"The White Shadow" (1978) TV series 1978-1981

Creator:

Bruce Paltrow
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | unknown

Release Date:

27 November 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Sport

Plot:

A white former NBA professional retires from the pro game and gets a job as a basketball coach in a predominantly black inner-city high school.

Plot Keywords:

School | Basketball | Coach | High School | Baseball

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy. Another 1 win & 7 nominations

Cast

Ken Howard	...	Ken Reeves (54 episodes, 1978-1981)
Kevin Hooks	...	Morris Thorpe (33 episodes, 1978-1981)
Timothy Van Patten	...	Mario 'Salami' Pettrino / ... (33 episodes, 1978-1981)
Byron Stewart	...	Warren Coolidge (33 episodes, 1978-1981)
Thomas Carter	...	James Hayward (29 episodes, 1978-1981)
Joan Pringle	...	Sybil Buchanan (28 episodes, 1978-1981)
Ken Michelman	...	Abner Goldstein (28 episodes, 1978-1981)
Ira Angustain	...	Ricky Gomez / ... (28 episodes, 1978-1981)
Nathan Cook	...	Milton Reese (27 episodes, 1978-1981)
Erik Kilpatrick	...	Curtis Jackson (25 episodes, 1978-1980)
John Mengatti	...	Nick Vitaglia (23 episodes, 1979-1981)

Series Directed by
Mark Tinker		(10 episodes, 1979-1981)
Victor Lobl		(9 episodes, 1979-1980)
Bruce Paltrow		(7 episodes, 1978-1980)
Jackie Cooper		(6 episodes, 1978-1979)
Thomas Carter		(3 episodes, 1979-1980)
Marc Norman		(2 episodes, 1980)
Lawrence Levy		(unknown episodes)
Virgil W. Vogel		(unknown episodes)

Series Writing credits
Bruce Paltrow		(54 episodes, 1978-1981)
Marc Rubin		(12 episodes, 1978-1980)
John Falsey		(10 episodes, 1979-1980)
Joshua Brand		(7 episodes, 1979-1980)
Steve Kline		(3 episodes, 1979-1980)
Tom Chehak		(2 episodes, 1979-1980)
John Masius		(2 episodes, 1979-1980)
Mark Tinker		(2 episodes, 1979-1980)
Steven Bochco		(2 episodes, 1979)
Gary Kott		(2 episodes, 1979)
David Assael		(2 episodes, 1980)

Series Produced by
Mark Tinker	....	producer (54 episodes, 1978-1981)
Bruce Paltrow	....	executive producer (13 episodes, 1978-1980)
Scott Brazil	....	associate producer (12 episodes, 1979-1980)
John Masius	....	coordinating producer (2 episodes, 1980)

Series Original Music by
Pete Carpenter		(13 episodes, 1978-1980)
Mike Post		(13 episodes, 1978-1980)

Series Cinematography by
Hugh K. Gagnier		(5 episodes, 1979-1980)
Chuck Arnold		(4 episodes, 1978-1979)
Allen M. Davey		(unknown episodes)

Series Film Editing by
Tony de Zarraga		(3 episodes, 1978-1979)
John Heath		(3 episodes, 1980)
Leon Carrere		(2 episodes, 1978-1979)
Ray Daniels		(2 episodes, 1979-1980)
David Berlatsky		(2 episodes, 1979)

Series Casting by
Lori Openden		(10 episodes, 1978-1980)

Series Art Direction by
William McAllister		(9 episodes, 1978-1980)

Series Set Decoration by
Lynne Albright		(9 episodes, 1978-1980)
Tom Cost		(2 episodes, 1980)

Series Makeup Department
Lona Jeffers	....	makeup department head / makeup artist (15 episodes, 1980-1981)
Will Mackenzie	....	makeup artist (5 episodes, 1979-1980)
Elizabeth Searcy	....	hair stylist (5 episodes, 1979-1980)
Dave Grayson	....	makeup artist (4 episodes, 1978-1979)
Jan Van Uchelen	....	hair stylist (4 episodes, 1978-1979)
Barbara Minster	....	hair stylist (2 episodes, 1980)

Series Production Management
William Saint John	....	production manager / unit production manager (15 episodes, 1978-1979)
Ted Rich	....	post-production supervisor (12 episodes, 1978-1980)
Abby Singer	....	supervising production manager / executive in charge of production: MTM Enterprises (7 episodes, 1978-1980)
Penny Adams	....	unit production manager (7 episodes, 1979-1980)
Carol Himes	....	production manager (7 episodes, 1979-1980)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Carol Himes	....	first assistant director / assistant director (9 episodes, 1978-1979)
Howie Horowitz	....	second assistant director (7 episodes, 1979-1980)
Gene De Ruelle	....	first assistant director / assistant director (6 episodes, 1978-1979)
Richard T. Schor	....	assistant director (5 episodes, 1979-1980)
Kalai Strode	....	second assistant director (3 episodes, 1978-1979)
Robert Becker	....	assistant director (2 episodes, 1980)

Series Art Department
Dave DeGaetano	....	construction coordinator (7 episodes, 1979-1980)
Pat Grande	....	construction coordinator (5 episodes, 1978-1979)
John Barton	....	property master (5 episodes, 1979-1980)
Jimmie Herron Jr.	....	property master (2 episodes, 1978-1979)
Roy 'Bucky' Moore	....	property master (2 episodes, 1978-1979)
David Coleman	....	property master (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
John T. Reitz	....	sound re-recording mixer / re-recording (8 episodes, 1978-1980)
Andrew Gilmore	....	production mixer / production sound mixer (6 episodes, 1978-1980)
Ron Clark	....	sound editor / sound effects editor (5 episodes, 1978-1979)
Michael P. Redbourn	....	sound editor (5 episodes, 1979-1980)
Dean Salmon	....	production sound mixer / production mixer (5 episodes, 1979-1980)
Jay M. Harding	....	sound re-recording mixer (3 episodes, 1978-1979)
Fred Judkins	....	sound editor (2 episodes, 1980)
John S. Coffey	....	sound mixer (unknown episodes)
John Duffy	....	sound editor (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Lowell Peterson	....	first assistant camera (15 episodes, 1980-1981)
Stan Reed	....	key grip (11 episodes, 1978-1980)
Rod Everson	....	electrical gaffer (7 episodes, 1979-1980)
King Nicholson	....	camera operator (5 episodes, 1979-1980)
Peter Hapke	....	camera operator (4 episodes, 1978-1979)
Doug Mathias	....	electrical gaffer (4 episodes, 1978-1979)
Ben Beaird	....	dolly grip (unknown episodes)
Doug Byers	....	electrician (unknown episodes)
Michael Hofstein	....	first assistant camera (unknown episodes)
Jonathan West	....	camera operator (unknown episodes)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Buzz Wiseman	....	costumer: men (7 episodes, 1979-1980)
Paula Giokaris	....	costumer: women (4 episodes, 1978-1980)
Joseph Roveto	....	costumer: men (4 episodes, 1978-1979)
Lynette Bernay	....	costumer: women (4 episodes, 1979-1980)
Barbara Siebert	....	costumer: women (3 episodes, 1978-1979)

Series Music Department
Pete Carpenter	....	composer: theme music (54 episodes, 1978-1981)
Mike Post	....	composer: theme music (54 episodes, 1978-1981)
Kathy Andrews	....	music editor (6 episodes, 1978-1980)
Allan K. Rosen	....	music editor (5 episodes, 1979-1980)

Series Transportation Department
Bud Thompson	....	transportation captain / transportation coordinator (11 episodes, 1978-1980)
Gina August	....	driver (8 episodes, 1981)

Series Other crew
Marc Rubin	....	story editor / executive story consultant / ... (12 episodes, 1978-1980)
Bethany Rooney	....	assistant to producers (11 episodes, 1978-1980)
Dick Baker	....	technical advisor (10 episodes, 1978-1980)
Meryl O'Loughlin	....	executive in charge of talent / talent executive (10 episodes, 1978-1980)
John Falsey	....	story editor (8 episodes, 1979-1980)
Carol Estocko	....	assistant to producers (7 episodes, 1979-1980)
Maria Lease	....	script supervisor (6 episodes, 1978-1980)
Denis McCallion	....	location manager (6 episodes, 1978-1979)
John Masius	....	story consultant / production associate (6 episodes, 1979-1980)
Scott Brazil	....	production assistant (5 episodes, 1978-1979)
Lionel A. Ephraim	....	production executive: MTM Enterprises (5 episodes, 1978-1979)
Maggie Wittenburg	....	location manager (5 episodes, 1979-1980)
Abby Singer	....	production executive: MTM Enterprises (4 episodes, 1979-1980)
Dan Carnevale	....	technical advisor (2 episodes, 1978)
Victoria Gail Weisbart	....	script supervisor (2 episodes, 1979-1980)
Joshua Brand	....	story editor (2 episodes, 1980)
Maria Cady	....	script supervisor (2 episodes, 1980)
Fred Lyle	....	location manager (2 episodes, 1980)
Karlene Gallegly	....	location manager (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• Company Four
• MTM Enterprises

Distributors

• 20th Century Fox Television
• MTM Enterprises

Runtime:

60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Company Four

Trivia:

In the pilot, Reeves drives a snazzy red Mustang convertible sports car. In subsequent episodes, he is seen driving only an old station wagon, probably in an attempt to show Reeves as more down-to-earth instead of a glamorous ex-NBA player.

Goofs:

Factual errors: At the end of the following episodes, "Wanna Bet?" and "That Old Gang of Mine". The roman numeral of the year 1979 at the end of the credits, was MCMLXXVIX. There was confusion of that because, the "V" should've been removed. The remaining first season episodes were finalized as MCMLXXIX, which was 1979 when the "V" was deleted.

Quotes:

Jim Willis: You had it easy sonny boy. You'll never know what it's like have to sit in the back of the bus and then give up your seat to a white man or pee in your pants because you can't find a bathroom that'll take you... Now I know a racist when I see one. And I'm looking at one right now.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Cave Dwellers (#4.1)" (1991)

One hell of a good show, indeed.

"The White Shadow" was my favourite TV-series when I was a ten-year old. As a member of a soccer-crazy nation, it had hit me and a generation of Turks like no other show had. That, I may easily claim, has been the TV show that turned basketball in Turkey from a fringe sport no-one cared about to a sport everyone wanted to participate in. Many who didn't know there was such a sport had become addicts to basketball league games, and the relationship between the team-members at Carver High has become an inspiration to high-school pupils. Now, since the recent Euro'Basket 2001, the TRT TV has began to run the series again. I am very glad to see my wee nephews watch it with the same enthusiasm as I did when I was their age. That's due to the fact that the characters were well-written, the subjects very-well chosen, and the acting was pure brilliant. I don't know if any other high-school drama can match it years later in terms of its density, strength, and meaningfulness. I'm glad it was on years ago, I'm glad they show it again in 2001. Pity Ken Howard and the rest of the cast couldn't make it as big as they deserved later on. One thing is for sure, though, they'll always be remembered as Coach Reeves, Coolidge, Salami, Thorpe and so...