"The Adams Chronicles" (1976) TV mini-series

Directors:

Paul Bogart
James Cellan Jones

Writers:

Sam Hall (written by)
Tad Mosel (writer)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

20 January 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History

Plot:

Ambitious multipart PBS production that brings to life five generations of one of America's leading political and historical families...

Plot Keywords:

John Adams | President | Thomas Jefferson | Diplomat | Railroad Tycoon

Awards:

Won 4 Primetime Emmys. Another 17 nominations

Cast

John Beal	...	Charles Francis Adams (2 episodes, 1976)
Susan Bjurman	...	Fanny Adams (2 episodes, 1976)
Peter Brandon	...	Henry Adams (2 episodes, 1976)
Nancy Coleman	...	Abigail Brooks Adams (2 episodes, 1976)
Patricia Elliott	...	Minnie Adams (2 episodes, 1976)
Nicholas Pryor	...	John Quincy Adams II (2 episodes, 1976)
Charles Siebert	...	Charles Francis Adams II (2 episodes, 1976)
Charles Tenney	...	Brooks Adams (2 episodes, 1976)

Runtime:

50 min (13 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

WNET Channel 13 New York

Trivia:

George Grizzard, who played John Adams, was in real life one year younger than William Daniels, who played John Quincy Adams from age 50 onward.

A Celebration of Genius

This Mini is by far one of the best to be produced by PBS. Its success was helped largely in part by the fact that it came out during the bicentennial year, but even had that not been the case it still would have done well. I certainly made me interested in American History, and I am sure that it probably inspired others as well.

The cast is populated by several well known Broadway and television actors (including William Daniels who does a turn this time as John Quincy rather than the role he created in "1776"), and the majority of the performances are outstanding, particularly George Grizzard, Kathryn Walker, and Pamela Payton-Wright. If you every get a chance to see this mini...DO!