Brian’s Song first aired on ABC on Tuesday, 30 November 1971.
Brian Piccolo (played by James Caan) had died in June 1970 from cancer at the age of 26.
Piccolo played fullback for the Chicago Bears (1965-1969), and at a time when most teams had segregated roommates, Piccolo and tailback Gayle Sayers (played by Billy Dee Williams) roomed together (the first interracial roommates in NFL history).
The TV movie was based on Sayers’ autobiography I Am Third (1970), with some fictionalized scenes, as well as the choice to have George Halas (played by Jack Warden) as the Bears’ coach even though Halas had retired in 1967 and Jim Dooley was the head coach when Piccolo became sick.
Brian’s Song was the most-watched TV movie of all-time (quickly surpassed in 1972), and is regarded as one of the best made-for-tv films, as well as one of the best sports films ever made. It was nominated for 10 Emmys, including Outstanding Performance by an Actor (both James Caan and Billy Dee Williams), Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Drama (Buzz Kulik), Outstanding Sound Editing, Outstanding Sound Mixing, and Outstanding Music Composition (Michel Legrand). Legrand received a Grammy Award for the theme music (Best Instrumental Composition).
It received 5 Emmy Awards: Best Single Program, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama (Jack Warden), Outstanding Writing in a Dram (William Blinn), Cinematography in a Feature Length Program Made for Television (Joseph Biroc), and Outstanding Film Editing (Bud S. Isaacs).
