William Blinn Movies

Based in part on the autobiography of Gale Sayers, an Football Hall of Fame inductee and one of the finest halfbacks in the history of the game, this made-for-TV drama recounts the true story of Sayers (Mekhi Phifer) and his friendship with fellow Chicago Bears player Brian Piccolo (Sean Maher). In the mid-'60s, when Sayers joined the Bears, he was not welcomed by all members of the team, but soon developed a friendly rivalry with Piccolo, a running back who was gunning for the same place on the team as Sayers. Sensing a tension between the two men that might be used to make better players, coach George Halas (Ben Gazarra) decided to make Sayers and Piccolo roommates at training camp and on the road -- a decision that quickly became controversial, since Sayers was African-American and Piccolo was white. However, rivalry grew into respect, and when Sayers suffered a serious knee injury, Piccolo became the man who helped guide him through the difficult process of rehabilitation. Sayers not only returned to the team, he become a star player, but in time it became Sayers' turn to help Piccolo when Brian learned that a lingering illness was actually cancer. A remake of one of the most acclaimed made-for-TV movies ever (with James Caan and Billy Dee Williams as Piccolo and Sayers), Brian's Song also features Elise Neal as Linda Sayers and Janessa Crimi as Lori Piccolo, the players' wives. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

William Blinn's teleplay for The Outside Woman smacks of the most exaggerated of contrivances--but it's all based on truth. Sharon Gless, who tries really hard to look dowdy, stars as a Southern mill worker. Highly susceptible to the possibility of romance, Gless falls for the smooth line of Scott Glenn--a convict at Los Angeles state prison. Her common sense clouded by love, Gless agrees to help hijack a helicopter in order to bust Glenn and a fellow convict out of the slammer. Made for television, The Outside Woman was perhaps deliberately slated for its premiere just before Valentine's Day of 1989. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Still riding high as one of the most-watched dramatic series in off-network syndication, Fame eases into a fifth season on the air, with 25 brand new episodes. Three of the series' longtime favorites have moved on to other things. Doris (Valerie Landsburg) has graduated from New York's High School of the Performing Arts; former dance major Leroy Johnson (Gene Anthony Ray) is now a faculty member; and obstreperous vice-principal Morloch (Ken Swofford) has been transferred to another school, but not before being forced to atone for his past selfish misdeeds in the series' Yuletide episode, which--surprise, surprise--is a rehash of Dickens' "A Christmas Carol." Morloch's replacement is Principal Dyrenforth (Graham Jarvis), not nearly as anal-retentive as his predecessor but almost as clueless. Also, Loretta Chandler joins the cast as new student Dusty Tyler. Midway through the season there is another cast turnover, as drama student Holly Laird (Cynthia Gibb) leaves school to take a role in a daytime soap opera; at the same time, a round of auditions yields two more additions to the student body, Reggie Higgins (played by Carrie Hamilton, the daughter of Carol Burnett) and Kate Riley (Page Hannah), the sister of Darryl Hannah). Though Fame was pretty much grounded in reality during its first seasons on the air, the show has gotten to be mighty whimsical by this time. Case in point is the episode "His Majesty Donlon", an outrageous "Prisoner of Zenda" takeoff in which dance student Christopher (Danny Hufsey) switches places with his lookalie, Prince Freddie of Vatonia; and later, Chris overcomes "Stage Fright" with some assistance from the ghost of Elvis Presley (Robert Firth). Then there's "Holmes Sweet Holmes", in which the traditional bump on the head transforms would-be comedian Danny (Carlo Imperato) into celebrated detective Sherlock Holmes. More believable chords are struck as Danny faces the possibility of being forced to change his professional name to get an Equity card in "Leroy and the Kid"; ultra-ethical music professor Shorofsky (Albert Hague) may well have to compromise his values for the sake of his students in "Selling Out"; dance student Jesse (Jesse Borrego) is tempted to rejoin his former street gang in "Savage Streets"; and a staging of "Huckleberry Finn" causes racial friction between Danny and Leroy in "A River to Cross." A number of interesting guest stars dot the landscape of Fame's fifth season, among them stars-to-be Don Cheadle, Bebe Neuwirth, Kathleen Wilhoiteand Dermot Mulroney. Among the better-known guest performers are Russ Tamblyn, making the first of several appearances as a burned-out choreographer; veteran western actors Myron Healey and Leo Gordon, cast respectively as a faded cowboy idol and a disgruntled movie villain; and Kevin McCarthy as a quixotic substitute teacher who sends his students forth on a quest for Absolute Truth. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Far more popular in syndication than it had ever been on the NBC network, the weekly musical drama series Fame returns with a fourth season of 25 hour-long episodes. New to the student body of New York's High School of the Performing Arts this season are a young, pre-superstardom (and pre-"wardrobe malfunction"!) Janet Jackson as multitalented Cleo Hewitt; Nia Peeples as singer-dancer Nicole Chapman; and Jesse Borego as Jesse Velasquez, ex-street gang member, gifted dancer, and soon to be the protégé of senior student Leroy Johnson (Gene Anthony Ray). This season also introduces a new after-school hangout for the kids: Lou's Lanes, owned and operated by genial Lou Mackie, played by B-picture cult figure Dick Miller. In the season opener, the school's two zaniest students, aspiring playwright Doris (Valerie Landsburg) and would-be comic Danny (Carlo Imperato), begin dating. Later on, stalwart recurring player Ann Nelson is elevated to costar status in the role of ditsy school secretary Mrs. Berg. Also, officious vice principal Morloch (Ken Swofford) continues to mold the school's gifted pupils into his antiquated idea of "perfect" students, most memorably by introduced ROTC classes to the curriculum in the episode "Tomorrow's Children", inasmuch as Joan Baez is guest star on this occasion, and the musical numbers include highlights from "Hair", guess how long ROTC remains on campus! In other episodes, Anthony Newley guests as Doris' childhood idol, TV actor Trevor Kane; the teachers strut their stuff in the obligatory faculty variety show; Jesse is revealed to be an illegal alien, requiring an "instant" marriage to the pliable Doris; chubby tuba student Dwight (David Greenlee) falls hard to Holly; Danny goes the "Cyrano de Bergerac" route with Nicole on behalf of Jesse; Holly has a bout with anorexia due to problems at home; and former series regular Erica Gimpel returns to the role of Coco Hernandez--just long enough to qualify for her diploma in an episode that also features Milton Berle (NOT as one of the students!) As in seasons past, two of the Season Four episodes are comprised of footage from recent live "Kids from 'Fame'" concerts: "Heart of Rock and Roll" and "Heart of Rock and Roll". And with "School is Out", the series' only "clip show" comprise of highlights from past episodes, the fourth season of Fame comes to a close. Oh, and did we mention that the series managed to pick up yet another Emmy award, this one for Jim McElroy's videotape editing? ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Cancelled by NBC after two seasons in the spring of 1983, the musical drama series Fame was nonetheless extremely popular amongst American teenagers and with fans all over the rest of the world. Accordingly, its producers decided to keep the property alive with a third season 24 new episodes, filmed for off-network syndication. Virtually the entire cast of the NBC Fame was retained for the syndicated version, except for Lori Singer as cello student Julie Miller; it was explained that Julie had decided to leave school to get married. And while the popular Erica Gimpel was seen in the first handful of syndicated episodes as ambitious singer-dancer Coco Hernandez, she too had exited the show by the middle of its third season, her character having dropped out to pursue her professional career (oddly enough, Gimpel continues to receive billing throughout the season). Also, this is Lee Curreri's last year as Bruno Martelli. New to the cast are Cynthia Gibb as energetic drama major Holly Laird, and Billy Hufsey as cocksure dance student Christopher Donlon; also, chubby tuba player Dwight (David Greenlee), previously a recurring character, is now one of the regulars. And, since it was decided that the series needed a strong adult menace, Ken Swofford was hired to play Quentin Morloch, new vice principal at New York's High School of the Performing Arts. A self-important, anal-retentive "rules are rules" type, Morloch will spend much of his screen time cooking up methods to instill his own brand of discipline on the kids, often denying them the opportunity to show off their talents (which is rather like not allowing students in an industrial arts class to make cabinets!). Episodes like "Hail to the Chief" and "Rules" are prime examples of Morloch's blinkered approach to education; indeed, he would not come to fully understand that his students were uniquely gifted and not just a bunch of noisy kids until he was on the brink of leaving the series two years later. The first of the "syndie" episodes is the two-part "I'm Gonna Learn How to Fly", in which arrogant keyboard student Bruno faces the possibility of leaving school when his dad dies. Later episodes this season include "Consequences" wherein the students are put in charge of the school to teach them a lesson about responsibility; "Break Dance", a contemporary West Side Story in which Christopher mediates a turf battle between two street gangs; "Lisa's Song", a semi-fantasy in which Holly makes contact with the ghost of a disgruntled former student; and "Sheer Will", which finds ebullient would-be comic Danny (Carlo Imperato) coming to grips with the fact that he has been diagnosed with leukemia. Of the series' many guest stars this season, Chorus Line principal Donna McKechnie is cast as Holly's mother in "Stages", impressionist George Kirby is featured as a former nightclub headliner turned wino in "Catch a Falling Star", blind actor-composer Tom Sullivan plays a substitute teacher who falls for dance instructor Lydia (Debbie Allen) in "A Friend in Need"; Melissa Manchester shows up as a once-famous torch singer who is afraid to return to performing in "Home Again", and veteran gangster-movie heavy Lawrence Tierney shows up in "The Deal", which turns out to be nothing more nor less than an old Mickey Rooney "Let's raise money by putting on show!" musical. And as in the previous season, highlights from the real-life musical tours undertaken by the cast members are featured in a brace of special episodes: "The Kids from 'Fame' in Israel" and "'Fame' Looks at Music 83" (with Irene Cara). In addition to accumulating even more local stations and a bigger audience than it had ever enjoyed as a network series, Fame earned yet another Emmy award, this one going to film editor Howard Brock. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Though Fame declared "I'm gonna live forever" in its theme song, the NBC musical drama series barely squeaked through its first season. Fortunately, the network decided to renew the show for a second year in response to the enthusiastic support of millions of teenaged fans. The popularity of "The Kids from 'Fame' amongst their peer group was firmly established when several of the series' regulars went on a worldwide tour--especially when the episode telecast March 3, 1983, "The Kids from 'Fame' Live" (excerpted from their appearance in the UK) posted the second season's best ratings. All of the cast members from Season One are back for Season Two, with the exceptions of P.R. Paul as student Montgomery MacNeil, and Michael Thoma, who had played Mr. Crandall, beloved drama teacher at New York's High School of Performing Arts. Actor Thoma died in September of 1982, a fact reflected in the episode "A Tough Act to Follow", in which the students and faculty members must come to grips with Mr. Crandall's sudden and unexpected demise. Morgan Stevens joins the cast this season as Crandall's replacement, David Reardon. The season opens with the episode "And the Winner Is. . .", in which music student Bruno (David Curreri) is placed in the position of auditioning fellow students for one of his own plays--then gets in trouble by casting himself in the lead. In subsequent episodes, neurotic "Renaissance girl" Doris (Valerie Landsburg) finds herself falling in love with Bruno; the kids champion the cause of school secretary Mrs. Berg (Ann Nolan) when she is replaced with a computer; self-involved school diva Coco (Erica Gimpel) comes out of herself when she befriends a student with a learning disability; and dancing student Leroy (Gene Anthony Ray) is tempted to quit school to accept a professional job. And while the series manages to maintain its fairly realistic veneer, the episode "Not in Kansas Anymore", in which Doris dreams that she and her fellow students have morphed into the characters from "The Wizard of Oz" (with teachers Lydia [Debbie Allen] and Miss Sherwood [Carol Mayo Jenkins] respectively cast as the "Good" and "Bad" witches, serves as a portent for the more exaggerated Fame episodes to come. Among the guest stars showing up this year are Bruno Kirby as Doris' draft-dodging brother, Arte Johnson as a TV commercial actor whom the students accuse of squandering his talent, Jimmy Osmond as a student who (chastely!) sleeps with his tutor Julie (Lori Singer), future Cosby Show regular Malcolm-Jamal Warner as a member of an inner-city boys' choir, and Nancy Cartwright now best known as the voice of Bart Simpson, as a student from an "more academically prestigious" school who falls in love with nerdish tuba-playing scholar Dwight (David Greenlee). Although Fame collected its fifth Emmy this season (for Debbie Allen's choreography), the series was toast as far as NBC was concerned, failing to make a dent in the ratings despite the fervent following of millions of teenaged fans. However, the series was a huge hit abroad, and this more than anything else was the motivating factor for MGM to continue production on the series, not for the NBC network but for off-network syndication beginning in the fall of 1983. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Based on the best-selling book by William Stevenson, this three-part NBC miniseries begins in 1939, just before the outbreak of WWII. With his warnings of Hitler's treachery going ignored, out-of-power politician Winston Churchill (Nigel Stock) approaches patriotic Canadian industrialist Sir William Stephenson (David Niven) with an unusual request. Sir William is asked to use his own funds to secretly organize an Allied espionage network, to be set in motion the moment Hitler shows his hand. Joining in this covert operation is American president Franklin D. Roosevelt, who, risking possible impeachment, encourages Sir William to establish a training base for spies in Ontario. Other concerned parties include the courageous French expatriate Madelaine (Barbara Hershey) and Sir William's right-hand man Evan Michaelain (Michael York). Location-filmed in England, Norway, and Canada, A Man Called Intrepid was originally broadcast from May 20 to 22, 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This award-winning six-part historical epic was one of the first examples of the miniseries format and one of the highest-rated television programs in broadcasting history. Based on the best-selling novel by author Alex Haley, Roots chronicles the progress of Haley's own family across many generations, from the kidnapping of an African warrior by American slave traders to eventual post-Civil War freedom. Kunta Kinte (LeVar Burton) is a young tribesman of coastal Africa who has passed the rituals marking his transition into manhood. Searching for wood to build a drum, he is set upon by slavers who sell him in the United States after a nightmarish Atlantic crossing. Defiant, Kunta refuses to consider himself a slave, despite some sage advice from his mentor, the more mature Fiddler (Louis Gossett Jr.). As the years pass, the aging Kunta (John Amos) is hobbled for his repeated escape attempts. Realizing he'll never return to Africa, Kunta settles down, becoming husband to Bell (Madge Sinclair) and father to Kizzy (Leslie Uggams), a girl infused with her father's independent spirit. Sold and then raped by her new master, Kizzy has a son, Chicken George (Ben Vereen), a happy go lucky cockfighting expert who uses his skills to buy his freedom. George paves the way for his children, the great-grandchildren of Kunta Kinte, who finally become free in the aftermath of the Civil War. Roots (1977) was followed by a sequel miniseries, Roots: The Next Generations (1979), and a made-for-television feature, Roots: The Gift (1988), as well as another telefilm based on the family history of the Haley clan, Queen (1993). ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

One of the best known and most enthusiastically reviewed made for television films of the 1970's, this drama was based on the true story of football greats Gale Sayers and Brian Piccolo. Sayers (Billy Dee Williams) and Piccolo (James Caan) both joined the Chicago Bears the same year, and while it was obvious from the start Sayers had the talent and drive to be a great player, Piccolo seemed destined to be an also-ran on the team. However, Sayers and Piccolo struck up a friendship which brought out the best in both players, and coach George Halas (Jack Warden) chose them for a special assignment -- they became the first interracial roommates in the history of the NFL. When Sayers suffered a knee injury that threatened to end his career, Piccolo took it upon himself to help his friend through rehabilitation so he could rejoin the team. But when Piccolo began having heath problems, it was a problem too great for Sayers to handle -- his close friend had developed cancer. Adapted from Sayers' autobiography I Am Third, Brian's Song also features Chicago Bears legend Dick Butkus as himself. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Bonanza entered its seventh season, minus Pernell Roberts but still as popular as ever, with the September 12, 1965 episode "The Debt." Guest stars Tommy Sands and Brooke Bundy are cast as Wiley and Annie Kane, determined to pay off a debt incurred by their no-good father Sam (Ford Rainey), thereby restoring their family's good name. To that end, the siblings go to work for Ben Cartwright, from whom Sam Kane swindled a considerable sum before his reported demise. But when Annie finds out that Sam is still alive, she forgets all about family honor and reverts to her father's old tricks. "The Debt" was written by William Blinn. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Former child star Eddie Hodges is cast as Skeeter Dexter, who has the acute ability to communicate with animals. After releasing the furry victims of the traps set by his drunken lout of a stepfather, Skeeter is soundly beaten. Rescued from his stepdad's wrath by Hoss Cartwright, the boy is taken to the Ponderosa, where he forms a strong bond with veterinarian Dr. Woods (Karl Swenson). Jacqueline Scott and Douglas Kennedy also appear in this episode, which was written by William Blinn and Suzanne Clauser. "A Natural Wizard" originally aired on December 12, 1965. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi