Rich Man, Poor Man (miniseries)
Rich Man, Poor Man is a 1976 American television miniseries based on the 1969 novel of the same name by Irwin Shaw that aired on ABC in one or two-hour episodes mostly on Monday nights over seven weeks, beginning February 1. It was produced by Universal Television and was the second time programming of this nature had been attempted. The first TV miniseries, QB VII, had aired — also on ABC — in 1974. These projects proved to be a critical and ratings success and were the forerunner for similar projects based on literary works, such as Roots and Shōgun. The miniseries stars Peter Strauss, Nick Nolte and Susan Blakely.
| Rich Man, Poor Man | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Drama |
| Written by | Dean Riesner |
| Directed by | David Greene Boris Sagal |
| Starring | Peter Strauss Nick Nolte Susan Blakely Ed Asner Dorothy McGuire Robert Reed |
| Theme music composer | Alex North |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 12 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Harve Bennett |
| Producers | Jon Epstein Frank Price |
| Editors | Richard Bracken Douglas Stewart |
| Production companies | Harve Bennett Productions Universal Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | ABC |
| Original release | February 1 – March 15, 1976 |
| Related | |
| Rich Man, Poor Man Book II | |
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 nights at 9:00pm from May to June 1977.[1]
Overview
Based on the best-selling 1969 novel by Irwin Shaw, it spanned the period from 1945 through the late 1960s and followed the divergent career courses of the impoverished German American Jordache brothers. Rudy (Peter Strauss) was the titular rich man, a well-educated and very ambitious entrepreneur who triumphed over his background and constructed a corporate and political empire. Poor man Tom (Nick Nolte) 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.
Later, another important character appears, the dangerous and eccentric Falconetti, lifelong nemesis of the Jordache Brothers, who is intent on killing them.
While the first series spans a twenty-year period between 1945 and 1965, the second series begins in 1968. The series became a huge success in the countries that aired it.
Primary cast
- Peter Strauss as Rudy Jordache
- Nick Nolte as Tom Jordache
- Susan Blakely as Julie Prescott
- William Smith as Anthony Falconetti
- Ed Asner as Axel Jordache
- Dorothy McGuire as Mary Jordache
- Robert Reed as Teddy Boylan
- Gloria Grahame as Sue Prescott
- Kim Darby as Virginia Calderwood
- Bill Bixby as Willie Abbott
- Fionnula Flanagan as Clothilde
- Tim McIntire as Brad Knight
- Ray Milland as Duncan Calderwood
- Lawrence Pressman as Bill Denton
- Talia Shire as Teresa Santoro
- Craig Stevens as Asher Berg
- Norman Fell as Smitty
- Lynda Day George as Linda Quayles
- George Maharis as Joey Quayles
- Murray Hamilton as Sid Gossett
- Van Johnson as Marsh Goodwin
- Dorothy Malone as Irene Goodwin
- Andrew Duggan as Col. Deiner
- Herbert Jefferson Jr. as Roy Dwyer
- Kay Lenz as Kate Jordache
- Josette Banzet as Miss Lenaut
- Dick Butkus as Al Fanducci
- Dick Sargent as Eddie Heath
- Dennis Dugan as Claude Tinker
- Harvey Jason as Pinky
- Julius Harris as Augie
- Antony Carbone as Lou Martin
Episode list
| Nº | Title | Directed by | Teleplay by | Runtime | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Part I: Chapters 1 and 2" | David Greene | Dean Riesner | 96 min. | February 1, 1976 |
| 2 | "Part II: Chapters 3 and 4" | David Greene | Dean Riesner | 95 min. | February 2, 1976 |
| 3 | "Part III: Chapter 5" | Boris Sagal | Dean Riesner | 48 min. | February 9, 1976 |
| 4 | "Part IV: Chapter 6" | Boris Sagal | Dean Riesner | 48 min. | February 16, 1976 |
| 5 | "Part V: Chapter 7" | Boris Sagal | Dean Riesner | 48 min. | February 23, 1976 |
| 6 | "Part VI: Chapter 8" | Boris Sagal | Dean Riesner | 48 min. | March 1, 1976 |
| 7 | "Part VII: Chapter 9" | David Greene | Dean Riesner | 48 min. | March 8, 1976 |
| 8 | "Part VII: Chapter 10" | David Greene | Dean Riesner | 48 min. | March 8, 1976 |
| 9 | "Part VIII: Chapters 11 and 12" | David Greene | Dean Riesner | 98 min. | March 15, 1976 |
Production notes
Dean Riesner wrote all twelve episodes, and direction was shared by David Greene and Boris Sagal. The musical score was composed by Alex North.
Awards and nominations
Home media
A&E Home Video released an edited version of Rich Man, Poor Man: The Complete Collection on Region 1 DVD in the United States on September 28, 2010.
References
- Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (2007-10-17). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present (9 ed.). Ballantine Books. p. 1152. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4.
- "Rich Man, Poor Man – Golden Globes". HFPA. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
- "1976 Grammy Award Winners". Grammy.com. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
- "Television Hall of Fame: Productions". Online Film & Television Association. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
- "Rich Man, Poor Man". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
- Tim Brooks; Earle Marsh (1988). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. New York City: Ballantine Books. p. 662. ISBN 0-345-35610-1.
External links
