Movies Made for Television: 1964-2004

In October 1964, NBC aired the first made-for-television film, See How They Run, starring John Forsythe, Jane Wyatt, Leslie Nielsen, and George Kennedy. In the more than forty years since, over 5,400 made-for-television films and miniseries have been produced. Television historian Alvin H. Marill has compiled a comprehensive listing of every one of these films, which have been assembled in this publication. But this is no mere list. The exhaustive entries cite each film’s original network, airdate, and length of broadcast. Along with a brief summary, each entry also includes extensive production credits (director, writer, producer, composer, director of photography, and editor) and a complete cast (and character) listing. The first four volumes are arranged by decade(s): Volume 1: 1964-1979 Volume 2: 1980-1989 Volume 3: 1990-1999 Volume 4: 2000-2004 Entries are arranged alphabetically for quick access, and each volume also contains a chronology of films produced in that period. Volume 5, the index, includes a list of each actor and director, as well as source material (books and plays). From television pilots like Prescription: Murder (1967), the film that introduced Peter Falk’s Columbo, to epic miniseries such as Angels in America (2003), every film has been acknowledged, every actor identified, and every character named. This remains a unique undertaking; there simply is no other compendium like it. Movies Made for Television, 1964-2004 will be a valuable resource for scholars and historians of television and popular culture, as well as anyone interested in the medium.