lily Tomlin et al. in The Lily Tomlin Show.

Taylor and Bologna: Paradise.

Adam
NBC Monday 9-11 p.m., Oct. 10, 1983

N: Drama (Joan Barnett, Alan Landsburg, EP; Linda Otto, P); Actor, Limited Series or Special (Daniel J. Travanti); Actress, Limited Series or Special (JoBeth Williams); Writing, Limited Series or Special (Allan Leicht)

Upon discovering that their son Adam had been abducted and later murdered, John Walsh (Travanti) and his wife Reve (Williams) put aside their grief to lobby Congress successfully to pass the Missing Children’s Bill to assist others in locating kids who have disappeared. This gripping TV-movie was based on a true story, and the publicity and praise surrounding it led John Walsh to later become host of the long-running Fox crime series America’s Most Wanted while continuing to fight strongly for the rights of children and against criminals who exploit them. Producer Linda Otto later received Emmy nominations for two informational specials, Destined to Live (as director) in 1989 and Living Dolls: The Making of a Child Beauty Queen (as producer) in 2001.

Landsburg: Bill, Fear on Trial, Hallmark Hall of Fame. Travanti: Hill Street Blues. Williams: Baby M, Frasier. Leicht: Kate and Allie.

Adam-12
NBC Wednesdays 8-8:30 p.m.*, Sept. 21, 1968-Aug. 26, 1975

N: Music Composition (Frank Comstock, “Elegy for a Pig”), 1971

The longest-running series produced by Jack Webb outside of Dragnet, Adam-12 took Martin Milner out of the convertible he drove on Route 66 and into a squad car as Officer Pete Malloy, who patrolled the streets of Los Angeles with younger Officer Jim Reed (Kent McCord) in a vehicle with the code of - you guessed it - “Adam-12.” Nothing special here, but the various investigations done in each show - some comic, others serious - mimicked well what an officer on the beat typically faced and moved swiftly, and that was enough to make it a top 15 hit from 1970-73, including a #8 peak in 1970-71. It may be hard to swallow, but nominee Comstock previously provided music for a series as unlike Adam-12 as any, the cartoon The Bullwinkle Show.

The Adams Chronicles
PBS Tuesdays 9-10 p.m., Jan. 20, 1976-April 13, 1976

W: Actress, Single Performance, Drama or Comedy Series (Kathryn Walker), 1976; Writing, Drama (Sherman Yellen), 1976; Technical Direction and Electronic Camerawork (Leonard Chumbley, Walter Edel, John Feher, Steve Zink), 1976; Videotape Editing (Girish Bhargava, Manford Schorn), 1976

N: Limited Series (Jac Venza, EP; Virginia Kassel, series P; Paul Bogart, Fred Coe, Robert Costello, James Cellan Jones, P), 1976, 1977; Actor, Limited Series (George Grizzard), 1976; Actress, Single Performance, Drama or Comedy Series (Pamela Payton-Wright), 1976; Directing (Coe), 1977; Writing (Tad Mosel), 1977 and (Roger O. Hirson), 1977; Costume Design (Alvin Colt), 1976, 1977; Art Direction or Scenic Design (Ed Wittstein), 1976, 1977; Lighting Direction (William Knight, Dick Weiss), 1976, 1977 and (Knight, George Riesenberger), 1977; Graphic Design and Title (Bhargava, Bill Mandel), 1976; Tape Sound Mixing (Emil Neroda), 1977

The Adams Chronicles aired through two years of eligibility for Emmy nominations, which is why it received so many nominations (including a few repeats) despite its short run. A biographical drama about America’s second president John Adams (Grizzard, in a full-bloode and engaging lead role), it delineated the challenges and frustrations he encountered in his personal life in fine fashion, although I would have preferred some tighter direction and editing in parts. Walker movingly portrayed his loving wife Abigail, while Payton-Wright was Louisa Catherina, his daughter-in-law through future president John Quincy Adams (William Daniels). With four Emmy wins out of 20 nominations, this miniseries showed that American public television could put out a miniseries on par quality-wise with the British if they set their mind to it. In one of those Emmy yin-and-yang events, Bhargava lost in one category but won in another during the 1976 ceremony. Also of note is that nominee Hirson previously competed unsuccessfully twice for a Tony for writing the books for Walking Happy (1967) and Pippin (1973), as did nominee Mosel for writing the drama All The Way Home in 1961.

Yellen: An Early Frost. Feher: Carnegie Hall: Live at 100, Great Performances, Live from the Metropolitan Opera, Live from Lincoln Center, Paul Simon’s Concert in the Park. Zink: Sesame Street. Bhargava: Great Performances, The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson. Venza: Brideshead Revisited, Broadway: The American Musical, Great Performances, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Bogart: All in the Family, Broadway Bound, CBS Playhouse, The Defenders, Get Smart!, The Golden Girls, The Heidi Chronicles, Look Homeward Angel, Mark Twain Tonight, Nutcracker: Money, Madness & Murder. Coe: CBS Playhouse, The Miracle Worker, Producers’ Showcase. Costello: Another World, Ryan’s Hope. Jones: Great Performances. Grizzard: The Oldest Living Graduate. Colt: Happy 100th Birthday Hollywood, NBC 60th Anniversary Celebration. Wittstein: Sarah Plain and Tall. Knight: A Christmas Carol at Ford’s Theater, F.D.R. the Last Year, Great Performances. Weiss: A Christmas Carol at Ford’s Theater. Riesenberger: A Bayou Legend, The Best of Families, Rocky Mountain Holiday with John Denver and the Muppets, A Salute to American Imagination, Sesame Street, The Unbroken Circle: A Tribute to Mother Maybelle Carter, Working, You Can’t Take It With You.

Addie and the King of Hearts
CBS Sunday 8-9 p.m., Jan. 25, 1976

W: Graphic Design and Title (Norman Sunshine)

The fourth and final special on the Mills family that began in 1972 with The House Without a Christmas Tree found Addie Mills (Lisa Lucas) flustered that her widowed father James (Jason Robards) was in love with Irene Davis (Diane Ladd), a woman who left her nonplussed. A sturdy drama that nonetheless came off as somewhat less affecting than previous efforts, because it was not attached to a sentimental holiday (it came after 1973’s The Thanksgiving Treasure and 1975’s The Easter Promise), and Lucas now obviously was a growing teenager rather than an innocent child as in the past. Winner Norman Sunshine left TV in the 1980s to concentrate on “serious” painting, and many of his works are on display at several art galleries across America.

The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
ABC Fridays 8-8:30 p.m.*, Oct. 3, 1952-Sept. 3, 1966

N: Situation Comedy, 1952; Supporting Actor, Series (Don DeFore), 1954; Art Direction, Filmed Show (Frank Durlauf), 1954

Ozzie Nelson, his wife Harriet and their sons David and Ricky (”America’s favorite family,” according to the show’s 1960s credits), played themselves in this long-running sitcom, a holdover from radio when it started in 1944. On TV, Ricky started as an irrepressible wiseacre before he became a rock musician (as he did in real life), called himself “Rick” and followed his older brother in getting married. As for the rest of the family, they interacted with goofy pals such as Thorny Thornberry (Don DeFore) and the boys’ chubby college chum Wally (Skip Young) in mildly amusing situations, with Ozzie and Harriet occasionally performing the way they did as part of the 1940s big band era. A tolerable sitcom overall, although the writers really stretched credibility in the last few years in finding reasons for the adult David and Rick to visit their parents. The series had its highest ratings in the 1963-64 season, ironically when Rick’s singing career went into a decline. It ended two years later when ABC slated it opposite Flipper on NBC and The Jackie Gleason Show on CBS. (Coincidentally, DeFore lost his Emmy nomination to Art Carney for The Jackie Gleason Show.) For some reason, the series’ production facilities received its own Emmy nomination for technical achievement in 1954.

The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin
ABC Fridays 7:30-8 p.m., Oct. 15, 1954-Aug. 28, 1959

N: Sound Editing (Stanley Callahan), 1954

Rusty (Lee Aaker), an orphan from an Indian raid on a wagon train, joined the raid’s other survivor, his German Shepherd Rin Tin Tin, to hook up with the 101st Cavalry at Fort Apache, Arizona, led by Lt. Ripley “Rip” Masters (James Brown). He, along with chunky Sgt. Biff O’Hara (Joe Sawyer) and Cpl. Boone (Rand Brooks), took a shine to Rusty and “Rinty” to the point where they let the duo help fight people who attacked the fort and/or Mesa Grande, a town near it. A typical 1950s western slanted for kids, which meant stereotyped Injuns, simplistic plots and little character development, all of which have dated it, although Aaker was a charming tyke with a nice rapport with the title pooch. A 1976 effort to show reruns in syndication with new introductions by Brown flopped, but a pathetic update called Rin Tin Tin K-9 Cop ran on what was called the Family Channel from 1988-93 (Rin Tin Tin previously appeared in movies in the 1920s and radio in the 1930s). The show’s sole Emmy nomination lost to Dragnet.

The Adventures of Robin Hood
CBS Mondays 7:30-8 p.m., Sept. 26, 1955-Sept. 22, 1958

N: Art Direction, Film Series (Peter Proud), 1955

Robin Hood (Richard Greene) helped the poor and worked to reinstall King Richard the Lion Heart as head of England while living in Sherwood Forest with his Merry Men, including Friar Tuck (Alexander Gauge) and Little John (Archie Duncan 1955 and 1956-58, Rufus Cruikshank 1955-56). Aiding them against evil Prince John (Donald Pleasance) and his crony the Sheriff of Nottingham (Alan Wheatley) were Maid Marian Fitzwater (Bernadette O’Farrell 1955-57, Patricia Driscoll 1957-58) and Sir Richard of the Lea (Ian Hunter). This sturdy adaptation of the classic tale owes a debt to the 1938 movie favorite starring Errol Flynn - compare Edwin Astley’s music to Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s Oscar-winning score, for example. But if you must imitate, why not emulate the best? A hit at #20 its first two seasons, this is the highest-rated series import ever on American TV and led to two short-lived British transplants in 1956, The Buccaneers on CBS and The Adventures of Sir Lancelot on NBC. Proud was a deserving nominee for fairly lavish (for the time) period sets at Nettlefold Studios in Walton-on-Thames, England, but he was not the first foreign-born Emmy nominee - 1951 Best Actress nominee Maria Riva (born to Marlene Dietrich in Germany) holds that honor.

The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok - See Wild Bill Hickok

After Jimmy
CBS Tuesday 9-11 p.m., Sept. 24, 1996

N: Music Composition, Series or Special (Patrick Williams)

Maggie Stapp (Meredith Baxter) and her husband Ward (Bruce Davison) coped to move on with their lives following the suicide of their teenage son Jimmy (Peter Facinelli). Surviving did this sort of story earlier and, according to most reviewers, better. It did provide Williams with his 20th Emmy nomination, with several more to come.

Williams: Blind Spot, Buffalo Girls, Columbo, The Corpse Had a Familiar Face, Danielle Steel’s Jewels, Days and Nights of Molly Dodd, FM, Geronimo, Hallmark Hall of Fame, Kingfish, Lou Grant, Mr. Smith, The Princess and the Cabbie, Seduced, Streets of San Francisco, We Were the Mulvaneys, Yesterday’s Children.

Afterburn
HBO Saturday 8-9:30 p.m., May 30, 1992

N: Lead Actress, Miniseries or Special (Laura Dern); Cinematography, Miniseries or Special (Isidore Mankofsky); Editing, Miniseries or Special, Single Camera (Jerrold L. Ludwig)

Janet Harduvel (Dern) sued plane manufacturer General Dynamics when her husband Ted (Vincent Spano), an Air Force captain, crashed into the ground to his death in one of the company’s faulty F-16 planes. If you wonder whether she will win, you obviously have not watched too many “women’s movies” in your life. Based on a true story, this gave Dern the first of three Emmy nominations with no wins - in fact, this nomination came a year before her mother, Diane Ladd, earned her first Emmy nomination, for Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. (Her father, actor Bruce Dern, has yet to score an Emmy nomination.)

Dern: Ellen, Fallen Angels. Mankofsky: Love Lies & Murder, Polly. Ludwig: The Attic: Hiding of Anne Frank, Dash & Lilly, An Early Frost, Kenny Rogers as the Gambler, Rich Man Poor Man Book II, A Streetcar Named Desire, Who Will Love My Children?

AfterM*A*S*H
CBS Monday 9-9:30 p.m.*, Sept. 23, 1983-Dec. 18, 1984

N: Directing, Comedy (Larry Gelbart), 1984

Col. Sherman Potter (Harry Morgan), Cpl. Max Klinger (Jamie Farr) and Fr. Francis Mulcahy (William Christopher) returned to the United States following the end of the Korean War the previous season on M*A*S*H and found themselves reunited working at a V.A. hospital in River Bend, Missouri. Oh, what a forced, unfunny coincidence. From Pete & Gladys in 1960 to Joey in 2004, most efforts to continue a successful property by spinning off characters after it ended have been abject failures, and this one was too despite initial big ratings due to audience curiosity. An influx of new characters at the start of the second season - always a bad sign - did not stem the tide and led to its midseason cancellation. Gelbart’s nomination had to have been due to voters’ affection for him and/or the dearth of quality sitcoms airing in the 1983-84 season, as there was little to celebrate here, especially compared to M*A*S*H.

Gelbart: And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself, Barbarians at the Gate, Barbra Streisand and Other Musical Instruments, Caesar’s Hour, The Danny Kaye Show, M*A*S*H, Sid Caesar’s Chevy Show, Weapons of Mass Distraction

Aftershock: Earthquake in New York
CBS Sunday and Tuesday 9-11 p.m., Nov. 14 and 16, 1999

N: Special Visual Effects, Miniseries, Movie or Special (Tim Storvick, Lee Wilson, Lisa K. Sepp, James G. Hebb, Stephen Pepper, Michael Joyce)

Tom Skerritt, Sharon Lawrence and Charles S. Dutton were the main players reacting to tremors as they shook up Manhattan and neighboring boroughs. What was just cheesy escapism in 1999 is more unsettling to watch today with memories of the 9/11 attacks on the city. Still, if you want to see a fairly decent depiction of, say, the Statue of Liberty crumbling to rubble, this is your ticket. This was based on a novel by Chuck Scarborough, longtime news anchor of NBC’s New York City station - apparently few held it against him writing about a disaster befalling his market.

Wilson: Earthsea, 10.5. Sepp: Earthsea, 10.5. Hebb: Stargate SG-1. Pepper: Kingdom Hospital, Max Q. Joyce: 10.5