It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

If my memory serves--I was 12 at the time--the show opened with a voice over, maybe Crenna's, saying something to the effect that democracy was a terrible form of government: messy, wasteful, etc. BUT, all other forms of government were so much worse. As a callow, Beatle-crazed teen, this was the first time that I recall understanding irony.I remember that my father watched the show religiously every week. I'm still grateful that he did. I think "Slattery's People" helped to develop my political conscience.Why aren't these kinds of shows released to DVD?Why are there 14,000 episodes of "Friends"?

Since I was six at the time,and since it has NEVER BEEN RERUN(note that, TVLand and Trio),I only have vague memories of this show. However, it was one of the first "cult" TV shows.One remarkable thing about Slattery's People:(aside from the fact that it Ed Asners first TV series)is that it was the first serious show ( Idont count The Cisco Kid!)to feature Mexican Americans. Not only were both of Slattery's assistants,Hispanic, it was also the first program to have an episode built around a Hispanic.It was called "Whatever Became of the White Tortilla?(All of the first seasons titles were in the form of questions),and starred Ricardo Montalban as a stubborn Hispanic legislator who tries to pass a bill without any co-sponsors.The director was Sydney Pollack. You know, this might sound crazy, but why doesnt C-Span rerun the show? Every episode was a civics lesson.

And I loved it. Fourteen at the time and still grieving my hero JFK, this program was wonderful. Crenna was perfect and the weekly issue-oriented scripts were decades ahead of their time. I will always remember Slattery's People

The pilot was shot in the Capitol Building in Sacramento, and a full size replica of the California Assembly Chamber was the set for the first season. (a smaller set was used the second season). On the flight back from Sacramento the plane was delayed a few hours going around thunderstorms, and there was a real concern the plane might have gone down with the whole cast aboard. This drama had a strong following, and a letter writing campaign saved it from cancelation after season 1, but the ratings would not allow a season 3. For many years this show was made avalible overseas, I saw it regularly in Singapore during the early 70's. I guess USIS used it as a civics lesson.