Holocaust (TV miniseries)
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223780166
2008-07-05T19:41:05Z
Frschoonover
1586166
Adding info on the DVD release and changing the article to the present tense rather than past tense since the miniseries never ceased to exist..
{{Infobox Television Film
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| name = Holocaust
| image =
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| format = [[Miniseries]]
| runtime = 475 min.
| director = [[Marvin J. Chomsky]]
| producer = [[Robert Berger (producer)|Robert Berger]]
| writer = [[Gerald Green (author)|Gerald Green]]
| music = [[Morton Gould]]
| starring = [[Michael Moriarty]]<br>[[Meryl Streep]]<br>[[Rosemary Harris]]<br>[[Sam Wanamaker]]<br>[[David Warner]]<br>[[Tovah Feldshuh]]<br>[[Fritz Weaver]]
| country = {{USA}}
| network = [[ NBC]]
| first_aired = [[April 16]], [[1978]]
| last_aired = [[April 19]], [[1978]]
| website =
| num_episodes =
| imdb_id =
| tv_com_id =
|}}
'''''Holocaust''''' is an [[Emmy Award]]-winning television [[miniseries]] broadcast in four parts in [[1978]] on the [[NBC]] television network. Although the miniseries won several awards and received critical acclaim, it was criticized by some including noted Holocaust author and survivor [[Elie Wiesel]] who (according to the ''[[New York Times]]'') called it "untrue, offensive (and) cheap." [http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/H/htmlH/holocaust/holocaust.htm]
It tells the story of the [[Holocaust]] from the perspective of the Weiss family of German [[Jews]], and from the point of view of a German family where the husband is a rising [[SS]] member, who gradually becomes a merciless, bloodthirsty [[war crimes|war criminal]]. ''Holocaust'' highlighted numerous important events which occurred up to and during [[World War II]], such as [[Kristallnacht]], the creation of Jewish [[ghettos]] and later, the use of [[gas chambers]]. The series ultimately attempted to portray the atrocity of this [[genocide]] to viewers.
[[Image:Holocaust (TV miniseries).jpg|thumb|left|225px|''[[Meryl Streep]]'' as Inga Helms-Weiss in Holocaust.]]
''Holocaust'' was broadcast in four parts from [[April 16]] to [[April 19]]. It was extremely popular, earning a 49% market share. It was also popular in Europe and had a major impact when it was broadcast in [[West Germany]] in January 1979. The airing in West Germany had a direct impact on the removal of the [[statute of limitations]] clause in cases involving [[Nazi]] war crimes.
The nine-and-a-half hour program starred [[Meryl Streep]], [[James Woods]] and [[Michael Moriarty]], as well as a large supporting cast. It was directed by [[Marvin J. Chomsky]], a veteran of countless television specials including ABC's highly successful miniseries ''[[Roots_(TV_miniseries)|Roots]]'', which first aired a year earlier, in 1977. The teleplay was written by novelist-producer [[Gerald Green (author)|Gerald Green]], who later adapted the script into a novel.
''Holocaust'' won the [[Emmy Award]] for Outstanding Limited Series. It also won Emmys for stars Streep, Moriarty and Blanche Baker. Chomsky and Green also won Emmys. [[Morton Gould]]'s music was nominated, but did not win. Gould's music score was also nominated for a [[Grammy Award]] for Best Album of Original Score for a Movie or Television Program. Co-stars [[David Warner]], [[Sam Wanamaker]], [[Tovah Feldshuh]], [[Fritz Weaver]] and [[Rosemary Harris]] were all nominated for Emmys, and they too, did not win. However, Harris won a Golden Globe Award (for Best TV Actress - Drama) for her performance, as did Moriarty (for Best TV Actor - Drama).
The program was produced by [[Robert Berger (producer)|Robert "Buzz" Berger]], and was filmed on location in [[Austria]] and [[West Berlin]].
The miniseries created controversy for supposedly trivializing the [[Holocaust]]. The television format meant the realism of the situation was muted, while the fact that NBC made a great deal of money from advertising, led to accusations that the [[tragedy]] was being commercialized. Its creators defended it by arguing that it was an important factor in developing and maintaining awareness of the Holocaust.
==Cast==
{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;"
|- bgcolor="#CCCCCC" align="center"
| '''Character''' || '''Actor/Actress'''
|-
| [[Adolf Eichmann]] || ''[[Tom Bell (actor)|Tom Bell]]''
|-
| Rudi Weiss || ''[[Joseph Bottoms]]''
|-
| Helena Slomova || ''[[Tovah Feldshuh]]''
|-
| Heinrich Palitz || ''[[Marius Goring]]''
|-
| Berta Palitz Weiss || ''[[Rosemary Harris]]''
|-
| [[Heinrich Müller]] || ''[[Tony Haygarth]]''
|-
| [[Heinrich Himmler]] || ''[[Ian Holm]]''
|-
| Uncle Sasha || ''[[Lee Montague]]''
|-
| Erik Dorf || ''[[Michael Moriarty]]''
|-
| Marta Dorf|| ''[[Deborah Norton]]''
|-
| Mr. Lowy|| ''[[George Rose (actor)|George Rose]]''
|-
| Uncle Kurt Dorf || ''[[Robert Stephens]]''
|-
| Inga Helms Weiss || ''[[Meryl Streep]]''
|-
| Moses Weiss || ''[[Sam Wanamaker]]''
|-
| [[Reinhard Heydrich]] || ''[[David Warner (actor)|David Warner]]''
|-
| Dr. Josef Weiss || ''[[Fritz Weaver]]''
|-
| Karl Weiss || ''[[James Woods]]''
|-
| [[Hermann Höfle]] || ''[[Sean Arnold]]''
|-
| [[Hans Frank]] || ''[[John Bailey (actor)|John Bailey]]''
|-
| Anna Weiss || ''[[Blanche Baker]]''
|-
| Hans Helms || ''[[Michael Beck]]''
|-
| [[Karl Rahm]] || ''[[John Collin]]''
|-
| [[Rudolf Hoess|Rudolf Höss]] || ''[[David Daker]]''
|-
| Mr. Karp || ''[[Vernon Dobtcheff]]''
|-
| Mr. Biberstein || ''[[Edward Hardwicke]]''
|-
| [[Otto Ohlendorf]] || ''[[Nigel Hawthorne]]''
|-
| Mrs. Lowy || ''[[Käte Jaenicke]]''
|-
| Dr. Kohn || ''[[Charles Korvin]]''
|-
| Mr. Helms || ''[[Werner Kreindl]]''
|-
| Mr. Zalmann || ''[[Stanley Lebor]]''
|-
| Aaron || ''[[Jeremy Levy]]''
|-
| [[Paul Blobel]] || ''[[T. P. McKenna]]''
|-
| [[Ernst Kaltenbrunner]] || ''[[Hans Meyer]]''
|-
| Mrs. Palitz || ''[[Nora Minor]]''
|-
| Maria Kalova || ''[[Irene Prador]]''
|-
| Mr. Felscher || ''[[George Pravda]]''
|-
| Mr. Tesch || ''[[Oscar Quitak]]''
|-
| Mr. Levin || ''[[Osman Ragheb]]''
|-
| [[Arthur Nebe]] || ''[[John Rees (actor)|John Rees]]''
|-
| [[Bernhard Lichtenberg]] || ''[[Llewellyn Rees]]''
|-
| Mr. Kovel || ''[[Toby Salaman]]''
|-
| [[Mordechaj Anielewicz]] || ''[[Murray Salem]]''
|-
| Mrs. Helms || ''[[Nina Sandt]]''
|-
| Mr. Weinberg || ''[[Cyril Shaps]]''
|-
| John Cassidy || ''[[Robert Sherman (actor)|Robert Sherman]]''
|-
| Rabbi Samuel || ''[[Gabor Vernon]]''
|-
| Mr. Frey || ''[[Peter Vogel (actor)|Peter Vogel]]''
|-
| Peter Dorf as Child || ''[[Jim Anbach]]''
|-
| Eva || ''[[Isolde Barth]]''
|-
| Dr. Heintren || ''[[Hubert Berger]]''
|-
| Immigration Official || ''[[Gottfried Blahovsky]]''
|-
| Nadya || ''[[Vera Borek]]''
|-
| Rabbi Korsch || ''[[Martin Brandt]]''
|-
| Seder Man || ''[[Peter Capell]]''
|-
| Vanya || ''[[Ulli Chivall]]''
|-
| [[Buchenwald concentration camp]]-Sergeant || ''[[Otto Clemens]]''
|-
| Yuri || ''[[Peter Garrell]]''
|-
| Peter Dorf as Teenager || ''[[Edward Gilkrist]]''
|-
| Berald || ''[[Klaus Guth]]''
|-
| S.S. Guard || ''[[Berno Hall]]''
|-
| Soviet Captain || ''[[Nikolai Hantoff]]''
|-
| [[Auschwitz concentration camp]]-Sergeant || ''[[Ernst Hausknost]]''
|-
| Laura Dorf as Child || ''[[Carrie Hill]]''
|-
| Laura Dorf as Teenager || ''Courtney Hill''
|-
| [[Buchenwald concentration camp]]-Prisoner || ''[[Karl Hoess]]''
|-
| [[Gestapo]]-Police Officer || ''[[Harry Hornisch]]''
|-
| Mr. Pfennenstiel || ''[[Helmut Janatsch]]''
|-
| Sarah the Nurse || ''[[Kathina Kaiser]]''
|-
| Mr. Engelmann || ''[[Wolfgang Leisowsky]]''
|-
| Sofia Alatri || ''[[Hanna Lessing]]''
|-
| Woman with Infant || ''[[Miriam Mahler]]''
|-
| Anton || ''[[Rudolf Melichar]]''
|-
| Border Guard || ''[[Peter Neusser]]''
|-
| [[Auschwitz concentration camp]]-[[Kapo (concentration camp)|Kapo]] || ''[[Elvira Neustaedtl]]''
|-
| Aaron's Classmate || ''[[Jan Odle]]''
|-
| Sergeant Foltz || ''[[Stephan Paryla]]''
|-
| [[Prague]] Police Officer || ''[[Walter Scheuer]]''
|-
| Polish Police Officer || ''[[Karl Schulz]]''
|-
| [[Warsaw Ghetto]] Police Officer || ''[[Ortwin Speer]]''
|-
| [[Buchenwald concentration camp]] Typist || ''[[Erwin Steinhauer]]''
|-
| [[Kapo (concentration camp)|Kapo]] Meinick || ''[[Bruno Thost]]''
|-
| Greek Jew || ''[[Joe Trummer]]''
|-
| Sacristan || ''[[Peter Weihs]]''
|-
| [[Berlin]] Doctor || ''[[Götz von Langheim]]''
|}
==DVD Releases==
The Holocaust TV miniseries was released as a Region 1 DVD by ''Paramount'' on May 27th, 2008.
== See also ==
*[[List of Holocaust films]]
==External links==
* {{imdb title|id=0077025|title= Holocaust}}
* [http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/H/htmlH/holocaust/holocaust.htm ''Holocaust''] at The [[Museum of Broadcast Communications]] website
{{EmmyAward Miniseries 1976-2000}}
[[Category:American television miniseries]]
[[Category:Holocaust films]]
[[Category:NBC network shows]]
[[de:Holocaust – Die Geschichte der Familie Weiß]]
[[fr:Holocauste (feuilleton télévisé)]]
[[nl:Holocaust (film)]]
[[fi:Polttouhrit]]
[[sv:Förintelsen (TV-serie)]]