Awards News

This fixation on the past is acutely prevalent in the TV movie and mini category, where four out of the five nominated directors were in charge of projects that had a less-than-contemporary timeline.

• Jeremiah Chechik found himself in the 1970s for ESPN's "The Bronx Is Burning," a look back at the 1977 Yankees.

• Lloyd Kramer takes on baseball and goes back in time as well in "Oprah Winfrey Presents: Mitch Albom's For One More Day," about an ex-athlete who battles alcoholism and depression.

• "The Company," directed by Mikael Solomon, examines the beginnings of the CIA in the 1950s.

• In "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee," Yves Simoneau recreates the late 1800s in the emerging American west.

For Chechik, who grew up in Montreal as a die-hard Yankees fan captivated by the constant infighting between owner George Steinbrenner and manager Billy Martin, historical accuracy was a top priority -- so much so, that he enlisted onset consultation from some of the World Series champions themselves.

"I remember one day shooting a scene where George decided not to fire Billy and (former Yankee) Graig Nettles was standing besides me," Chechik recalls. "I was trying to get the right tone, atmosphere and tension, so I turned to Graig and asked, 'Is this how it felt?' We tried to be super-accurate."

Nettles, a six-time All-Star whose glove work and home-run power helped the Yankees win titles in 1977 and '78, says he was able to provide the small details to Chechik, such as what it looked like inside the Yankees locker room.

"He asked me where certain things were and what time of the day guys would be talking, so they could set the clock right," Nettles says. "I tried to add some authenticity to it. ... They'd also ask me stuff like what did I think of Reggie Jackson's swing (the controversial right fielder was portrayed by Daniel Sunjata). He got it down pretty good. John Turturro had Billy down to a T, and Oliver Platt got the blusteriness of George."