Visions (1976 TV series)

Visions is a 90-minute American television weekly anthology series that aired from 1976 to 1978. It was produced by KCET in Los Angeles[1] and televised nationally on PBS. It concentrated on the works of mostly new and some prominent writers, including Cormac McCarthy (The Gardener's Son), Marsha Norman, Jean Shepherd, Luis Valdez, and Robert M. Young. Each episode was written by a different writer and starred a different cast.

Visions
Visions: It's off-Broadway television.
GenreAnthology drama
Creative directorBarbara Schultz
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes32
Production
Executive producerBarbara Schultz
Running time90–120 minutes
Production companyKCET
Original release
NetworkPBS
ReleaseOctober 21, 1976 (1976-10-21) –
January 26, 1980 (1980-01-26)

Among its stars were Tyne Daly, Charles Durning, Brad Dourif, Morgan Freeman, Carol Kane, and Judd Hirsch. Its directors included Maya Angelou, Richard Pearce, Michael Lindsay-Hogg, Paul Bogart, and Gordon Davidson.

Episodes included The War Widow and El Corrido.

It won one primetime Emmy Award and was nominated for three others.

Episodes

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Print ad in the Los Angeles Times on October 19, 1977, promoting the upcoming launch of the Visions series with a calendar of episode titles, screenwriting credits, and premiere dates for the first season.

Episode list and credits adapted from The Arts on Television, 1976–1990: Fifteen Years of Cultural Programming (1991).[2]

Series overview

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Series overview for Better Call Saul
SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
113October 21, 1976 (1976-10-21)January 13, 1977 (1977-01-13)
210October 2, 1977 (1977-10-02)December 4, 1977 (1977-12-04)
39October 9, 1978 (1978-10-09)January 26, 1980 (1980-01-26)

Season 1 (1976–77)

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Visions season 1 episodes
No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
11Two BrothersBurt BrinckerhoffConrad BrombergOctober 21, 1976 (1976-10-21)
22The War WidowPaul BogartHarvey PerrOctober 28, 1976 (1976-10-28)
33El CorridoKirk BrowningLuis ValdezNovember 4, 1976 (1976-11-04)
44The Gold WatchLloyd RichardsMomoko IkoNovember 11, 1976 (1976-11-11)
55Liza's Pioneer DiaryNell CoxNell CoxNovember 18, 1976 (1976-11-18)
66The Great Cherub Knitwear StrikeGeorge TyneEthel TyneNovember 25, 1976 (1976-11-25)
77Life Among the LowlyAdrian HallAdrian Hall, Richard CummingDecember 2, 1976 (1976-12-02)
88Pennsylvania LynchJeff Bleckner, Rich BennewitzAdrian Hall, Richard CummingDecember 9, 1976 (1976-12-09)
99Scenes from the Middle Class (two plays): Monkey in the Middle and Winter TourRick BennewitzBetty Patrick (Monkey in the Middle), David Trainer (Winter Tour)December 16, 1976 (1976-12-16)
1010The Phantom of the Open HearthFred Barzyk, David LoxtonJean ShepherdDecember 23, 1976 (1976-12-23)
1111The Tapestry and CirclesMaya AngelouAlexis De VeauxDecember 30, 1976 (1976-12-30)
1212The Gardener's SonRichard PearceCormac McCarthyJanuary 6, 1977 (1977-01-06)
1313Prison GameRobert StevensSusan YankowitzJanuary 13, 1977 (1977-01-13)

Season 2 (1977)

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Visions season 2 episodes
No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
141IowaRick BennewitzMurray MednickOctober 2, 1977 (1977-10-02)
152FreemanLloyd RichardsPhillip Hayes DeanOctober 9, 1977 (1977-10-09)
163Alambrista!Robert M. YoungRobert M. YoungOctober 16, 1977 (1977-10-16)
174The Dancing BearBurt BrinckerhoffConrad BrombergOctober 23, 1977 (1977-10-23)
185Over/Under/Sideways/DownSteve Wax, Eugene CorrPeter Gessner, Eugene CorrOctober 30, 1977 (1977-10-30)
196PleasantvilleKen LockerVicki PolonNovember 6, 1977 (1977-11-06)
207You Can Run But You Can't HideRick BennewitzBrother Jonathan RingkampNovember 13, 1977 (1977-11-13)
218All I Could See from Where I StoodBurt BrinckerhoffElizabeth ClarkNovember 20, 1977 (1977-11-20)
229Nanook TaxiEdward FolgerJeffrey HayesNovember 27, 1977 (1977-11-27)
2310Secret SpaceRosalyn RegelsonRosalyn Regelson, Roberta HodesDecember 4, 1977 (1977-12-04)

Season 3 (1978–1980)

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Visions season 1 episodes
No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
241Charlie Smith and the Fritter TreeDavid Loxton, Fred BarzykCharles JohnsonOctober 9, 1978 (1978-10-09)
252EscapeRobert StevensJonathan ReynoldsOctober 16, 1978 (1978-10-16)
263Fans of the Kosko ShowJohn DesmondDavid EpsteinOctober 23, 1978 (1978-10-23)
274BlessingsArvin BrownMurray MednickOctober 30, 1978 (1978-10-30)
285BlackoutRick BennewitzNaomi Foner GyllenhaalNovember 13, 1978 (1978-11-13)
296Ladies in WaitingOz Scott, Michael Lindsay-HoggPatricia ResnickJanuary 8, 1979 (1979-01-08)
307Shoes and StringOz ScottTed Shines (Shoes), Alice Childress (String)January 12, 1980 (1980-01-12)
318It's the WillingnessGordon DavidsonMarsha NormanJanuary 19, 1980 (1980-01-19)
329He Wants Her BackKaye BradenStanton KayeJanuary 26, 1980 (1980-01-26)

Awards

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Awards and nominations received by Visions
Award Year Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
Cannes Film Festival 1978 Caméra d'Or Robert M. Young (for Alambrista!) Won [3]
Peabody Awards 1977 Visions Won [4]
Primetime Emmy Awards 1977 Outstanding Achievement in Graphic Design and Title Sequence Gene Piotrowsky (for The Gardener's Son) Nominated [5]
Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Direction Ken Dettling, Leard Davis (for Gold Watch) Nominated [5]
Outstanding Achievement in Video Tape Editing for a Series Roy Stewart (for The War Widow) Won [6]
1978 Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Direction Ken Dettling, Leard Davis (for You Can Run But You Can't Hide) Nominated [7]

References

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  1. ^ McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 887. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
  2. ^ Krafft 1991, pp. 100–104.
  3. ^ Smith 1978b, p. 16.
  4. ^ Jones 1977, p. 9-B.
  5. ^ a b Margulies 1977, p. 16.
  6. ^ Brown 1977, p. 26.
  7. ^ Smith 1978a, p. 32.

Sources

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