Nothing Sacred

All too often, dramatic series on television avoid issues of religion, ethics and morality. Such topics are said to easily offend the sensibilities of viewers, or to risk the loss of support from skittish advertisers and affiliates. ABC, Sarabande Productions, and 20th Century Fox TV, are commended for challenging conventional wisdom with Nothing Sacred, a timely, provocative and thoughtful dramatic series, which provided an honest portrayal of the complexity of faith in the modern era. Created by Father Bill Cain, a Jesuit priest and playwright, and David Manson, with Richard Kramer as executive producer, and Cyrus Yavneh as producer, Nothing Sacred featured talented actor Kevin Anderson as Father Ray, a young Catholic priest struggling to retain the flicker of God in an urban community facing moral, spiritual and economic decay. In its all-too-brief run on network television, the program was fiercely unafraid to interweave into parish life such contemporary issues as abortion, HIV, class struggles, and racism. Since it first convened in 1940, the Peabody Board has sought to identify, encourage, and recognize excellence and innovation in broadcasting, especially when such programming has faced ideological attack and the threat of censure. In that tradition, a Peabody is presented to ABC, Sarabande Productions, in association with 20th Century Fox Television, for Nothing Sacred.