Nakia (TV series)

Last updated
Nakia
Nakia title card.JPG
Nakia title card
Genre Police drama
Created byMichael Butler
Christopher Trumbo
Developed bySy Salkowitz
Starring Robert Forster
Composer Leonard Rosenman
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13 + pilot
Production
Executive producer Charles Larson
Running time60 minutes
Production companiesDavid Gerber Productions
Columbia Pictures Television
Original release
Network ABC
ReleaseSeptember 21 (1974-09-21) 
December 28, 1974 (1974-12-28)
A promotional photo of Robert Forster as Deputy Nakia Parker in Nakia Robert Forster as Nakia Parker.JPG
A promotional photo of Robert Forster as Deputy Nakia Parker in Nakia

Nakia is an American drama series starring Robert Forster as the title character, a Navajo Native American police officer in New Mexico. Forster, who previously played the title character in the detective show Banyon , was an actor of European descent. Nakia aired from September 21 to December 28, 1974. [1] [2]

Contents

Nakia's pilot was the made-for-television movie Nakia, which was broadcast on April 17, 1974.

Cast

Synopsis

Nakia Parker is a full-blooded Navajo in his mid-30s who is a deputy sheriff in the fictional town of Concord in fictional Davis County in 1974 New Mexico. In the sheriff's department, he works for Sheriff Sam Jericho, as does fellow deputy sheriff Hubbel Martin and the office secretary, Irene James. Ben Redearth is a Native American friend of Nakia's, [1] [2] [3] and Half Cub is Nakia's 12-year-old nephew.

Nakia is often torn between ancient tribal customs and the use of modern police methods. Rather than use a police car, he alternates between driving a pickup truck and riding a horse while investigating cases. [2] Sometimes inscrutable and prone to voicing tribal proverbs, Nakia is deeply committed to protecting his fellow Native Americans from injustice, and at times this leads to opposition from his more narrow-minded white neighbors – including Sheriff Jericho. [4]

Production

Michael Butler and Christopher Trumbo created Nakia, and Charles Larson was its executive producer. [1] Episode directors included Nicholas Colasanto, Alvin Ganzer, Leonard Horn, and Alexander Singer, and episode producers included Larson, David Gerber, Peter Katz, Ernest A. Losso, and George Sunga. Butler, Larson, and Trumbo all wrote for the show, as did Sy Salkowitz, Jim Byrnes, Mark Saha, Phyllis White, and Robert White.[ citation needed ]

Nakia, a rarity among American television series in its attempt to depict the challenges of modern-day Native Americans, [4] was filmed largely on location in and around Albuquerque, New Mexico. [1] [2]

Broadcast history

The pilot for the series aired on ABC as the made-for-television movie Nakia on April 17, 1974. [5] Nakia premiered as a weekly ABC series on September 21, 1974. In addition to the pilot, thirteen episodes aired before the show, with low ratings in the face of tough competition in its time slot from CBS 's The Carol Burnett Show , [5] was cancelled after the broadcast of December 28, 1974. [1] [2] The show aired at 10:00 p.m. on Saturday throughout its run. [1] [2]

Episodes

Sources [3] [4] [5] [6]

No. Title Directed by Written by Original air date
TV–Movie"Nakia"UnknownUnknownApril 17, 1974 (1974-04-17)
Nakia is caught in the middle of a community dispute when the Concord city council decides to sell an historic mission to a housing developer and the tribe tries to save it. Linda Evans and George Nader guest-star.
1"The Non-Person"UnknownUnknownSeptember 21, 1974 (1974-09-21)
A dark-skinned young Native American man wearing squeaky shoes, George Two Horses, argues with a stereo store owner who refuses to extend him credit to buy a radio. Later that day, the store owner confronts a dark-skinned burglar wearing squeaky shoes who is trying to steal the same radio, and the burglar fatally injures him. When the police attempt to question Two Horses, he flees, and when he is captured he is found to have dried blood on his shirt. Despite the opposition of townspeople and the skepticism of Sheriff Jericho, Nakia believes that Two Horses is innocent and tries to help clear him of the murder charge. A Martinez guest-stars.
2"The Quarry"UnknownUnknownSeptember 28, 1974 (1974-09-28)
Nakia investigates how a once kind and loving father became a murderous wild man.
3"The Sand Trap"UnknownTim KellyOctober 5, 1974 (1974-10-05)
Nakia investigates the murder of a country boy who married into high society, and his widow is the leading suspect. Jo Ann Harris and Mariana Hill guest-star.
4"The Hostage"UnknownUnknownOctober 12, 1974 (1974-10-12)
A tough bank robber takes a young mentally disabled woman hostage, and an unlikely bond develops between them. David Huffman, Kay Lenz, Jeanne Stein and Emmett S. Robbins guest-star.
5"No Place to Hide"Nicholas ColasantoJim ByrnesOctober 19, 1974 (1974-10-19)
A new resident of Concord is being hunted by his former colleagues in organized crime. Gabe Dell, Ray Danton and Gwen Van Dam guest-star.
6"A Beginning in the Wilderness"UnknownMort FineOctober 26, 1974 (1974-10-26)
Nakia tries to save a kidnapped boy.
7"The Driver"UnknownUnknownNovember 2, 1974 (1974-11-02)
Nakia is concerned that a naive young man is unwittingly becoming involved in criminal activities.
8"The Moving Target"UnknownUnknownNovember 9, 1974 (1974-11-09)
Nakia fears that an old friend may be the prospective target of a sharpshooter's revenge.
9"The Dream"UnknownUnknownNovember 23, 1974 (1974-11-23)
A student who is now the main suspect in a series of crimes plans to kill a Native American doctor who committed him to psychiatric treatment years earlier.
10"Roots of Anger"UnknownUnknownNovember 30, 1974 (1974-11-30)
A fight breaks out in Jackie's, a local bar, and Nakia subdues a local troublemaker during the brawl by knocking him out. The man is found dead the next day, and Nakia is in danger of facing murder charges. Forced to clear his name, he investigates the man's death and finds that the man's teenaged brother murdered him after a disagreement. Guest star Lynda Carter made her acting debut in this episode. Pernell Roberts and Barbara Rhoades also guest-star.
11"A Matter of Choice"UnknownUnknownDecember 7, 1974 (1974-12-07)
A deputy intensifies his crusade to arrest drug dealers after an informant disappears. Charles Aidman, Pat Carroll and Farley Granger guest-star.
12"Pete"UnknownUnknownDecember 21, 1974 (1974-12-21)
Nakia ignores standard police procedures to deal with a couple on a robbery spree. Guest stars: Johnny Doran, George Maharis and Shirley Knight
13"The Fire Dancer"UnknownUnknownDecember 28, 1974 (1974-12-28)
Ben Redearth insists on undergoing a Native American traditional cure after a bear claws him. Guest stars: Anthony Caruso and Burr Smidt

Related Research Articles

A television pilot in United Kingdom and United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other distributor. A pilot is created to be a testing ground to gauge whether a series will be successful. It is, therefore, a test episode for the intended television series, an early step in the series development, much like pilot studies serve as precursors to the start of larger activity.

Reno 911! is an American comedy television series created by Robert Ben Garant, Thomas Lennon and Kerri Kenney-Silver for Comedy Central. It is a mockumentary-style parody of law enforcement documentary shows, specifically Cops, with comic actors playing the police officers. Lennon, Garant and Kenney-Silver all starred in and are billed as creators of the series.

<i>B. J. and the Bear</i> Television series

B. J. and the Bear was an American action comedy television series which aired on NBC from February 10, 1979, to May 9, 1981. Created by Glen A. Larson and Christopher Crowe, the series starred Greg Evigan. The series was produced when the CB radio and trucking craze had peaked in the United States, following the 1974–1976 television series Movin' On, the number one song "Convoy" (1975) by C. W. McCall, as well as the films White Line Fever (1975), Smokey and the Bandit (1977), Convoy (1978), and Every Which Way but Loose (1978).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Forster</span> American actor (1941–2019)

Robert Wallace Foster Jr., known professionally as Robert Forster, was an American actor, known for his roles as John Cassellis in Medium Cool (1969), Captain Dan Holland in The Black Hole (1979), Abdul Rafai in The Delta Force (1986), and Max Cherry in Jackie Brown (1997), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

<i>Galactica 1980</i> American sci-fi TV series (1980)

Galactica 1980 is an American science fiction television series and a spin-off from the original Battlestar Galactica television series. It was first broadcast on ABC in the United States from January 27 to May 4, 1980, lasting for 10 episodes.

Adolfo Larrue Martínez III, credited as A Martinez, is an American actor and singer. He had roles in the daytime soap operas Santa Barbara, General Hospital, One Life to Live, The Bold and the Beautiful, and Days of Our Lives, and the primetime dramas L.A. Law, Profiler, Longmire and Dark Winds. His feature films include The Cowboys (1972), Powwow Highway (1989), Curse of Chucky (2013), Ambulance (2022) and Far Haven (2023).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Susan Oliver</span> American actress, author and aviator (1932–1990)

Susan Oliver was an American actress, television director, aviator, and author.

<i>240-Robert</i> American TV series or program

240-Robert is an American drama television series that ran on ABC from August 28, 1979, to March 21, 1981. The series title is a reference to the call-sign designation for the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department's search and rescue/paramedic teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward Binns</span> American actor (1916–1990)

Edward Binns was an American actor. He had a wide-spanning career in film and television, often portraying competent, hard working and purposeful characters in his various roles. He is best known for his work in such acclaimed films as 12 Angry Men (1957), North by Northwest (1959), Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), Fail Safe (1964), The Americanization of Emily (1964), Patton (1970) and The Verdict (1982).

<i>The Rebel</i> (American TV series) Western television series

The Rebel is a 76-episode American Western television series starring Nick Adams that ran on the ABC network from 1959 to 1961. The Rebel was one of the few Goodson-Todman Productions outside of their game show ventures.

<i>Jericho</i> (2006 TV series) American television series

Jericho is an American post-apocalyptic action drama television series, which centers on the residents of the fictional city of Jericho, Kansas, in the aftermath of a nuclear attack on 23 major cities in the contiguous United States. It was produced by CBS Paramount Network Television and Junction Entertainment, with executive producers Jon Turteltaub, Stephen Chbosky, and Carol Barbee. It was shown in more than 30 countries.

Charles Larson was a writer and producer of television programs. He was born in Portland, Oregon, USA.

<i>Cades County</i> Television series

Cade's County is a modern-day Western/crime drama which aired Sundays at 9:30 pm (EST) on CBS during the 1971–1972 television season. There were 24 episodes.

John McNamara is an American writer, producer, showrunner and television creator. He attended East Grand Rapids High School located in Michigan and attended the University of Michigan and New York University. While at NYU, he wrote two children's books published by Delacorte Press and a teleplay for the CBS Afternoon Playhouse.

The Manhunter is an American crime drama that was part of CBS' lineup for the 1974–1975 television season. The series was produced by Quinn Martin and starred Ken Howard as Dave Barret, a 1930s-era private investigator from Idaho.

<i>Code of Vengeance</i> American television program (1985)

Code of Vengeance is the umbrella title for a series of American television programs, produced by Universal Television, that aired on NBC in 1985 and 1986. Charles Taylor stars as David Dalton, a Vietnam veteran who has become a drifter, travelling across the United States in a camper van with only his dog for company. Dalton gets involved in the personal lives of the people he meets and uses his fighting skills to help them win justice.

<i>State Trooper</i> (TV series) American crime drama

State Trooper is an American crime drama set in the American West of the 1950s, starring Rod Cameron as Lt. Rod Blake, an officer and chief investigator of the Nevada Department of Public Safety. The series aired 104 episodes in syndication from 1956 to 1959.

Christopher Trumbo was an American television writer, screenwriter and playwright. Trumbo was considered an expert on the McCarthy-era Hollywood blacklist. His father, screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, was blacklisted by Hollywood for nearly a decade for refusing to testify to Congress, as one of a group known as The Hollywood Ten.

<i>Dark Winds</i> 2022 American psychological thriller television series

Dark Winds is an American psychological thriller television series created by Graham Roland based on the Leaphorn & Chee novel series by Tony Hillerman. It premiered on AMC and AMC+ on June 12, 2022, with the first season consisting of six episodes. After its premiere, the series was renewed for a six-episode second season, which premiered on July 30, 2023. In September 2023, the series was renewed for a third season.

Just for Laughs is an American anthology television series that aired on ABC in the summer of 1974. The 30-minute episodes consisted of unsold television pilots for situation comedies.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 McNeil, Alex, Total Television: The Comprehensive Guide to Programming From 1948 to the Present, New York: Penguin Books, 1996, p. 588.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946–Present (9 ed.). New York: Random House Publishing. p. 957. ISBN   978-0-345-49773-4 . Retrieved 2024-07-01.
  3. 1 2 "TV ACRES: Westerns > NAKIA – starring Robert Forster". Archived from the original on 5 September 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 "The Rap Sheet: Killed in the Ratings: "Nakia"". 13 September 2010. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 "Fall 1974: ABC – Television Obscurities". Television Obscurities. 12 March 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  6. "Nakia". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 28 December 2015.