Credits for TV Series ‘Christy’

Your article on the television series “Christy” (Aug. 4) contained errors of fact and some important omissions.

Ken Wales is not the creator of “Christy.” Wales owned the rights to the novel, “Christy,” which he and Barney Rosenzweig then sold to CBS-TV. The “created by” credit on the “Christy” pilot reads: “Based on the novel by Catherine Marshall. Developed for television by Patricia Green.”

I was co-executive producer of “Christy,” both the pilot and the series. I adapted the novel for television and I wrote every word of the two-hour pilot. The writing credit on the pilot reads: “Teleplay by Patricia Green.” Yet my name was mentioned nowhere in your article.

The 19 produced episodes of “Christy” contained material from the novel, but most were original stories developed and written by a talented writing staff under my direction: supervising producers Tom Blomquist and Pamela K. Long, story editor Philip Gerson, and writers Dawn Prestwich, Nicole Yorkin and Kathy Ford. Wales had no input on any “Christy” script. He did not hire or prep directors and did not make casting decisions.

Finally, Rosenzweig was not a co-producer of “Christy.” He was executive producer and a major creative force on the show.

PATRICIA GREEN

Studio City

* Your well-written story about the fate of the TV series “Christy” in today’s shock-and-sleaze environment omitted one important feature, the name of the executive who as president of MTM authorized production of the series in the first place and fought hard to keep it on the air.

Since it’s unlikely that any other studio would have underwritten at all such a wholesome, family-oriented program, the record should reflect all due credit to the executive involved: Bill Allen.

STEVE ALLEN

Van Nuys