James at 15
James at 15 | |
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Also known as | James at 16 |
Genre | Drama |
Created by | Dan Wakefield |
Written by |
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Directed by |
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Starring |
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Theme music composer | John Ford Coley |
Opening theme | "James" performed by Lee Montgomery |
Composers |
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Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No.of seasons | 1 |
No.of episodes | 1 movie / 20 episodes |
Production | |
Executive producers |
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Producers |
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Camera setup | Single-camera |
Running time | 45–48 minutes |
Production company | 20th Century Fox Television |
Original release | |
Network | NBC |
Release | September 5, 1977 |
Release | October 27, 1977 June 29, 1978 | –
James at 15(laterJames at 16) is an American drama series that aired on NBC during the 1977–78 season.
The series was preceded by the 1977 TV movieJames at 15,which aired on Monday September 5, 1977 and was intended as a television pilot for the series. Both were written byDan Wakefield,a journalist and fiction writer whose novelGoing All the Way,a tale of coming of age in the 1950s, had led to his being contacted by David Sontag ofTwentieth Century Fox.
Sontag, the senior vice-president of creative affairs at Fox, had had a lunch meeting in New York City with Paul Klein, the head of programming at NBC. Klein said he needed a series for Sunday night. On the spot, Sontag pitched 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, with Sontag's suggesting Dan Wakefield.[1]Despite this unsourced account of the "creation" of the series, Sontag created no characters, no plotlines, and no settings. The on-screen credit for the series reads "Created by Dan Wakefield," as it was Wakefield who worked out the specifics from Sontag's general conceptual outline.
Synopsis
[edit]James Hunter (Lance Kerwin) is the son of a college professor (Linden Chiles) who has moved his family across the country to take a teaching job, transplanting James from Oregon to Boston, Massachusetts.[2]James, who hadWalter Mitty-like dreams and dabbles in photography, has a hard time fitting into his new surroundings. During the series run, when James turned 16, the title was updated accordingly. (11 episodes, counting the two-hour movie, were produced asJames at 15,with the remaining 10 airing asJames at 16.)
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 because he was tired of television's tendency to give programs settings in Los Angeles or New York City.[2]To update his own memories of growing up, the writer spoke with adolescents from Boston.
Cast
[edit]- Lance Kerwinas James Hunter
- Linden Chilesas Paul Hunter, James' father
- Lynn Carlinas Joan Hunter, James' mother
- Kim Richardsas Sandy Hunter, James' sister
- Deirdre Berthrong as Kathy Hunter, James' sister
- David Raynr as Ludwig "Sly" Hazeltine, James' friend (billed as David Hubbard)
- Susan Myers as Marlene Mahoney, James' friend
- Kevin Van Wieringen as a deaf student in James' class[3]
TV movie
[edit]The movie premiered to high ratings, topping theratingsfor the week of September 5–11, 1977,[4][5]with a 42% share of the viewing audience,[6]quickly prompting NBC to approve a series.[4]Associated Press writer Jerry Buck wrote that the pilot movie "captures the essence of growing up in America," adding "It makes up for all the drivel we've had to put up with, such asSons and DaughtersandHollywood High."[2]
Critical reception and controversy
[edit]The show was highly praised for its realism and sensitivity, with a reviewer fromThe New York Timesapplauding the program's avoidance of stereotyping characters: "Sly, a jiving black student...has solidly middle-class parents deeply involved in classical music" and a classmate discovers that her father makes more money as a plumber than James' professor father.[4]Tom ShalesofThe Washington Postwrote:
Not perfect, not revolutionary, not always deliriously urgent,James at 15is 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.[7]
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 nameJames 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.[8]
Behind the scenes,Martin Manulisand Joe Hardy, the show's original executive producers, were replaced by Ron Rubin in December 1977. Despite the critical acclaim, the show lasted only one season. Kerwin was age 16 when the series began and had turned 17 when it was cancelled.
Awards and nominations
[edit]Year | Award | Result | Category | Recipient |
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1978 | Primetime Emmy Award | Nominated | Outstanding Lead Actress for a Single Appearance in a Drama or Comedy Series | Irene Tedrow (for the episode "Ducks" ) |
Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Lead Actress for a Single Appearance in a Drama or Comedy Series | Kate Jackson (for the episode "Pilot" ) | ||
Directors Guild of America Award | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series' - Night | Joseph Hardy (for the "Friends" ) |
Novelization
[edit]Two novels were written by authorApril Smith:James at 15andFriends.[9]
Legacy
[edit]Kevin Williamson,the creator ofDawson's Creek,cited this show as a major influence on him and named it as an inspiration for his show.[10]Williamson said, "Dawson's Creekcame out of my desire to doJames at 15for the '90s. It was very provocative and way ahead of its time. "[11][12]
TheBeastie Boysrefer to the show in their song "Hey Ladies"(" I'm not James at 15 orChachi in charge... "), from the albumPaul's Boutique.[13]
Notes
[edit]- ^"Wakefield, Dan 1932-".Encyclopedia.RetrievedMay 6,2022.
- ^abcBuck, Jerry. Associated Press. "'James at 15' relives youth,"The Dallas Morning News,September 2, 1974, page 4.
- ^Gannon, Jack. 1981.Deaf Heritage–A Narrative History of Deaf America,Silver Spring, MD: National Association of the Deaf, p. 389 (PDFArchived2012-04-24 at theWayback Machine)
- ^abcO'Connor, John. New York Times News Service. "New shows put kids in spotlight,"The Dallas Morning News,October 25, 1977, page 7.
- ^Pederson, Rena. "'Washington' no 'Roots'" (TV column),The Dallas Morning News,September 14, 1977, page 15: "...NBC landedJames at 15andLaugh-Inin first and second place. "
- ^Pederson, Rena. "8 to air game — on tape" (TV column),The Dallas Morning News,October 5, 1977, page 14: "AndJames at 15,which scored a whopping 42 share of the audience with its pilot earlier in September, will move into theMan from Atlantisspot on Oct. 27. "
- ^Shales, Tom (December 15, 1997)."Facing the Death of an Old Pal".The Washington Post.pp. B1.RetrievedMay 6,2022.
- ^Brown, Les (January 12, 1978)."Wakefield Quits 'James'".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.RetrievedOctober 5,2020.
- ^Smith, April(1980).Friends.Random House Children's Books.ISBN0-440-92666-1
- ^Mangels, Andy (2000).From Scream to Dawson's Creek to Wasteland: The Phenomenal Career of Kevin Williamson.St. Martin's Press.ISBN978-1580631228.
- ^Littlefield, Kinney (January 18, 1998). "Drama's creator is addiction to adolescence: 'Scream' screenwriter Kevin Williamson translates teen angst to the tube with 'Dawson's Creek'".[The Orange County Register.pp. F9.
- ^"James at 15 vs. Dawson's Creek".EW.January 30, 1998.Retrieved2022-05-06.
- ^"Beastie Boys - Hey Ladies Lyrics".Genius.Archived fromthe originalon February 4, 2015.RetrievedMay 6,2022.
External links
[edit]- James at 15atIMDb(pilot TV-movie)
- James at 15atIMDb(series)
- 1970s American high school television series
- 1970s American teen drama television series
- 1977 American television series debuts
- 1978 American television series endings
- American English-language television shows
- American television series about teenagers
- Television series by 20th Century Fox Television
- Television shows set in Boston
- Coming-of-age television shows
- NBC television dramas