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I'll Fly Away

"In a Time of Change, Some Values Never Go Out Of Style."

1991-10-07 Drama 7.25

I'll Fly Away is an American drama television series set during the late 1950s and early 1960s, in an unspecified Southern U.S. state. It aired on NBC from 1991 to 1993 and starred Regina Taylor as Lilly Harper, a black housekeeper for the family of district attorney Forrest Bedford, whose name is an ironic reference to Nathan Bedford Forrest, the founder of the Ku Klux Klan. As the show progressed, Lilly became increasingly involved in the Civil Rights Movement, with events eventually drawing in Forrest as well. I'll Fly Away won two 1992 Emmy Awards, and 23 nominations in total. It won three Humanitas Prizes, two Golden Globe Awards, two NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Drama Series, and a Peabody Award. However, the series was never a ratings blockbuster, and it was canceled by NBC in 1993, despite widespread protests by critics and viewer organizations. After the program's cancellation, a two-hour movie, I'll Fly Away: Then and Now, was produced, in order to resolve dangling storylines from Season 2, and provide the series with a true finale. The movie aired on October 11, 1993 on PBS. Its major storyline closely paralleled the true story of the 1955 murder of Emmett Till in Money, Mississippi. Thereafter, PBS began airing repeats of the original episodes, ceasing after one complete showing of the entire series.

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I'll Fly Away

Storyline

I'll Fly Away is an American drama television series set during the late 1950s and early 1960s, in an unspecified Southern U.S. state. It aired on NBC from 1991 to 1993 and starred Regina Taylor as Lilly Harper, a black housekeeper for the family of district attorney Forrest Bedford, whose name is an ironic reference to Nathan Bedford Forrest, the founder of the Ku Klux Klan. As the show progressed, Lilly became increasingly involved in the Civil Rights Movement, with events eventually drawing in Forrest as well. I'll Fly Away won two 1992 Emmy Awards, and 23 nominations in total. It won three Humanitas Prizes, two Golden Globe Awards, two NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Drama Series, and a Peabody Award. However, the series was never a ratings blockbuster, and it was canceled by NBC in 1993, despite widespread protests by critics and viewer organizations. After the program's cancellation, a two-hour movie, I'll Fly Away: Then and Now, was produced, in order to resolve dangling storylines from Season 2, and provide the series with a true finale. The movie aired on October 11, 1993 on PBS. Its major storyline closely paralleled the true story of the 1955 murder of Emmett Till in Money, Mississippi. Thereafter, PBS began airing repeats of the original episodes, ceasing after one complete showing of the entire series.

  • First Aired
    1991-10-07
  • Last Aired
    1993-10-11
  • Creator
    Joshua Brand
  • Genre
    Drama
  • Seasons
    3
  • Episodes
    39
  • Status
    Ended
  • Language
    English
  • Network
    NBC

Stream and watch I'll Fly Away

  • Season 1
  • Season 2
  • Season 3
(pilot)

1. (pilot)

Lawyer Forrest Bedford struggles to raise a family amid the civil-rights strife of the 1958 South, aid...More
Lawyer Forrest Bedford struggles to raise a family amid the civil-rights strife of the 1958 South, aided by Lily, a lack housekeeper who comes to work in the opener to find Forrest prosecuting a young white for a bus accident that killed three black; and little John Morgan missing his hospitalized mama.Less
60mins 1991-10-07
The Hat

2. The Hat

When John Morgan loses his cowboy hat out of the car window, Lilly finds it—but then so does her dau...More
When John Morgan loses his cowboy hat out of the car window, Lilly finds it—but then so does her daughter—-while Forrest faces verbal cross-fire over a beating case arising from the demonstration.Less
60mins 1991-10-08
Rules Of The Game

3. Rules Of The Game

With Forrest away on a weekend hunting trip, womanhood takes aim at Francie, who feels utterly alone; ...More
With Forrest away on a weekend hunting trip, womanhood takes aim at Francie, who feels utterly alone; while worries about the fate of an errant arrow dog, John Morgan.Less
60mins 1991-10-15
Amazing Grace

4. Amazing Grace

As Forrest joins the race for attorney general, Lilly considers attending a voting-rights meetings, wh...More
As Forrest joins the race for attorney general, Lilly considers attending a voting-rights meetings, while Francie elects to overcome her writer's block by committing a betrayal.Less
60mins 1991-10-22
All God's Children

5. All God's Children

John Morgan is upset when he doesn't get to go to Lilly's birthday party; the wrestlers aren't celebra...More
John Morgan is upset when he doesn't get to go to Lilly's birthday party; the wrestlers aren't celebrating Zollicofer's decision to let a black join the team; Forrest realizes running for office isn't going to be a piece of cake.Less
60mins 1991-10-29
Beyond Here Dar Be Dragons

6. Beyond Here Dar Be Dragons

On Halloween, the specter of the KKK haunts Christina as she's asked to investigate Prevtiss Carver's ...More
On Halloween, the specter of the KKK haunts Christina as she's asked to investigate Prevtiss Carver's death. It also haunts John Morgan, who's heard about the ""dragon men"" from Adlaine.Less
60mins 1991-11-05
Parallel Lives

7. Parallel Lives

Slocum wrestles with his conscience—-and with-–Evans as Zollicfer applies pressure over the brick-...More
Slocum wrestles with his conscience—-and with-–Evans as Zollicfer applies pressure over the brick-throwing incident; Lilly balks when Lewis, wanting to relive his time in the Negro Leagues, takes his eyes off the ball at home.Less
60mins 1991-11-19
Coming Home

8. Coming Home

Thanksgiving brings family—and conflict—home: Gwen's visit from the mental hospital knocks the stu...More
Thanksgiving brings family—and conflict—home: Gwen's visit from the mental hospital knocks the stuffing out of the Bedfords, especially Nathan; and Lilly's brother makes a pilgrimage home after discovering the New World of the North.Less
60mins 1991-11-26
Some Desperate Glory

9. Some Desperate Glory

A game of checkers turns deadly serious for Nathan and Slocum; Lilly helps Francie, who's afraid she'l...More
A game of checkers turns deadly serious for Nathan and Slocum; Lilly helps Francie, who's afraid she'll lay an egg singing in the church benefit.Less
60mins 1991-12-10
Desire

10. Desire

Lilly expresses a burning desire to divorce her absent husband; sparks fly between Nathan and a carniv...More
Lilly expresses a burning desire to divorce her absent husband; sparks fly between Nathan and a carnival worker; Forrest's arrest of an upstanding citizen in the McDaniel murder adds fuel to the fire against him, which licks at John Morgan.Less
60mins 1991-12-17
Alice Oakley Doesn't Live Here Anymore

11. Alice Oakley Doesn't Live Here Anymore

John Morgan makes up a tall tale about his absent mother joining the rodeo; as the trial approaches, F...More
John Morgan makes up a tall tale about his absent mother joining the rodeo; as the trial approaches, Forrest lassos a witness and then tightens the rope; Slocum's father brands his son a loser and kicks him out of the house.Less
60mins 1992-01-07
On The Road

12. On The Road

On a campaign swing, Forrest lobbies for the affections of a difficult Francie, while Lilly faces a di...More
On a campaign swing, Forrest lobbies for the affections of a difficult Francie, while Lilly faces a difficult test registering to vote.Less
60mins 1992-02-28
Master Magician

13. Master Magician

As Election Day nears, John Morgan plans a post-victory show, but Forrest isn't sure he can pull a win...More
As Election Day nears, John Morgan plans a post-victory show, but Forrest isn't sure he can pull a win out of his hat in his race for attorney general. He's facing a blackmail threat from a drunken Tyler. Meanwhile, Lilly's determination to vote remains unabated, even after her faith is tested by the opposition of her minister. But discrimination at the polling place makes that step forward seems more like an illusion.Less
60mins 1992-03-06
Hard Lessons

14. Hard Lessons

Forrest faces a test in courage when some of the townsfolk decide to teach him a lesson; Nathan is eag...More
Forrest faces a test in courage when some of the townsfolk decide to teach him a lesson; Nathan is eager to learn why Forrest and Lake had a falling-out; and Lilly enrolls in night school.Less
60mins 1992-03-13
Cool Winter Blues

15. Cool Winter Blues

An impromptu lunch-counter protest leads to a more serious demonstration; Lilly has to chew out John M...More
An impromptu lunch-counter protest leads to a more serious demonstration; Lilly has to chew out John Morgan and an unruly friend; Nathan, stunned by a revelation about his girlfriend, wishes he could eat his words after Slocum repeals them to her.Less
60mins 1992-03-20
The Way Things Are

16. The Way Things Are

Forrest is shocked when Rev. Henry's latest protest sparks Lilly to action; Nathan and Diane's status ...More
Forrest is shocked when Rev. Henry's latest protest sparks Lilly to action; Nathan and Diane's status as a couple generates charged comments; John Morgan fools with electricity.Less
60mins 1992-03-27
Slow Dark Coming

17. Slow Dark Coming

Diane's father tries to put a damper on her and Nathan's passions; racial tensions heat up with the de...More
Diane's father tries to put a damper on her and Nathan's passions; racial tensions heat up with the department-store boycott, leaving Lilly's cousin Oscar out in the cold.Less
60mins 1992-04-03
Toy Soldiers

18. Toy Soldiers

Not realizing how deep town sentiment runs, Lilly and Forrest learn fast after witnessing a police att...More
Not realizing how deep town sentiment runs, Lilly and Forrest learn fast after witnessing a police attack on black children; tucker robs the cradle with Forrests' young campaign worker; Francie behaves childishly after being asked to walk John Morgan to school.Less
60mins 1992-04-10
The Kindness Of Strangers

19. The Kindness Of Strangers

Lilly finds herself in time with a visiting sax player; a frustrated Forrest wants someone to face the...More
Lilly finds herself in time with a visiting sax player; a frustrated Forrest wants someone to face the music about his incompetent opposing counsel in a murder trial; Slocum is jazzed to find Zollicofer in town, trying to get his job back.Less
60mins 1992-04-24
Not Buried

20. Not Buried

John Morgan tries to put to rest his guilt and fear over an elderly neighbor's passing; Forrest asks C...More
John Morgan tries to put to rest his guilt and fear over an elderly neighbor's passing; Forrest asks Christina to step in to save the dying defense of a black man accused of murder.Less
60mins 1992-05-01
A Dangerous Comfort

21. A Dangerous Comfort

Lilly feels no pain when she's with Clarence, but Lewis isn't as intoxicated by his presence; Christin...More
Lilly feels no pain when she's with Clarence, but Lewis isn't as intoxicated by his presence; Christina faces her own demons helping alcoholic tucker dry out; Nathan keeps his anger bottled up after catching Forrest in a compromising position.Less
60mins 1992-05-15
The Slightest Distance

22. The Slightest Distance

Forrest ponders an offer for a challenging job; Lilly tries to make peace between her father and Clare...More
Forrest ponders an offer for a challenging job; Lilly tries to make peace between her father and Clarence, who asks her to make a life-changing decision; Nathan sees something he shouldn't; and Slocum saves his mother's birthday party.Less
60mins 1992-05-15

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Cast

Sam Waterston

Sam Waterston

Forrest Bedford
Regina Taylor

Regina Taylor

Lilly Harper
Jeremy London

Jeremy London

Nathaniel 'Nathan' Bedford
Ashlee Levitch

Ashlee Levitch

Francie Bedford
John Aaron Bennett

John Aaron Bennett

John Morgan Bedford
Peter Simmons

Peter Simmons

Paul Slocum
Kathryn Harrold

Kathryn Harrold

Christina LeKatzis
Bill Cobbs

Bill Cobbs

Lewis Coleman
Mary Alice

Mary Alice

Marguerite Peck

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