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Firing Line

  • TV Series
  • 1966–20201966–2020
  • 2h
IMDb RATING
8.2/10
124
YOUR RATING
Episode guide
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Margaret Hoover in Firing Line (1966)
Talk-Show

A debate program hosted by conservative pundit William F. Buckley who verbally sparred with many notable figures of the 20th century.A debate program hosted by conservative pundit William F. Buckley who verbally sparred with many notable figures of the 20th century.A debate program hosted by conservative pundit William F. Buckley who verbally sparred with many notable figures of the 20th century.

IMDb RATING
8.2/10
124
YOUR RATING
  • Stars
    • William F. Buckley
    • Margaret Hoover
    • Michael Kinsley
Top credits
  • Stars
    • William F. Buckley
    • Margaret Hoover
    • Michael Kinsley
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 4User reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See production, box office & company info
    • Won 1 Primetime Emmy
      • 1 win total

    Episodes306

    Browse episodes
    TopTop-rated

    Photos19

    William F. Buckley and Barry Goldwater in Firing Line (1966)
    William F. Buckley in Firing Line (1966)
    William F. Buckley in Firing Line (1966)
    William F. Buckley and Timothy Leary in Firing Line (1966)
    William F. Buckley in Firing Line (1966)
    William F. Buckley and Norman Mailer in Firing Line (1966)
    William F. Buckley in Firing Line (1966)
    William F. Buckley and Jesse Jackson in Firing Line (1966)
    Muhammad Ali and William F. Buckley in Firing Line (1966)
    William F. Buckley in Firing Line (1966)
    Firing Line (1966)
    William F. Buckley and Malcolm Muggeridge in Firing Line (1966)

    Top cast

    Edit
    William F. Buckley
    William F. Buckley
    • Self - Hostas Self - Host…
    192 episodes192 eps • 1966–1999
    Margaret Hoover
    • Selfas Self…
    97 episodes97 eps • 2018–2020
    Michael Kinsley
    Michael Kinsley
    • Self - Moderatoras Self - Moderator…
    16 episodes16 eps • 1983–1997
    Jeff Greenfield
    Jeff Greenfield
    • Self - Panelistas Self - Panelist…
    16 episodes16 eps • 1968–1986
    C. Dickerman Williams
    • Self - Moderatoras Self - Moderator…
    13 episodes13 eps • 1967–1968
    John Scott
    • Self - Moderatoras Self - Moderator…
    12 episodes12 eps • 1966–1967
    Lester Smith
    • Self - Moderatoras Self - Moderator…
    8 episodes8 eps • 1966–1967
    Mark Green
    • Self - Panelistas Self - Panelist…
    6 episodes6 eps • 1981–1996
    Malcolm Muggeridge
    Malcolm Muggeridge
    • Self - Guestas Self - Guest
    4 episodes4 eps • 1968–1980
    Henry Kissinger
    Henry Kissinger
    • Self - For the Affirmativeas Self - For the Affirmative…
    4 episodes4 eps • 1986–1997
    Ira Glasser
    Ira Glasser
    • Self - For the Affirmativeas Self - For the Affirmative…
    4 episodes4 eps • 1990–1996
    Ronald Reagan
    Ronald Reagan
    • Self - Guestas Self - Guest…
    4 episodes4 eps • 1967–1991
    Mortimer J. Adler
    • Self - Guestas Self - Guest
    3 episodes3 eps • 1970–1992
    Tom Wolfe
    Tom Wolfe
    • Self - Guestas Self - Guest…
    3 episodes3 eps • 1970–1986
    Harry Hennessy
    • Self - Moderatoras Self - Moderator
    3 episodes3 eps • 1966
    Roy M. Cohn
    Roy M. Cohn
    • Selfas Self…
    3 episodes3 eps • 1976–1981
    Ernest Van den Haag
    • Self - Examineras Self - Examiner…
    3 episodes3 eps • 1981–1982
    Arianna Huffington
    Arianna Huffington
    • Self - For the Affirmativeas Self - For the Affirmative…
    3 episodes3 eps • 1996–1997
    • All cast & crew
    See production, box office, & company info

    Storyline

    Edit
    Spanning thirty-three years and 1,504 episodes, "Firing Line" was originally a one-hour debate program (later reduced to a half-hour) hosted by political commentator William F. Buckley. An eloquent interviewer and a formidable debater, Buckley verbally sparred on "Firing Line" with many notable figures in the latter half of the twentieth century. His guests included future U.S. presidents such as Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, venerated writers such as Tom Wolfe and Jack Kerouac, and political intellectuals such as Barry Goldwater and Noam Chomsky. One of the longest-running shows in television history, "Firing Line" garnered an Emmy Award in 1969. —Anonymous
    republicandebatepublic moralitypolitical commentaryconservative8 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Genre
      • Talk-Show
    • Parents guide
      • Add content advisory

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      In order to interview television guests for Firing Line, William F. Buckley was compelled by law to join the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), an American labor union. As an anti-union conservative, Buckley abhorred his SAG membership. In 1974, Buckley legally challenged the SAG's union requirements for news broadcasters such as himself. His challenge failed, and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review the case.
    • Connections
      Featured in Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia (2013)

    User reviews4

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    Come back Firing Line!
    Firing Line was the very height of political television. Even if it was the den of supremely evil b*tch William F Buckley. As supremely evil b*tches go, he was still fiercely intelligent. Buckley was a conservative whom modern conservatives don't deserve to share the category with. This is the first place I ever saw Susan Estrich and Mike Kinsey unzip their voluptuous intelligence. The show is missed very much. No one deals with thought and content in politics anymore. It may have been the most important "weekly anything" ever to air on TV. This was intelligence that hit you right in the seat of the pants. Come back FL! Rescue us from the utter morons who talk politics, run for office and vote in this most pathetic of pathetic eras.
    helpful•3
    5
    • onepotato2
    • Sep 8, 2008

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 30, 1966 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official page
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Filming locations
      • WOR-TV - 1440 Broadway, New York City, New York, USA
    • Production companies
      • Community Television of Southern California
      • RKO General
      • WNET/13
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 2h
    • Sound mix
      • Mono

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