Promised Land (1996 TV series)
Encyclopedia
Promised Land is an American drama series
which aired on CBS
from 1996 to 1999. It was a spin-off
from another series, Touched by an Angel
.
(Russell Greene) and Wendy Phillips
(Claire Greene) as a husband and wife who, with their son Josh (Austin O'Brien
), daughter Dinah (Sarah Schaub), and nephew Nathaniel (Eddie Karr), traveled America
pulling their Airstream
trailer. Claire homeschooled
the three children. Film veteran Celeste Holm
also starred as Hattie, McRaney's character's mother.
Much of the third season was spent in Denver, Colorado
, but — much like Touched by an Angel — it was filmed in Salt Lake City, Utah
.
(Cast members of Touched by an Angel
routinely made cameo appearances)
but the actual location was Springville, Utah
.
Because Touched by an Angel continued production for a third season, a new crew was hired for production of the Promised Land series. In the meantime, parts of the pilot episode were re-written and two characters from the original pilot episode were recast. Originally, the part of Hattie Greene was played by Peg Phillips
. Celeste Holm replaced her in the cast. The part of Nathaniel Greene was also recast with Eddie Karr playing the role in the new version of the pilot and throughout the series. The newly-hired crew of Promised Land spent six days reshooting portions of the pilot episode in July 1996.
The storyline of the series called for the Greene family to travel throughout the United States, so northern Utah served as a stand-in for many states. As was the case with Touched by an Angel, the crew's filming locations were usually within a two-hour drive from downtown Salt Lake City
. However, during each of the first two seasons, three episodes were filmed in and around Saint George, Utah. During the third season, three episodes were filmed in and around Natchez, Mississippi
(in August and September 1998).
Dramatic programming
Dramatic programming in the UK, or television drama and television drama series in the US, is television program content that is scripted and fictional along the lines of √a traditional drama. This excludes, for example, sports television, television news, reality show and game shows, stand-up...
which aired on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
from 1996 to 1999. It was a spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
from another series, Touched by an Angel
Touched by an Angel
Touched by an Angel is an American drama series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994 and ran for 211 episodes and nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Created by John Masius and produced by Martha Williamson, the series stars Roma Downey, as an angel named Monica, and Della...
.
Plot
Promised Land stars Gerald McRaneyGerald McRaney
Gerald Lee "Mac" McRaney is an American television and movie actor. McRaney is best known as one of the stars of the television shows Simon & Simon, Major Dad, and Promised Land. He was a series regular for the first season of Jericho.-Early life:McRaney was born in Collins, Mississippi, the son...
(Russell Greene) and Wendy Phillips
Wendy Phillips
Wendy Phillips is an American actress, noted for playing David Selby's last wife, Lauren Daniels, during the final season of Falcon Crest and for playing Gerald McRaney's wife, Claire Greene, on both Touched by an Angel and Promised Land...
(Claire Greene) as a husband and wife who, with their son Josh (Austin O'Brien
Austin O'Brien
Austin O'Brien is an American actor. He may be best known for playing the co-lead Danny Madigan in the Arnold Schwarzenegger-movie Last Action Hero, followed by his turn into romance as Nick Zsigmond in My Girl 2, and a part in both The Lawnmower Man and its sequel.Austin O'Brien got married on...
), daughter Dinah (Sarah Schaub), and nephew Nathaniel (Eddie Karr), traveled America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
pulling their Airstream
Airstream
Airstream is a brand of luxury recreational vehicle manufactured in Jackson Center, Ohio, USA. It is currently a division of Thor Industries. The company, which now employs fewer than 400, is the oldest in the industry. Airstream trailers are easily recognized for their distinctive rounded...
trailer. Claire homeschooled
Homeschooling
Homeschooling or homeschool is the education of children at home, typically by parents but sometimes by tutors, rather than in other formal settings of public or private school...
the three children. Film veteran Celeste Holm
Celeste Holm
Celeste Holm is an American stage, film, and television actress, known for her Academy Award-winning performance in Gentleman's Agreement , as well as for her Oscar-nominated performances in Come to the Stable and All About Eve...
also starred as Hattie, McRaney's character's mother.
Much of the third season was spent in Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, but — much like Touched by an Angel — it was filmed in Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
.
Cast
- Gerald McRaneyGerald McRaneyGerald Lee "Mac" McRaney is an American television and movie actor. McRaney is best known as one of the stars of the television shows Simon & Simon, Major Dad, and Promised Land. He was a series regular for the first season of Jericho.-Early life:McRaney was born in Collins, Mississippi, the son...
.....Russell Greene - Wendy PhillipsWendy PhillipsWendy Phillips is an American actress, noted for playing David Selby's last wife, Lauren Daniels, during the final season of Falcon Crest and for playing Gerald McRaney's wife, Claire Greene, on both Touched by an Angel and Promised Land...
.....Claire Green - Austin O'BrienAustin O'BrienAustin O'Brien is an American actor. He may be best known for playing the co-lead Danny Madigan in the Arnold Schwarzenegger-movie Last Action Hero, followed by his turn into romance as Nick Zsigmond in My Girl 2, and a part in both The Lawnmower Man and its sequel.Austin O'Brien got married on...
.....Joshua 'Josh' Greene - Sarah SchaubSarah SchaubSarah Schaub is an American actress from Salt Lake City, Utah.She has appeared in such productions as Stephen King's The Stand and A Home of Our Own with Kathy Bates...
.....Dinah Greene - Eddie Karr.....Nathaniel Greene
- Celeste HolmCeleste HolmCeleste Holm is an American stage, film, and television actress, known for her Academy Award-winning performance in Gentleman's Agreement , as well as for her Oscar-nominated performances in Come to the Stable and All About Eve...
.....Hattie Greene - Ossie DavisOssie DavisOssie Davis was an American film actor, director, poet, playwright, writer, and social activist.-Early years:...
....Erasmus Jones(recurring character) - Eugene ByrdEugene ByrdEugene Byrd is an American actor.-Career:He has been in movies including Dead Man, Sleepers, 8 Mile, Lift and Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid, and has the leading role in Confess, for which he won the Break-Out Performance Award at the 2006 Method Fest Independent Film Festival...
.....Lawrence "L.T." Taggert, Jr. (Season 3) - Kamar de los ReyesKamar de los ReyesKamar de los Reyes is an American actor.Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico to Cuban percussionist Walfredo de los Reyes and a Puerto Rican mother, Matilde Pages, Kamar de los Reyes grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada...
.....Leon Flores (Season 3) - Kathryne Dora BrownKathryne Dora BrownKathryne Dora Brown is an American actress.Born in Los Angeles, California, she is the daughter of actor Georg Stanford Brown and actress Tyne Daly. Her uncle is actor Tim Daly.-Feature films:-Television:-Theatre:...
.....Shamaya Taggert (Season 3) - Tinsley GrimesTinsley GrimesTinsley Grimes is an actress notable for some primary and secondary roles she has played in TV series, as well as guest starring in some episodes*Nina Walsh in Smart Guy *Bobbie Wagner on Promised Land...
.....Bobbie Wagner (Season 3) - Ashleigh Norman.....Margot Noteworthy (Season 3)
(Cast members of Touched by an Angel
Touched by an Angel
Touched by an Angel is an American drama series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994 and ran for 211 episodes and nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Created by John Masius and produced by Martha Williamson, the series stars Roma Downey, as an angel named Monica, and Della...
routinely made cameo appearances)
Production
The pilot episode was filmed in the Spring of 1996 by the crew of Touched by an Angel at the conclusion of production of the latters second season. The pilot episode took place primarily in the fictional town of Chickory Creek, KentuckyKentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
but the actual location was Springville, Utah
Springville, Utah
Springville is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 20,424 at the 2000 census, while the 2008 estimates placed it at 28,520. Just minutes south of Provo, Springville is a bedroom community for...
.
Because Touched by an Angel continued production for a third season, a new crew was hired for production of the Promised Land series. In the meantime, parts of the pilot episode were re-written and two characters from the original pilot episode were recast. Originally, the part of Hattie Greene was played by Peg Phillips
Peg Phillips
Peg Phillips was an American actress best known for playing storekeeper Ruth-Anne Miller on the television series Northern Exposure....
. Celeste Holm replaced her in the cast. The part of Nathaniel Greene was also recast with Eddie Karr playing the role in the new version of the pilot and throughout the series. The newly-hired crew of Promised Land spent six days reshooting portions of the pilot episode in July 1996.
The storyline of the series called for the Greene family to travel throughout the United States, so northern Utah served as a stand-in for many states. As was the case with Touched by an Angel, the crew's filming locations were usually within a two-hour drive from downtown Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
. However, during each of the first two seasons, three episodes were filmed in and around Saint George, Utah. During the third season, three episodes were filmed in and around Natchez, Mississippi
Natchez, Mississippi
Natchez is the county seat of Adams County, Mississippi, United States. With a total population of 18,464 , it is the largest community and the only incorporated municipality within Adams County...
(in August and September 1998).
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Recipient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Young Artist Award Young Artist Award The Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist... |
Nominated | Best Performance in a TV Comedy/Drama - Supporting Young Actor Age Ten or Under | Eddie Karr |
| Best Performance in a Drama Series - Young Actress | Sarah Schaub | |||
| Best Performance in a Drama Series - Young Actor | Austin O'Brien | |||
| Best Family TV Drama Series | |
|||
| Won | Best Performance in a Drama Series - Guest Starring Young Actor | Benjamin Salisbury | ||
| 1998 | Nominated | Best Performance in a TV Drama Series - Leading Young Actor | Eddie Karr | |
| Won | Best Performance in a TV Drama Series - Leading Young Actress | Sarah Schaub (Tied with Beverley Mitchell Beverley Mitchell Beverley Ann Mitchell is an American actress and country music singer. She is best known for her role as Lucy Camden-Kinkirk on the television series 7th Heaven and Laura Hunter in the film Saw II.-Career:... for 7th Heaven 7th Heaven 7th Heaven is an American family drama television series, created and produced by Brenda Hampton. The series premiered on August 26, 1996, on the WB, the first time that the network aired Monday night programming, and was originally broadcast from August 26, 1996 to May 13, 2007... ) |
||
| Best Performance in a TV Drama Series - Leading Young Actor | Austin O'Brien (Tied with Michael Yarmush Michael Yarmush Michael Yarmush is an American television, film, and voice actor.-Early life and career:Born in Miami, Florida, Yarmush began acting in 1995. That year, he portrayed Eric in the television series My Life as a Dog. The following year, he provided the voice for the title character in Arthur... for My Life as a Dog) |
|||
| Best Performance in a TV Drama Series - Guest Starring Young Actor | Trever O'Brien | |||
| Best Family TV Drama Series | |
|||
| 1999 | Nominated | Best Performance in a TV Drama Series - Guest Starring Young Actor | Zach Hopkins | |
| Won | Best Performance in a TV Series - Young Ensemble | Eddie Karr, Austin O'Brien, and Sarah Schaub | ||
| Best Family TV Drama Series | |
|||
| 2000 | Nominated | Best Performance in a TV Drama Series - Leading Young Actress | Sarah Schaub | |
| Won | Best Performance in a TV Drama Series - Leading Young Actor | Austin O'Brien | ||
| 1997 | PGA Awards | Most Promising Producer in Television | Martha Williamson | |
| 1998 | Emmy Award Emmy Award An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various... |
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series | Cloris Leachman Cloris Leachman Cloris Leachman is an American actress of stage, film and television. She has won eight Primetime Emmy Awards—more than any other performer—and one Daytime Emmy Award... (For episode "Mooster's Revenge") |
|
| 1998 | YoungStar Award | Nominated | Best Performance by a Young Actor in a Drama TV Series | Austin O'Brien |
| 1999 | Best Performance by a Young Actor in a Drama TV Series | Austin O'Brien | ||
| 1999 | NAACP Image Awards | Won | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Ruby Dee (For a guest star or recurring role) |
| Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | Ossie Davis |