Superdome, released on January 9, 1978 as a star-studded ABC Monday Night Movie, is a classic example of the “all-star disaster” subgenre that dominated 1970s television. Directed by Jerry Jameson, the film capitalizes on the massive cultural footprint of the Super Bowl, blending sports drama with a tense murder mystery.
Filmed on location at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, it provides a fascinating, time-capsule look at the logistics and glitz of a professional football championship.
The film excels at weaving multiple narrative threads—ranging from corporate espionage to personal redemption—into a singular, claustrophobic countdown to kickoff.
The city of New Orleans is buzzing as Super Bowl Sunday approaches, but behind the scenes of the world’s biggest sporting event, a sinister plot is unfolding. Mike Shelley (David Janssen), the general manager of the New Orleans Cougars, is under immense pressure to ensure the game goes off without a hitch.
However, his worries go beyond the scoreboard when a series of “accidents” and murders begin to plague the stadium staff and players.
As Shelley tries to manage the crisis quietly to avoid a city-wide panic, he realizes that someone is systematically sabotaging the event to influence a high-stakes betting syndicate.
The drama is fueled by an ensemble of characters with intersecting lives: Jim McCauley (Tom Selleck) is the star quarterback battling personal demons and a secret injury; Joyce (Edie Adams) is a socialite caught in the middle of the city’s high-pressure environment; and Dave Walecki (Ken Howard), a player whose wife Nancy (Susan Howard) is struggling with the toll the game takes on their family.
Adding to the tension is the ambitious reporter Lainie Wiley (Donna Mills), while veteran presence is provided by Van Johnson.
As the clock ticks down to the national anthem, Shelley and a small group of allies must identify the killer hidden among the thousands of spectators before they can strike their final, most devastating blow during the game’s peak.
Jane Wyatt, M. Emmett Walsh, Clifton Davis, Michael Pataki, Vonetta McGee, Ed Nelson, Dick Butkus and Bubba Smith round out the cast.
David Janssen in Superdome (Photo/ABC Circle Films)
Legacy of Superdome
Superdome has its reputation as one of the most memorable “event” television movies of the late 70s and is remembered for its massive ensemble cast, particularly a young, pre-Magnum, P.I. Selleck and the reliable pre-Knots Landing Mills.
The film is celebrated for its authentic use of the Superdome itself, capturing a specific era of NFL history and the burgeoning spectacle of the championship game before it became the global juggernaut it is today.
The movie is also noted for its contribution to the “stadium thriller” trope, paralleling theatrical films like Black Sunday and Two-Minute Warning.
Superdome stands as a nostalgic piece of network history, praised for its ability to turn a football stadium into a vessel for suspense and for its snapshot of a glamorous, high-stakes New Orleans at the height of the 1970s.
