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American television series (1983-1984)

Buffalo Bill
Created byTom Patchett
Jay Tarses
StarringDabney Coleman
Joanna Cassidy
Max Wright
John Fiedler
Geena Davis
Charlie Robinson
Meshach Taylor
ComposerTom Wells
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes26 (1 unaired)
Production
Executive producersTom Patchett
Jay Tarses
Bernie Brillstein
ProducersDennis Klein
Carol Gary
Running time30 minutes
Production companyStampede Productions
Original release
NetworkNBC
ReleaseJune 1, 1983 (1983-06-01) –
March 29, 1984 (1984-03-29)

Buffalo Bill is an American sitcom television series that featured the misadventures of an egotistical talk show host, played by Dabney Coleman, and his staff (including Geena Davis and Joanna Cassidy) at WBFL-TV, a small TV station in Buffalo, New York. It premiered June 1, 1983, on NBC and ran for two seasons (1983–84). It was also shown on the then-new UK fourth TV channel Channel 4.

Characters

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  • Dabney Coleman as "Buffalo" Bill Bittinger, raging egocentric local talk show host
  • Joanna Cassidy as Joanna "Jo-Jo" White, no-nonsense producer of the talk show, in an on-again, off-again relationship with Bill
  • Max Wright as Karl Shub, WBFL's station manager who suffers from an inability to inhibit Bill's bad behavior
  • John Fiedler as Woodrow "Woody" Deschler, stage manager who is independently wealthy yet seems to enjoy working for Bill
  • Geena Davis as Wendy Killian, a diligent but naive production assistant
  • Charlie Robinson as Newdell Springs, make-up artist who is trying to move up the ladder
  • Meshach Taylor as Tony, assistant director
  • Claude Earl Jones as Stan (recurring), a stagehand whose name Bill struggles to remember
  • Pippa Peartree as Melanie Bittinger, Bill's (estranged) daughter who is desperate for his approval and begins working at the station.

Synopsis

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Most of the humor came from Bill's completely irredeemable qualities and from the staff's frustration at dealing with him.

US television ratings

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Season Episodes Start date End date Nielsen rank Nielsen rating
1982-83 12 June 1, 1983 August 17, 1983 N/A N/A
1983-84 14 December 22, 1983 March 29, 1984 72 12.9[1]

Episodes

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In 2005, Lionsgate (under license from Brillstein/Grey Communications) released the entire series on Region 1 DVD.[2]

Season 1: 1983

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No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
11"Pilot"Tom PatchettTom Patchett & Jay TarsesJune 1, 1983 (1983-06-01)
22"Buffalo Beat"Tom PatchettTom Patchett & Jay TarsesJune 8, 1983 (1983-06-08)
33"Woody Quits"Jim DrakeJay TarsesJune 15, 1983 (1983-06-15)
44"Buffalo Bill and the Movies"Jim DrakeMitch MarkowitzJune 22, 1983 (1983-06-22)
55"Mrs. Buffalo Bill?"Jim DrakeMerrill MarkoeJune 29, 1983 (1983-06-29)
66"Wilkinson's Sword"Tom PatchettTom PatchettJuly 13, 1983 (1983-07-13)
77"Guess Who's Coming to Buffalo?"Tom PatchettCarol GrayJuly 20, 1983 (1983-07-20)
88"Below the Belt"Tom PatchettCarol GrayJuly 27, 1983 (1983-07-27)
99"Ratings"Tom PatchettGary MarkowitzAugust 3, 1983 (1983-08-03)
1010"True Love"Jim DrakeDennis KleinAugust 10, 1983 (1983-08-10)
1111"The Fan"Tom PatchettJay TarsesAugust 17, 1983 (1983-08-17)
1212"Hackles"Dennis KleinDennis KleinUnaired

Season 2: 1983–84

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No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
131"Hit the Road, Newdell"Tom PatchettDennis KleinDecember 22, 1983 (1983-12-22)
142"Jerry Lewis Week"Jim DrakeDennis KleinJanuary 5, 1984 (1984-01-05)
153"The Interview"Ellen FalconDennis KleinJanuary 12, 1984 (1984-01-12)
164"Company Ink"Tom PatchettTom PatchettJanuary 19, 1984 (1984-01-19)
175"Jo-Jo's Problem: Part 1"Jim DrakeJay TarsesJanuary 26, 1984 (1984-01-26)
186"Jo-Jo's Problem: Part 2"Ellen FalconJay TarsesFebruary 2, 1984 (1984-02-02)
197"Miss WBFL"Tom PatchettGeena DavisFebruary 9, 1984 (1984-02-09)
208"The Big Freeze"Tom PatchettDennis KleinFebruary 16, 1984 (1984-02-16)
219"The Girl on the Jetty"Jim DrakeJay TarsesFebruary 23, 1984 (1984-02-23)
2210"Buffalo Bill Versus the Kremlin"Jim DrakeDennis KleinMarch 1, 1984 (1984-03-01)
2311"A Hero"Jim DrakeJay TarsesMarch 8, 1984 (1984-03-08)
2412"The Tap Dancer"Tom PatchettTeleplay by : Gary Markowitz & Dennis Klein
Story by : Gary Markowitz		March 15, 1984 (1984-03-15)
2513"Have Yourself a Very Degrading Christmas"Tom PatchettDennis KleinMarch 22, 1984 (1984-03-22)
2614"Church of the Poisoned Mind"Ellen FalconDennis KleinMarch 29, 1984 (1984-03-29)

Reception

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The series received 11 Emmy Award nominations (including two for Outstanding Comedy Series). Joanna Cassidy also won a Golden Globe Award in 1984. In 1999, TV Guide ranked Bill Bittinger number 42 on its 50 Greatest TV Characters of All Time list.[4] Former NBC President Brandon Tartikoff wrote in his memoirs that his biggest professional regret was canceling the show.[5]

References

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  1. ↑ "1983-84 Ratings History -- The Networks Are Awash in a Bubble Bath of Soaps". Archived from the original on January 18, 2018. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Buffalo Bill - The Complete First and Second Seasons (1983)". Amazon. September 6, 2005. Retrieved May 4, 2008.
  3. ↑ "Special Collector's Issue: 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time". TV Guide (June 28-July 4). 1997.
  4. ↑ TV Guide Guide to TV. Barnes & Noble. 2004. pp. 651. ISBN 0-7607-5634-1.
  5. ↑ Tartikoff, Brandon (1992). The Last Great Ride. New York: Hyperion Books. ISBN 0-394-58709-X.
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