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'{{Infobox television | image = | image_size = | image_alt = | caption = | genre = [[Period drama]]<br />[[Sports]]<br />[[Miniseries]] | creator = | based_on = | writer = [[Charles Gary Allison]]<br />[[William Bast]] | screenplay = | story = | director = [[Alvin Rakoff]] | starring = {{Unbulleted list|[[David Caruso]]|[[Hunt Block]]|[[David Ogden Stiers]]|[[Angela Lansbury]]}} | narrated = | theme_music_composer = [[Bruce Broughton]] | country = [[United States]] | language = English | num_episodes = 2 | producer = [[Charles Gary Allison]]<br />William Hill<br />Larry White | editor = John Grover<br />Ralph Sheldon | cinematography = Paul Beeson | runtime = 237 minutes | company = [[Columbia Pictures Television]] | distributor = | budget = | network = [[NBC]] | first_aired = {{start date|1984|5|20}} | last_aired = | preceded_by = | followed_by = }} '''''The First Olympics: Athens 1896''''' is a 1984 American television [[miniseries]] produced by [[Columbia Pictures Television]] for broadcast by the [[NBC]] network. This television miniseries tells the story of the founding of the modern [[Olympics]] by focusing on individuals in several countries and their preparations and eventual competition in [[1896 Summer Olympics|Athens]] in 1896. The two-part mini-series originally aired in the [[United States]] on May 20, 1984.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/05/20/arts/tv-view-squeezing-inspiration-from-the-1896-olympics.html |title=Squeezing Inspiration from the 1896 Olympics |first=John J. |last=O'Connor |author-link=John J. O'Connor (journalist) |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=May 20, 1984 |access-date=May 23, 2018}}</ref> ==Plot== The preparation and events leading up to the [[1896 Summer Olympics|inaugural modern Olympic Games]] held in Athens, 1896. The movie examines the experience of competitors from different nations, but especially concentrates on the creation of the first American Olympic team and their trials in getting to the Olympics in Athens. The series ends with a [[voice over]] giving brief descriptions of the various historical individuals that took part. ==Cast== * [[Louis Jourdan]] as [[Pierre de Coubertin]], founder of the [[International Olympic Committee]] * [[David Ogden Stiers]] as [[William Milligan Sloane]], founder of the [[United States Olympic Committee]] * [[Hunt Block]] as [[Robert Garrett]], United States athlete * [[David Caruso]] as [[James Brendan Connolly]], United States athlete * [[Alex Hyde-White]] as [[Arthur Blake (middle-distance runner)|Arthur Blake]], United States athlete * Hutton Cobb as [[Thomas Burke (athlete)|Thomas Burke]], United States athlete * [[Jason Connery]] as [[Thomas Curtis (athlete)|Thomas Curtis]], United States athlete * Ian Morton as [[Ellery Harding Clark]], United States athlete * William Armstrong as [[William Hoyt (athlete)|William Hoyt]], United States athlete * [[Aaron Swartz (actor)|Aaron Swartz]] as [[Herbert Jamison]], United States athlete * Keith Edwards as [[Albert Tyler (athlete)|Albert Tyler]], United States athlete * Terrance Conder as [[Sumner Paine]], United States athlete * Peter Merrill as [[John Paine (sport shooter)|John Paine]], United States athlete * [[Matt Frewer]] as [[Francis Lane]], United States athlete * [[Robert Addie]] as [[Grantley Goulding]], British athlete * [[Benedict Taylor]] as [[Edwin Flack]], Australian athlete * Nicos Ziagos as [[Spiridon Louis]], Greek athlete * [[Edward Wiley (actor)|Edward Wiley]] as John Graham, [[United States|American]] coach * [[Angela Lansbury]] as Alice Garrett, Robert Garrett's mother * [[Honor Blackman]] as Madam Ursula Schumann * [[Gayle Hunnicutt]] as Mary Sloane * [[Bill Travers]] as Harold Flack * [[Virginia McKenna]] as Annabel Flack ==Historical inaccuracies in the series== * Louis Jourdan was 63 when he played the role of Pierre de Coubertin, who was 33 in 1896. He was also considerably taller than Pierre de Coubertin. * James Connolly is told by Coach Graham and the dean of students at Harvard that he and Arthur Blake will be volunteering for the new U.S. Olympic Team as punishment for fighting with each other. In reality, after Connolly was denied a leave of absence to compete in the Games, he dropped out and competed anyway.<ref>''The Complete Book of the Olympics: 1908 Edition'', David Wallechinsky and Jamie Loucky, London, Aurum Press Ltd., 2008, p. 227</ref> * It is noted that Edwin Flack is from a family of butchers, and he would be interrupting his studies at [[Oxford University]] to compete in the Games. In reality, he was taking a month's holiday from his job as an accountant at the firm of [[PricewaterhouseCoopers|Price, Waterhouse, and Company]], which later bought out his family's firm.<ref>''The Complete Book of the Olympics: 1908 Edition'', David Wallechinsky and Jamie Loucky, London, Aurum Press Ltd., 2008, p. 86</ref> * Three Greek flags are raised after the finish of the Marathon. However, it is not mentioned that the third Greek finisher, [[Spiridon Belokas]], was later disqualified after he was found to have ridden part of the way in a carriage. [[Gyula Kellner]] of Hungary was elevated to third place.<ref>''The Complete Book of the Olympics: 1908 Edition'', David Wallechinsky and Jamie Loucky, London, Aurum Press Ltd., 2008, p. 134</ref> * When athletes first competed in the Olympics, they only represented their clubs or their schools. They did not start participating on official national teams or marching in a Parade of Nations until the [[1908 Summer Olympics|London Games of 1908]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://olympic-museum.de/first/first.html |title=First time at the Olympic Games |website=olympic-museum.de |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040612202015/http://olympic-museum.de/first/first.html |archive-date=2004-06-12}}</ref> Also, the first team to appear in the (anachronistic) Parade at the opening ceremony of the Games is Australia, but the [[Commonwealth of Australia]] was not officially formed until 1901. * Robert Garrett is incorrectly portrayed as being a participant in the marathon. Arthur Blake was the only American entrant in the event, and he did not finish.<ref name="imdb trivia">{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086713/trivia?tab=gf|title = The First Olympics: Athens 1896 (TV Mini Series 1984) - IMDb|website = [[IMDb]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.marathonguide.com/history/olympicmarathons/chapter1.cfm|title=Olympic Marathon Athens 1896 I Olympiad}}</ref> * In an incident similar to the one with an oversized discus, Robert Garrett is seen trying to enter the shot put with an oversized shot put. In reality, unlike the incident with the discus (which is very well documented), there is no record of a similar incident with the shot put having taken place.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/node/5840/full|title = Full Moon, Jupiter, and Jupiter's Moons}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.history.com/news/remembering-the-first-u-s-olympic-team|title=Remembering the First US Olympic Team}}</ref> * James Connolly is portrayed as having emigrated to America from Ireland, but he was actually born in Boston in 1868;<ref name="imdb trivia"/> it was Connolly's parents who emigrated to America. * Blake is shown placing second in the 800 meters in a thrilling finish, and Edwin Flack brings him onto the first place podium. In reality, Blake was actually second to Flack in the 1500 meters - which was decided in the last 100 meters - and didn't run the 800. The 800 meters silver medal went to Nándor Dáni of Hungary, with the actual winning margin being five meters. ==Awards and nominations== '''Primetime Emmy Awards''' {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Category ! Award ! Nominee(s) ! Result |- |1984 |Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Limited Series or a Special (Dramatic Underscore) |Emmy |[[Bruce Broughton]] |{{won}} |- |1984 |Outstanding Art Direction for a Limited Series or a Special |Emmy |Michael Stringer (production designer)<br /> Fred Carter (art director)<br /> Petros Kapouralis (art director)<br /> Terry Parr (set decorator) David Ogden Stiers (Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Special) |{{nom}} |} '''Writers Guild of America, USA''' {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Category ! Award ! Nominee(s) ! Result |- |1985 |Original/Adapted Multi-Part Long Form Series |WGA Award (TV) |Charles Gary Allison (teleplay/story)<br />William Bast (teleplay) |{{won}} |} '''Casting Society of America, USA''' {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Category ! Award ! Nominee(s) ! Result |- |1985 |Best Casting for TV Miniseries' or TV Movie of the Week |Artios |Fran Bascom |{{nom}} |} ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== * {{IMDb title|0086713|title=The First Olympics: Athens 1896}} {{DEFAULTSORT:First Olympics Athens 1896}} [[Category:1980s American television miniseries]] [[Category:Television series set in the 1890s]] [[Category:Olympics on United States television]] [[Category:Television shows set in Athens]] [[Category:NBC original programming]] [[Category:1984 American television series debuts]] [[Category:1984 American television series endings]] [[Category:Television series by Sony Pictures Television]] [[Category:Television shows scored by Bruce Broughton]]'