MovieChat Forums > The Executioner's Song (1982) Discussion > Which Network Played this TV Movie??

Which Network Played this TV Movie??

posted 9 years ago by sheepdater
5 replies | jump to latest

I just watched this movie on NetFlix and its unusually long length made me check if it were originally a mini series. It says TV movie, but which Network played it when it was new? I can remember at least one use of the F-word, countless shots of full frontal female nudity, and rather long scene of Tommy Lee Jones's bare behind. Anybody know the story behind it? Was this actually played on one of the Big 3 American Networks over 2 nights? Was the language and nudity added for the home video market or perhaps for distribution outside of the USA?f

[–] roses888 9 years ago

I remember watching this made for TV movie in 1982 as a 2 or 3 episode mini series on regular TV. It was on one of the major networks like ABC, NBC, or CBS. Unfortunately, I can't remember specifically which of these networks played it, but it was one of those. The full frontal nudity and the f-word came out on VHS rental for home viewing. There were two versions of this movie made, a watered down version for TV, and the other which they planned for VHS home viewing which was longer and had more nudity and sex scenes in it. But even minus the full nudity on the TV version, it was rather riske for a network to show this movie. I remember the controversy that they showed Rosanna and Tommy Lee Jones in bed several times, and Rosanna was barely dressed in several scenes. Rosanna played a wild, braless, sexy 15 year old teenage mother with a couple children already. Rosanna had a voluptuous figure, and she was barely out of her teens herself when this was filmed. There was like a 15 year age difference between Rosanna and Tommy Lee. He was in his thirties and she was in her teens. Plenty of "swearing" scenes and the shooting scenes were not edited for television and it was a very violent film for regular TV. A "warning" across the bottom of the TV screen because of the shows' content.
I also read the book with the same name. This true story happened in 1977.
Hope this helps.

[–] sheepdater 9 years ago

Thanks! I couldn't have asked for a better answer.

I meant to thank you the day you posted, but it never submitted. I just now found my unsent reply buried under the open browser windows on my tablet. Better late than never right?

[–] roses888 9 years ago

Your welcome!

[–] Daverat 8 years ago

Based on her stated age of birth, she would have been 23 years old when the film came out and likely, 22 when the film was made. She was NOT a teenager, nor a new actress. She has credits going back to the mid 1970s.

[–] Sandoz 8 years ago

It aired on NBC as 2-night mini-series.

It's a pet peeve of mine that IMDb doesn't list (what I consider to be) pertinent info like this (what network a particular TV movie or series first aired on originally).

I support the right of free speech. I also support the right to not listen to a lot of it.