A Return to the Small Screen, and to Some Old Ideas

• Published in: The New York times
• Main Author: Everitt, David
• Format: Newspaper Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, N.Y New York Times Company 07.01.2001
• Edition: Late Edition (East Coast)
• Subjects: Directors; Lumet, Sidney (1924-2011); Personal profiles; Television programs
• ISSN: 0362-4331

After 42 films and five Academy Award nominations, the 76-year-old Mr. [SIDNEY LUMET] is serving as executive producer and principal director of a courtroom drama called ''100 Centre Street,'' which will have its premiere on A&E on Jan. 15. Conventional wisdom has it that a move from film to television is a step down the professional ladder. And it's true that Mr. Lumet probably wouldn't be making the transition if his movie career were still flourishing the way it was in the 60's and 70's. But he had another reason for taking on a small-screen project at this point: he was looking forward to returning to his roots. Mr. Lumet joined CBS in 1950, just two years after Milton Berle turned TV sets into a hot commodity. After a technical apprenticeship, Mr. Lumet directed episodes of ''Danger,'' a mystery anthology series, and ''You Are There,'' which presented historical events in news-report style; both were broadcast live. From there he moved on to such prestigious drama anthologies as ''Kraft Television Theater,'' ''The Best of Broadway'' and ''Philco Television Playhouse.'' His live productions included Tennessee Williams's ''The Fugitive Kind'' and Robert Penn Warren's ''All the King's Men.'' Mr. Lumet was initially reluctant to take on the long-term commitment of producing and directing a weekly program. Then, according to Allen Sabinson, A&E's senior vice president of programming, the network suggested shooting the series on high-definition video. When Mr. Lumet saw a demonstration of the format, his own ideas began to fall into place.