Brookfield-Productions
Fern Field, David Hoberman and Norman Lear. From ABILITY Magazine

Fern Field – Her Approach, a Winning Achievement

When “Maude’s Reunion” aired on February 21, 1977, none of us who worked on the show knew it would set off a domino effect that would change our industry’s perception of people with disabilities. And I, working as a first assistant to the executive producer, Rod Parker, certainly didn’t know it would launch a career I didn’t know I was looking for.

The episode was a great one with stellar performances by Bea Arthur and Nanette Fabray. In it, Maude attends her 30th college reunion and is shocked to find that one of her closest school friends has suffered a debilitating stroke. The program builds to a crescendo when her friend Nanette confronts and challenges Maude to face her feelings: “I scare the hell out of you!” she tells Maude.

The impact of this episode on our studio audience, the subsequent viewers, the critics, the network, and Norman Lear was palpable. So much so that a couple of weeks after the show aired, Norman dropped in to see Rod. After their meeting, Rod called me in and said “I want you to do some research for me. Find me an assembly line with “handicapped” (remember this was 1977) workers. But don’t say whom you’re doing it for because we don’t want to get people’s hopes up. We’re going to develop a sitcom with handicapped people.” Which I thought was the worst idea I had heard since I went to work for the company! Continued in ABILITY Magazine

The cast of Maude including Bea Arthur, Bill Macy, Conrad Bain; Cast including Rue McClanahan with Fern Field and Norman Lear; Fern Field

The cast of Maude including Bea Arthur, Bill Macy, Conrad Bain; Cast including Rue McClanahan, Charlotte Rae with Fern Field and Norman Lear; Fern Field

Emmy Award winning producer, author, advocate, public speaker
& creator of Media Access

Media-Access-Awards-pics

Producer of Monk

Monk-Field
Tony Shalhoub and Fern Field on the set of Monk

Fern's Award Winning Short Film — "A Different Approach"

A Different Approach
Media-Access-Awards-Fern-Field-Micheal-Keaton

Micheal Keaton and Fern Field at the Media Access Awards—talking about
Keatons role in "A Different Approach"

LCA Fern Field and Tony Coelho
Fern Field, Tari Hartman and Tony Coelho
Fern Field LCA Award
Fern Field LCA Award

Media Access Awards

Media-Access-25
Media-Acess-Fern-Field
Media-Acess-Fern-Field
Media-Acess-Fern-Field
Norman Brooks and Norman Lear
Norm Brooks and Norman Lear
Norm Brooks, Carl Reiner, Fern Field and Norman Lear.
Norm Brooks, Carl Reiner, Fern Field and Norman Lear.
Chet Cooper, Fern Field and Norman Lear. Fern giving Norman a nostalgic picture of an epic day on the tennis court.

Contact

Invalid Email
Please check the captcha to verify you are not a robot.

Food for Thought

They Call Me Destiny

Letters to My Huband

Letters to My Husband

Books 2 Cherish