Nothing Sacred (TV series)


Nothing Sacred is an American drama series that aired from 1997 to 1998 on ABC. The series was created by a Jesuit priest named Bill Cain and producer David Manson.

Synopsis

Nothing Sacred starred Kevin Anderson as a priest. It was criticized by some who saw its portrayal of church issues in the post Second Vatican Council era as favoring those with a more liberal view of the Council at the expense of those with a more conservative one. The show and its sponsors were targeted for boycotts by the Catholic League.
Despite promises that the show would air for at least one full season, after the failure of the program, ABC canceled its order for the final four episodes, and then canceled the series entirely after the March 14, 1998 episode.
The show won the Peabody Award, being described as "an honest portrayal of the complexity of faith in the modern era." It also won the 1998 Humanitas Prize for a sixty-minute television series as well as the Founder's Award from Viewers For Quality Television.

Cast

Production

It portrayed the administration of St. Thomas' church, a Roman Catholic parish in Chicago, Illinois. Exteriors were shot at in the Pico-Union district of Los Angeles, selected for its brick Gothic architecture. The sanctuary of Angelica was also used to represent the sanctuary of a fellow clergyman in one of the episodes.
Nothing Sacred premiered on September 18, 1997 at 8:00pm/7c on ABC.

Broadcast history

The Catholic League and Alan Keyes, on its board of advisors, specifically, declared the show in 1997 a "sacrilege" according to one commentator, who also quoted Keyes as calling it "propaganda dressed up as entertainment belief that there are no moral absolutes."

Awards and nominations