Mr. Novak
1963 American TV series or program From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
1963 American TV series or program From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mr. Novak is an American television drama television series starring James Franciscus in the title role as a high school teacher. The series aired on NBC for two seasons, from 1963 to 1965. It won a Peabody Award in 1963.[1]
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Mr. Novak | |
---|---|
Genre | Drama |
Created by | E. Jack Neuman |
Starring | James Franciscus Dean Jagger Burgess Meredith |
Opening theme | Lyn Murray |
Composer | Leith Stevens |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 2 |
No. of episodes | 60 |
Production | |
Executive producer | E. Jack Neuman |
Producer | Joseph Calvelli |
Running time | 48 mins. |
Production company | MGM Television |
Original release | |
Network | NBC |
Release | September 24, 1963 – April 27, 1965 |
The series follows John Novak, an idealistic first-year English teacher at Jefferson High School in Los Angeles, who often gets involved in the lives of his students and fellow teachers. Principal Albert Vane was played by Oscar-winning film actor Dean Jagger; he was nominated for an Emmy Award in 1964 and 1965 for his performance. Jagger left the series in 1964 after forty-four episodes, and it was explained that his character was elected California Superintendent of Public Instruction; Burgess Meredith played the new principal, Martin Woodridge, for the remaining seventeen episodes.
Jeanne Bal portrayed Assistant Vice Principal Jean Pagano during the 1963–64 season. Initially, plans called for increasing her role for the 1964–65 season, promoting her to second billing on the show, but the producer instead cut the number of episodes in which she was to appear, and she left the program.[2]
The series showcased many popular actors of the time, including Martin Landau, Walter Koenig, Beau Bridges, Tony Dow, Ed Asner, June Lockhart, Sherry Jackson. This trendsetting show was the first to depict both teachers and students in a dramatic and realistic manner and was very influential on the educational community.[citation needed] Many cutting-edge themes were showcased, including racial discrimination, cheating on exams, anti-Semitism, alcoholism, dropouts, drug abuse, and political extremism.[citation needed] In its two-year run, the program won over 47 awards from various educational institutions, including the National Education Association, and was the recipient of a prestigious Peabody Award for excellence.[3]
No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | "First Year, First Day" | Boris Sagal | E. Jack Neuman Boris Sagal Joseph Stafano | September 24, 1963 |
2 | 2 | "To Lodge and Dislodge" | Boris Sagal | E. Jack Neuman Boris Sagal | October 1, 1963 |
3 | 3 | "I Don't Even Live Here" | Abner Biberman | E. Jack Neuman Boris Sagal Milt Rosen | October 8, 1963 |
4 | 4 | "X is the Known Factor" | Richard Donner | E. Jack Neuman Boris Sagal Preston Wood | October 15, 1963 |
5 | 5 | "A Single, Isolated Incident" | Abner Biberman | E. Jack Neuman | October 22, 1963 |
6 | 6 | "The Risk" | Michael O'Herlihy | E. Jack Neuman Boris Sagal Theodore Apstein | October 29, 1963 |
7 | 7 | "Hello, Miss Phipps" | Don Medford | E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal John T. Dugan | November 5, 1963 |
8 | 8 | "To Break a Camel's Back" | Michael O'Herlihy | E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal Meyer Dolinsky | November 12, 1963 |
9 | 9 | "A Feeling for Friday" | Michael O'Herlihy | E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal | November 19, 1963 |
10 | 10 | "Pay the Two Dollars" | Walter Doniger | E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal Milt Rosen | November 26, 1963 |
11 | 11 | "Love in the Wrong Seasons" | Ida Lupino | E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal Richard De Roy | December 3, 1963 |
12 | 12 | "The Boy Without a Country" | Michael O'Herlihy | E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal Richard De Roy | December 10, 1963 |
13 | 13 | "A Thousand Voices" | Richard Donner | E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal Anthony Wilson | December 17, 1963 |
14 | 14 | "My Name is Not Legion" | Bernard Girard | E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal Robert E. Thompson | December 24, 1963 |
15 | 15 | "He Who Can Does" | Irving Lerner | E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal Roland Wopert | December 31, 1963 |
16 | 16 | "Song of Songs" | David Alexander | E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal James Menzies | January 7, 1964 |
17 | 17 | "The Exile" | Michael O'Herlihy | E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal | January 14, 1964 |
18 | 18 | "Sparrow on the Wire" | Mark Rydell | E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal James Menzies | January 21, 1964 |
19 | 19 | "The Private Life of Douglas Morgan Jr." | Richard Donner | Margaret and Paul Schneider | January 28, 1964 |
20 | 20 | "Death of a Teacher" | Richard Donner | E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal | February 4, 1964 |
21 | 21 | "I'm on the Outside" | Abner Biberman | E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal Boris Ingster | February 11, 1964 |
22 | 22 | "Chin Up, Mr. Novak" | Michael O'Herlihy | E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal Joseph Calvelli | February 18, 1964 |
23 | 23 | "Fear is a Handful of Dust" | Abner Biberman | E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal Carol Sobieski | February 25, 1964 |
24 | 24 | "How Does Your Garden Grow?" | Michael O'Herlihy | E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal Joseph Calvelli | March 3, 1964 |
25 | 25 | "The Tower" | Michael O'Herlihy | E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal James Menzies | March 10, 1964 |
26 | 26 | "One Way to Say Goodbye" | Richard Donner | E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal | March 17, 1964 |
27 | 27 | "Day in the Year" | Ida Lupino | E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal Sidney Marshall | March 24, 1964 |
28 | 28 | "Moment Without Armor" | Michael O'Herlihy | E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal Margaret Armen | March 31, 1964 |
29 | 29 | "Fare Thee Well" | Abner Biberman | E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal Carol Sobieski | April 7, 1964 |
30 | 30 | "The Senior Prom" | Michael O'Herlihy | E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal Sidney Marshall | April 14, 1964 |
No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
31 | 1 | "Moonlighting" | Richard Donner | Story by : John Ryan Teleplay by : Meyer Dolinsky | September 22, 1964 |
32 | 2 | "With a Hammer in His Hand, Lord, Lord!" | Allen Reisner | John D.F. Black | September 29, 1964 |
33 | 3 | "Visions of Sugar Plums" | Paul Wendkos | Joseph Calvelli | October 6, 1964 |
34 | 4 | "Little Girl Lost" | Paul Wendkos | Betty Ulius | October 20, 1964 |
35 | 5 | "One Monday Afternoon" | Paul Wendkos | Mel Goldberg & Herman Groves | October 27, 1964 |
36 | 6 | "Let's Dig a Little Grammar" | Joseph Sargent | Mel Goldberg | November 10, 1964 |
37 | 7 | "The People Doll: You Wind It Up and It Makes Mistakes" | Herschel Daughterty | John D.F.Black | November 17, 1964 |
38 | 8 | "Boy Under Glass" | Allen Reisner | Mel Goldberg | November 24, 1964 |
39 | 9 | "Born of Kings and Angels" | Paul Wendkos | George Clayton Johnson | December 1, 1964 |
40 | 10 | "A as in Anxiety" | Allen Reisner | Betty Ulius | December 8, 1964 |
41 | 11 | "Johnny Ride the Pony" | Allen H. Miner | David P. Hartman | December 15, 1964 |
42 | 12 | "Beyond a Reasonable Doubt" | Richard Donner | Martha Wilkerson | December 22, 1964 |
43 | 13 | "Love Among the Grown-Ups" | Abner Biberman | Harold Gast | December 29, 1964 |
44 | 14 | "From the Brow of Zeus" | Ron Winston | Mel Goldberg | January 5, 1965 |
45 | 15 | "An Elephant is Like a Tree" | Abner Biberman | John D.F. Black | January 12, 1965 |
46 | 16 | "Enter a Strange Animal" | Alvin Ganzer | Alvin Sargent | January 19, 1965 |
47 | 17 | "Beat the Plowshares, Edge the Sword" | Alvin Ganzer | Gilbert Ralston | January 26, 1965 |
48 | 18 | "Faculty Follies: Part 1" | Joseph Sargent | Meyer Dolinsky | February 2, 1965 |
49 | 19 | "Faculty Follies: Part 2" | Joseph Sargent | Meyer Dolinsky | February 9, 1965 |
50 | 20 | "The Silent Dissauders" | Allen Reisner | Betty Ulius | February 16, 1965 |
51 | 21 | "Mountains to Climb" | Paul Wendkos | Story by : Roland Wolpert Teleplay by : Roland Wolpert & John D.F. Black | February 23, 1965 |
52 | 22 | "May Day, May Day" | Ida Lupino | Story by : John D.F. Black & Donald Michael Platt Teleplay by : John D.F. Black | March 2, 1965 |
53 | 23 | "Where is There to Go, Billie, But Up?" | Abner Biberman | Story by : Herman Groves & Mel Goldberg Teleplay by : Mel Goldberg | March 9, 1965 |
54 | 24 | "The Tender Twigs" | Joseph Sargent | Story by : Robert Presnell Jr. Teleplay by : Robert Presnell Jr. & Mel Goldberg | March 16, 1965 |
55 | 25 | "Honor and All That" | Paul Wendkos | Jerry McNeely | March 23, 1965 |
56 | 26 | "The Student Who Never Was" | Paul Wendkos | Meyer Dolinsky | March 30, 1965 |
57 | 27 | "There's a Penguin in My Garden" | Alvin Ganzer | John D.F. Black | April 6, 1965 |
58 | 28 | "The Firebrand" | Michael O'Herlihy | Howard Gast | April 13, 1965 |
59 | 29 | "And Then I Wrote..." | Abner Biberman | Joseph Calvelli | April 20, 1965 |
60 | 30 | "Once a Clown" | Abner Biberman | Mel Goldberg | April 27, 1965 |
The series was created by producer/writer E. Jack Neuman and director Boris Sagal and featured top directors such as Richard Donner.[3]
In his autobiography, Franciscus' Yale classmate, Dick Cavett, opined that Franciscus needed a stunt man for any scenes at the classroom blackboard due to a reputation for atrocious spelling. [4]
The school seen in Mr. Novak duplicated Los Angeles' John Marshall High School "complete to walks, shrubs, and parking."[5] After using the school itself for the pilot, the duplicate was built at the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios, the "largest permanent set to be constructed [there] in a number of years."[5] The complete set filled an acre at the studio. Other construction on the MGM sound stages included duplicates of corridors and classrooms.[5] Exteriors for the fictional Jefferson High School were filmed at both John Marshall High School and Hamilton High School near Culver City.[3]
The Warner Archive Collection released Season 1 of the series on DVD on November 6, 2018. Prints were made from the original 35mm camera negatives.
A soundtrack music album was released on MGM Records (E/SE-4222) in 1964, under the direction of Nick Venet.[citation needed]
Mr. Novak: An Acclaimed Television Series, by Chuck Harter, was published by bearmanormedia.com in October 2017 and is a comprehensive examination of the show.[citation needed]
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