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Contents

   



(Top)
 


1 Synopsis  





2 Cast  



2.1  Recurring  





2.2  Guest stars  







3 Episodes  



3.1  Season 1: 196364  





3.2  Season 2: 196465  







4 Production  



4.1  Set  







5 Home media  





6 Book release  





7 See also  





8 References  





9 External links  














Mr. Novak






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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 


This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this articlebyadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Mr. Novak" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR
(April 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Mr. Novak

James Franciscus as Mr. Novak and Dean Jagger as Principal Albert Vane.

Genre

Drama

Created by

E. Jack Neuman

Starring

James Franciscus
Dean Jagger
Burgess Meredith

Opening theme

Lyn Murray

Composer

Leith Stevens

Country of origin

United States

Original language

English

No. of seasons

2

No. of episodes

60

Production

Executive producer

E. Jack Neuman

Producer

Joseph Calvelli

Running time

48 mins.

Production company

MGM Television

Original release

Network

NBC

Release

September 24, 1963 (1963-09-24) –
April 27, 1965 (1965-04-27)

Mr. Novak is an American television drama television series starring James Franciscus in the title role as a high school teacher. The series aired on NBC for two seasons, from 1963 to 1965. It won a Peabody Award in 1963.[1]

Synopsis

[edit]

The series follows John Novak, an idealistic first-year English teacher at Jefferson High SchoolinLos Angeles, who often gets involved in the lives of his students and fellow teachers. Principal Albert Vane was played by Oscar-winning film actor Dean Jagger; he was nominated for an Emmy Award in 1964 and 1965 for his performance. Jagger left the series in 1964 after forty-four episodes, and it was explained that his character was elected California Superintendent of Public Instruction; Burgess Meredith played the new principal, Martin Woodridge, for the remaining seventeen episodes.

Jeanne Bal portrayed Assistant Vice Principal Jean Pagano during the 1963–64 season. Initially, plans called for increasing her role for the 1964–65 season, promoting her to second billing on the show, but the producer instead cut the number of episodes in which she was to appear, and she left the program.[2]

The series showcased many popular actors of the time, including Martin Landau, Walter Koenig, Beau Bridges, Tony Dow, Ed Asner, June Lockhart, Sherry Jackson. This trendsetting show was the first to depict both teachers and students in a dramatic and realistic manner and was very influential on the educational community.[citation needed] Many cutting-edge themes were showcased, including racial discrimination, cheating on exams, anti-Semitism, alcoholism, dropouts, drug abuse, and political extremism.[citation needed] In its two-year run, the program won over 47 awards from various educational institutions, including the National Education Association, and was the recipient of a prestigious Peabody Award for excellence.[3]

Cast

[edit]

Recurring

[edit]

Guest stars

[edit]

Episodes

[edit]

Season 1: 1963–64

[edit]

No.
overall

No.in
season

Title

Directed by

Written by

Original air date

1

1

"First Year, First Day"

Boris Sagal

E. Jack Neuman Boris Sagal Joseph Stafano

September 24, 1963 (1963-09-24)

2

2

"To Lodge and Dislodge"

Boris Sagal

E. Jack Neuman Boris Sagal

October 1, 1963 (1963-10-01)

3

3

"I Don't Even Live Here"

Abner Biberman

E. Jack Neuman Boris Sagal Milt Rosen

October 8, 1963 (1963-10-08)

4

4

"X is the Known Factor"

Richard Donner

E. Jack Neuman Boris Sagal Preston Wood

October 15, 1963 (1963-10-15)

5

5

"A Single, Isolated Incident"

Abner Biberman

E. Jack Neuman

October 22, 1963 (1963-10-22)

6

6

"The Risk"

Michael O'Herlihy

E. Jack Neuman Boris Sagal Theodore Apstein

October 29, 1963 (1963-10-29)

7

7

"Hello, Miss Phipps"

Don Medford

E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal John T. Dugan

November 5, 1963 (1963-11-05)

8

8

"To Break a Camel's Back"

Michael O'Herlihy

E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal Meyer Dolinsky

November 12, 1963 (1963-11-12)

9

9

"A Feeling for Friday"

Michael O'Herlihy

E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal

November 19, 1963 (1963-11-19)

10

10

"Pay the Two Dollars"

Walter Doniger

E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal Milt Rosen

November 26, 1963 (1963-11-26)

11

11

"Love in the Wrong Seasons"

Ida Lupino

E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal Richard De Roy

December 3, 1963 (1963-12-03)

12

12

"The Boy Without a Country"

Michael O'Herlihy

E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal Richard De Roy

December 10, 1963 (1963-12-10)

13

13

"A Thousand Voices"

Richard Donner

E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal Anthony Wilson

December 17, 1963 (1963-12-17)

14

14

"My Name is Not Legion"

Bernard Girard

E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal Robert E. Thompson

December 24, 1963 (1963-12-24)

15

15

"He Who Can Does"

Irving Lerner

E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal Roland Wopert

December 31, 1963 (1963-12-31)

16

16

"Song of Songs"

David Alexander

E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal James Menzies

January 7, 1964 (1964-01-07)

17

17

"The Exile"

Michael O'Herlihy

E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal

January 14, 1964 (1964-01-14)

18

18

"Sparrow on the Wire"

Mark Rydell

E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal James Menzies

January 21, 1964 (1964-01-21)

19

19

"The Private Life of Douglas Morgan Jr."

Richard Donner

Margaret and Paul Schneider

January 28, 1964 (1964-01-28)

20

20

"Death of a Teacher"

Richard Donner

E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal

February 4, 1964 (1964-02-04)

21

21

"I'm on the Outside"

Abner Biberman

E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal Boris Ingster

February 11, 1964 (1964-02-11)

22

22

"Chin Up, Mr. Novak"

Michael O'Herlihy

E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal Joseph Calvelli

February 18, 1964 (1964-02-18)

23

23

"Fear is a Handful of Dust"

Abner Biberman

E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal Carol Sobieski

February 25, 1964 (1964-02-25)

24

24

"How Does Your Garden Grow?"

Michael O'Herlihy

E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal Joseph Calvelli

March 3, 1964 (1964-03-03)

25

25

"The Tower"

Michael O'Herlihy

E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal James Menzies

March 10, 1964 (1964-03-10)

26

26

"One Way to Say Goodbye"

Richard Donner

E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal

March 17, 1964 (1964-03-17)

27

27

"Day in the Year"

Ida Lupino

E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal Sidney Marshall

March 24, 1964 (1964-03-24)

28

28

"Moment Without Armor"

Michael O'Herlihy

E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal Margaret Armen

March 31, 1964 (1964-03-31)

29

29

"Fare Thee Well"

Abner Biberman

E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal Carol Sobieski

April 7, 1964 (1964-04-07)

30

30

"The Senior Prom"

Michael O'Herlihy

E.Jack Neuman Boris Sagal Sidney Marshall

April 14, 1964 (1964-04-14)

Season 2: 1964–65

[edit]

No.
overall

No.in
season

Title

Directed by

Written by

Original air date

31

1

"Moonlighting"

Richard Donner

Story by : John Ryan
Teleplay by : Meyer Dolinsky

September 22, 1964 (1964-09-22)

32

2

"With a Hammer in His Hand, Lord, Lord!"

Allen Reisner

John D.F. Black

September 29, 1964 (1964-09-29)

33

3

"Visions of Sugar Plums"

Paul Wendkos

Joseph Calvelli

October 6, 1964 (1964-10-06)

34

4

"Little Girl Lost"

Paul Wendkos

Betty Ulius

October 20, 1964 (1964-10-20)

35

5

"One Monday Afternoon"

Paul Wendkos

Mel Goldberg & Herman Groves

October 27, 1964 (1964-10-27)

36

6

"Let's Dig a Little Grammar"

Joseph Sargent

Mel Goldberg

November 10, 1964 (1964-11-10)

37

7

"The People Doll: You Wind It Up and It Makes Mistakes"

Herschel Daughterty

John D.F.Black

November 17, 1964 (1964-11-17)

38

8

"Boy Under Glass"

Allen Reisner

Mel Goldberg

November 24, 1964 (1964-11-24)

39

9

"Born of Kings and Angels"

Paul Wendkos

George Clayton Johnson

December 1, 1964 (1964-12-01)

40

10

"A as in Anxiety"

Allen Reisner

Betty Ulius

December 8, 1964 (1964-12-08)

41

11

"Johnny Ride the Pony"

Allen H. Miner

David P. Hartman

December 15, 1964 (1964-12-15)

42

12

"Beyond a Reasonable Doubt"

Richard Donner

Martha Wilkerson

December 22, 1964 (1964-12-22)

43

13

"Love Among the Grown-Ups"

Abner Biberman

Harold Gast

December 29, 1964 (1964-12-29)

44

14

"From the Brow of Zeus"

Ron Winston

Mel Goldberg

January 5, 1965 (1965-01-05)

45

15

"An Elephant is Like a Tree"

Abner Biberman

John D.F. Black

January 12, 1965 (1965-01-12)

46

16

"Enter a Strange Animal"

Alvin Ganzer

Alvin Sargent

January 19, 1965 (1965-01-19)

47

17

"Beat the Plowshares, Edge the Sword"

Alvin Ganzer

Gilbert Ralston

January 26, 1965 (1965-01-26)

48

18

"Faculty Follies: Part 1"

Joseph Sargent

Meyer Dolinsky

February 2, 1965 (1965-02-02)

49

19

"Faculty Follies: Part 2"

Joseph Sargent

Meyer Dolinsky

February 9, 1965 (1965-02-09)

50

20

"The Silent Dissauders"

Allen Reisner

Betty Ulius

February 16, 1965 (1965-02-16)

51

21

"Mountains to Climb"

Paul Wendkos

Story by : Roland Wolpert
Teleplay by : Roland Wolpert & John D.F. Black

February 23, 1965 (1965-02-23)

52

22

"May Day, May Day"

Ida Lupino

Story by : John D.F. Black & Donald Michael Platt
Teleplay by : John D.F. Black

March 2, 1965 (1965-03-02)

53

23

"Where is There to Go, Billie, But Up?"

Abner Biberman

Story by : Herman Groves & Mel Goldberg
Teleplay by : Mel Goldberg

March 9, 1965 (1965-03-09)

54

24

"The Tender Twigs"

Joseph Sargent

Story by : Robert Presnell Jr.
Teleplay by : Robert Presnell Jr. & Mel Goldberg

March 16, 1965 (1965-03-16)

55

25

"Honor and All That"

Paul Wendkos

Jerry McNeely

March 23, 1965 (1965-03-23)

56

26

"The Student Who Never Was"

Paul Wendkos

Meyer Dolinsky

March 30, 1965 (1965-03-30)

57

27

"There's a Penguin in My Garden"

Alvin Ganzer

John D.F. Black

April 6, 1965 (1965-04-06)

58

28

"The Firebrand"

Michael O'Herlihy

Howard Gast

April 13, 1965 (1965-04-13)

59

29

"And Then I Wrote..."

Abner Biberman

Joseph Calvelli

April 20, 1965 (1965-04-20)

60

30

"Once a Clown"

Abner Biberman

Mel Goldberg

April 27, 1965 (1965-04-27)

Production

[edit]

The series was created by producer/writer E. Jack Neuman and director Boris Sagal and featured top directors such as Richard Donner.[3]

Set

[edit]

The school seen in Mr. Novak duplicated Los Angeles' John Marshall High School "complete to walks, shrubs, and parking."[4] After using the school itself for the pilot, the duplicate was built at the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios, the "largest permanent set to be constructed [there] in a number of years."[4] The complete set filled an acre at the studio. Other construction on the MGM sound stages included duplicates of corridors and classrooms.[4] Exteriors for the fictional Jefferson High School were filmed at both John Marshall High School and Hamilton High School near Culver City.[3]

Home media

[edit]

The Warner Archive Collection released Season 1 of the series on DVD on November 6, 2018. Prints were made from the original 35mm camera negatives.

A soundtrack music album was released on MGM Records (E/SE-4222) in 1964, under the direction of Nick Venet.[citation needed]

Book release

[edit]

Mr. Novak: An Acclaimed Television Series, by Chuck Harter, was published by bearmanormedia.com in October 2017 and is a comprehensive examination of the show.[citation needed]

See also

[edit]

Room 222

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "The Peabody Awards - Mr. Novak (NBC)". peabodyawards.com. Peabody Awards. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  • ^ Harter, Chuck (April 2018). "Mr. Novak: A Landmark of Dramatic Television". Classic Images (514): 62–68.
  • ^ a b c Harter, Chuck. Mr. Novak an Acclaimed Television Series. Bear Manor Media, 2017.
  • ^ a b c "Dillar a dollar, an NBC Scholar" (PDF). Sponsor. 17 (24): 59. June 17, 1963. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
  • [edit]

    1960s

  • Barry Trivers for "The Fault in Our Stars" (1961)
  • Howard A. Rodman and Kenneth M. Rosen for "Today the Man Who Kills The Ants is Coming" (1962)
  • Lawrence B. Marcus for "Man Out of Time" (1963)
  • Arnold Perl for "Who Do You Kill?" (1964)
  • John D. F. Black for "With a Hammer in His Hand, Lord, Lord!" (1965)
  • David Ellis for "No Justice for the Judge" (1966)
  • Harlan Ellison for "The City on the Edge of Forever" (1967)
  • Robert Lewin for "To Kill a Madman" (1968)
  • Robert Lewin for "An Elephant in a Cigar Box" (1969)
  • 1970s

    • David W. Rintels for "A Continual Roar of Musketry" (1970)
  • Herb Bermann & Thomas Y. Drake & Jerrold Freedman & Bo May for "Par for the Course" (1971)
  • Herman Miller for "King of the Mountain" (1972)
  • Harlan Ellison for "Phoenix Without Ashes" (1973)
  • Jim Byrnes for "Thirty a Month and Found" (1974)
  • Stephen Kandel & Arthur Ross for "Prior Consent" (1975)
  • Loring Mandel for "Crossing Fox River" (1976)
  • Mark Rodgers for "Pressure Point" (1977)
  • Seth Freeman for "Prisoner" (1978)
  • Leon Tokatyan for "Vet" (1979)
  • 1980s

  • Steven Bochco & Michael Kozoll for "Hill Street Station" (1981)
  • Michael Wagner for "The World According to Freedom" (1982)
  • David Milch for "Trial By Fury" (1983)
  • Steven Bochco & Mark Frost & Karen Hall & Jeff Lewis & David Milch & Michael Wagner for "Grace Under Pressure" (1984)
  • Georgia Jeffries for "An Unusual Occurrence" / Anthony Yerkovich for "Brother's Keeper" (1985)
  • Debra Frank & Carl Sautter for "The Dream Sequence Always Rings Twice" / Tom Fontana & John Masius & Bruce Paltrow for "Remembrance of Things Past" (1986)
  • Georgia Jeffries for "Turn, Turn, Turn" / Debra Frank & Carl Sautter for "It's a Wonderful Job" (1987)
  • Susan Shilliday for "Therapy" / Marshall Herskovitz & Edward Zwick for "Pilot" (thirtysomething) (1988)
  • Karl Schaefer for "Rolling" (1989)
  • 1990s

  • Racelle Rosett Schaefer for "Photo Opportunity" (1991)
  • Henry Bromell for "Amazing Grace" (1992)
  • Tom Fontana & Frank Pugliese for "The Night of the Dead Living" (1993)
  • Tom Fontana & David Mills & David Simon for "Bop Gun" (1994)
  • Lance Gentile for "Love's Labor Lost" (1995)
  • Bill Clark & Theresa Rebeck for "Girl Talk" (1996)
  • René Balcer & Richard Sweren for "Entrapment" (1997)
  • Bill Cain for "Proofs for the Existence Of God" (1998)
  • Jason Cahill for "Meadowlands" (1999)
  • 2000s

  • Tim Van Patten and Terence Winter for "Pine Barrens" (2001)
  • Dawn Prestwich and Nicole Yorkin for "Pilot" (The Education of Max Bickford) (2002)
  • Evan Katz for『Day 2: 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.』(2003)
  • Debora Cahn for "The Supremes" (2004)
  • Lawrence Kaplow for "Autopsy" (2005)
  • Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer for "Pilot" (Big Love) (2006)
  • Terence Winter for "The Second Coming" (2007)
  • Vince Gilligan for "Pilot" (Breaking Bad) (2008)
  • David Foster, Russel Friend, Garrett Lerner, and David Shore for "Broken" (2009)
  • 2010s

  • Vince Gilligan for "Box Cutter" / Henry Bromell for "The Good Soldier" (2011)
  • Semi Chellas & Matthew Weiner for "The Other Woman" (2012)
  • Gennifer Hutchison for "Confessions" (2013)
  • Robert King & Michelle King for "The Last Call" (2014)
  • Vince Gilligan & Peter Gould for "Uno" (2015)
  • Vera Herbert for "The Trip" (2016)
  • Gordon Smith for "Chicanery" (2017)
  • Alex Gansa for "Paean to the People" (2018)
  • Will Tracy for "Tern Haven" (2019)
  • 2020s

    • Miki Johnson for "Fire Pink" (2020)
  • Tony Roche and Susan Soon He Stanton for "Retired Janitors of Idaho" (2021)
  • Thomas Schnauz for "Plan and Execution" (2022)
  • Georgia Pritchett and Will Arbery for "Living+" (2023)
  • 1960s
  • 1970s
  • 1980s
  • 1990s
  • 2000s
  • 2010s
  • 2020s

  • Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mr._Novak&oldid=1224326300"

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