Rich Man, Poor Man was the very first mini-series on American television. It was made in 1976 and aired on ABC in one-hour episodes at 10:00pm ET/PT on Monday night for twelve weeks, beginning February 1. It was produced by Universal Television and was the first time programming of this nature had been attempted. It proved to be a critical and ratings success and was the forerunner for similar projects based on literary works, such as Roots and Brideshead Revisited.
Based on the best-selling 1970 novel by Irwin Shaw, it spanned the period from 1945 through the late 1960s and followed the divergent career courses of the impoverished German immigrant Jordache brothers. Rudy was the rich man of the title, a well-educated and very ambitious entrepreneur who triumphed over his background and constructed a corporate and political empire. Poor man Tom was a rebel who eventually turned to boxing to support himself. Axel and Mary were their parents, and Julie Prescott was Rudy's lifelong sweetheart who eventually married him.
Dean Riesner wrote all twelve episodes, and direction was shared by Bill Bixby, David Greene, and Boris Sagal. The musical score was composed by Alex North, who was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special.
It spawned the sequel Rich Man, Poor Man Book II, which aired from September 1976 through March 1977. The network repeated the original series Tuesday night at 9:00pm in May and June 1977. It has been released on videotape and DVD (though not in the US as of mid-2009).
Primary cast
Peter Strauss . . . Rudy Jordache
Nick Nolte . . . Tom Jordache
Susan Blakely . . . Julie Prescott
Edward Asner . . . Axel Jordache
Dorothy McGuire . . . Mary Jordache
Robert Reed . . . Teddy Boylan
Gloria Grahame . . . Sue Prescott
Kim Darby . . . Virginia Calderwood
Bill Bixby . . . Willie Abbott
Fionnula Flanagan . . . Clothilde
Tim McIntire . . . Brad Knight
Ray Milland . . . Duncan Calderwood
Lawrence Pressman . . . Bill Denton
Talia Shire . . . Teresa Santoro
Craig Stevens . . . Asher Berg
Norman Fell . . . Smitty
Lynda Day George . . . Linda Quales
George Maharis . . . Joey Quales
Murray Hamilton . . . Sid Gossett
Van Johnson . . . Marsh Goodwin
Dorothy Malone . . . Irene Goodwin
Andrew Duggan . . . Col. Deiner
Herbert Jefferson Jnr. . . . Roy Dwyer
Kay Lenz . . . Kate
Leigh McCloskey . . . Billy Abbott
Gavan O'Herlihy . . . Phil McGee
Josette Banzet . . . Miss Lenaut
William Smith . . . Anthony Falconetti
Dick Sargent . . . Eddie Heath
Dennis Dugan . . . Claude Tinker
Michael Morgan . . . Wesley Jordache
Awards and nominations
Emmy Award wins
Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Series (Alex North)
Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series (David Greene)
Outstanding Lead Actor for a Single Appearance in a Drama or Comedy Series (Edward Asner)
Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actress in Comedy or Drama Series (Fionnula Flanagan)
Emmy Award nominations
Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction or Scenic Design - Single Episode of a Comedy, Drama or Limited Series
Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography for Entertainment Programming for a Series
Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design for a Drama or Comedy Series
Outstanding Achievement in Film Editing for Entertainment Programming for a Series (February 2 episode)
Outstanding Achievement in Film Editing for Entertainment Programming for a Series (March 5 episode)
Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Ray Milland)
Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Robert Reed)
Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Dorothy McGuire)
Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series (Boris Sagal)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series (Nick Nolte)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series (Peter Strauss)
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series (Susan Blakely)
Outstanding Limited Series
Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actor in Comedy or Drama Series (Bill Bixby)
Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actor in Comedy or Drama Series (Norman Fell)
Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actor in Comedy or Drama Series (Van Johnson)
Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actress in Comedy or Drama Series (Kim Darby)
Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actress in Comedy or Drama Series (Kay Lenz)
Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series (Dean Riesner)
Golden Globe wins
Best TV Series (Drama)
Best TV Actress, Drama (Susan Blakely)
Best Supporting Actor, Television (Edward Asner)
Best Supporting Actress, Television (Josette Banzet)
Gloden Globe nominations
Best TV Actor, Drama (Nick Nolte)
Best TV Actor, Drama (Peter Strauss)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rich_Man,_Poor_Man_(TV_miniseries)#External_links
More found at:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074048/
http://www.museum.tv/eotvsection.php?entrycode=richmanpoo
