Papa's Angels

Announcement

July 3

New Scott Projects
Scott: has two TV projects coming up. He'll film CBS movie of the week Papa's Angels
and then work on the Showtime mini-series It's A Girl Thing
thanks to Margaret Colchin of PQL fan club

July 30

Confirmation from Margaret
Scott is, indeed, playing the father in Papa's Angels. BPI is producing with Marion Rees Associates. They haven't started shooting yet, but filming should begin soon.

December 4

Papa's Angels, competition, ratings as posted on QLIK Message board
I'm not even going to begin to sort this one out.
thanks to Helene

September 20

Papa's Angels blurb/plot
"All CBS telefilm 'Angels' wants is Bakula, Saint Scott Bakula ("American Beauty"), Oscar and Emmy winner Eva Marie Saint ("I Dreamed of Africa") and "Sex and the City" co-star Cynthia Nixon have gotten into the Christmas spirit early this year by signing to topline "Papa's Angels," a two-hour holiday movie for CBS. Based loosely on the book "Papa's Angels: A Christmas Story" by Collin Wilcox Paxton and Gary Carden, the telefilm follows a year, from Christmas to Christmas, in the life of the family of Grins Jenkins (Bakula), his wife Sharon (Nixon) and their children. During the year, Sharon gets ill and dies shortly before Christmas. Ultimately, though, the magic of the holiday, with help from the eccentric, wise Grammy (Saint), carries the family through the difficult time."

Kristy found this at http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/television/
Thanks to Kristy

November 11

CBS Papa's Angels page
is up, but contains only a tiny picture and plot summary that we already know. But you may wish to keep an eye on it as the date grows closer. Some movie pages are getting video...

July 29

Where to buy the book
My attempts to find out what this movie is about, without the spoilers, took me to amazon.com ( where you can also buy the book).
This is a BPi production (in association with...), obviously a Christmas special for CBS. Sounds yummy!

Radio Interviews
According to our World Wide Web-work of fellow fans, Scott did at least two, and probably more, radio interviews on Thursday (some of which were available via radio stations now transmitting over the web.
Here's is a transcript of one of them.
Thanks to Kathy, Barbara, and Nancy Matthews.

Scott Talks to Marilyn Beck
AN OLD-FASHIONED TEAR-JERKER: "Bring your Kleenex. ... It's more than a three-hanky film," says Scott Bakula of his CBS telepic "Papa's Angels," which airs Dec. 3, with Cynthia Nixon and Eva Marie Saint. Bakula produced the film that chronicles an Appalachian family's emotional journey in the 1930's after the mother dies shortly before Christmas.

It wasn't easy. Bakula admits there were times when he was bringing "Papa's Angels" to the tube that he found himself saying "Why am I putting myself through this stress?" He first had to fight to keep Nixon as his leading lady because the network thought the "Sex and the City" star was "too urban," the cast had to learn Appalachian accents, he had to also learn a very intricate style of banjo playing, and they ended up having to shoot in Canada instead of North Carolina at the last minute. Despite the headaches, he says "It was worth it."
Thanks to Kristy, our "Marilyn Beck Reporter" :-)

Papa's Angels article from Reuters/Variety
thanks to Emma who found this very long article on Yahoo

WARNING -- this first article contains a great amount of DETAIL, which may be considered by some to be SPOILERS

Thursday November 30 4:53 AM ET 
Nixon flies with "Papa's Angels" 
Papa's Angels (Sun. 9-11 p.m., CBS)  

By Stuart Levine 

HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - Doing a 180-degree turn from her ``Sex and the City''  persona, Cynthia Nixon proves that she doesn't need Manhattan and her high  society gal pals to carry a project on the small screen. As a dying mom in  ``Papa's Angels,'' Nixon does a splendid job of keeping her children, husband  and mother-in-law together during the worst of circumstances, all the while  keeping the schmaltz level to a minimum.  

Set in the early 1930s, Nixon plays Sharon Jenkins, an Appalachian mom  married to hard-head Grins Jenkins (Scott Bakula). Like many dads reared on  the mountain, Grins uses his hands as a furniture maker to create a small but  viable existence for his family. When he's not getting rambunctious tomboy  daughter out of trouble, he can be found at the local town gathering,  plucking his beloved banjo.  

But Sharon is the glue to this clan -- often persuading Grins about the need  for an education for their four children -- and when she starts coughing up  blood, it's no secret that she doesn't have long to live. The diagnosis is  tuberculosis, and the doctors in the area decide the best course of action is  to ship contagious Sharon off to a sanatorium so the kids won't become ill.

Grins is head over heels for Sharon and fights to keep from accepting  reality. Knowing that having her away from the family is a situation than  benefits no one, he builds her a glass room as an extension to their home so  she can live in there and see the kids without infecting them, sort of a  ``Boy in the Plastic Bubble'' environment, except in the mountains.

Due to some excellent makeup work, we see Sharon slowly lose her fight to TB,  all the while trying to make sure Grins doesn't get too depressed over her  upcoming death.

Here, Bakula does some excellent work after she passes away, changing  emotions quickly while taking the loss extremely hard. Grins even starts  hitting the moonshine and snapping at his kids, who are trying to get on with  their lives while he has a tough time getting things in gear again.

Promoting itself as a holiday tale and based on a book by Collin Wilcox  Paxton and Gary Carden, ``Angels'' offers an underlying storyline of how the  dead come back via a Yule log during Christmas that bookends the picture.  Though it adds a warm and fuzzy touch, it's not entirely necessary. This is a  drama that could work any time of the year.

Tech credits are all above par.
Grins Jenkins ....... Scott Bakula
Sharon Jenkins ...... Cynthia Nixon
Grammy .............. Eva Marie Saint
Becca Jenkins ....... Kimberly Warnat
Jessica ............. Kirsten Bishopric

Filmed in Calgary, Alberta. From Marian Rees Assoc., in association with  Bakula Prods. Executive producers, Marian Rees, Scott Bakula, Tom Spiroff;  producers, Anne Hopkins, Eda Lishman; director, Dwight Little; writer, Bill  Cain; story, Kirk Ellis, Collin Wilcox Carden; cinematographer, Brian  Reynolds; production designer, Rick Roberts; editor, Alan Baumgarten;  costumes, Carol Case; music, Velton Ray Bunch.

Thanks to Emma

Papa's Angels Article from Reno newspaper

Bakula touched by 'Angels'
Actor produced and starred in television movie
By Bridget Byrne
FOR THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

LOS ANGELES - Scott Bakula wore two hats for the CBS movie "Papa's Angels". One was the wide-brim brown hat that he wars in his starring role as banjo-strumming dad 'Grins' Jenkins in the heartfelt seasonal film set in Appalachia in the 1930s (Dec. 3rd, 9p.m.). The other was his producer's hat. "Papa's Angels" was produced by Bakula Productions Inc., along with Marian Rees Associates Inc.
"It's not easy with your producer's hat on," says Bakula. It's even harder, he says, to be actor-producer than it is to be actor-director. Bakula directed himself in many episodes of "Quantum Leap", his TV series that ran from 1989- 93. His producer credits include his series about undercover agents, "Mr. and Mrs. Smith", which only lasted 13 episodes in 1996.
"You have to take that hat off and you have to do the scene and not be thinking, 'Oh, my gosh. We're two hours behind and I'll help. I'll do the scene faster! I'll talk faster. You don't have to tell me,'" he chuckles, speeding up his voice like a tape recorder on fast- forward.
But his demeanor suggests competence and, modest though he is, he'd agree: "The more you can out on the plate for me usually, the more I like it. This had the banjo, the accent, the period and producing it. ... It was a loaded situation."
"Everything about Scott was right for this role," says Marian Rees, who approached Bakula to take on the project. "His age was right, his sensibilities - he's such a decent man - the fact that he's also a father."
And, she stresses, "He's a gifted musician, and the music is indigenous to the character and the story."
There are numerous songs in "Papa's Angels", including one written by Bakula, who played the banjo in the style of the '30s, almost entirely with thumb and one finger.
The movie is an adaptation of the popular little book "Papa's Angels: A Christmas Story" by Collin Wilcox Paxton and Gary Carden. It is the story of a family discovering the power of the spirit to heal, even in the face of extreme loss.
"It's such an artful piece," says Bakula. "It's about such great depth of emotion and about transitions in life. You just don't get a chance to do things like it in television anymore because the work (in television) has become so much by committee."
Bakula, 46, incorporates music into his roles whenever possible. Born and raised in St. Louis, Mo., he's been singing almost as long as he can remember. As a kid, he put together his own rock 'n' roll band. He starred in local productions of such popular musicals as "Godspell."
In 1976, he "followed the song" to New York. Arriving on a Wednesday, he was hired by Friday for a dinner-theater tour in North Carolina of the musical "Shenandoah." Years later, he was nominated for a Tony as best actor in the Broadway musical "Romance/Romance."
He starred in the 1996 CBS movie "Bachelors Baby," about a single man who has a baby dropped on his doorstep. "It was very successful so they've kept saying since then, 'You and kids. Anything with you and kids," says Bakula, the father of four children.
The "Papa's Angels" book told it's story from the point of view of Becca, the Jenkins' mute daughter, the oldest of four children. But the network said it didn't want the story told specifically from a child's point of view, so the original script had to be re-worked. The project wasn't given the go-ahead until the last minute. Shooting started in Canada in mid-October.
The film was being edited and waiting to be scored in mid-November, when Bakula was interviewed. "You hear about delivering it 'wet', this is going to be 'drying,' " he says. "But it's going to work."
Despite the tight schedule, his production got lucky. Cynthia Nixon (Miranda in the HBO series "Sex and the City") plays Jenkins' emotionally strong but frail wife, Sharon. Eva Marie Saint (Oscar winner for 1954's "On the Waterfront") portrays his mother, a woman filled with folk wisdom and common sense.
"We just got so fortunate. You just never know because you don't audition - you don't get a sense of how they are going to approach the role. You send them the script, you get the response. ... And then you cross your fingers, says Bakula, praising both actresses.

Additional, from the Shawnee OK Online website

Saint had never met Bakula, though she knew his work from "Quantum Leap." She was attracted to the role, she says, because the story avoided being "sentimental and all tied up with ribbon."

The veteran actress was grateful not only for Bakula's skills as an actor, but also for his low-key approach as executive producer.

She says Bakula turned out to be everything other people told her he would be: "The dearest, sweetest, most talented man. You really felt he was the 'dad' of us all."

Although he doesn't dismiss the notion of returning to series television, Bakula says it will be difficult to find a role as interesting and with as much integrity as that of Dr. Sam Beckett, who time-traveled into other bodies in "Quantum Leap." (The series is now in reruns on cable's Sci Fi Channel.)

"There's so much energy and so much time and so much of yourself that you give to everything you do," he says. "Emotionally you want to feel good about it."

Thanks to Robbie, and to Emma for typing. Extra credit to google for helping me find the missing part.

November 19

Papa's Angels--DETAILS--from TV Guide.com
Here is the blurb from TV Guide.com about Papa's Angels
Papa's Angels
120 min.
Scott Bakula and Cynthia Nixon give heartfelt performances in this 2000 holiday TV-drama, which chronicles a trying year---from one Christmas to another---in the life of an Appalachian family.
“Grins” (Bakula), the clan's lovable, carefree father, prefers playing banjo and making furniture to worrying about the future. His stalwart wife, Sharon (Nixon), is the strength of the family. When Sharon becomes ill and must be sent to a sanitarium, “Grins” is lost without her. And when he brings her home to die, he becomes inconsolable. His kids then struggle to melt his hardened heart in time to celebrate Christmas again. Grammy: Eva Marie Saint.
Cast: Scott Bakula, Eva Marie Saint, Cynthia Nixon, Brandon James Olson, Jenny Lynn Hutcheson, Lachlan Murdoch, Kimberley Warnat, Kirsten Bishopric, Shane Meier
Rating: TV-PG
Category: Movie , Drama
Release Year: 2000

You can find the article here
Thanks to Emma!

October 17

Article on Papa's Angels
This article is from the Calgary Herald,
thanks to Diane and Emma

November 30

Radio Interview 11/30/2000 WPLT, Detroit

December 4, 2000

Papa's Angels, competition, ratings as posted on QLIK Message board
thanks to Helene
Subject: CBS won Sunday ratings!

As you can see by the attached article, Papa's Angels beat out the John Lennon special on NBC last night and helped CBS to win the night. Unfortunately, both 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire' and 'X-Files' actually beat it in the ratings, but it did better than the movie shown the previous week. I don't know yet how it stacks up against other films in the same time period, but IMHO, it's still good news ;-)

CBS Rides 'Minutes,' 'Football' to Sunday Win
Mon, Dec 4, 2000 09:32 AM PDT

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - Overnight Ratings For Sunday, Dec. 3, 2000

CBS returned to the top of the overnight metered market ratings (Dec. 3) Sunday, helped by football and "Touched by an Angel." The net pulled an average 10.6 rating/ 16 share (last week, 10.7/15) to ABC's 8.4/12 (11.4/16) to win the night. FOX, behind "The X-Files," was third, 8.0/12 (7.8/11), while NBC slipped to fourth with a 6.4/9 (12.6/18). The WB took home a 2.8/4 (2.7/4) in fifth.

CBS began its night with some NFL overrun, 13.2/22 (16.5/26), before "60 Minutes," which pulled a 13.3/19 (12.9/19). A new episode of "Touched By an Angel" followed, 10.9/15 (9.8/14), with the original movie "Papa's Angels" closing out the night with an 8.8/15 ("The Moving of Sophia Myles" 8.2/12)

ABC aired specials instead of its regular "Wonderful World of Disney," starting with "Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too!" at 7 p.m., 6.1/10, and "The Tangerine Bear: Home in Time for Christmas" at 7:30 p.m., 6.2/9. At 8 p.m., the music special "Christina Aguilera: My Reflection" took a 5.2/8 (last week, "The Santa Clause" 9.7/14 from 8-9 p.m.). At 9 p.m. "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" rose to an 11.3/16 (13.2/18), followed by a rerun of "The Practice" at 10 p.m., 10.8/17 (13.2/20).

"Futurama" started the night for FOX with a 4.9/8 (4.9/7), followed by "King of the Hill" with a 5.7/9 (5.6/8). At 8 p.m. "The Simpsons" took a 9.5/14 (9.1/13), followed by a "Malcolm in the Middle" repeat, 8.6/12 (8.8/12). A new episode of "The X-Files" was the night's top show for FOX, taking a 9.7/14 (9.2/13).

NBC started its night with "World's Most Amazing Videos," 7.0/10, followed by "Dateline NBC" at 8 p.m., 7.4/11. The new movie "In His Life: The John Lennon Story" failed to deliver strong numbers, pulling only a 5.7/9 from 9-11 p.m. (last week, "Titanic" had a 12.6/18 from 7-11 p.m.).

"The Jamie Foxx Show" began The WB's schedule at 7 p.m., 2.7/4 (2.8/4), followed by "The PJs," 2.7/4 (2.7/4). "The Steve Harvey Show" took a 3.2/5 (3.3/5) at 8 p.m., followed by "Hype," 2.8/4 (2.2/3) at 8:30 p.m. "Nikki" was the net's top-rated show with a 3.3/5 (3.0/4) at 9 p.m., with "Grosse Pointe" taking a 2.4/3 (2.1/3) at 9:30 p.m.

December 7

Ratings for Papa's Angels
[Margaret] got a fax from Jay's office with the info about the ratings for Papa's Angels. 
The movie scored a 9.6 rating (considerably up from the overnights) and 15 share, up 26% from the same time slot last year. The movie was second in the 9:30-11:00pm time slots. 
Even better were the demographics: 5.0/11 in adults 25-54, 6.3/13 (!) in boomers, 6.6/15 in women 25-54, and a very respectable 3.8/9 in adults 18-49. The movie was up double digit percentages in all demographic categories from the same time last year.
If you'd like to send any comments to CBS, the address is:
CBS-TV
7800 Beverly Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
thanks to Margaret 

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