Chicago Story is an American crime drama television series that aired for 13 episodes on NBC from March 6 to June 11, 1982, following a 2-hour television film pilot that was broadcast earlier on March 15, 1981.[2]
Synopsis
The series followed the work and lives of several Chicago lawyers, police officers, and doctors. The series was similar to Hill Street Blues in that it was less about action scenes and more about the stresses of working in law enforcement and medicine. The show did not catch on with viewers and lasted only thirteen episodes.
The cast included Maud Adams and Kristoffer Tabori as Dr. Judith Bergstrom and Dr. Max Carson, doctors at Cook County Hospital;[3] Craig T. Nelson, Vincent Baggetta and Molly Cheek as attorneys Kenneth A. Dutton, Lou Pellegrino and Megan Powers. Dutton was a prosecutor and Pellegrino was a defense attorney; Powers was a lawyer both men were interested in; and Dennis Franz, Richard Lawson and Daniel Hugh Kelly appeared as police officers Joe Gilland, O.Z. Tate and Frank Wajorski, respectively. Gilland was a beat cop, while Tate and Wajorski were detectives.
Intermixed within, especially during the opening title sequence, was plenty of Chicago scenery, including the John Hancock Center; Merchandise Mart; Michigan Avenue; Wrigley Building; Willis Tower (then known as Sears Tower); Aon Center; (then known as the Standard Oil Building), the Chicago Theater and its famous marquee; Lake Shore Drive; the then-headquarters of the Chicago Sun-Times; the Chicago Water Tower; Marina City; the Chicago 'L' and various other sights. One of the settings was the then-Cook County Hospital.
Chicago Story was notable for ninety-minute-long episodes, which hadn't been attempted on network prime-time TV since The Virginian left the air in 1971.[4] The show was pared down to an hour late in its run, including broadcasting edited versions of episodes that had already aired. By focusing on the Windy City, it presaged the Chicago franchise (including Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D. and Chicago Med) some thirty years later, also on NBC.
Episodes were rebroadcast on TNT Network in 1994.
The series aired in the United Kingdom on BBC1 in 1982.
Cast
- Maud Adams as Dr. Judith Bergstrom
- Vincent Baggetta as Lou Pellegrino
- Molly Cheek as Megan Powers
- Dennis Franz as Officer Joe Gilland
- Daniel Hugh Kelly as Det. Frank Wajorski
- Richard Lawson as Det. O.Z. Tate
- Craig T. Nelson as Kenneth A. Dutton
- Kristoffer Tabori as Dr. Max Carson
- John Mahoney as Lt. Roselli
- Joe Pantoliano as Cooney
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | "Chicago Story" | Jerry London | Eric Bercovici | March 15, 1981 |
| 1 | "The Hostage Taker" | Harvey S. Laidman | Dennis Capps | March 6, 1982 |
| 2 | "Outside the Law" | Rod Holcomb | Bob Foster & Robert W. Gilmer | March 13, 1982 |
| 3 | "Bright Lights, Big City" | Christian I. Nyby II | Dennis Capps | March 20, 1982 |
| 4 | "Epidemic" | Harvey S. Laidman | Robert W. Gilmer | March 27, 1982 |
| 5 | "Vendetta" | Corey Allen | David Jacobs | April 3, 1982 |
| 6 | "Not Quite Paradise: Parts 1 & 2" | Jerry Thorpe | Michael O'Hara | April 16, 1982 |
| 7 | ||||
| 8 | "Performance" | Michael Caffey | David Assael and Robert W. Gilmer & Dennis Capps and Bob Foster & W H. Over | April 23, 1982 |
| 9 | "Bad Blood" | Bruce Kessler | Robert Schlitt | April 30, 1982 |
| 10 | "Dutton's Law" | Lee H. Katzin | David Paulsen | May 7, 1982 |
| 11 | "Subterranean Blues" | Corey Allen | Robert Schlitt | May 28, 1982 |
| 12 | "Who Needs the Truth?" | E. Arthur Kean | E. Arthur Kean | June 4, 1982 |
| 13 | "Half a Chance" | Robert C. Thompson | David Assael | June 11, 1982 |
References
- ^ Dagan, Carmel (February 12, 2014). "Eric Bercovici, Emmy-Winning Writer-Producer of Miniseries Including 'Shogun,' Dies at 80". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
- ^ "TV Weekend; Lawmen and 'Masterpiece' Anthology". The New York Times. March 13, 1981. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
- ^ Connelly, Sherilyn (2021). Presenting Persis Khambatta: From Miss India to Star Trek--The Motion Picture and Beyond. McFarland pg. 110. ISBN 978-1-4766-8195-5.
- ^ Moser, Whet (December 15, 2011). ""Chicago Story": Annals of Failed Cop Shows About Our Town". Chicago. Retrieved July 28, 2021.