I'll Fly Away (TV series)

I'll Fly Away
GenreDrama
Created byJoshua Brand
John Falsey
Starring
Narrated byRegina Taylor
Theme music composerW. G. Walden
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes38 + TV film
Production
Running time60 minutes
Production companiesBrand-Falsey Productions
Lorimar Television
Original release
NetworkNBC (1991–1993)
PBS (1993 TV film)
ReleaseOctober 7, 1991 (1991-10-07) –
February 5, 1993 (1993-02-05)
(TV film: Oct. 11, 1993)
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

I'll Fly Away is an American television drama series that aired on NBC from October 7, 1991, to February 5, 1993. Set during the late 1950s and early 1960s,[1][2][3] in an unspecified Southern U.S. state, it stars Regina Taylor as Lilly Harper, a Black housekeeper for the family of district attorney Forrest Bedford, played by Sam Waterston (the character's name is a twist on the name of Confederate Army General Nathan Bedford Forrest, an early leader of the Ku Klux Klan). As the show progresses, Lilly becomes increasingly involved in the Civil Rights Movement, which eventually pulls in her employer as well.

  1. ^ The episode "Some Desperate Glory" (Season 1, Episode 9) depicts the marquee of a local movie theater, listing Auntie Mame as the main feature. This film was first released in the United States in December 1958, implying that the first season of I'll Fly Away takes place in 1958 and 1959. However, in "The Slightest Distance" (Season 1, Episode 22), a U.S. Justice Department official remarks that a "new administration" about to take office. Clearly a reference to President John F. Kennedy, this would place the first season's latter episodes between the November 8, 1960 election and the January 20, 1961 inauguration.
  2. ^ In "Freedom Bus" (Season 2, Episode 6), Robert F. Kennedy is referred to as the United States Attorney General, an office he assumed in 1961. Subsequently, in "State" (Season 2, Episode 16), Joe Clay is seen browsing through a 1962 Chevrolet catalog.
  3. ^ The bulk of the series finale I'll Fly Away: Then and Now is a flashback to events occurring in the summer of 1962.