I'll Fly Away (1991–1993)

Forrest Bedford is a Southern lawyer in the late 1950s, generally content with his privileged life. But the winds of change are blowing, and he becomes increasingly involved with civil ... See full summary »

Creators:

Joshua Brand, John Falsey

Stars:

Sam Waterston, Regina Taylor, Jeremy London

Won 2 Golden Globes. Another 26 wins & 32 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Sam Waterston	...	Forrest Bedford (38 episodes, 1991-1993)
Regina Taylor	...	Lilly Harper (38 episodes, 1991-1993)
Jeremy London	...	Nathaniel 'Nathan' Bedford (38 episodes, 1991-1993)
Ashlee Levitch	...	Francie Bedford (38 episodes, 1991-1993)
John Aaron Bennett	...	John Morgan Bedford (38 episodes, 1991-1993)
Kathryn Harrold	...	Christina LeKatzis (38 episodes, 1991-1993)
Peter Simmons	...	Paul Slocum (36 episodes, 1991-1993)
Rae'Ven Larrymore Kelly	...	Adlaine Harper (19 episodes, 1991-1993)

Storyline

Forrest Bedford is a Southern lawyer in the late 1950s, generally content with his privileged life. But the winds of change are blowing, and he becomes increasingly involved with civil rights cases. Mean- while, Lilly Harper, who cares for his children, is on her own journey of political and personal awareness.

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Plot Keywords:

children | civil rights | lawyer | 1950s | little boy | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 October 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

Io volerò via

Filming Locations:

Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Brand/Falsey Productions, Lorimar Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Forrest Bedford and Nathan Bedford are both named for Nathan Bedford Forrest, a Confederate officer and founding member of the Ku Klux Klan. The housekeeper Lily Harper is named for Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird. The latter was a major inspiration for the series, as the creators thought it would be interesting to explore the life of Atticus Finch's housekeeper Calpurnia outside of the Finch household.

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Quotes

[Francie and John Morgan are fighting in the back seat]
D.A. Forrest Bedford: If I have to stop this car somebody's going to regret it!

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Connections

Followed by I'll Fly Away: Then and Now (1993)

User Reviews

This was truly television's finest hour...what a pity it is no longer with us!

Television is often considered a medium that suffices to showcase actors and actresses who can not make it on the big screen and/or after they have seen their hey-day! Not so with the cast of I'll Fly Away, whose brilliant characterizations brought to life a time when change was coming for the better, but with it a whirlwind of emotions that swept up its populace in a way in which no other time has done since. The beautifully painted portraits were a study the human condition, from Forrest to Lily, and down thru the ranks of the Bedford children. To the great discredit of television, this series was cancelled when there was so much that was important left to say! This was a landmark series that should be brought to viewers on DVD if for no other reason than to afford it another opportunity to speak its solid values to those who have never seen it, and speak them again to those of us anxious to re-hear!~