The Bad News Bears | |
---|---|
Genre | Sitcom |
Based on | Characters created by Bill Lancaster |
Developed by |
Bob Brunner Arthur Silver |
Written by | Paul Diamond Stephen Fischer |
Directed by |
Norman Abbott William Asher Bruce Bilson Jeffrey Ganz Lowell Ganz Jeffrey Hayden Alan Myerson Gene Nelson |
Starring |
Jack Warden Catherine Hicks Sparky Marcus Meeno Peluce Billy Jayne Corey Feldman Shane Butterworth Kristoff St. John Tricia Cast |
Theme music composer | David Michael Frank |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language(s) | English |
No. of seasons | 2 |
No. of episodes | 26 |
Production | |
Executive producer(s) | Bob Brunner Arthur Silver |
Producer(s) | John Boni Jeffrey Ganz Ron Leavitt Brian Levant Norman Stiles |
Running time | 22–24 minutes |
Production company(s) | Huk & Frog Productions Paramount Television |
Distributor | CBS Television Distribution |
Release | |
Original network | CBS |
Audio format | Monaural |
Original release | March 24, 1979 | – July 26, 1980
Chronology | |
Preceded by | The Bad News Bears |
The Bad News Bears is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from March 24, 1979 until July 26, 1980, consisting of 26 episodes (three unaired by CBS). It was based on the 1976 movie of the same name, that was followed by two sequels in 1977 and 1978.
In the television version, Jack Warden portrayed former minor-leaguer Morris Buttermaker, the coach of the Hoover Junior High Bears, a sorry bunch of youthful misfits and bumblers. Catherine Hicks played Hoover Junior High principal Dr. Emily Rappant. Phillip Richard Allen played Roy Turner, the coach of the dreaded rival Lions. Corey Feldman, Billy Jayne (then credited as Billy Jacoby) and Meeno Peluce were cast amongst the team's players, and Tricia Cast played Amanda Wurlitzer, the Bears' star pitcher.
The series was originally scheduled on Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. In September 1979, it was moved to 8:30 p.m. Three episodes into the series' second season, CBS canceled The Bad News Bears due to low ratings. When CBS broadcast unaired episodes in June 1980 it was moved back to 8:00 p.m. In July 1980, the series was again moved to the 8:30 timeslot, but by then audiences were confused by the frequent time changes and stopped tuning in.
In the late 1980s, the show was occasionally rerun on Nick at Nite. In the early 1990s, it was rerun on Comedy Central.