James at 15
Encyclopedia
James at 15 is an American
drama series
that aired on NBC
in the 1977
-1978
season. The series was preceded by the 1977 made-for-TV movie
James at 15, intended as a pilot
for the series. Both were written by Dan Wakefield
, a journalist and fiction writer whose novel Going All the Way, a tale of coming of age
in the 1950s, had led to his being contacted by David Sontag of Twentieth Century Fox. David Sontag had had a lunch meeting in NY with Paul Klein, the head of programming at NBC. At lunch Klein said he needed a series for Sunday night. On the spot Sontag created the idea for a coming of age series seen through the eyes of a teenage boy including his dreams, fantasies, and hopes. Klein loved the idea and asked Sontag who would write it. Sontag (Sr, VP of Creative Affairs at Twentieth Century Fox) suggested Dan Wakefield.
James Hunter (Lance Kerwin
) was the son of a college professor (Linden Chiles) who moved his family across the country to take a teaching job, transplanting James from Oregon
to Boston, Massachusetts. James, who had Walter Mitty
-like dreams and dabbled in photography
, had a hard time fitting into his new surroundings.
Wakefield, who was born and raised in Indianapolis
but eventually moved to Boston, said he chose Boston both because he wanted to write about a city he knew well and also because he was tired of television's tendency to give programs Los Angeles
or New York
settings. To update his own memories of growing up, the writer spoke with adolescents from the Boston area.
for the week of September 5–11, 1977, with a 42% share of the viewing audience, quickly prompting NBC to approve a series. Associated Press writer Jerry Buck said of the pilot movie that it "captures the essence of growing up in America," adding, "It makes up for all the drivel we've had to put up with, such as Sons and Daughters
and Hollywood High
."
reviewer applauding the program's avoidance of stereotyping
characters: "Sly, a jiving black student ... has solidly middle-class parents deeply involved in classical music" and a lower-middle-class
classmate discovers that her father makes more money as a plumber
than James' professor father. Tom Shales
of The Washington Post
said:
Critics also approved of its handling of James' first sexual experience, with a Swedish exchange student (Kirsten Baker) in the episode which aired February 9, 1978— at which point the show assumed the name James at 16. However, head writer Wakefield quit in a dispute with NBC over the use of the euphemism responsible for 'birth control' in the episode, as well as the network's insistence that James should feel remorse over his decision. Behind the scenes, the show's original executive producers, Martin Manulis
and Joe Hardy, were replaced by Ron Rubin in December, 1977. Despite the critical acclaim, the show lasted only one season.
, cited this show as a major influence on him and named it as an inspiration for his show: "'Dawson's Creek' came out of my desire to do 'James at 15' for the '90s. It was very provocative and way ahead of its time."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
drama series
Dramatic programming
Dramatic programming in the UK, or television drama and television drama series in the US, is television program content that is scripted and fictional along the lines of √a traditional drama. This excludes, for example, sports television, television news, reality show and game shows, stand-up...
that 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...
in the 1977
1977 in television
The year 1977 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1977.For the American TV schedule, see: 1977-78 American network television schedule.-Events:...
-1978
1978 in television
The year 1978 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1978.For the American TV schedule, see: 1978-79 American network television schedule.-Events:...
season. The series was preceded by the 1977 made-for-TV movie
Television movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
James at 15, intended as a pilot
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
for the series. Both were written by Dan Wakefield
Dan Wakefield
Dan Wakefield is an American novelist, journalist and screenwriter. His best-selling novels, Going All the Way and Starting Over were made into feature films...
, a journalist and fiction writer whose novel Going All the Way, a tale of coming of age
Coming of age
Coming of age is a young person's transition from childhood to adulthood. The age at which this transition takes place varies in society, as does the nature of the transition. It can be a simple legal convention or can be part of a ritual, as practiced by many societies...
in the 1950s, had led to his being contacted by David Sontag of Twentieth Century Fox. David Sontag had had a lunch meeting in NY with Paul Klein, the head of programming at NBC. At lunch Klein said he needed a series for Sunday night. On the spot Sontag created the idea for a coming of age series seen through the eyes of a teenage boy including his dreams, fantasies, and hopes. Klein loved the idea and asked Sontag who would write it. Sontag (Sr, VP of Creative Affairs at Twentieth Century Fox) suggested Dan Wakefield.
Synopsis
ProtagonistProtagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
James Hunter (Lance Kerwin
Lance Kerwin
Lance Kerwin is an American actor, perhaps best remembered for his starring role in the TV series James at 15. Since the mid-1990s, however, Kerwin has not acted, instead focusing on his Christian religious beliefs, having become a pastor...
) was the son of a college professor (Linden Chiles) who moved his family across the country to take a teaching job, transplanting James from Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
to Boston, Massachusetts. James, who had Walter Mitty
Walter Mitty
Walter Mitty is a fictional character in James Thurber's short story "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty", first published in the New Yorker on March 18, 1939, and in book form in My World and Welcome to It in 1942...
-like dreams and dabbled in photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
, had a hard time fitting into his new surroundings.
Wakefield, who was born and raised in Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
but eventually moved to Boston, said he chose Boston both because he wanted to write about a city he knew well and also because he was tired of television's tendency to give programs Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
or New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
settings. To update his own memories of growing up, the writer spoke with adolescents from the Boston area.
Cast
- Lance KerwinLance KerwinLance Kerwin is an American actor, perhaps best remembered for his starring role in the TV series James at 15. Since the mid-1990s, however, Kerwin has not acted, instead focusing on his Christian religious beliefs, having become a pastor...
as James Hunter - Linden Chiles as Paul Hunter, James' father
- Lynn Carlin as Joan Hunter, James' mother
- Kim RichardsKim RichardsKimberly "Kim" Richards is an American actress, former child actress, and television personality. She had roles in several Disney movies in the 1970s and later TV shows in the late 1970s and early 80s before returning to the screen with her sister Kyle Richards on Bravo's The Real Housewives of...
as Sandy Hunter, James' sister - Deirdre Berthrong as Kathy Hunter, James' sister
- David Raynr as Ludwig "Sly" Hazeltine, James' friend (billed as David Hubbard)
- Susan Meyers as Marlene Mahoney, James' friend
- Kevin Van Wieringen as a Deaf student in James' class
TV movie
The movie premiered to high ratings, topping the ratingsNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
for the week of September 5–11, 1977, with a 42% share of the viewing audience, quickly prompting NBC to approve a series. Associated Press writer Jerry Buck said of the pilot movie that it "captures the essence of growing up in America," adding, "It makes up for all the drivel we've had to put up with, such as Sons and Daughters
Sons and Daughters (1974 U.S. TV Series)
Sons and Daughters is a 9-episode 1974 CBS series launched from the pilot television movie called Senior Year. The show was set in California during the middle-1950s and portrayed the trials of life for two young people — Jeff, portrayed by 24-year-old Gary Frank and Anita, played by...
and Hollywood High
Hollywood High (film)
Hollywood High is a 1977 American sex comedy film. The film is generally regarded as being of very low quality, with one retrospective review calling it "a shockingly inept piece of teen sexploitation" and remarking, "Even for a dubious genre like this, this movie reaches a level of badness that...
."
Critical reception and controversy
The show was highly praised for its realism and sensitivity, with a New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
reviewer applauding the program's avoidance of stereotyping
Stereotype
A stereotype is a popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. The concepts of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often confused with many other different meanings...
characters: "Sly, a jiving black student ... has solidly middle-class parents deeply involved in classical music" and a lower-middle-class
Lower middle class
In developed nations across the world, the lower middle class is a sub-division of the greater middle class. Universally the term refers to the group of middle class households or individuals who have not attained the status of the upper middle class associated with the higher realms of the middle...
classmate discovers that her father makes more money as a plumber
Plumber
A plumber is a tradesperson who specializes in installing and maintaining systems used for potable water, sewage, and drainage in plumbing systems. The term dates from ancient times, and is related to the Latin word for lead, "plumbum." A person engaged in fixing metaphorical "leaks" may also be...
than James' professor father. Tom Shales
Tom Shales
Thomas William "Tom" Shales is an American critic of television programming and operations. He is best known as TV critic for The Washington Post; in 1988, Shales received the Pulitzer Prize...
of The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
said:
Not perfect, not revolutionary, not always deliriously urgent, James at 15 is still the most respectable new entertainment series of the season. Consistently, it communicates something about the state of being young, rather than just communicating that it wishes to lure young viewers.
And if it romanticizes adolescence through the weekly trials and triumphs of its teen-age hero, at least it does so in more ambitious, inquisitive and authentic ways than the average TV teeny-bop.
Critics also approved of its handling of James' first sexual experience, with a Swedish exchange student (Kirsten Baker) in the episode which aired February 9, 1978— at which point the show assumed the name James at 16. However, head writer Wakefield quit in a dispute with NBC over the use of the euphemism responsible for 'birth control' in the episode, as well as the network's insistence that James should feel remorse over his decision. Behind the scenes, the show's original executive producers, Martin Manulis
Martin Manulis
Martin Manulis was an American film, television and theater producer. Manulis was best known for creating the television program, Playhouse 90 on CBS.-Career:...
and Joe Hardy, were replaced by Ron Rubin in December, 1977. Despite the critical acclaim, the show lasted only one season.
Award nominations
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Recipient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Primetime Emmy Award Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming... |
Nominated | Outstanding Lead Actress for a Single Appearance in a Drama or Comedy Series | Irene Tedrow Irene Tedrow Irene Tedrow was an American character actress in stage, film, television and radio. Tedrow is also the mother of actress Enid Kent.-Career:... (For episode "Ducks") |
| Directors Guild of America Award | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series' - Night | Joseph Hardy Joseph Hardy (director) Joseph Hardy is an American Tony Award-winning stage director, film director, television producer, and occasional performer.... (For episode "Friends") |
Novelization
Two novels were written by author April Smith, James at 15 and Friends.Legacy
Kevin Williamson, the creator of Dawson's CreekDawson's Creek
Dawson's Creek is an American teen drama television series which debuted on January 20, 1998, on The WB Television Network and was produced by Sony Pictures Television. The show is set in the fictional seaside town of Capeside, Massachusetts, and in Boston, Massachusetts, during the later seasons...
, cited this show as a major influence on him and named it as an inspiration for his show: "'Dawson's Creek' came out of my desire to do 'James at 15' for the '90s. It was very provocative and way ahead of its time."