The Deadliest Season

The Deadliest Season is a 1977 American made-for-television sports drama film aired on CBS on March 16, 1977. It was directed by Robert Markowitz, written by Ernest Kinoy and produced by Titus Productions. The film stars Michael Moriarty, Kevin Conway and Meryl Streep.

Plot

Gerry Miller is a professional ice hockey defenseman relegated to the minor leagues because his play is not aggressive enough. In an effort to get back to the majors, he plays dirty and gets into fights on the ice, which gets him back to the majors. His aggressive play results in the death of a former friend playing for an opposing team who sustained a ruptured spleen during a game. Miller appears largely indifferent to the situation, appearing to view it as a normal part of playing top-level ice hockey. He is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon by the district attorney and is under pressure to accept a Plea bargaining in [the United States|plea bargain] while his team and the league dissociate themselves from the scandal. He is defended by George Graff, a disabled lawyer who is one of the few people that believes he can get Miller exonerated in court.

Cast

Michael Moriarty as Gerry Miller
Kevin Conway as George Graff
Meryl Streep as Sharon Miller
Sully Boyar as Tom Feeney
Jill Eikenberry as Carole Eskanazi
Walter McGinn as District Attorney Horace Meade
Mason Adams as Bill Cairns
Paul D'Amato as Dave Eskanazi
Ron Weyland as Judge Reinhardt
Frank Bongiorno as Rene Beauvois
Mel Boudrot as Coach Bryant
Rudy Hornish as Walters
Eddie Moran as Eddie Miller
Dino Narizzano as Referee Merritt
Alan North as Detective Forscher
George Petrie as President MacCloud
Tom Quinn as Trainer Doyle
Bob Dio as Kenny
Suzanne Ford as Miss Converse
D.H. Robinson as Pete
Jerry Reid as Coach MacInerny
Andrew Duggan as Al Miller
Patrick O'Neal as Bertram Fowler

In The Deadliest Season, Michael Moriarty plays the main character. Kevin Conway also starred in this film. Sully Boyar, Jill Eikenberry, Walter McGinn, Andrew Duggan, Paul D'Amato and Mason Adams also appeared on The Deadliest Season. Conway played the attorney who defended Mortiarty's character. Adams' appearance as the team owner in the film helped land him a role in Lou Grant.
The film was written by Ernest Kinoy, who had already written several television dramas by that time. It was directed by Robert Markowitz, and produced by Titus Productions. Meryl Streep made her television debut. She also made her film debut role for Julia in the same year. Streep, playing Moriarty's wife, received fifth billing in what was her first role.

Reception

of The New York Times praised the film as "an exceptionally impressive production." He complimented Moriarty for bringing "an incredible range of shading and sensitivity to his portrayal of the well‐meaning but confused athlete," Conway for being "admirably forceful, carefully avoiding cheap sentiment" and film editor Stephen A. Rotter and cinematographer Alan Metzger for having "captured the essence of their hockey sequences with stunning fidelity."

Airing

The Deadliest Season was a 98-minute-long courtroom and sports drama made-for-TV movie that originally aired in the United States on CBS in 1977. In Canada, the movie aired in August 1979 on CBC. In Australia, the film first aired in November 1980, and later aired on March 23, 1982, on ATN7. In 1984, it reran in New York on Channel 2. It re-ran on television in Alaska in November 1986.