The Adams Chronicles


The Adams Chronicles is a thirteen-episode miniseries by PBS that aired in 1976 to commemorate the American Bicentennial.

Synopsis

The series chronicles the story of the Adams political family over a 150-year span, including John Adams, his wife Abigail Adams, his son John Quincy Adams, grandson Charles Francis Adams, congressman and ambassador to Great Britain during the Civil War, and much-heralded members of the fourth generation Henry Brooks Adams, the historian and author of the novel , and Charles Francis Adams II, the industrialist.
The most prominent role in the series is John Adams, played by George Grizzard. His views dominate the series even after his death, on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the passage of the United States Declaration of Independence. As a result of his achievements during the revolution, and afterwards as vice president and president, subsequent Adams generations have a hard time dealing with this legacy of public service and accomplishment and frequently wonder if they are measuring up to their distinguished ancestry. In the end, the members of the fourth generation feel that the time in which the Adams family can play a prominent role in the affairs of the nation has passed.

Episode list

Chapter I: John Adams, Lawyer
Chapter II: John Adams, Revolutionary
Chapter III: John Adams, Diplomat
Chapter IV: John Adams, Minister to Great Britain
Chapter V: John Adams, Vice President
Chapter VI: John Adams, President
Chapter VII: John Quincy Adams, Diplomat
Chapter VIII: John Quincy Adams, Secretary of State
Chapter IX: John Quincy Adams, President
Chapter X: John Quincy Adams, Congressman
Chapter XI: Charles Francis Adams, Minister to Great Britain
Chapter XII: Henry Adams, Historian
Chapter XIII: Charles Francis Adams II, Industrialist

Cast

;Adams family
;U.S. politicians
;British dignitaries, politicians, others
;Foreign dignitaries, politicians, others
;Other Americans
The Adams Chronicles won a number of Emmy Awards for television excellence. These included:
Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design for a Drama or Comedy Series – 1977
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Alvin Colt, Costume Designer
Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Direction – 1977
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – William C. Knight, Lighting Director; George Riesenberger, Lighting Director
Outstanding Achievement in Tape Sound Mixing – 1977
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Emil Neroda, Sound Mixer
Outstanding Art Direction or Scenic Design for a Drama Series – 1977
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Ed Wittstein, Production Designer
Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series – 1977
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Fred Coe, Director
Outstanding Limited Series – 1977
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – James Cellan-Jones, Producer; Fred Coe, Producer; Robert Costello, Coordinating Producer; Virginia Kassel, Series Producer; Jac Venza, Executive Producer
Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series – 1977
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Tad Mosel, Writer
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Roger O. Hirson, Writer
Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction or Scenic Design – 1976
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Ed Wittstein, Art Director
Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design for a Drama Series – 1976
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Alvin Colt, Costume Designer
Outstanding Achievement in Graphic Design and Title – 1976
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Girish Bhargava, Graphic Design; Bill Mandel, Graphic Design
Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Direction – 1976
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Billy Knight, Lighting Director; Dick Weiss, Lighting Director
Outstanding Achievement in Technical Direction – 1976
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Leonard Chumbley, Technical Director; Walter Edel, Cameraman; John Feher, Cameraman; Steve Zink, Cameraman
Outstanding Achievement in Video Tape Editing for a Series – 1976
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Girish Bhargava, Editor; Manford Schorn, Editor
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series – 1976
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – George Grizzard
Outstanding Lead Actress for a Single Performance – 1976
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Kathryn Walker
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Pamela Payton-Wright
Outstanding Limited Series – 1976
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Paul Bogart, Producer; Fred Coe, Producer; Robert Costello, Producer; James Cellan Jones, Producer; Virginia Kassel, Series Producer; Jac Venza, Executive Producer
Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series – 1976
The Adams Chronicles – PBS – Sherman Yellen, Writer

Pronunciation note

The series uses the historically correct pronunciation for Quincy, rather than the more common.

DVD release

The Adams Chronicles series was released on DVD by Acorn Media on May 13, 2008.