''Bracken's World'' is an American

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

television series that aired on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...

from September 19, 1969, to December 25, 1970. The series was created and produced by

Dorothy Kingsley Dorothy Kingsley (October 14, 1909 – September 26, 1997) was an American screenwriter, who worked extensively in film, radio and television. Biography Born in New York City, Kingsley was the daughter of newspaperman and press agent Walter J. ...

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performed the second-season theme song "Worlds".

Synopsis

The series centers on a powerful head of Century Studios and a group of up-and-coming starlets. During the first season,

Eleanor Parker Eleanor Jean Parker (June 26, 1922 – December 9, 2013) was an American actress. She was nominated for three Academy Awards for her roles in the films '' Caged'' (1950), ''Detective Story'' (1951), and ''Interrupted Melody'' (1955), the first ...

received top billing as Sylvia Caldwell, executive secretary to John Bracken (voice-acted in the first season by

Warren Stevens Warren Albert Stevens (November 2, 1919 – March 27, 2012) was an American stage, screen, and television actor. Early life and career Born in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, Stevens entered the United States Naval Academy in 1937 but was medical ...

), who was sometimes heard, but never seen. Parker left the series after the first 16 episodes, citing the limited nature of her role. When the second season began,

Leslie Nielsen Leslie William Nielsen (11 February 192628 November 2010) was a Canadian actor and comedian. With a career spanning 60 years, he appeared in more than 100 films and 150 television programs, portraying more than 220 characters. Nielsen was bo ...

joined the cast to portray Bracken. Other cast members included Elizabeth Allen,

Dennis Cole Dennis Cole (July 19, 1940 – November 15, 2009) was an American actor in film and television. A familiar face on the screen during the 1960s and 1970s, Cole made guest appearances in numerous television series. After the 1991 murder of Jo ...

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Peter Haskell Peter Abraham Haskell (October 15, 1934 – April 12, 2010) was an American actor who worked primarily in television. Early years Haskell was born in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of Rose (née Golden) and geophysicist Norman Haskell. He att ...

Linda Harrison Linda Melson Harrison (born July 26, 1945) is an American television and film actress, and director and producer, who is internationally known for her role as Nova in the science fiction film classic ''Planet of the Apes'' (1968) and the first ...

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, and

Laraine Stephens Laraine Stephens is an American actress. Stephens was born in Oakland, California. She studied at both Los Angeles City College and the University of California, Los Angeles. A coloratura soprano, Stephens performed in operas before moving in ...

. Guest stars who appeared in various episodes of ''Bracken's World'' included

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, Gary Collins,

Shelley Fabares Michele Ann Marie "Shelley" Fabares (; born January 19, 1944) is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her television roles as Mary Stone on the sitcom ''The Donna Reed Show'' (1958–1963) and as Christine Armstrong on the sitcom ...

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, Arthur Hill.

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, Edward G. Robinson,

Martin Sheen Ramón Antonio Gerardo Estévez (born August 3, 1940), known professionally as Martin Sheen, is an American actor. He first became known for his roles in the films ''The Subject Was Roses'' (1968) and ''Badlands'' (1973), and later achieved wid ...

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, Richard Thomas,

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, and

Raquel Welch Jo Raquel Welch ( Tejada; September 5, 1940) is an American actress. She first won attention for her role in ''Fantastic Voyage'' (1966), after which she won a contract with 20th Century Fox. They lent her contract to the British studio Hammer ...

, who appeared as herself in the pilot episode. ''Bracken's World'' aired on Friday at 10:00 pm (replacing the cancelled ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...

''), a day and time known as the "

Friday night death slot The "Friday night death slot" or "Friday evening death slot" is a perceived graveyard slot in American television. It implies a television program in the United States scheduled on Friday evenings (typically, between 8:00 and 11:00 p.m. ET) ...

", and was cancelled 15 episodes into its second season. "Had they done it like a continuing drama and focused on the regular characters", co-star Linda Harrison said in a 2001 interview, "it would have lasted longer. NBC, however, wanted a one-hour contained show, so they would stock each episode with a big guest star. After a while, you run out of story." ''Bracken's Worlds last episode aired Friday, 25 December 1970.

Cast of characters

as John Bracken (season one; voice only) *

as John Bracken (season two) *

as Sylvia Caldwell (episodes 1-16) *

Bettye Ackerman Bettye Louise Ackerman (February 28, 1924 – November 1, 2006) was an American actress primarily known for her work on television. Early years Ackerman was born in Cottageville, South Carolina (another source says she was born in Williston, So ...

as Anne Frazer (episodes 17-41) * Elizabeth Allen as Laura Deane *

as Davey Evans (season one) *

as Grace Douglas *

Gary Dubin Gary may refer to: *Gary (given name), a common masculine given name, including a list of people and fictional characters with the name *Gary, Indiana, the largest city named Gary Places ;Iran * Gary, Iran, Sistan and Baluchestan Province ;Uni ...

as Mark Grant *

as Paulette Douglas *

as Kevin Grant *

as Rachel Holt * Stephen Oliver as Tom Hudson (season one) *

as Marjorie Grant (episodes 1-28) *

as Diane Waring

Tom Selleck Thomas William Selleck (; born January 29, 1945) is an American actor. His breakout role was playing private investigator Thomas Magnum in the television series ''Magnum, P.I.'' (1980–1988), for which he received five Emmy Award nominations f ...

was seen in the minor recurring role of Roger Haines in several season-one episodes; he made a guest appearance as a different character in season two.

Episodes

Season 1 (1969–70)

Season 2 (1970)

In popular culture

The show was mentioned in ''Mad Men'': "Time Zones", when

Megan Draper This is a list of fictional characters in the television series ''Mad Men'', all of whom have appeared in multiple episodes. Overview ;Cast notes: * Maxwell Huckabee and Aaron Hart have split the role of Bobby Draper in the first season, whil ...

's agent told her she had received a call back for the ''Bracken's World'' pilot.

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* *{{epguides, id=BrackensWorld
''Bracken's World''
at CVTA 1969 American television series debuts 1970 American television series endings 1960s American drama television series 1970s American drama television series English-language television shows NBC original programming Television series about show business Television series by 20th Century Fox Television Television shows set in Los Angeles