The Nightmare Years

Last updated
The Nightmare Years
Genre Docudrama
Based onThe Nightmare Years
by William L. Shirer
Screenplay by Ian Curteis
Story by Christian Williams
Bob Woodward
Directed by Anthony Page
Starring Sam Waterston
Marthe Keller
Kurtwood Smith
Composer Vladimir Cosma
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes4 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersBoudjemaa Dahmane
Jacques Méthé
Gerald Rafshoon
ProducerGraham Ford
Production locations Budapest, Hungary
Cinematography Ernest Vincze
EditorKeith Palmer
Running time400 minutes
Production companiesConsolidated Productions
Finnegan/Pinchuk Productions
Rafshoon Communications
Budget$12 million
Release
Original network Turner Network Television
Original releaseSeptember 17 (1989-09-17) 
September 20, 1989 (1989-09-20)

The Nightmare Years is a book by William L. Shirer, recounting his pre-WW2 years as a journalist in Nazi Germany. [1]

Contents

It is also a 1989 American television miniseries directed by Anthony Page. It stars Sam Waterston as Shirer, the American reporter who was stationed in Nazi Germany in the 1930s. The supporting cast consists of Marthe Keller, Kurtwood Smith, Ronald Pickup, Peter Jeffrey, Walter Gotell and Garrick Hagon.

The miniseries premiered on Turner Network Television on September 17, 1989 as a four-part miniseries and was later released on VHS. As of 2014, there are some limited versions of the series on DVD.

Cast

Production

Principal photography took place in Budapest, Hungary. [2] The production budget of the miniseries cost $12 million, of which TNT bought the television rights for $3 million. [3]

Episodes

No. Title Directed by Written by Original air date U.S. viewers
(millions)
1"Part 1" Anthony Page Ian Curteis September 17, 1989 (1989-09-17)Unknown
2"Part 2"Anthony PageIan CurteisSeptember 18, 1989 (1989-09-18)Unknown
3"Part 3"Anthony PageIan CurteisSeptember 19, 1989 (1989-09-19)Unknown
4"Part 4"Anthony PageIan CurteisSeptember 20, 1989 (1989-09-20)Unknown

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References

  1. The Nightmare Years 1930-1940. January 1984.
  2. Ladd, Patty (September 16, 1989). "TNT's first dramatic miniseries looks at pre-war Germany". Eugene Register-Guard (The Register-Guard). Retrieved February 3, 2016.
  3. Salmas, Eileen Becker (August 15, 1989). "International co-productions: co-productions not only enable cable networks to amass more production money, they also enable creative collaboration. (includes related articles)" . Cable Television Business. HighBeam Research. Retrieved February 3, 2016.[ dead link ]