This article needs more citations. (July 2018) |
Beverly Hills Buntz is an American comedy drama television series and a spin-off of the acclaimed police drama Hill Street Blues. Beverly Hills Buntz aired on NBC from November 5, 1987, to May 20, 1988.[1]
| Beverly Hills Buntz | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Comedy drama |
| Created by | |
| Directed by | Barnet Kellman |
| Starring | |
| Composer | Mike Post |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 13 (4 unaired) |
| Production | |
| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company | MTM Enterprises |
| Original release | |
| Network | NBC |
| Release | November 5, 1987 – May 20, 1988 |
| Related | |
| Hill Street Blues | |
Overview
editThe show was a half-hour dramedy, a hybrid between light private eye fare and a sitcom. The main character, Norman Buntz, was previously seen as a morally and ethically questionable cop on Hill Street Blues which was a dramatic series on NBC (the show is one of a handful of examples of a series in a genre, drama, spinning off a series in another: comedy). The series has the character quitting the police force, moving to Beverly Hills, and becoming a private investigator. In a programming experiment, NBC president Brandon Tartikoff announced that the show would be a "designated hitter" and was originally given prize time slots once a month after Cheers and Night Court. The other two "designated hitters" that season were Mama's Boy, a sitcom with Bruce Weitz and Nancy Walker, and the second season of a drama, The Bronx Zoo with Ed Asner incidentally, each show was canceled in 1988). Eventually, Buntz was scheduled Fridays at 9:30pm between Night Court and Miami Vice in March 1988. Night Court and Buntz were unsuccessful, but Miami Vice gained a fifth season with an improved performance after moving from 9pm back to 10pm. Three pilots of Buntz were filmed including one by director Hal Ashby.
Nine episodes were broadcast of 13 which were filmed. The first episode was broadcast November 5, 1987 and the last on May 20, 1988. The series starred Dennis Franz as Norman Buntz, and Peter Jurasik as Sid "The Snitch" Thurston. Dana Wheeler-Nicholson joined the cast.
Cast
edit- Dennis Franz as Norman Buntz
- Peter Jurasik as Sid Thurston
- Dana Wheeler-Nicholson as Rebecca Griswold
Episodes
editThis section needs a plot summary. (March 2024) |
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Pilot" | Hal Ashby | Jeffrey Lewis & David Milch | November 5, 1987 |
| 2 | "Fit to Be Tied" | John Patterson | Peter Silverman | November 29, 1987 |
| 3 | "Sid and Randy" | Patterson | Jeffrey Lewis | December 24, 1987 |
| 4 | "Duck! L'Orange!" | Eric Laneuville | Jim Kaplan | January 27, 1988 |
| 5 | "Umbrella in the Water" | Ray Danton | Story by : Richard Ben-Veniste Teleplay by : Peter Silverman | March 25, 1988 |
| 6 | "Brief Encounter" | Michael Vittes | Story by : Jody Taylor Teleplay by : Christian Williams | April 1, 1988 |
| 7 | "El Norte by Norte West" | Laneuville | Story by : Christian Williams and John Eisendrath Teleplay by : Christian Williams | April 8, 1988 |
| 8 | "Buntz of the Desert" | Paul Lynch | Mark St. Germain | April 15, 1988 |
| 9 | "A Christmas Carol" | Gabrielle Beaumont | Jeffrey Lewis | April 22, 1988 |
| 10 | "Ad Astra Per Peoria" | Barnet Kellman | Jim Macak | Unaired |
| 11 | "A Falcone in the Hand" | Beaumont | Christian Williams | Unaired |
| 12 | "Cannon-Aid" | Patterson | Stanley Young | Unaired |
| 13 | "Terry and the Pirates" | Patterson | John Romano | Unaired |
References
edit- ↑ Meisler, Andy (May 24, 1992). "TELEVISION; Is There Life After Death For Failed Series?". The New York Times.