Pray TV (1982 film)

Pray TV is a 1982 American Christian made-for-television drama film which aired on ABC starring John Ritter and Ned Beatty.^[1] The project garnered controversy when Rev. Jerry Falwell, the prominent televangelist, undertook a public campaign in an attempt to keep the TV movie from airing.^[2]

Pray TV
Genre	Drama
Written by	Lane Slate
Directed by	Robert Markowitz
Starring	John Ritter Ned Beatty Richard Kiley Madolyn Smith Louise Latham
Theme music composer	Dennis McCarthy
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
Production
Producer	Peter S. Greenberg
Cinematography	Donald H. Birnkrant
Editor	Peter Parasheles
Running time	100 minutes
Production company	ABC Circle Films
Original release
Network	ABC
Release	February 1, 1982 (1982-02-01)

Plot

A newly ordained minister accepts a summer job with a dynamic TV evangelist only to find deep conflicts between the latter's conventional activities servicing his community's spiritual needs and his power wielded as a TV celebrity.

Calls received to phone number

The telephone number advertised by Rev. Stone received 15,000 real calls.^[3]

Cast

• John Ritter as Tom McPherson
• Ned Beatty as Rev. Freddy Stone
• Richard Kiley as Rev. Gus Keiffer
• Madolyn Smith as Liz Oakes
• Louise Latham as Mrs. Oakes
• Jonathan Prince as Bill Oakes
• Michael Currie as Artie Allman
• Kenneth Tigar as Parker
• Lois Hamilton as Bobbi Ellis
• Jason Bernard as Everett
• Frank Birney as Johnson
• James Keane as Fats
• Richard Kennedy as Announcer
• Mel Tormé as himself
• Devo as Dove, the Band of Love