Introduction

Call to Glory is an American drama which was aired for 22 episodes during the 1984-1985 TV season on the ABC network.

The show focuses on US Air Force pilot Colonel Raynor Sarnac (Craig T. Nelson) and his family, living near Edwards Air Force Base, where Sarnac was stationed during the early 1960s.

Outline

Colonel Raynor Sarnac has to balance his family and his duty as head of a flight group facing the political tensions of the early 60’s. Actual historical events are part of various stories as are the activities of three active children.

Cast

• Craig T. Nelson as Colonel Raynor Sarnac.
• David Lain Baker as Tom Bonelli.
• Cindy Pickett as Vanessa Sarnac.
• Elisabeth Shue as Jackie Sarnac.
• Keenan Wynn as Carl Sarnac.
• David Hollander as Wesley Sarnac.
• Gabriel Damon as R.H. Sarnac.
• Thomas O’Brien as Patrick Thomas.

Production

Craig T. Nelson received familiarisation rides in USAF jets at Edwards Air Force Base during the filming of the series, including flights in the T-38 Talon, the F-4 Phantom II, and the F-16 Fighting Falcon. On one particular flight in the F-16, the aircraft suffered an electrical failure. Nelson and his pilot prepared to bail out, however, the pilot was able to safely land the aircraft.

Call to Glory was filmed in Texas at Laughlin Air Force Base in Val Verde County, near Del Rio.

Trivia

• Heavily promoted during ABC’s broadcast of the 1984 Summer Olympics, the pilot episode was aired 13 August 1984.
• The first episode is related to the U-2 flights over Cuba during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. During its production run, the show came to focus more on the loneliness experienced by wife Vanessa Sarnac (Cindy Pickett) while stationed on base and what she and the family would do to spend time in productive pursuits while enduring the Antelope Valley’s isolation from civilisation.
• The series also stars Elisabeth Shue in one of her early roles as the eldest Sarnac child, daughter Jackie.
• Also appearing in the series was David Lain Baker as Tom Bonelli; Baker would later become one of the judges on the competition show Forged in Fire.
• A clip from the series is shown in Star Trek: Enterprise: In a Mirror, Darkly (S04E18 & E19) (2005).

Call to Glory Series

• Episode 01: Pilot, Part 01.
• Episode 02, Pilot, Part 02.
• Episode 03: The Move.
• Episode 04: Blackbird.
• Episode 05: Paper Tiger.
• Episode 06: A Nation Divided.
• Episode 07: Go/No Go.
• Episode 08: Call It Courage.
• Episode 09: A Wind from the East.
• Episode 10: A Moment in the Sun.

• Episode 11: Cover Story.
• Episode 12: Realities.
• Episode 13: The Wake.
• Episode 14: Medals All of Brass.
• Episode 15: A Wind of Change.
• Episode 16: Give Unto Caesar.
• Episode 17: Moonchild.
• Episode 18: Images.
• Episode 19: Fathers and Sons.
• Episode 20: Just in Time.

• Episode 21: The JFK Years, Part 01.
• Episode 22: The JFK Years, Part 02.
• Episode 23: Fathers and Daughters (unaired).
• Episode 24: The End, The Beginning (unaired).

Production & Filming Detail

• Director(s):
  • Peter Levin … (5 episodes, 1984-1985).
  • Jon Avnet … (2 episodes, 1984-1985).
  • Ernest Pintoff … (2 episodes, 1984).
  • Peter Werner … (2 episodes, 1984).
  • Georg Stanford Brown … (1 episode, 1984).
  • Thomas Carter … (1 episode, 1984).
  • Richard Compton … (1 episode, 1984).
  • Martin Davidson … (1 episode, 1984).
  • Bill Duke … (1 episode, 1984).
  • Rick Hauser … (1 episode, 1984).
  • Gilbert Moses … (1 episode, 1984).
  • Rick Wallace … (1 episode, 1984).
  • Kevin Connor … (1 episode, 1985).
  • Craig T. Nelson … (1 episode, 1985).
  • Christian I. Nyby II … (1 episode, 1985).
• Producer(s):
  • Jon Avnet … executive producer (22 episodes, 1984-1985).
  • Steve Tisch … executive producer (22 episodes, 1984-1985).
  • Benjamin A. Weissman … associate producer (22 episodes, 1984-1985).
  • Carol Schreder … associate producer / producer (2 episodes, 1984).
  • David Nicksay … producer (1 episode, 1984).
  • James O’Fallon … associate producer (1 episode, 1984).
• Writer(s):
  • Ronald M. Cohen … (creator and writer) (23 episodes, 1984-1985).
  • Carol Schreder … (written by) (7 episodes, 1984-1985).
  • Brad Radnitz … (written by) (6 episodes, 1984-1985).
  • Josef Anderson … (writer and teleplay) (5 episodes, 1984-1985).
  • Jon Avnet … (story) (2 episodes, 1984-1985).
  • Robert Lewin … (written by) (2 episodes, 1984-1985).
  • David Chisholm … (written by) (1 episode, 1984).
  • Linda Elstad … (written by) (1 episode, 1984).
  • Diane English … (written by) (1 episode, 1984).
  • Larry Forrester … (written by) (1 episode, 1984).
  • Max Jack … (written by) (1 episode, 1984).
  • E. Jack Kaplan … (written by) (1 episode, 1984).
  • Robert Sabaroff … (written by) (1 episode, 1984).
  • Peter Silverman … (written by) (1 episode, 1985).
  • Rick Edelstein … (unknown episodes).
• Music:
  • Charles Gross … (3 episodes, 1984-1985).
  • Craig Safan … (1 episode, 1984).
  • Gary Anderson … (uncredited) (3 episodes, 1984-1985).
• Cinematography:
  • Chuck Arnold … (1 episode, 1984).
• Editor(s):
  • Peter E. Berger … (1 episode, 1984).
  • Greg Wong … (1 episode, 1984).
• Production:
  • Paramount Television.
• Distributor(s):
  • American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1984-1985) (USA) (TV).
  • Veronica Omroep Organisatie (Netherlands) (TV).
• Release Date: 13 August 1984 to 30 June 1985.
• Rating: Unknown.
• Running Time: 60 minutes (per episode).
• Country: US.
• Language: English.

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