ABC NEWS NIGHTLINE: THE CRISIS GAME {PART 1 OF 4}: INVASION! (TV)
Summary
One in this series of nightly news programs. The first of four programs about the way an American president and his senior advisors act in a crisis situation. For this program, a fictional crisis is created between the United States and the Soviet Union. The "President of the United States" talks with his "war council" about the situation. The president and his staff are played by the following people, all of whom have real-life experience in this field: Edmund Muskie, secretary of state under President Jimmy Carter; William Hyland, deputy national security advisor to President Gerald R. Ford; Winston Lord, currently president of the Council on Foreign Relations; James Schlesinger, secretary of defense and CIA director during the Nixon adminisration; Antonia Chayes, undersecretary of the Air Force during the Carter administration; General Edward Meyer, former chief of staff of the U.S. Army; Hodding Carter, assistant secretary of state during the Carter administration; Richard Pipes, senior National Security Council advisor on the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe during the Reagan administration; Richard Holbrooke, assistant secretary of state during the Carter administration; and Clark Clifford, secretary of defense during the Johnson administration and advisor to Presidents Harry Truman and John F. Kennedy. The fictional crisis is explained as follows: pro-Soviet forces are invading Iran, where pro-U.S. troops are fighting to defend the government in power. After discussing with his council the fact that future Soviet invasions may occur, the president leaves to attend to other duties as the war council continues the discussion. Next, Koppel speaks with the New York Times national security correspondent, Leslie Gelb, who verifies the accuracy of the scenario. The crisis group grapples with whether Soviet troops are a threat to national interests and discusses the economic importance of oil. Then, the president enters, comments on the Congressional reaction to the crisis, and asks the war council to eliminate the nuclear option. Gelb comments on the decision to rule out nuclear weapons and Koppel introduces the control group, which represents all other key players, including the Soviets, the media, and members of Congress. A leak to the press occurs, regarding the president's decision to rule out the nuclear option, causing members of the control group to react. The crisis group discusses the leak and the elimination of the nuclear option. Following this, Gelb comments on the way the advisors influence the president. Back in the crisis group, the committee discusses the possibility of the conflict escalating into a world war, the importance of not floundering, and military actions that would protect other countries. The president then agrees on the use of military action and the group discuses the way they will justify their intervention and notes the need for Congressional resolution. As the program concludes, Koppel speaks with Gelb about the fact the justification for the call to arms happened after the decision to intervene; the perpetul silence of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and the accuracy of these meetings. Continues with T84:0275.
Cataloging of this program was made possible by The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, 1997.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: November 22, 1983 11:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:00:38
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T84:0274
- GENRE: News; Talk/Interviews
- SUBJECT HEADING: Cold War - 1983; U S - Foreign relations - U S S R; U S - Officials - Talk/Interviews; War games
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 1980-
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- TV - Commercials - AT&T phone service
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- TV - Commercials - Canon PC copiers
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- TV - Commercials - Sheer Elegance pantyhose
- TV - Commercials - Velamints breath mints
- TV - Commercials - Volkswagen automobiles
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- TV - Promos - "ABC News: World News This Morning"
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- TV - Promos - "Dynasty"
- TV - Promos - "Good Morning America"
- TV - Promos - "LA Today: On Law"
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CREDITS
- William E. Lord … Executive Producer
- Charles Stone … Director
- Ted Koppel … Host
- Edmund Muskie … Cast, the President
- William Hyland … Cast, the CIA Director
- Winston Lord … Cast, the National Security Advisor
- James Schlesinger … Cast, the Secretary of Defense
- Antonia Chayes … Cast, the Deputy Secretary of Defense
- Edward Meyer … Cast, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
- Hodding Carter … Cast, the Senior Advisor
- Richard Pipes … Cast, the Senior Advisor
- Richard Holbrooke … Cast, the Deputy Secretary of State
- Clark Clifford … Cast, the Secretary of State
- W.Y. Smith … Cast, Control Group Chairman
- Barry Blechman … Cast, Control Group
- Leonard Garment … Cast, Control Group
- Arnold Horelick … Cast, Control Group
- Walter Slocombe … Cast, Control Group
- Richard Steadman … Cast, Control Group
- Robert Tucker … Cast, Control Group
- Richard D'Amico … Cast, Expert
- Alton Frye … Cast, Expert
- Herb Jacobs … Cast, Expert
- John Kelly … Cast, Expert
- Christopher Makins … Cast, Expert
- John Mason … Cast, Expert
- David Newsom … Cast, Expert
- Samuel Packer … Cast, Expert
- Barry Rubin … Cast, Expert
- Harold Saunders … Cast, Expert
- John Sloan … Cast, Expert
- Samuel Smith … Cast, Expert
- Edward Warner … Cast, Expert
- Judith Gelb … Cast, Support Staff
- Michael Krepon … Cast, Support Staff
- Gerry McCarrick … Cast, Support Staff
- Steven Riskin … Cast, Support Staff
- Jeanette Gilbert … Cast, Administrative Assistant