"The Paper Chase" (1978) TV series 1978-1986

Directors:

Georg Stanford Brown
Mark Cullingham

Writers:

Albert Aley (writer)
Daniel Benton (writer)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Release Date:

9 September 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A TV Series about a bunch of Law students, their everyday lives and their effort to make it through Law School...

Plot Keywords:

Law School | Student | Professor | Law Student | Boston Massachusetts

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 2 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

John Houseman	...	Professor Charles W. Kingsfield, Jr. / ... (41 episodes, 1978-1986)
James Stephens	...	James T. Hart (40 episodes, 1978-1986)
Tom Fitzsimmons	...	Franklin Ford III (39 episodes, 1978-1986)
James Keane	...	Willis Bell (33 episodes, 1978-1986)
Betty Harford	...	Mrs. Nottingham / ... (26 episodes, 1978-1986)
Robert Ginty	...	Thomas Craig Anderson (22 episodes, 1978-1979)
Francine Tacker	...	Elizabeth Logan (21 episodes, 1978-1979)

Also Known As:

The Paper Chase: The Fourth Year (USA) (new title)
The Paper Chase: The Graduation Year (USA) (new title)
The Paper Chase: The Second Year (USA) (new title)
The Paper Chase: The Third Year (USA) (new title)

Runtime:

60 min (57 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

20th Century Fox Television

Trivia:

The show lasted only one season on CBS, from 1978 to 1979, and was canceled because of low ratings. The cable channel Showtime revived the series in 1983, where it ran for three years without commercials and was a great success. John Houseman passed away a year after the series went off the air. The first season was released on DVD in April 2009, with Season 2 scheduled to follow in December.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Warrior of the Lost World (#6.1)" (1993)

Soundtrack:

First Years

A law school drama and a series dearly missed.

Overall it was consistently good. The early episode where Hart was shrouded was a very strong one and quite original. Dream sequences added a unique touch to numerous episodes. A number of stories stand out: saving Ernie's, The Day Kingsfield Missed Class, Scavenger Hunt, Moot Court and the Law Show. They are still a joy to watch. I have not seen anything close in years. Although scholastic to a degree it also had touches of humor. How could any one not enjoy the story of Bell's picture and being locked in the closet? The cast was a strong on with John Houseman being excellent. Thought of as a tyrant ('Your idol is just a mean old man') he let slip smiles, which gave glimpses into his inner soul. His effort in aiding the students save Ernie's was a wonderful thing to see. James Stephens was a great asset, but Bell, Ford among other characters were not only enjoyable but grew through the years. I taught for many years and in some ways the greatest compliment I ever had was hearing one student remark to a friend: "Another Kingsfield" With all the shows being restored it stuns me that the Paper Chase has not been re-released. The show spans generations too. I was surprised to find that my eleven-year-old loves the show possibly as much as my wife & myself.