Tanner '88 

A behind-the-scenes look at a former Michigan U.S. Representative's campaign as he vies for his party's Presidential nomination.

Stars:

Michael Murphy, Pamela Reed, Daniel Jenkins

Won 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 3 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Michael Murphy	...	Jack Tanner 11 episodes, 1988
Pamela Reed	...	T.J. Cavanaugh 11 episodes, 1988
Daniel Jenkins	...	Stringer Kincaid 11 episodes, 1988
Matt Malloy	...	Deke Connors 11 episodes, 1988
Ilana Levine	...	Andrea Spinelli 11 episodes, 1988
Cynthia Nixon	...	Alex Tanner 10 episodes, 1988
Jim Fyfe	...	Emile Berkoff 10 episodes, 1988
Veronica Cartwright	...	Molly Hark 10 episodes, 1988
Frank Barhydt	...	Frank Gatling 9 episodes, 1988
Sandra Bowie	...	Stevie Chevalier 8 episodes, 1988
Wendy Crewson	...	Joanna Buckley 8 episodes, 1988
Kevin J. O'Connor	...	Hayes Taggerty 7 episodes, 1988
Richard Cox	...	David Seidelman 7 episodes, 1988
Greg Procaccino	...	Barney Kittman 7 episodes, 1988

Storyline

A behind-the-scenes look at a former Michigan U.S. Representative's campaign as he vies for his party's Presidential nomination.

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Plot Keywords:

multiple cameos | tv mini series | year in title | democratic party | democratic national convention | 

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Taglines:

For real.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Criterion Collection

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 February 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

Tanner '88

Company Credits

Production Co:

Home Box Office (HBO)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

353 min (11 parts) 300 min (10 parts)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Garry Trudeau came up with the idea to cast Michael Murphy to play Jack Tanner.

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Quotes

Jack Tanner: [writing in his diary] March 11, 1988. I've spent the day talking with contributors. Even after a year of such calls, it still amazes me how many ordinary citizens feel strongly enough about an election's outcome to give. Their faith lends much dignity to the whole process by which we choose our country's ...
[Alex knocks]
Alex Tanner: Dad? USA Today is on the other line. They want to know, if you were a fruit or a vegetable, which one would you be?

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Alternate Versions

As a prelude to the first screening of the sequel _"Tanner on Tanner" (2004) (mini)_, the original mini-series was shown again on the Sundance Channel (in the US) and BBC 4 (in the UK). The re-release was subtitled "Once More in '04", and each episode was preceded by a newly filmed introduction, in which one of the main characters talks to camera about their memories of the '88 campaign, 16 years on.

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Best Mockumentary TV Shows (2018)

User Reviews

A wise and funny commentary on American politics.

A long-time Altman fan, I rented the video of Tanner 88 just in time for the final days of the 2000 election. In fact, on election night, I was flipping back and forth between Altman's clever take on presidential politics and the "real" thing, and I can tell you, Tanner 88 was much better television.

The mini-series of 10 half-hour episodes is available on three VHS tapes.

It was excellent, overall. Especially good was the way it punctured so many of the hot-air balloons and pretensions of American politics, but clearly sympathized with the people who want to believe in it. We see a liberal Democratic candidate, Jack Tanner, played skillfully by Michael Murphy, go through a campaign from the New Hampshire primary to the end of the convention. Typical of the series, Tanner is on the one hand shallow and full of empty rhetoric, while also sincere, idealistic and sometimes inspiring. Tanner's campaign manager, a woman, is also extremely smart, more than a little cynical, but capable of being inspired by her candidate whose weaknesses she knows very well. The first half of the series, which takes place in New Hampshire, is extremely funny, especially in showing how the citizens there have become inured to the hoopla of the candidates and the media. Also outstanding in this series is the way the working press is portrayed as part of the life of the campaign--these are real people, not just role players. The last two episodes, at the convention, lack the bite of the first five or or six, and could be skipped without losing much.