The White Shadow
Encyclopedia
The White Shadow is an American
drama television
series that ran on the CBS
network from November 27, 1978
, to March 16, 1981
.
, but more dramatic than comedic, The White Shadow starred Ken Howard
as Ken Reeves, a white professional basketball player who retires from the Chicago Bulls
of the NBA
after a severe knee injury. Upon his retirement, Reeves takes a job as a basketball coach at Carver High School, a mostly black and Hispanic urban high school in South Central Los Angeles
. Carver's principal is former college classmate Jim Willis (Jason Bernard
in the pilot, and Ed Bernard
for seasons 1 and 2). Sybil Buchanan, played by Joan Pringle
, is the vice principal who was against Reeves' hiring and clashed with Reeves in the areas of discipline and education on more than a few occasions. In season 3, Willis is promoted to a position with the Oakland Board of Education and Buchanan becomes principal of Carver.
According to the storyline, Reeves and Willis were roommates at Boston College
. Reeves played college basketball and went on to be drafted into the NBA and played mostly with the Chicago Bulls
.
The show was produced by Bruce Paltrow
for MTM Enterprises
. On November 8, 2005, the series' first season was released on DVD
, with the second season following on March 7, 2006.
The White Shadow was the first ensemble drama on prime-time television with a predominantly African-American cast. With 54 episodes, it is the third-longest running drama with a predominantly African-American cast in the history of American prime-time television. Only Soul Food and The Wire
have had more episodes.
The show's title is derived from a statement by Reeves in the last scene of the pilot episode, where he told the members of the team that he would support them and be right behind them, to quote Thorpe, "like a white shadow".
In October 2011
, ESPN Classic
began reairing all 54 episodes of the White Shadow.
has released the first two seasons on DVD in Region 1.
the series gained a lot of interest and the then unknown sport of basketball attracted millions of youth. Larry Flash Jenkins went on to star in Steven Bochco's TV series Bay City Blues and Aaron Spelling's Finder of Lost Love. Later he became the first African American actor to star in a major TV series on ABC, CBS and NBC. Jenkins has since starred in several more TV series, like The Fugitive and Providence where Arnold Kopleson and John Masius wrote him in. Jenkins was discovered in a Broadway play by Ray Powers and personal manager Steve Block, who labeled Jenkins as the best actor he had ever seen. Jenkins currently writes, produces and directs gospel, comedy and horror films.
Saturday Night Live
did a parody skit of the show titled The Black Shadow when NBA Hall of Famer Bill Russell
hosted the show on November 3, 1979.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
drama television
Dramatic programming
Dramatic programming in the UK, or television drama and television drama series in the US, is television program content that is scripted and fictional along the lines of √a traditional drama. This excludes, for example, sports television, television news, reality show and game shows, stand-up...
series that ran on the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
network from November 27, 1978
1978 in television
The year 1978 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1978.For the American TV schedule, see: 1978-79 American network television schedule.-Events:...
, to March 16, 1981
1981 in television
The year 1981 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1981.For the American TV schedule, see: 1981-82 American network television schedule.- Events :...
.
Overview
Thematically similar to Welcome Back, KotterWelcome Back, Kotter
Welcome Back, Kotter was an American television sitcom starring Gabe Kaplan and featuring a young John Travolta.It originally aired on the ABC network from September 9, 1975 to June 8, 1979.-Premise:...
, but more dramatic than comedic, The White Shadow starred Ken Howard
Ken Howard
Kenneth Joseph "Ken" Howard, Jr. is an American actor, best known for his roles as Thomas Jefferson in 1776 and as basketball coach and former Chicago Bulls player Ken Reeves in the television show The White Shadow...
as Ken Reeves, a white professional basketball player who retires from the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
of the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
after a severe knee injury. Upon his retirement, Reeves takes a job as a basketball coach at Carver High School, a mostly black and Hispanic urban high school in South Central Los Angeles
South Los Angeles
South Los Angeles, often abbreviated as South L.A. and formerly South Central Los Angeles, is the official name for a large geographic and cultural portion lying to the southwest and southeast of downtown Los Angeles, California. The area was formerly called South Central, and is still widely known...
. Carver's principal is former college classmate Jim Willis (Jason Bernard
Jason Bernard
Jason Bernard was an American actor who starred in movies and on television.-Career:Bernard was born in Chicago, Illinois...
in the pilot, and Ed Bernard
Ed Bernard
----Ed Bernard born July 4, 1939 in Philadelphia, USA, is an American actor.- Career :Most of his career was made on television, standing for playing the role of Det. Joe Styles, in the classic TV series Police Woman. He played the character in 91 episodes between...
for seasons 1 and 2). Sybil Buchanan, played by Joan Pringle
Joan Pringle
Joan Pringle is an American actress best known for playing vice principal "Sybil Buchanan" in the TV series The White Shadow. During the third and final season her character was promoted to principal...
, is the vice principal who was against Reeves' hiring and clashed with Reeves in the areas of discipline and education on more than a few occasions. In season 3, Willis is promoted to a position with the Oakland Board of Education and Buchanan becomes principal of Carver.
According to the storyline, Reeves and Willis were roommates at Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
. Reeves played college basketball and went on to be drafted into the NBA and played mostly with the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
.
The show was produced by Bruce Paltrow
Bruce Paltrow
Bruce Weigert Paltrow was an American television and film director and producer. He was the husband of actress Blythe Danner, and was the father of actress Gwyneth Paltrow and director Jake Paltrow.-Life and career:...
for MTM Enterprises
MTM Enterprises
MTM Enterprises was an American independent production company established in 1969 by Mary Tyler Moore and her then-husband Grant Tinker to produce The Mary Tyler Moore Show for CBS...
. On November 8, 2005, the series' first season was released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
, with the second season following on March 7, 2006.
The White Shadow was the first ensemble drama on prime-time television with a predominantly African-American cast. With 54 episodes, it is the third-longest running drama with a predominantly African-American cast in the history of American prime-time television. Only Soul Food and The Wire
The WIRE
the WIRE is the student-run College radio station at the University of Oklahoma, broadcasting in a freeform format. The WIRE serves the University of Oklahoma and surrounding communities, and is staffed by student DJs. The WIRE broadcasts at 1710 kHz AM in Norman, Oklahoma...
have had more episodes.
The show's title is derived from a statement by Reeves in the last scene of the pilot episode, where he told the members of the team that he would support them and be right behind them, to quote Thorpe, "like a white shadow".
In October 2011
October 2011
October 2011 is the tenth month of the current year. It began on a Saturday and ended after 31 days on a Monday.- Portal:Current events :This is an archived version of Wikipedia's Current events Portal from October 2011....
, ESPN Classic
ESPN Classic
ESPN Classic is a sports channel that features reruns of famous sporting events, sports documentaries, and sports themed movies. Such programs includes biographies of famous sports figures or a rerun of a famous World Series or Super Bowl, often with added commentary on the event...
began reairing all 54 episodes of the White Shadow.
Main cast
| Character | Actor/Actress | Role/Uniform No. | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ken Reeves | Ken Howard Ken Howard Kenneth Joseph "Ken" Howard, Jr. is an American actor, best known for his roles as Thomas Jefferson in 1776 and as basketball coach and former Chicago Bulls player Ken Reeves in the television show The White Shadow... |
Head Coach Head coach A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches... |
No-nonsense coach hired to whip some "hard-nosed back-breakers" into a cohesive team, also to steer them in the right direction in life after high school. Attended Boston College Boston College Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early... on a basketball scholarship, where he and Jim Willis were roommates. Drafted into the NBA by the Chicago Bulls Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center... |
| Jim Willis | Jason Bernard Jason Bernard Jason Bernard was an American actor who starred in movies and on television.-Career:Bernard was born in Chicago, Illinois... in pilot, Ed Bernard Ed Bernard ----Ed Bernard born July 4, 1939 in Philadelphia, USA, is an American actor.- Career :Most of his career was made on television, standing for playing the role of Det. Joe Styles, in the classic TV series Police Woman. He played the character in 91 episodes between... thereafter |
Principal of Carver High | Reeves' roommate at Boston College Boston College Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early... who offers him the job at Carver after Reeves' final game with the Bulls. Remains Reeves' most ardent supporter through his difficulties. After Carver wins the city championship, he takes a job with the Oakland Board of Education. |
| Sybil Buchanan | Joan Pringle Joan Pringle Joan Pringle is an American actress best known for playing vice principal "Sybil Buchanan" in the TV series The White Shadow. During the third and final season her character was promoted to principal... |
Vice-principal Vice-principal In larger school systems, a principal is often assisted by someone known as a vice-principal or assistant principal. Unlike the principal, the vice-principal does not have quite the decision-making authority that the principal carries... , later principal of Carver High |
Reeves' main antagonist over matters of education and discipline. At first, a love-hate relationship, but mutual respect between the two grows as each season goes on. Divorced from her husband, despite an attempt at reconciliation. Becomes pregnant with twins and decides to raise them on her own. Eventually becomes principal of Carver High, much to Reeves' chagrin. |
| Warren "Cool" Coolidge | Byron Stewart Byron Stewart Byron Stewart is an American actor best known for his portrayal of Warren Coolidge in the Bruce Paltrow-directed television series The White Shadow and the television medical drama St... |
Center Center (basketball) The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well... -45 |
One of Reeves' few players with a legitimate shot at a career in basketball. Special bond with the coach because of their unusual heights (Reeves is 6'6", Coolidge 6'8"). Was almost goaded by a crooked agent into signing a pro contract after one of his best games. Dated Diana and contracted venereal disease. Tried to pursue a career in acting. Also tried out for the Harlem Globetrotters Harlem Globetrotters The Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater and comedy. The executive offices for the team are currently in downtown Phoenix, Arizona; the team is owned by Shamrock Holdings, which oversees the various investments of the Roy E. Disney family.Over... , but was advised to finish school. Later resurfaced as a hospital orderly in St. Elsewhere St. Elsewhere St. Elsewhere is an American medical drama television series that originally ran on NBC from October 26, 1982 to May 25, 1988. The series is set at fictional St. Eligius, a decaying urban teaching hospital in Boston's South End neighborhood... . |
| Morris Thorpe | Kevin Hooks Kevin Hooks Kevin Hooks is an American actor, and a television and film director; he is notable from his roles in Aaron Loves Angela and Sounder, but may be best known as Morris Thorpe from TV's The White Shadow.... |
Guard-11 | As a basketball player, a point guard and ballhawk on defense. According to Reeves, as good a defensive player as Dean Meminger Dean Meminger Dean Peter Meminger is an American basketball player and coach. Meminger starred at Rice High School in New York City. He attended Marquette University, where he played for coach Al McGuire... . Eloquent speaker. Dated Karen LeGrand, a Caucasian girl with an unsavory reputation. Talented artist; struggled between pursuing a career in art or basketball. Father played semi-pro ball, and expected Morris to play in the NBA. This led Morris to tell him "I aint gonna be no NBA." Mother's name is Wanda. Thorpe was voted as one of America's 100 favorite characters in the history of television.http://www.nba.com/media/white_shadow_thorpe.jpg |
| James "Hollywood" Hayward | Thomas Carter Thomas Carter (film director) Thomas Carter is an American film and television director known for Swing Kids, Save the Last Dance with Julia Stiles, and Coach Carter with Samuel L... |
Guard-21 | Highest IQ of all the players, and one of the biggest attitudes. Father died young, so he took care of his mother, Roberta, and his little brother, Jackie. Almost murdered a drug dealer after his cousin ODed. Known for referring to his friends as "blood". Went to college and, after an impressive freshman year, was offered a summer job at a law firm. Almost did not take it because of pressure from his old peers, but the lawyer who interviewed him convinced him of his potential and to break away from his element. |
| Milton Reese | Nathan Cook Nathan Cook Nathan Cook was an American actor. His eldest brother, Edward Cook was a ballet dancer and choreographer in Europe. He is survived by one sister and a younger brother.... |
Guard/Forward-24 | Talented singer. Appeared on his way to a college scholarship, but had to deal with a girlfriend who tried to fake a pregnancy so he would not take the scholarship. His run-ins with Reeves' discipline led him to try to transfer to Oak Ridge, but he later relented. Graduated and tried to get a job as a nightclub singer, but was fired and started a brawl with the owner. Ended up doing community service and talked a girl out of committing suicide over the phone. Later became a cab driver while still pursuing his singing dream. |
| Curtis "C.J." Jackson | Erik Kilpatrick Erik Kilpatrick Erik Kilpatrick is an American actor who is best known for playing Curtis Jackson on the CBS television series The White Shadow. He is the son of the late Lincoln Kilpatrick. Erik and his father co-starred in "Here's Mud in Your Eye", an episode from the first season of The White Shadow... |
Forward-34 | Overcame an alcohol problem with Reeves' help. Old girlfriend Delores, who he wanted to marry, turned out to be a prostitute. Was once offered money by a bookie to shave points at one of Carver's games. Was shot and killed while witnessing a liquor store holdup before the team was to play for the city championship. |
| Mario "Salami" Pettrino | Timothy Van Patten | Guard-3 | Tough-as-nails New Yorker with Italian roots. Aspires to be a professional boxer, initially against his father's wishes. Drives the "Motel California", a 1963 Oldsmobile Cutlass Oldsmobile Cutlass The Oldsmobile Cutlass is a line of automobiles made by the Oldsmobile division of General Motors. The Cutlass began as a unibody compact car, but saw its greatest success as a body-on-frame intermediate car.... , which he constantly tinkers with. Once obtained amphetamines for a sprained knee and was baited by his teammates into handing them out before a game, which almost got Reeves fired. Was the object of attraction of a history teacher for Sadie Hawkins Day. His combative nature almost got the best of him when he broke the jaw of a player from a rival high school during an on-court fight and the player's parents had him arrested for battery shortly after his 18th birthday. |
| Ricardo "Go-Go" Gomez | Ira Angustain Ira Angustain Ira Angustain is an American actor best known for his roles as Ricardo "Go Go" Gomez on The White Shadow and as the late Freddie Prinze on the made-for-TV movie Can You Hear The Laughter?: The Story of Freddie Prinze... |
Guard-15 | Team's resident Mexicano. Often in trouble with the law, occasionally with his old street gang, the Aztecs. Abusive father at home, whom he eventually gets his mother and younger sister away from. Graduated and became a car mechanic, but struggled to make ends meet with a pregnant wife. |
| Abner Goldstein | Ken Michelman Ken Michelman Ken Michelman is an American actor primarily known for his role as Abner Goldstein on the TV series The White Shadow. He also played Gary Greenberg, Cindy Brady's love interest on the short-lived Brady Bunch spinoff, The Bradys.... |
Forward/Center-31 | Team's "outcast", struggled to fit in with the predominately Afro-American team. Lives with Jewish grandparents; father and mother died in a car crash when he was 11. Follows the Jewish customs, but never a proclaimed Jew. Naive in his relations with the team, often letting his desire to be "cool" and fit in open him up to being hurt by their rejections. Confronted the team over his mistreatment. Graduated and was offered a full four-year scholarship, but knew he wasn't ready to be out on his own, so he joined the Marine Corps Marine corps A marine is a member of a force that specializes in expeditionary operations such as amphibious assault and occupation. The marines traditionally have strong links with the country's navy... . After a year, finally found the courage to ask a girl out that he admired from a distance while at Carver. |
Ssn 2 & 3 and Other notable cast members
| Character | Actor/Actress | Role/Uniform No. | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phil Jeffers | Russell Philip Robinson | Team Manager | Depicted as responsible & introverted and did not speak at all until Ssn 2 ep 12 "Delores, Of Course". He is cajoled into throwing the Christmas party at his Mom's home in (Ssn 2 Ep 13) "A Christmas Present" as we find he's a straight A student. Eventually revealed that he had a very outgoing personality until he became addicted to drugs (specifically, PCP Phencyclidine Phencyclidine , commonly initialized as PCP and known colloquially as angel dust, is a recreational dissociative drug... ) at the age of 12. |
| Nick "New York" Vitaglia | John Mengatti John Mengatti John Mengatti is an American actor primarily famous for his role as Nick Vitaglia, Salami's cousin, on the CBS television series The White Shadow. Mengatti joined the cast midway through the second season and was a fan favorite with his distinctive New York-style accent... |
Guard-51 | Salami's troubled cousin from New York who came to live with the Pettrinos by agreement from his parents. Constantly complaining about the slower lifestyle of Los Angeles as compared to New York. Signs with Carver's baseball team, being an ace pitcher. Leaves the Pettrinos after a falling-out over a car-repossessing job of his and Salami's, but comes back. |
| Eddie Franklin | Art Holliday | Forward/Center-31 | Showed up at tryouts late during final cuts in worn out sneakers, jeans and a tattered sweatshirt. Challenged Coach Reeves to a one-on-one and convinced him to let him on the team. Reeves would comment later, "a little meat on him and a new pair of sneakers and he might give Coolidge trouble." Gave Coolidge a fellow tall "brother" to hang with. He, Coolidge and Thorpe were the targets of unfair and brutal treatment by police during a mistaken arrest for mugging a senior citizen. |
| Wardell Stone | Larry "Flash" Jenkins | Guard-34 | "Class clown" type who talks a good game, but rarely produces. Prone to mischief, he blows up a toilet in the locker room and tries to steal a Trans-Am Firebird. While he and his friend are joyriding in the stolen car, they are blocked by a stalled car with an unconscious lady inside. Stone pulls the lady from the car, but it explodes before he can move it. Stone is lauded a hero and milks the attention for all it is worth until his hat is found in the car he and his friend stole that night. |
| Paddy Falahey | John Laughlin John Laughlin (actor) John Laughlin , sometimes credited as John C. McLaughlin or John McLaughlin, is an American film and television actor.-Career:Since 1978, he has appeared in over twenty-five films and at least thirty television productions.... |
Forward-15 | Tough, Irish kid "who thinks he's Jimmy Cagney" according to Reeves. Became the team's "white heavy". Was confronted by a girl who he supposedly got pregnant. |
| Jesse Mitchell | Stoney Jackson Stoney Jackson Stonewall W. "Stoney" Jackson is an American character actor. Jackson was born in Richmond, Virginia.-Career:He was featured in numerous teen magazines in the 1970s and 1980s, including Right On, Teen Beat, and Tiger Beat.He portrayed high school basketball player Jesse Mitchell on the ensemble... |
Guard-24 | When the team decided to call themselves "Shower of Power", he took the role of lead singer. |
| Teddy Rutherford | Wolfe Perry Wolfe Perry Wolfe Perry is an African American actor and former college basketball player at Stanford University.... |
Forward-21 | Talented, intelligent and articulate. One of three Carver players who actually dunked in games, Coolidge and Franklin were the others. Only storyline that involved him was his distraught feelings over unfair grades handed out by a teacher experiencing burnout, especially considering he enjoyed the class and earned his good grades in it. |
| Baker | ? | Forward/Center-22 | Almost as tall as Cool, we have seen him in a number of episodes during Ssn 1 & 2, in Ssn 2, Ep. 8 "Me ?" Coach Reeves finally mentions his name (standing just off-screen) as 1 of the 5 players who 'hustled' at the previous game & becomes 'skins' in the ensuing practice scrimmage; by Ssn 2 Ep 12 there is someone else wearing 22 |
| Kathy Plunkett | Fran Myers Fran Myers Frances Myers is an American television soap opera writer. She has written for soaps for nearly 25 years. She also had a contract role on CBS soap opera Guiding Light as Peggy Scott Fletcher from 1965-1980. She is the widow of actor and writer Roger Newman... |
Faculty member | Dating interest of Coach Reeves (the only one on the show that was developed with any depth). Relationship started when she asked Reeves to a Sadie Hawkins Day dance. Celebrated with him after Carver won the city championship and comforted him after Curtis Jackson's death. Wanted Reeves to go on a summer trip to Greece and threatened to ask another teacher to go if Reeves wouldn't. |
| Jenny | Mary Moon | Ms. Buchanan's secretary | Another dating interest of Reeves who appeared in more than one episode. Actually appeared for the first time in Season 1's "Wanna Bet?" Went out with Reeves on two other occasions where at least one team member ruined the date, (1) when Coolidge and the team trashed Reeves' apartment while Coolidge was staying with Reeves after his home burned down, and (2) Thorpe interrupted needing to talk after being diagnosed with venereal disease. |
| Ezra Davis | Roosevelt Grier | Wrestling coach | Wrestling coach and good friend of Coach Reeves who sometimes filled in for him during absences from the basketball team. Tried unsuccessfully to recruit Coolidge, Falahey, and Franklin for the wrestling team. Sympathetic to the need of a mobile health-care clinic because he himself suffers from high blood pressure. |
Season 0 (Unaired)
| № | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | "I'm Gonna to Fly" |
| 2 | "Coolidge Goes to College" |
Season 1 (1978-1979)
15 episodes:| № | Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Pilot" | 1978-Nov-27 |
| 2 | "Here's Mud in Your Eye" | 1978-Dec-04 |
| 3 | "The Offer" | 1978-Dec-11 |
| 4 | "Bonus Baby" | 1978-Dec-25 |
| 5 | "Pregnant Pause" | 1979-Jan-01 |
| 6 | "Wanna Bet?" | 1979-Jan-08 |
| 7 | "That Old Gang of Mine" | 1979-Jan-15 |
| 8 | "One of the Boys" | 1979-Jan-27 |
| 9 | "Airball" | 1979-Feb-03 |
| 10 | "We're in the Money" | 1979-Feb-10 |
| 11 | "Spare the Rod" | 1979-Feb-17 |
| 12 | "The Great White Dope" | 1979-Feb-24 |
| 13 | "Mainstream" | 1979-Mar-05 |
| 14 | "Little Orphan Abner" | 1979-Mar-26 |
| 15 | "LeGrand Finale" | 1979-Apr-09 |
Season 2 (1979-1980)
24 episodes:| № | Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | "On the Line" | 1979-Sep-17 |
| 17 | "Albert Hodges" | 1979-Sep-24 |
| 18 | "The Cross-Town Hustle" | 1979-Oct-01 |
| 19 | "Sudden Death" | 1979-Oct-08 |
| 20 | "A Silent Cheer" | 1979-Oct-15 |
| 21 | "No Place Like Home" | 1979-Oct-29 |
| 22 | "Globetrotters" | 1979-Nov-05 |
| 23 | "Me?" | 1979-Nov-12 |
| 24 | "Needle" | 1979-Nov-26 |
| 25 | "Sliding By" | 1979-Dec-03 |
| 26 | "Delores, of Course" | 1979-Dec-18 |
| 27 | "A Christmas Present" | 1979-Dec-25 |
| 28 | "Feeling No Pain" | 1980-Jan-01 |
| 29 | "Artist" | 1980-Jan-08 |
| 30 | "Salami's Affair" | 1980-Jan-15 |
| 31 | "Links" | 1980-Jan-22 |
| 32 | "The Stripper" | 1980-Jan-29 |
| 33 | "Gonna Fly Now" | 1980-Feb-05 |
| 34 | "Out at Home" | 1980-Feb-19 |
| 35 | "The Russians Are Coming" | 1980-Feb-26 |
| 36 | "The Hitter" | 1980-Mar-04 |
| 37 | "The Death of Me Yet?" | 1980-Mar-11 |
| 38 | "Coolidge Goes Hollywood" | 1980-Mar-18 |
| 39 | "A Few Good Men" | 1980-Apr-04 |
Season 3 (1980-1981)
15 episodes:| № | Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 40 | "Reunion (Part 1)" | 1980-Oct-16 |
| 41 | "Reunion (Part 2)" | 1980-Oct-23 |
| 42 | "Georgia on My Mind" | 1980-Oct-30 |
| 43 | "If Your Number's Up, Get It Down" | 1980-Dec-16 |
| 44 | "Christmas Story" | 1980-Dec-23 |
| 45 | "No Blood, No Foul" | 1980-Dec-30 |
| 46 | "The Vanity Fare" | 1981-Jan-06 |
| 47 | "Mister Hero" | 1981-Jan-13 |
| 48 | "B.M.O.C." | 1981-Feb-02 |
| 49 | "Trial and Error" | 1981-Feb-09 |
| 50 | "Car Repo" | 1981-Feb-16 |
| 51 | "Psyched Out" | 1981-Feb-23 |
| 52 | "Cops" | 1981-Mar-02 |
| 53 | "Burnout" | 1981-Mar-09 |
| 54 | "A Day in the Life" | 1981-Mar-16 |
DVD releases
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment is the home video distribution arm of the 20th Century Fox film studio. It was established in 1976 as Magnetic Video Corporation, and later as 20th Century Fox Video, CBS/Fox Video and FoxVideo, Inc....
has released the first two seasons on DVD in Region 1.
Cultural effects
When aired in 1980s in TurkeyTurkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
the series gained a lot of interest and the then unknown sport of basketball attracted millions of youth. Larry Flash Jenkins went on to star in Steven Bochco's TV series Bay City Blues and Aaron Spelling's Finder of Lost Love. Later he became the first African American actor to star in a major TV series on ABC, CBS and NBC. Jenkins has since starred in several more TV series, like The Fugitive and Providence where Arnold Kopleson and John Masius wrote him in. Jenkins was discovered in a Broadway play by Ray Powers and personal manager Steve Block, who labeled Jenkins as the best actor he had ever seen. Jenkins currently writes, produces and directs gospel, comedy and horror films.
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
did a parody skit of the show titled The Black Shadow when NBA Hall of Famer Bill Russell
Bill Russell
William Felton "Bill" Russell is a retired American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association...
hosted the show on November 3, 1979.