Slattery's People 

Jim Slattery enters the state legislature, hopeful that he can make a difference. He finds dealing with endless rules and the majority opposition party frustrates any meaningful change but he stubbornly perseveres.

Creator:

James E. Moser

Stars:

Richard Crenna, Paul Geary, Tol Avery

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 7 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Richard Crenna	...	James Slattery 36 episodes, 1964-1965

Storyline

Jim Slattery enters the state legislature, hopeful that he can make a difference. He finds dealing with endless rules and the majority opposition party frustrates any meaningful change but he stubbornly perseveres.

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 September 1964 (USA)

Also Known As:

El congresista

Filming Locations:

Desilu Studios - 9336 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bing Crosby Productions, Pendick Enterprises, CBS Television Network

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min (36 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

During the first season, the title of all of the episodes began with the word "Question," followed by a colon and what could have been a proposition placed before the Legislature (as in the pilot episode, "Question: What is Truth?") This naming convention was dropped for the 10 episodes of the second season that were broadcast before the series was cancelled.

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Quotes

[opening narration]
Narrator: Democracy is a very bad form of government. But I ask you never to forget. All the others are so much worse.

User Reviews

Was I the only one to watch this programme?

By the mid-'60s I was a young "political junkie," so SLATTERY'S PEOPLE appealed to me. The grandeur of it all, you know.

Slattery was a legislative minority leader in an un-named state, and his "people" were the various sorts such a man would encounter, including -- a precocious note -- his girlfriend, a TV anchorwoman. There was nothing spectacular about this series, nor could any of its characters achieve a "following," all of which no doubt contributed to its quiet demise. To be fair, however, every episode involved a bona fide public issue important then and even now. One story was about wiretapping, another was cancellation of commuter train service.

In an interview a few years later, Crenna opined that SLATTERY'S may have been ahead of its time. Things would have to wait until the late 1960s and the blooming of "social conscience" and "getting involved." The fate of this programme probably influenced another proposal's stillbirth, I believe called THE POWER. Raymond Burr was to be a state governor, but he soon found gainful employment regardless.

In its humble way, SLATTERY'S PEOPLE foreshadowed the much celebrated WEST WING: Important people with the subliminal civics lesson. It is too bad the viewing audience was not ready for some low-key political drama.