| Nothing Sacred | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Drama |
| Created by | Bill Cain David Manson |
| Written by | Jeanne Blake Lee Blessing Michael Breault Jason Cahill Bill Cain Sandy Kroopf David Manson Marlane Meyer Jan Oxenberg |
| Starring | Kevin Anderson Bruce Altman Scott Michael Campbell Ann Dowd Brad Sullivan Jose Zuniga Tamara Mello |
| Theme music composer | Mark Isham |
| Composer(s) | Jeff Beal |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 20 (4 unaired) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Richard Kramer David Manson |
| Producer(s) | Bill Cain Greer Shephard Cyrus Yavneh |
| Running time | 60 mins. |
| Production company(s) | Sarabande Productions 20th Century Fox Television. |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | ABC |
| Original run | September 18, 1997 – March 14, 1998 |
Nothing Sacred is an American drama series that aired from 1997 to 1998 on ABC. The series was created by a Jesuit priest named Bill Cain and producer David Manson.
Contents |
Nothing Sacred starred Kevin Anderson as a liberal and retro-1970's priest with self-doubts, and was criticized by many for its portrayal of faithful Catholics as cold and cruel while glorifying heterodoxy and irreverence. The show and its sponsors were targeted for boycotts by the Catholic League, a Roman Catholic civil rights organization.[1]
Despite promises that the show would air for at least one full season, after the failure of the program, ABC canceled its order for the final four episodes, and then canceled the series entirely after the March 14, 1998 episode (with four completed episodes left unaired).
The show won the Peabody Award, being described as "an honest portrayal of the complexity of faith in the modern era."[2] It also won the 1998 Humanitas Prize for a sixty-minute television series.
It was filmed in the administration of St. Thomas' church, a Roman Catholic parish in Chicago, Illinois.
Nothing Sacred premiered on September 18, 1997 at 8:00pm/7c on ABC, replacing the cancelled/ended High Incident's Thursday slot.
| Ep # | Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Proofs for the Existence of God" | September 18, 1997 |
| 2 | "Song of Songs" | September 25, 1997 |
| 3 | "Mixed Blessings" | October 2, 1997 |
| 4 | "Parents and Children" | October 9, 1997 |
| 5 | "Roman Catholic Holiday" | October 16, 1997 |
| 6 | "Spirit and Substance" | October 23, 1997 |
| 7 | "Calling" | November 6, 1997 |
| 8 | "Speaking in Tongues" | November 13, 1997 |
| 9 | "A Bloody Miracle" | November 29, 1997 |
| 10 | "House of Rage" | December 11, 1997 |
| 11 | "Hodie Christus Natus Est" | December 18, 1997 |
| 12 | "Signs and Words" | January 17, 1998 |
| 13 | "A Nun's Story" | January 24, 1998 |
| 14 | "Kindred Spirits" | March 7, 1998 |
| 15 | "The Coldest Night of the Year" | March 14, 1998 |
| 16 | "Holy Words" | Never aired |
| 17 | "Sex, God and Reality" | Never aired |
| 18 | "HIV Priest: Film at 11" | Never aired |
| 19 | "Sleeping Dogs" | Never aired |
| 20 | "Felix Culpa" | Never aired |
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Recipient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | ALMA Award | Nominated | Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series | Jose Zuniga |
| Outstanding Drama Series |
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| Art Directors Guild | Excellence in Production Design Award (Television Series) | Cate Bangs and Michael Baugh | ||
| Emmy Award | Outstanding Main Title Theme Music | Mark Isham | ||
| Outstanding Art Direction for a Series | Cate Bangs, Michael Baugh, and William Vail (For episode "Hodie Christus Natus Est") | |||
| Golden Globe Award | Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series - Drama | Kevin Anderson | ||
| Humanitas Prize | Won | 60 Minute Category | Bill Cain | |
| Peabody Award |
|
|
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| PGA Awards | Nominated | Television Producer of the Year Award in Episodic | David Manson | |
| Television Critics Association Awards | Program of the Year | |||
| Outstanding New Program of the Year | ||||
| Individual Achievement in Drama | Kevin Anderson | |||
| Viewers for Quality Television Awards | Best Supporting Actress in a Quality Drama Series | Ann Dowd | ||
| Best Actor in a Quality Drama Series | Kevin Anderson | |||
| Won | Founder's Award | David Manson | ||
| YoungStar Award | Nominated | Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Drama TV Series | Erika Christensen | |
| 1999 | Writers Guild of America Award | Won | Episodic Drama | Paul Leland (For episode "Proofs for the Existence of God") |
| Young Artist Award | Nominated | Best Performance in a TV Drama Series - Guest Starring Young Actress | Kimberly Cullum |
The Catholic League and Alan Keyes, on its board of advisors, specifically, declared the show in 1997 a "sacrilege" according to one commentator, who also quoted Keyes as calling it "propaganda dressed up as entertainment[, infused with] belief that there are no moral absolutes."[3]