Nakia (TV series)

Nakia is an American drama series starring Robert Forster as the title character, a Navajo Native American police officer in New Mexico. Forster, who previously played the title character in the detective show Banyon, was an actor of European descent. Nakia aired from September 21 to December 28, 1974.

Nakia's pilot was the made-for-television movie Nakia, which was broadcast on April 17, 1974.

Cast

 * Robert Forster – Deputy Nakia Parker
 * Arthur Kennedy – Sheriff Sam Jericho
 * Gloria DeHaven – Irene James
 * Taylor Lacher – Deputy Hubbel Martin
 * John Tenorio, Jr. – Half Cub
 * Victor Jory – Ben Redearth

Synopsis
Nakia Parker is a full-blooded Navajo in his mid-30s who is a deputy sheriff in the fictional town of Concord in fictional Davis County in 1974 New Mexico. In the sheriff's department, he works for Sheriff Sam Jericho, as does fellow deputy sheriff Hubbel Martin and the office secretary, Irene James. Ben Redearth is a Native American friend of Nakia's, and Half Cub is Nakia's 12-year-old nephew.

Nakia is often torn between ancient tribal customs and the use of modern police methods. Rather than use a police car, he alternates between driving a pickup truck and riding a horse while investigating cases. Sometimes inscrutable and prone to voicing tribal proverbs, Nakia is deeply committed to protecting his fellow Native Americans from injustice, and at times this leads to opposition from his more narrow-minded white neighbors – including Sheriff Jericho.

Production
Michael Butler and Christopher Trumbo created Nakia, and Charles Larson was its executive producer. Episode directors included Nicholas Colasanto, Alvin Ganzer, Leonard Horn, and Alexander Singer, and episode producers included Larson, David Gerber, Peter Katz, Ernest A. Losso, and George Sunga. Butler, Larson, and Trumbo all wrote for the show, as did Sy Salkowitz, Jim Byrnes, Mark Saha, Phyllis White, and Robert White.

Nakia, a rarity among American television series in its attempt to depict the challenges of modern-day Native Americans, was filmed largely on location in and around Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Broadcast history
The pilot for the series aired on ABC as the made-for-television movie Nakia on April 17, 1974. Nakia premiered as a weekly ABC series on September 21, 1974. In addition to the pilot, thirteen episodes aired before the show, with low ratings in the face of tough competition in its time slot from CBS's The Carol Burnett Show, was cancelled after the broadcast of December 28, 1974. The show aired at 10:00 p.m. on Saturday throughout its run.

Episodes
Sources