Civil Wars (TV series)

1991 American TV series or program

Civil Wars

Genre| Legal drama
Created by| William M. Finkelstein
Starring|

* Mariel Hemingway
* Peter Onorati
* Debi Mazar
* Alan Rosenberg
* David Marciano

Country of origin| United States
Original language| English
No. of seasons| 2
No. of episodes| 36
Production
Executive producers|

* William M. Finkelstein
* Steven Bochco

Producers|

* Michael M. Robin
* Gregory Hoblit
* Ted Mann

Production companies|

* Steven Bochco Productions
* 20th Century Fox Television

Original release
Network| ABC
Release| November 20, 1991 (1991-11-20) –
March 2, 1993 (1993-03-02)
Related
L.A. Law

Civil Wars is an American legal drama that aired on ABC from November 20, 1991, to March 2, 1993. The series was created and executive produced by William M. Finkelstein and produced by Steven Bochco.[1]

## Synopsis

[edit]

The series focused on the lives and cases of New York City divorce attorneys. In the series, two of New York City's top divorce lawyers, Charlie Howell (Peter Onorati) and Sydney Guilford (Mariel Hemingway), form a partnership despite barely knowing each other, following the mental breakdown of Guilford's stressed-out partner, Eli Levinson (Alan Rosenberg).[1] The show had a famously misanthropic opening credits sequence; in it, romantic photo albums were shown as the voice track played couples ripping into each other in court, as each of the show's principal attorneys interrogated them, one by one, on the stand.

## Cast

[edit]

* Mariel Hemingway as Sydney Guilford
* Peter Onorati as Charlie Howell
* Debi Mazar as Denise Iannello
* Alan Rosenberg as Eli Levinson
* David Marciano as Jeffrey Lassick

Alan Rosenberg and Debi Mazar continued in their roles as Eli Levinson and Denise Iannello after ABC cancelled Civil Wars in 1993. The two characters were moved over to Bochco’s L.A. Law on NBC for its eighth and final season, with Levinson becoming a member of the series’ major law firm and Iannello serving as his secretary.

## Episodes

[edit]

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|

### Season 1 (1991–92)

[edit]

No.
overall| No. in
season| Title| Directed by| Written by| Original release date| Prod.
code

|
|
|
|
|
|

1| 1| "Pilot"| Gregory Hoblit & Michael M. Robin| William M. Finkelstein| November 20, 1991 (1991-11-20)| 4101
2| 2| "Daveja Vu All Over"| David Rosenbloom| David Milch| November 27, 1991 (1991-11-27)| 4105
3| 3| "The Pound and the Fury"| Gregory Hoblit| William Finkelstein| December 4, 1991 (1991-12-04)| OJ02
4| 4| "A Long, Fat Frontal Presentation"| Michael M. Robin| Ted Mann| December 11, 1991 (1991-12-11)| 4108
5| 5| "Have Gun, Will Unravel"| Mark Sobel| Dottie Dartland| December 18, 1991 (1991-12-18)| 4104
6| 6| "Honi Soit Qui Mal y Pense"| Mark Tinker| Ted Mann| January 8, 1992 (1992-01-08)| 4103
7| 7| "Oceans White with Phone"| Joan Darling| Ted Mann| January 15, 1992 (1992-01-15)| 4106
8| 8| "For Better or Perverse"| Mark Tinker| William M. Finkelstein| January 21, 1992 (1992-01-21)| 4109
9| 9| "Pro Se Can You See"| Mark Tinker| Linda Elstad| January 22, 1992 (1992-01-22)| 4111
10| 10| "Shop 'til You Drop"| Brad Silberling| Charles H. Eglee & Channing Gibson| January 29, 1992 (1992-01-29)| 4110
11| 11| "His Honor's Offer"| Bill D'Elia| Ted Mann| February 5, 1992 (1992-02-05)| 4112
12| 12| "Whippet 'Til It Breaks"| Win Phelps| Linda Elstad| February 12, 1992 (1992-02-12)| 4107
13| 13| "Tape Fear"| Mark Tinker| William Finkelstein, Channing Gibson & Charles Eglee| March 17, 1992 (1992-03-17)| 4113
14| 14| "Chute First, Ask Questions Later"| Dan Lerner| George Malko| March 24, 1992 (1992-03-24)| 4114
15| 15| "Dirty Pool"| Michael M. Robin| William Finkelstein, Charles Eglee, Channing Gibson & Ted Mann| March 31, 1992 (1992-03-31)| 4115
16| 16| "Mob Psychology"| Joe Ann Fogle| William Finkelstein, Charles Eglee, Channing Gibson & Ted Mann| April 14, 1992 (1992-04-14)| 4116
17| 17| "Denise and De Nuptials"| Michael Fresco| William Finkelstein, Charles Eglee, Channing Gibson & Ted Mann| April 21, 1992 (1992-04-21)| 4117
18| 18| "Till Debt Do Us Part"| Mervin B. Dayan| William Finkelstein, Charles Eglee, Channing Gibson & Ted Mann| April 28, 1992 (1992-04-28)| 4116

### Season 2 (1992–93)

[edit]

No.
overall| No. in
season| Title| Directed by| Written by| Original release date| Prod.
code

|
|
|
|
|
|

19| 1| "The Naked and the Wed"| Mark Tinker| William M. Finkelstein| September 23, 1992 (1992-09-23)| 4205
20| 2| "Grin and Bare It"| Charles Haid| David Milch| September 30, 1992 (1992-09-30)| 4209
21| 3| "Oboe Phobia"| Mark Tinker| Ted Mann| October 7, 1992 (1992-10-07)| 4201
22| 4| "Drone of Arc"| Michael M. Robin| Ted Mann| October 14, 1992 (1992-10-14)| 4202
23| 5| "Below the Beltway"| Elodie Keene| Charles Eglee & Channing Gibson| October 21, 1992 (1992-10-21)| 4203
24| 6| "Devil's Advocate"| Tom Moore| Patricia Nardo and Channing Gibson & Charles Eglee & Ted Mann| October 28, 1992 (1992-10-28)| 4204
25| 7| "Das Boat House"| Mark Tinker| Charles Eglee & Channing Gibson| November 11, 1992 (1992-11-11)| 4207
26| 8| "A Bus Named Desire"| Michael Fresco| Story by : Carolyn Shelby & Christopher Ames
Teleplay by : Carolyn Shelby & Christopher Ames and William M. Finkelstein & Charles H. Eglee & Channing Gibson & Ted Mann| December 2, 1992 (1992-12-02)| 4208
27| 9| "The Old Man and the 'C'"| Michael M. Robin| Lee May| December 9, 1992 (1992-12-09)| 4206
28| 10| "The Triumph of DeVille"| Dennis Dugan| William M. Finkelstein| December 16, 1992 (1992-12-16)| 4210
29| 11| "A Partridge in a Pair's Tree"| Dan Lerner| Ted Mann| December 23, 1992 (1992-12-23)| 4211
30| 12| "Hit the Road, Jack"| Mark Tinker| Channing Gibson & Charles Eglee| January 6, 1993 (1993-01-06)| 4212
31| 13| "Dances with Sharks"| Mark Tinker| Anne Kenney| January 19, 1993 (1993-01-19)| 4213
32| 14| "Split Ends"| Michael Fresco| Story by : Steven Bochco
Teleplay by : William M. Finkelstein & Jennifer Flackett| January 26, 1993 (1993-01-26)| 4214
33| 15| "Watt, Me Worry?"| Dennis Dugan| William M. Finkelstein & Charles Eglee & Channing Gibson| February 9, 1993 (1993-02-09)| 4215
34| 16| "Alien Aided Affection"| Win Phelps & Mark Tinker| Ted Mann| February 16, 1993 (1993-02-16)| 4216
35| 17| "Captain Kangaroo Court"| Joe Ann Fogle| Anne Kenney & Jennifer Flackett| February 23, 1993 (1993-02-23)| 4217
36| 18| "A Liver Runs Through It"| Mark Tinker| William M. Finkelstein & Charles Eglee & Channing Gibson & Ted Mann| March 2, 1993 (1993-03-02)| 4218

## Awards and nominations

[edit]

Year  | Award  | Category  | Recipient  | Result

|
|
|
|

1992 | American Society of Cinematographers Award | Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Movies of the Week/Pilots | Brian J. Reynolds | Nominated
Casting Society of America's Artios Award | Best Casting for TV, Pilot | Junie Lowry-Johnson | Nominated
Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Individual Achievement in Sound Editing for a Series | Dave Weathers, Richard Taylor, Barbara Issak, Frank A. Fuller Jr., Pat McCormick, Gary Lewis, Albert Edmund Lord III, James Hebenstreit (For episode "Oceans White With Phone") | Nominated
Television Critics Association Award | Outstanding Achievement in Drama |  | Nominated
1993 | American Television Awards[2] | Best Supporting Actress, Dramatic Series | Debi Mazar | Nominated
Golden Globe Award | Best Performance by an Actress in a TV-Series - Drama | Mariel Hemingway | Nominated
Viewers for Quality Television Award | Best Supporting Actor in a Quality Drama Series | Alan Rosenberg | Nominated
Young Artist Award | Best Young Actor Guest Starring in a Television Series | Gregor Hesse | Nominated

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Rosenberg, Howard (November 20, 1991). "TV REVIEW : 'Civil Wars' Loses Battle to Absurdities". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
2. ^ Lowry, Brian (April 16, 1993). "CBS leads noms for Emmy rival". variety.com. Retrieved October 27, 2013.

## External links

[edit]

* Civil Wars at IMDb
* Civil Wars at epguides.com

* v
* t
* e

Television series created or produced by Steven Bochco

* Richie Brockelman, Private Eye (1978)
* Paris (1979)
* Hill Street Blues (1981–1987)
* Bay City Blues (1983)
* L.A. Law (1986–1994)
* Hooperman (1987–1989)
* Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989–1993)
* Cop Rock (1990)
* Civil Wars (1991–1993)
* Capitol Critters (1992)
* NYPD Blue (1993–2005)
* The Byrds of Paradise (1994)
* Murder One (1995–1997)
* Public Morals (1996–1997)
* Brooklyn South (1997–1998)
* Total Security (1997)
* City of Angels (2000)
* Philly (2001–2002)
* Blind Justice (2005)
* Over There (2005)
* Commander in Chief (2005–2006)
* Raising the Bar (2008–2009)
* Murder in the First (2014–2016)

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