The New Adventures of Beans Baxter
Encyclopedia
1987 in television
The year 1987 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1987.For American TV schedule, see: 1987–88 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:...
and 1988
1988 in television
The year 1988 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1988.For the American TV schedule, see: 1988-89 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:...
on the Fox television network
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
. It was created by Savage Steve Holland
Savage Steve Holland
Savage Steve Holland is an animator and film director who wrote and directed the cult films Better Off Dead and One Crazy Summer , starring John Cusack. He also directed the film How I Got Into College , and animated the "Whammy" on the game show Press Your Luck. He later went on to create and...
who also wrote and directed most of the seventeen episodes. The title character was played by Jonathan Ward
Jonathan Ward
Jonathan Ward is an American actor born on February 24, 1970 in Elkridge, Maryland, USA. He has starred mostly in television programs and telefilms, but has also appeared in a small number of movies. His acting debut was on Broadway as Michael in Peter Pan.-Television credits:He was twelve years...
, who won a "Best Young Actor Starring in a New Television Comedy Series" Young Artist Award
Young Artist Award
The Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist...
for the role.
The show revolved around the spy activities of Benjamin "Beans" Baxter Jr, a Kansas teenager who just moved with his parents and younger brother to Washington, DC, as part of his father's reassignment as (Beans assumed) an employee of the US Postal Service.
Beans witnesses his father's (presumed) assassination via a bomb placed in his postal vehicle, then gets hired by the mysterious "Number Two" (played by Jerry Wasserman
Jerry Wasserman
Jerry Wasserman is an American film and television actor.Wasserman was born in Cincinnati, Ohio.Wasserman is currently working his role in Alien Trespass stated in post-production and Watchmen, released in March 2009....
), an agent/second-in-command of The Network, a secret spy agency.
The main nemesis of The Network is the evil organization UGLI (the Underground Government Liberation Intergroup), headed by the equally evil Mr Sue (played by Kurtwood Smith
Kurtwood Smith
Kurtwood Larson Smith is an American television and film actor. He is best known for playing Clarence Boddicker in RoboCop and stern parental characters , and for his appearances in the genre of science fiction...
) and comedian Taylor Negron
Taylor Negron
Brad Taylor Negron is an American writer, actor, and stand-up comedian.-Personal life:Negron was born in Glendale, California to Conrad Negron, Sr., former mayor of Indian Wells, California. He grew up in Pasadena, California. His cousin is singer Chuck Negron...
as his second-in-command henchman.
Shortly after settling in his new hometown, Beans struck up a friendship with an all-around guy nicknamed "Woodshop" (Stuart Fratkin
Stuart Fratkin
Stuart Fratkin is an American actor, best known for playing Fitz in the movie Ski School. Fratkin also starred in They Came from Outer Space with Ski School co-star Dean Cameron....
) and his love life began in earnest when he later met a beautiful student nicknamed "Cake Lace" (played by Karen Mistal). In one episode, former Miss Universe
Miss Universe
Miss Universe is an annual international beauty contest that is run by the Miss Universe Organization. The pageant is the most publicized beauty contest in the world with 600 million viewers....
Shawn Weatherly played herself (the opening scene was Beans catching her in the shower naked and trying to escape from UGLI's chief henchman, who wanted to kidnap her as part of an unknown experiment).
The cast included: Rick Lenz
Rick Lenz
Rick Lenz is an American actor best known for repeating his Broadway role as Igor Sullivan in the 1969 film Cactus Flower.-Career:...
as Beans' dad (Benjamin Sr), former child star Elinor Donahue (Father Knows Best
Father Knows Best
Father Knows Best is an American radio and television comedy series which portrayed a middle class family life in the Midwest. It was created by writer Ed James in the 1940s.-Radio:...
) as mom Susan, Canadian teen actor Scott Bremner as Scott (aka "Scooter", Beans' younger brother), and occasional guest appearances by Wendy O. Williams
Wendy O. Williams
Wendy Orlean Williams , better known as Wendy O. Williams, was the lead singer for the American punk band the Plasmatics, as well as a solo artist...
(lead singer of the NY-based punk-metal group the Plasmatics) as Beans' part-time friend/enemy in the spy world.
Episode list
- Beans' First Adventure (Part 1)
- Beans' First Adventure (Part 2)
- Beauty and the Beans
- Beans For President
- Beans and the Satanic Backwards Masking Conspiracy
- Beans' Wicked and Awesome Adventures
- Beans in Ski Heck
- No Place Like Omsk
- Beans Finds His Dad But... (Part 1)
- Beans Finds His Dad But... (Part 2)
- Beans' Unpleasant Introduction to Modern Science
- Beans Goes to Camp
- A Nightmare on Beans' Street
- Beans' Home Life Gets UGLI
- Beans' Under the Weather
- Beans Gets His Driver's Licence (and It Isn't Pretty)
- Beans in Jungleland
The series was filmed mostly in and around metropolitan Toronto, Ontario, Canada, as seen in the "Driver's Licence" episode, where the CN Tower
CN Tower
The CN Tower is a communications and observation tower in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Standing tall, it was completed in 1976, becoming the world's tallest free-standing structure and world's tallest tower at the time. It held both records for 34 years until the completion of the Burj...
is in the background. The show's theme and soundtrack was performed by jazz trumpeter Maynard Ferguson
Maynard Ferguson
Maynard Ferguson was a Canadian jazz musician and bandleader. He came to prominence playing in Stan Kenton's orchestra, before forming his own band in 1957...
.