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Free admission. No advance reservations. Your seat will be assigned to you when you pick up your ticket at the box office. Seats are assigned on a first come, first served basis. The box office opens one hour before the event.
In person: Q&A with actors Tyne Daly and Sharon Gless, executive producer Barry Rosenzweig.
Cagney & Lacey aired on CBS from 1982–1988, immediately elevating the episodic police genre with its remarkable style and substance. Starring Tyne Daly as Mary Beth Lacey and Sharon Gless as Christine Cagney, the show, throughout its tenure, received numerous Emmy nominations and several awards honoring its lead performers, writers, directors and the series itself. Accompanied by an outstanding supporting cast, Daly and Gless triumph as detective partners and best friends who navigate the ethics and perils of law enforcement and confront the complexities of 1980s feminist politics through the microcosm of the New York City police force.
Writing partners Barbara Avedon and Barbara Corday, and executive producer Barry Rosenzweig, were moved to action by Molly Haskell’s book, From Reverence to Rape: The Treatment of Women in the Movies, and Haskell’s critique of the film industry’s refusal to take seriously women “buddy” pictures. Cagney & Lacey was first conceived of as a feature film script in 1974. CBS initially produced the material in 1981 as a television movie; after many fits and starts, in 1982 the series was launched. From its inception, the show generated debate and controversy around the representation of women on television and the series’ commitment to grounding storylines in topical subjects including abortion, alcoholism, rape, sexual harassment and criminal justice. While CBS executives were threatened by the concept of a dramatic series centered on two women detectives, a strong and dedicated female viewership was vocal in its appreciation for long overdue complex women characters.
Join us for a celebration of Cagney & Lacey with series stars Tyne Daly and Sharon Gless and executive producer Barry Rosenzweig in person. Following the screening, there will be a conversation moderated by Archive Research and Study Center Officer Maya Montañez Smukler.
Program notes by Archive Research and Study Center Officer Maya Montañez Smukler.
Screening 1 of 2
Cagney & Lacey: “Heat”
Year: 10/22/1984 Country: U.S. Language: English Runtime: 50 min. Digital. Color.
Michael Madsen guest stars as a brooding criminal who takes Lacey hostage on a sweltering summer day. Karen Arthur, who won an Emmy for Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series for the episode, draws from all the conventions of the police thriller to build tension and suspense in a showdown that tests law enforcement’s ability to perform under the extraordinary pressure of saving one of their own.
CBS. Production: A Barney Rosenzweig production in association with Orion Television. Executive Producer: Barry Rosenzweig. Director: Karen Arthur. Writer: Leo E. Arthur. With: Tyne Daly, Sharon Gless, Michael Madsen.
Screening 2 of 2
Cagney & Lacey: “The Gimp”
Year: 1/27/1986 Country: U.S. Language: English Runtime: 50 min. Digital. Color.
When Cagney hits a dead end while investigating serial attacks on people utilizing wheelchairs, she goes undercover with guidance from dashing disabilities activist Ted Peters (James Stacy). The episode displays how the series seamlessly combined the story structure of the detective procedural with character subjectivity that balances sexy humor with social commentary. Stacy received an Emmy nomination for his guest appearance.
CBS. Production: A Barney Rosenzweig production in association with Orion Television. Executive Producer: Barry Rosenzweig. Director: Sharron Miller. Writers: Cynthia Darnell, Norm Chandler Fox. With: Tyne Daly, Sharon Gless, James Stacy.
