Pray TV (1982 film)

Pray TV
Genre	Drama
Written by	Lane Slate
Directed by	Robert Markowitz
Starring	John Ritter Ned Beatty Richard Kiley Madolyn Smith Louise Latham
Theme music composer	Dennis McCarthy
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
Production
Producer(s)	Peter S. Greenberg
Cinematography	Donald H. Birnkrant
Editor(s)	Peter Parasheles
Running time	100 minutes
Production company(s)	ABC Circle Films
Distributor	ABC
Release
Original network	ABC
Original release	February 1, 1982

Pray TV was the title of a made-for-TV drama in 1982 which aired on ABC starring John Ritter and Ned Beatty.^[1] The project garnered controversy when Rev. Jerry Falwell, the prominent televangelist, undertook a public campaign in an attempt to keep the TV movie from airing.^[2]

Plot Summary

A newly ordained minister accepts a summer job with a dynamic TV evangelist only to find deep conflicts between the latter's conventional activities servicing his community's spiritual needs and his power wielded as a TV celebrity.

Fake Phone Number in Film Gets Real Calls

The telephone number advertised by Rev. Stone got 15,000 real calls for help.

Cast

• John Ritter as Tom McPherson
• Ned Beatty as Rev. Freddy Stone
• Richard Kiley as Rev. Gus Keiffer
• Madolyn Smith as Liz Oakes
• Louise Latham as Mrs. Oakes
• Jonathan Prince as Bill Oakes
• Michael Currie as Artie Allman
• Kenneth Tigar as Parker
• Lois Hamilton as Bobbi Ellis
• Jason Bernard as Everett
• Frank Birney as Johnson
• James Keane as Fats
• Richard Kennedy as Announcer
• Mel Tormé as Himself

References

1. Maslin, Janet (February 1, 1982). "Ned Beatty in Role of Broadcast Evangelist". The New York Times.
2. O'Connor, John J. (February 7, 1982). "A Serious Subject Flawed by Compromise". The New York Times.

External links

• Pray TV at the Internet Movie Database
• Pray TV at AllMovie