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I'll Fly Away

I'll Fly Away

In a Time of Change, Some Values Never Go Out Of Style.

19917.43 Seasons39 EpisodesEnded

Overview

I'll Fly Away is an American drama television series set during the late 1950s and early 1960s, in an unspecified Southern U.S. state. It aired on NBC from 1991 to 1993 and starred Regina Taylor as Lilly Harper, a black housekeeper for the family of district attorney Forrest Bedford, whose name is an ironic reference to Nathan Bedford Forrest, the founder of the Ku Klux Klan. As the show progressed, Lilly became increasingly involved in the Civil Rights Movement, with events eventually drawing in Forrest as well. I'll Fly Away won two 1992 Emmy Awards, and 23 nominations in total. It won three Humanitas Prizes, two Golden Globe Awards, two NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Drama Series, and a Peabody Award. However, the series was never a ratings blockbuster, and it was canceled by NBC in 1993, despite widespread protests by critics and viewer organizations. After the program's cancellation, a two-hour movie, I'll Fly Away: Then and Now, was produced, in order to resolve dangling storylines from Season 2, and provide the series with a true finale. The movie aired on October 11, 1993 on PBS. Its major storyline closely paralleled the true story of the 1955 murder of Emmett Till in Money, Mississippi. Thereafter, PBS began airing repeats of the original episodes, ceasing after one complete showing of the entire series.

Created by David Chase
Produced by Henry Bromell, John Forrest Niss, Ian Sander
NetworksNBC

Top Cast

Sam Waterston

Sam Waterston

Forrest Bedford

Regina Taylor

Regina Taylor

Lilly Harper

Jeremy London

Jeremy London

Nathaniel 'Nathan' Bedford

Ashlee Levitch

Ashlee Levitch

Francie Bedford

J

John Aaron Bennett

John Morgan Bedford

P

Peter Simmons

Paul Slocum

Kathryn Harrold

Kathryn Harrold

Christina LeKatzis

Bill Cobbs

Bill Cobbs

Lewis Coleman

Mary Alice

Mary Alice

Marguerite Peck

R

Rae'Ven Larrymore Kelly

Adlaine Harper

Themes & Keywords

southern usacivil rightsracismperiod dramahousekeeperdistrict attorney1950sdomestic worker

About I'll Fly Away

I'll Fly Away is a drama series that first aired in 1991 exploring themes of southern usa, civil rights, racism, period drama, housekeeper, district attorney. Created by David Chase, it stars Sam Waterston, Regina Taylor, Jeremy London. I'll Fly Away is an American drama television series set during the late 1950s and early 1960s, in an unspecified Southern U.S. state. It aired on NBC from 1991 to 1993 and starred Regina Taylor as Lilly Harper, a black housekeeper for the family of district attorney Forrest Bedford, whose name is an ironic reference to Nathan Bedford Forrest, the founder of the Ku Klux Klan. As the show progressed, Lilly became increasingly involved in the Civil Rights Movement, with events eventually drawing in Forrest as well. I'll Fly Away won two 1992 Emmy Awards, and 23 nominations in total. It won three Humanitas Prizes, two Golden Globe Awards, two NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Drama Series, and a Peabody Award. However, the series was never a ratings blockbuster, and it was canceled by NBC in 1993, despite widespread protests by critics and viewer organizations. After the program's cancellation, a two-hour movie, I'll Fly Away: Then and Now, was produced, in order to resolve dangling storylines from Season 2, and provide the series with a true finale. The movie aired on October 11, 1993 on PBS. Its major storyline closely paralleled the true story of the 1955 murder of Emmett Till in Money, Mississippi. Thereafter, PBS began airing repeats of the original episodes, ceasing after one complete showing of the entire series.

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