"The Bad News Bears" (1979) TV series 1979-1980

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Directors:

Norman Abbott
William Asher

Writers:

Paul Diamond (writer)
Stephen Fischer (staff writer) (1979-1980)

Seasons:

1 | 2

Release Date:

24 March 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Sport

Plot:

The comic misadventures of a misfit Little League baseball team.

Plot Keywords:

Team | Baseball | Baseball Team | Little League | Game

Cast

Jack Warden

...

Morris Buttermaker (unknown episodes)

Runtime:

30 min (26 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Huk & Frog Productions

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Married with Children: A Man for No Seasons (#9.11)" (1994)

Had Potential But Hampered By Time Changes

The Bad News Bears is one of my all-time favorite baseball movies that spawned two sequels and a prime time sitcom. The good news is that the show had an outstanding cast, anchored by Jack Warden who took over Walter Mattheu's role as Buttermaker and Catherine Hicks, years before she played Annie on 7th Heaven. There were also outstanding young actors, including Kristoff St. John as Ahmad, Corey Feldman as Regi and Meeno Peluce (Soleil Moon Frye's brother) as Tanner.

With a cast like that, the show had lots of potential. Warden's Buttermaker was still a swimming pool cleaner who was faced with going to jail after driving a client's car into a pool or coaching a little league team. He chose the latter and as the season progressed it was better than the big house.

Also, the producers did the right thing in keeping "March of the Toreadors" from the Bizet opera Carmen as the sitcom's theme music. It was also used over the closing credits in the original Bad News Bears movie.

Unfortunately, CBS kept moving the show around, confusing viewers over when it would be shown and three episodes into its second season, it struck out. Hopefully someday, the episodes will be available on DVD, proving to viewers that The Bad News Bears wasn't bad news.