Buffalo Bill (TV series)

Buffalo Bill
Format Sitcom
Created by Tom Patchett
Jay Tarses
Starring Dabney Coleman
Max Wright
Joanna Cassidy
Geena Davis
John Fiedler
Country of origin United States
No. of seasons 2
No. of episodes 26
Production
Executive producer(s) Tom Patchett
Jay Tarses
Bernie Brillstein
Running time 30 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel NBC
Original run May 31, 1983 (1983-05-31) – April 5, 1984 (1984-04-05)

Buffalo Bill is an American television situation comedy that featured the misadventures of an egotistical talk show host and his staff at WBFL-TV, a small TV station in Buffalo, New York. It premiered May 31, 1983 on NBC and ran for only part of two seasons (1983–84). It was also shown on the then-new UK fourth TV channel Channel 4.

In 1999 TV Guide ranked Bill Bittinger number 42 on its 50 Greatest TV Characters of All Time list.[1]

Contents

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Synopsis

The series features Dabney Coleman ("Buffalo" Bill Bittinger), Joanna Cassidy, John Fiedler, Max Wright, Geena Davis, Charles Robinson, Meshach Taylor, Claude Earl Jones and Pippa Pearthree. Most of the humor came from Bill's completely unredeemable qualities and from the staff's frustration at dealing with him.

The series received 11 Emmy Award nominations (including two for Outstanding Comedy Series). Joanna Cassidy also won a Golden Globe Award in 1984.

Former NBC President Brandon Tartikoff wrote in his memoirs that his biggest professional regret was canceling the show.[2]

Episode list

Season 1: 1983

Title Airdate
1 "Pilot" 1 June 1983
2 "Buffalo Beat" 8 June 1983
3 "Woody Quits" 15 June 1983
4 "Buffalo Bill and the Movies" 22 June 1983
5 "Mrs. Buffalo Bill?" 29 June 1983
6 "Wilkinson's Sword" 13 July 1983
7 "Guess Who's Coming to Buffalo?" 20 July 1983
8 "Below the Belt" 27 July 1983
9 "Ratings" 3 August 1983
10 "True Love" 10 August 1983
11 "The Fan" 17 August 1983
12 "Hackles" 24 August 1983

Season 2: 1983–84

Title Airdate
13 "Hit the Road, Newdell" 22 December 1983
14 "Jerry Lewis Week" 5 January 1984
15 "The Interview" 12 January 1984
16 "Company Ink" 19 January 1984
17 "Jo-Jo's Problem: Part 1" 26 January 1984
18 "Jo-Jo's Problem: Part 2" 2 February 1984
19 "Miss WBFL" 9 February 1984
20 "Nuclear Freeze" 16 February 1984
21 "The Girl on the Jetty" 23 February 1984
22 "Buffalo Bill versus the Kremlin" 1 March 1984
23 "A Hero" 8 March 1984
24 "The Tap Dancer" 15 March 1984
25 "Have Yourself a Very Degrading Christmas" 22 March 1984
26 "Church of the Poisoned Mind" 29 March 1984

DVD release

In 2005, Lionsgate released the entire series on Region 1 DVD.[3]

References

  1. ^ TV Guide Guide to TV. Barnes and Noble. 2004. pp. 651. ISBN 0-7607-5634-1. 
  2. ^ Tartikoff, Brandon (1992). The Last Great Ride. New York: Hyperion Books. ISBN 039458709X. 
  3. ^ "Buffalo Bill - The Complete First and Second Seasons (1983)". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000A6T1KY. Retrieved 2008-05-04. 

External links