Little Women (1978 miniseries)
Little Women is a 1978 American television miniseries directed by David Lowell Rich and written by Suzanne Clauser based on the classic 1868-69 two-volume novel of the same name by Louisa May Alcott. The cast includes Susan Dey, Meredith Baxter Birney, Ann Dusenberry, Eve Plumb, Dorothy McGuire, William Schallert, Greer Garson, Robert Young, Richard Gilliland, William Shatner and John de Lancie.
Little Women | |
---|---|
Based on | Little Women by Louisa May Alcott |
Written by | Suzanne Clauser |
Directed by | David Lowell Rich |
Starring | Meredith Baxter Birney Susan Dey Ann Dusenberry Eve Plumb Dorothy McGuire Greer Garson Robert Young |
Music by | Elmer Bernstein |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language(s) | English |
No. of episodes | 2 |
Production | |
Producer(s) | David Victor |
Cinematography | Joseph Biroc |
Editor(s) | Jim Benson Donald Douglas |
Running time | 200 minutes |
Production company(s) | Groverton Productions Universal Television |
Distributor | NBC |
Release | |
Original network | NBC |
Original release | October 2–3, 1978 |
Chronology | |
Followed by | Little Women (1994 film) |
The three-hour miniseries was produced by Universal Television and originally aired in two parts on NBC on October 2–3, 1978. A brief series followed in 1979, airing from February 8 to March 8, 1979. Eve Plumb was among the miniseries cast members who returned (although her character Beth had died in the miniseries, as she had in the original book), playing a cousin of the family called Lissa.[1]
Plot
The miniseries chronicles the lives and loves of the four March sisters – Jo (Susan Dey), Meg (Meredith Baxter Birney), Amy (Ann Dusenberry) and Beth (Eve Plumb) – growing up in Concord, Massachusetts during the American Civil War. While their father leaves for battle, the sisters must rely on each other for strength in the face of tragedies both large and small.
Cast
The March Family (miniseries)
- Susan Dey as Josephine 'Jo' March
- Meredith Baxter Birney as Meg March
- Eve Plumb as Elizabeth 'Beth' March
- Ann Dusenberry as Amy March
- Dorothy McGuire as Marmee March
- William Schallert as Jonathan March
- Greer Garson as Aunt Kathryn March
The March Family (regular series)
- Jessica Harper as Josephine 'Jo' March
- Susan Walden as Meg March
- Ann Dusenberry as Amy March Laurence
- Dorothy McGuire as Marmee March
- William Schallert as Jonathan March
- Mildred Natwick as Aunt Kathryn March
The Laurence Family
- Robert Young as Grandpa James Laurence
- Richard Gilliland as Theodore 'Laurie' Laurence
Miscellaneous (miniseries)
- William Shatner as Professor Friedrich Bhaer
- Cliff Potts as John Brooke
- Virginia Gregg as Hannah
- Joyce Bulifant as Mrs. Kirke
- John de Lancie as Frank Vaughn
- Carlene Watkins as Sally Gardiner
Miscellaneous (regular series)
- David Ackroyd as Professor Friedrich Bhaer
- Cliff Potts as John Brooke
- Virginia Gregg as Hannah
- Eve Plumb as Melissa Jane 'Lissa' Driscoll
Awards
Winner:
- 1979 – Emmy Award for Outstanding Art Direction for a Series
Nominations:
- 1979 – Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Series
- 1979 - Golden Globe Award for Best Television Film
Home media
Little Women was released on a 2-disc DVD in region 1 by Koch Vision on October 9, 2007. On August 14, 2012, Entertainment One (eOne) released the miniseries on a single disc DVD.[2]
References
- Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh, "The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows: 1946-Present (Ninth Edition)," 2007, p. 801, Ballantine Books, ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4
- Lambert, David (July 10, 2012). "Little Women - DVDs for the 2-Part Mini-Series with Meredith Baxter, Susan Dey, and Eve Plumb". TV Shows on DVD. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on June 10, 2017. Retrieved June 7, 2017.