Rich Man Poor Man

Groundbreaking 70's mini-series

Rich Man, Poor Man was first aired in 1976 on ABC in one-hour episodes at 10:00pm ET/PT on Monday night for twelve weeks, beginning February 1. It was produced by Universal Television and was the first time programming of this nature had been attempted. It proved to be a critical and ratings success and was the forerunner for similar projects based on literary works, such as Roots and Brideshead Revisited.

Based on the best-selling 1970 novel by Irwin Shaw, it spanned the period from 1945 through the late 1960s and followed the divergent career courses of the impoverished immigrant Jordache brothers. Rudy was the rich man of the title, a well-educated and ambitious entrepreneur who triumphed over his background and constructed a corporate and political empire. Poor man Tom was a rebel who eventually turned to boxing to support himself. Axel and Mary were their parents, and Julie Prescott was Rudy's lifelong sweetheart who eventually married him.

Dean Riesner wrote all twelve episodes, and direction was shared by Bill Bixby (of Incredible Hulk fame), David Greene, and Boris Sagal. The musical score was composed by Alex North, who was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special.

It spawned the sequel Rich Man, Poor Man Book II, which aired from September 1976 through March 1977.

* Peter Strauss . . . Rudy Jordache
* Nick Nolte . . . Tom Jordache
* Susan Blakely . . . Julie Prescott
* Edward Asner . . . Axel Jordache
* Dorothy McGuire . . . Mary Jordache
* Robert Reed . . . Teddy Boylan
* Gloria Grahame . . . Sue Prescott
* Kim Darby . . . Virginia Calderwood
* Bill Bixby . . . Willie Abbott
* Fionnula Flanagan . . . Clothilde
* Tim McIntire . . . Brad Knight
* Ray Milland . . . Duncan Calderwood
* Lawrence Pressman . . . Bill Denton
* Talia Shire . . . Teresa Santoro
* Craig Stevens . . . Asher Berg
* Norman Fell . . . Smitty
* Lynda Day George . . . Linda Quales
* George Maharis . . . Joey Quales
* Murray Hamilton . . . Sid Gossett
* Van Johnson . . . Marsh Goodwin
* Dorothy Malone . . . Irene Goodwin
* Andrew Duggan . . . Col. Deiner
* Herbert Jefferson Jnr. . . . Roy Dwyer
* Kay Lenz . . . Kate Jordache
* Leigh McCloskey . . . Billy Abbott
* Gavan O'Herlihy . . . Phil McGee
* Josette Banzet . . . Miss Lenaut
* William Smith . . . Anthony Falconetti
* Dick Sargent . . . Eddie Heath
* Dennis Dugan . . . Claude Tinker
* Michael Morgan . . . Wesley Jordache