I'll Fly Away (TV series)
Encyclopedia
I'll Fly Away is a television series set during the late 1950s and early 1960s, in an unspecified Southern
U.S. state. It aired on NBC
from 1991 to 1993 and starred Regina Taylor
as Lilly Harper, a black housekeeper
for district attorney
Forrest Bedford (Sam Waterston
) and his family. As the show progressed, Lilly became increasingly involved in the Civil Rights Movement
, with events eventually drawing in Forrest as well.
I'll Fly Away won two 1992 Emmy Award
s (Eric Laneuville
for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Directing in a Drama Series for the episode All God's Children, and for series creators Joshua Brand
and John Falsey
for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing in a Miniseries
or a Special
), and 23 nominations in total. It won three Humanitas Prize
s, two Golden Globe Award
s, two NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Drama Series
, and a Peabody Award
. However, the series was never a ratings blockbuster, and it was canceled by NBC in 1993, despite widespread protests by critics and viewer organizations.
After the program's cancellation, a two hour movie, I'll Fly Away: Then and Now, was produced, in order to resolve dangling storylines from Season 2, and provide the series with a true finale. The movie aired on October 11, 1993 on PBS
. Its major storyline closely paralleled the true story of the 1955 murder of Emmett Till
in Money
, Mississippi
. Thereafter, PBS began airing repeats of the original episodes, ceasing after one complete showing of the entire series.
The series takes its name from a Christian hymn written in 1929 by Albert E. Brumley
.
In 1999 TV Guide
ranked Lilly Harper number 15 on its list of 50 Greatest TV Characters of All Time.
The exact state in which Bryland is located remains unspecified throughout the series. However, at various points the following Southern states were referred to in such a manner as to eliminate them from possibly being the setting: Alabama
, Arkansas
, Florida
, Maryland
, Mississippi
, North Carolina
, Tennessee
, Texas
, Virginia
, and the District of Columbia
. Additionally, references to "counties" within the state eliminates Louisiana
, where counties are called "parishes".
In "Freedom Bus" (Season 2, Episode 6), Forrest Bedford is referred to as a new U.S. Attorney
"in the Fifth District," presumably a reference to the Fifth Judicial Circuit
of the federal court system
. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the Fifth Circuit included Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, and Georgia
(along with the Panama Canal Zone
). Since the first five states can each be eliminated based upon statements made by characters throughout the series, the most likely setting for the series is Georgia.
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
U.S. state. It aired on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
from 1991 to 1993 and starred Regina Taylor
Regina Taylor
Regina Taylor is an American actress and playwright. She has won several awards throughout her career, including a Golden Globe Award and NAACP Image Award.-Biography:...
as Lilly Harper, a black housekeeper
Housekeeper (servant)
A housekeeper is an individual responsible for the cleaning and maintenance of the interior of a residence, including direction of subordinate maids...
for district attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
Forrest Bedford (Sam Waterston
Sam Waterston
Samuel Atkinson "Sam" Waterston is an American actor and occasional producer and director. Among other roles, he is noted for his Academy Award-nominated portrayal of Sydney Schanberg in 1984's The Killing Fields, and his Golden Globe- and Screen Actors Guild Award-winning portrayal of Jack McCoy...
) and his family. As the show progressed, Lilly became increasingly involved in the Civil Rights Movement
Civil rights movement
The civil rights movement was a worldwide political movement for equality before the law occurring between approximately 1950 and 1980. In many situations it took the form of campaigns of civil resistance aimed at achieving change by nonviolent forms of resistance. In some situations it was...
, with events eventually drawing in Forrest as well.
I'll Fly Away won two 1992 Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
s (Eric Laneuville
Eric Laneuville
Eric Gerard Laneuville is an American television director, actor and martial artist. His first prominent acting roles were in the science-fiction film The Omega Man with Charlton Heston and the ABC television series Room 222 . His role as Luther Hawkins in the television series St...
for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Directing in a Drama Series for the episode All God's Children, and for series creators Joshua Brand
Joshua Brand
Joshua Brand is an American television writer, director, and producer who created St. Elsewhere, I'll Fly Away and Northern Exposure with his writing-and-producing partner John Falsey....
and John Falsey
John Falsey
John Henry Falsey, Jr. is an American television writer and producer.Falsey was born in New Haven, Connecticut, the son of Patricia Helene and John Henry Falsey...
for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing in a Miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
or a Special
Television special
A television special is a television program which interrupts or temporarily replaces programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. Sometimes, however, the term is given to a telecast of a theatrical film, such as The Wizard of Oz or The Ten Commandments, which is not part of a regular...
), and 23 nominations in total. It won three Humanitas Prize
Humanitas Prize
The Humanitas Prize is an award for film and television writing intended to promote human dignity, meaning, and freedom. It began in 1974 with Father Ellwood "Bud" Kieser — also the founder of Paulist Productions — but is generally not seen as specifically directed toward religious...
s, two Golden Globe Award
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
s, two NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Drama Series
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Drama Series
The NAACP Image Award winners for Outstanding Drama Series:-Facts & Stats:...
, and a Peabody Award
Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards recognize distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals. In 1939, the National Association of Broadcasters formed a committee to recognize outstanding achievement in radio broadcasting...
. However, the series was never a ratings blockbuster, and it was canceled by NBC in 1993, despite widespread protests by critics and viewer organizations.
After the program's cancellation, a two hour movie, I'll Fly Away: Then and Now, was produced, in order to resolve dangling storylines from Season 2, and provide the series with a true finale. The movie aired on October 11, 1993 on PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
. Its major storyline closely paralleled the true story of the 1955 murder of Emmett Till
Emmett Till
Emmett Louis "Bobo" Till was an African-American boy who was murdered in Mississippi at the age of 14 after reportedly flirting with a white woman. Till was from Chicago, Illinois visiting his relatives in the Mississippi Delta region when he spoke to 21-year-old Carolyn Bryant, the married...
in Money
Money, Mississippi
Money is an unincorporated Mississippi Delta community in Leflore County, Mississippi, United States, near Greenwood. It has a population of less than 100, down from 400 circa 1950 when a cotton mill operated in the community. It is on a railroad line and lies on the Tallahatchie River...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
. Thereafter, PBS began airing repeats of the original episodes, ceasing after one complete showing of the entire series.
The series takes its name from a Christian hymn written in 1929 by Albert E. Brumley
Albert E. Brumley
Albert Edward Brumley was a shape note gospel music composer and publisher.Brumley was born near Spiro, Oklahoma on October 29, 1905. Pre-Dustbowl Oklahoma was primarily made up of sparse agricultural communities; Brumley's family was no different. He spent much of his early life chopping and...
.
In 1999 TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
ranked Lilly Harper number 15 on its list of 50 Greatest TV Characters of All Time.
Regular cast
- Sam WaterstonSam WaterstonSamuel Atkinson "Sam" Waterston is an American actor and occasional producer and director. Among other roles, he is noted for his Academy Award-nominated portrayal of Sydney Schanberg in 1984's The Killing Fields, and his Golden Globe- and Screen Actors Guild Award-winning portrayal of Jack McCoy...
: Forrest Bedford - Regina TaylorRegina TaylorRegina Taylor is an American actress and playwright. She has won several awards throughout her career, including a Golden Globe Award and NAACP Image Award.-Biography:...
: Lilly Harper - Jeremy LondonJeremy LondonJeremy Michael London is an American actor. He is best known for his regular roles on Party of Five, 7th Heaven, and I'll Fly Away, as well as a notable supporting role in the Civil War epic Gods and Generals....
: Nathaniel "Nathan" Bedford (except I'll Fly Away: Then and Now) - Ashlee Levitch: Francie Bedford
- John Aaron Bennett: John Morgan Bedford
- Kathryn HarroldKathryn Harrold-Background:Harrold was born in Tazewell, Virginia. She attended Mills College in Oakland, California, majoring in Drama.-Television:She has appeared in a number of TV series, including The Rockford Files, MacGruder and Loud, The Bronx Zoo, I'll Fly Away, The Larry Sanders Show, and Mister...
: Christina LeKatzis (except I'll Fly Away: Then and Now) - Peter Simmons: Paul Slocum (recurring in Season 1, principal cast thereafter)
- Jason LondonJason LondonJason Paul London is an American actor, best known for his role as Randall "Pink" Floyd in director Richard Linklater's film Dazed and Confused.-Personal life:...
: Nathaniel "Nathan" Bedford (I'll Fly Away: Then and Now only)
Recurring cast
- Rae'ven KellyRae'Ven L KellyRae'Ven Larrymore Kelly is an American film and television actress. Among her awards are both a 1993 and 1994 win of a Young Artist Award for the television series I'll Fly Away, and 2 wins in 1995 for her role in Sweet Justice and Lily in Winter.-Early life and career:Graduated Valedictorian from...
: Adlaine Harper - Bill CobbsBill CobbsWilbert "Bill" Cobbs is an American film and television actor. He has starred in over 120 television programs and movies.-Life and career:...
: Lewis Coleman - Brad SullivanBrad SullivanBrad Sullivan was an American actor known for character roles in television and on film and stage.-Early life and career:...
: Coach Zollicofer Weed - Mary AliceMary AliceMary Alice is an American actress.Alice was born Mary Alice Smith in Indianola, Mississippi, the daughter of Ozelar and Sam Smith. In 1987 she received a Tony for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her work in Fences...
: Marguerite Peck - Wayne BradyWayne BradyWayne Alphonso Brady is an actor, singer, comedian and television personality, known for his work as a regular on the American version of the improvisational comedy television series Whose Line Is It Anyway?, and as the host of the daytime talk show The Wayne Brady Show...
: Damon Rollins - Roger Aaron BrownRoger Aaron BrownRoger Aaron Brown is an American character actor known for his role as Deputy Chief Joe Noland on the hit CBS drama television series The District from 2000 to 2004, and for his minor role in the 1988 science fiction film Alien Nation as Det. Bill "Tug" Tuggle, the partner and friend of Matthew...
: Reverend Henry - Cara BuonoCara BuonoCara Buono is an American actress, screenwriter and director, probably best known for her role as Dr. Faye Miller in the fourth season of the AMC drama series Mad Men.-Early life:...
: Diane Lowe - Vondie Curtis-HallVondie Curtis-HallVondie Curtis-Hall is an American actor and film director.As an actor, he is best known for his role as Dr. Dennis Hancock on the CBS medical drama Chicago Hope created by David E. Kelley.-Early life:...
: Joe Clay and Howard Yearwood - Michael DolanMichael DolanMichael Dolan, born June 21, 1965, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA, is an American theatre and film actor, director and educator.-Acting career:...
: Francis Vawter - Ed Grady: Judge Lake Stevens
- Dorian HarewoodDorian HarewoodW. Dorian Harewood is an American actor. He first garnered attention for his portrayal of Simon Haley in the ABC miniseries Roots: The Next Generations.-Career:...
: Clarence "Cool Papa" Charleston - Deborah Hedwall: Gwen Bedford
- Tommy HollisTommy HollisTommy Hollis was an American actor. A native of Jacksonville, Texas, he starred as Earl Little in the Spike Lee-directed movie Malcolm X . He died in New York City of a heart attack.-External links:...
: Oscar Wilson - Rebecca Koon: Eileen Slocum
- Elizabeth OmilamiElizabeth OmilamiElisabeth Williams-Omilami is an African-American human rights activist and an actress, a writer and a Pastor while being the voice of the less fortunate at Hosea Feed the Hungry.-Life and career:...
: Joelyn - Scott PaulinScott PaulinScott Paulin is an American actor and television director.-Career:His work includes appearances in well-known television series like House M.D., ER, Cold Case, 24 and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation...
: Tucker Anderson - Harold Perrineau, Jr.: Robert Evans
- Amy RyanAmy RyanAmy Ryan is an American actress. She has been nominated for an Academy Award and Golden Globe for her performance in Gone Baby Gone and is also known for her roles in the HBO series The Wire, playing Port Authority Officer Beadie Russell; In Treatment, playing psychiatrist Adele Brousse; and The...
: Parky Sasser - Sonny ShroyerSonny ShroyerOtis Burt "Sonny" Shroyer, Jr. is an American actor who has appeared in various television and movie roles. He is best known for his role as Deputy Sheriff Enos Strate in the television series The Dukes of Hazzard. He also starred in a spin-off called Enos based on his Dukes of Hazzard character...
: Bobby Slocum - N'Bushe WrightN'Bushe WrightN'Bushe Wright is an American film and television actress, known mainly for her part in Blade. A native of New York City, she is the daughter of jazzman Stanely Wright aka Suleiman-Marim Wright...
: Claudia Bishop
Setting
The events of the series take place in the fictional town of Bryland, located in Bryland County.The exact state in which Bryland is located remains unspecified throughout the series. However, at various points the following Southern states were referred to in such a manner as to eliminate them from possibly being the setting: Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, and the District of Columbia
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. Additionally, references to "counties" within the state eliminates Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, where counties are called "parishes".
In "Freedom Bus" (Season 2, Episode 6), Forrest Bedford is referred to as a new U.S. Attorney
United States Attorney
United States Attorneys represent the United States federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands...
"in the Fifth District," presumably a reference to the Fifth Judicial Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* Eastern District of Louisiana* Middle District of Louisiana...
of the federal court system
United States federal courts
The United States federal courts make up the judiciary branch of federal government of the United States organized under the United States Constitution and laws of the federal government.-Categories:...
. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the Fifth Circuit included Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, and Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
(along with the Panama Canal Zone
Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
). Since the first five states can each be eliminated based upon statements made by characters throughout the series, the most likely setting for the series is Georgia.
Awards
- 1992: Emmy Award – Director, Drama Series – Eric LaneuvilleEric LaneuvilleEric Gerard Laneuville is an American television director, actor and martial artist. His first prominent acting roles were in the science-fiction film The Omega Man with Charlton Heston and the ABC television series Room 222 . His role as Luther Hawkins in the television series St...
- 1992: Emmy Award – Writing, Miniseries or Special – John Falsey & Joshua Brand
- 1992: Emmy Award – Drama Series (nominated)
- 1992: Emmy Award – Made for Television Movie (nominated)
- 1992: Emmy Award – Actor, Drama Series – Sam Waterston (nominated)
- 1992: Emmy Award – Actress, Drama Series – Regina Taylor (nominated)
- 1992: Emmy Award – Supporting Actress, Drama Series – Mary AliceMary AliceMary Alice is an American actress.Alice was born Mary Alice Smith in Indianola, Mississippi, the daughter of Ozelar and Sam Smith. In 1987 she received a Tony for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her work in Fences...
(nominated)
- 1993: Emmy Award – Supporting Actress, Drama Series – Mary Alice
- 1993: Emmy Award – Drama Series (nominated)
- 1993: Emmy Award – Director, Drama Series – Eric Laneuville (nominated)
- 1993: Emmy Award – Actor, Drama Series – Sam Waterston (nominated)
- 1993: Emmy Award – Guest Actress, Drama Series – Rosanna CarterRosanna CarterRosanna Carter was an American television, stage and film actress, of Bahamian extraction, and the sister of Esther Rolle and Estelle Evans. She was born in Florida. During the Harlem Renaissance, she acted at New Lafayette Theater as one of the Lafayette Players...
(nominated)
- 1992: Golden Globe Award – TV Series, Drama (nominated)
- 1992: Golden Globe Award – Actor, TV Series, Drama – Sam Waterston (nominated)
- 1993: Golden Globe Award – Actor, TV Series, Drama – Sam Waterston
- 1993: Golden Globe Award – Actress, TV Series, Drama – Regina Taylor
- 1993: Golden Globe Award – TV Series, Drama (nominated)
- 1994: NAACP Image Award – Drama Series, Miniseries or Television Movie
- 1994: NAACP Image Award – Actor, Drama Series, Miniseries or Television Movie – Dorian HarewoodDorian HarewoodW. Dorian Harewood is an American actor. He first garnered attention for his portrayal of Simon Haley in the ABC miniseries Roots: The Next Generations.-Career:...
- 1995: NAACP Image Award – Drama Series
- 1995: NAACP Image Award – Actress, Drama Series – Regina Taylor