B. J. and the Bear

{{Short description|Television series}}

{{More citations needed|date=December 2012}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}

{{Infobox television

| image = B._J._and_the_Bear_cover.jpg

| caption =

| genre = {{Plain list|

}}

| creator = {{Plain list|

}}

| developer =

| writer = {{Plain list|

  • Glen A. Larson
  • Michael Sloan
  • Frank Lupo
  • Tom Sawyer
  • Christopher Crowe
  • Sidney Ellis
  • Rick Kelbaugh

}}

| director = {{Plain list|

}}

| starring = {{Plain list|

}}

| theme_music_composer = Glen A. Larson

| opentheme = "B.J. and the Bear"

| endtheme =

| composer = {{Plain list|

}}

| country = United States

| language = English

| num_seasons = 3

| num_episodes = 46

| executive_producer = {{Plain list|

  • Glen A. Larson
  • Michael Sloan

}}

| producer = {{Plain list|

  • Lester Wm. Berke
  • Joe Boston
  • Richard Lindheim
  • Robert F. O'Neill

}}

| cinematography = {{Plain list|

  • Frank Beascoechea
  • Charles Mills
  • Frank Thackery

}}

| camera =

| runtime = 45–48 minutes

| company = {{Plain list|

}}

| network = NBC

| first_aired = {{Start date|1979|02|10}}

| last_aired = {{End date|1981|05|09}}

| related = The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo

}}

B. J. and the Bear is an American action comedy television series which aired on NBC from February 10, 1979, to May 9, 1981. Created by Glen A. Larson and Christopher Crowe, the series starred Greg Evigan. The series was produced when the CB radio and trucking craze had peaked in the United States.

The theme song, also titled "B.J. and the Bear", was written by Larson and performed by Evigan.{{cite book|last=Robinson|first=Mark|title=Encyclopedia of Television Theme Songs|year=2011|publisher=McFarland|isbn=9780786465170|page=26}}

Premise and storylines

Greg Evigan stars as Billie Joe "B.J." McKay, a professional freelance itinerant trucker who travels the country's highways in a red and white Kenworth K-100 Aerodyne (a COE semi truck) with his pet chimpanzee Bear, named after Bear Bryant, the famed football coach for the University of Alabama.{{cite journal|last=Witbeck|first=Charles|title='BJ and the Bear': a silent interview with Sam the chimp|journal=Chicago Tribune|date=June 24, 1979|page=J3}} In the pilot movie, it is stated that McKay had spent two years in Vietnam as a medical helicopter pilot, had been a captain and earned the Distinguished Service Cross. He was a prisoner of war in North Vietnam at the Hanoi Hilton for four months in 1973 after his helicopter went down over the DMZ. Episodes typically deal with B.J. uncovering or getting mixed up with crime in the area he is traveling through, and a local resident—usually, a young, beautiful woman—appealing to him for help.

A frequent guest star in the first season is Sheriff Elroy P. Lobo (Claude Akins,{{cite journal|title=Claude Akins; actor in classic movies.|journal=St. Louis Post-Dispatch|date=1994-01-28|page=4}} who previously starred in the trucking series Movin' On), whose character eventually spun off onto his own show The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo along with guest character "Waverly" Ben Cooper.

Two episodes in season two, "Eyes of Texas" (1979) and "The Girls on the Hollywood High" (1980), were designed as prospective pilots for a series about a pair of private detectives called Heather Fern (Rebecca Reynolds) and Caroline Capodi (Lorrie Mahaffey in the first one, Heather Thomas in the second). The latter episode has cameo appearances from John S. Ragin and Robert Ito as their characters from Quincy, M.E. (also a Glen A. Larson series).Lee Goldberg, Unsold Television Pilots: 1955 through 1989, 1990, pp. 352-353, McFarland, {{ISBN|0-89950-373-X}}

In 1981, when the show returned for its third season with the two-part episode "B.J. and the Seven Lady Truckers",{{Efn|Not to be confused with the season two opener "Snow White and the Seven Lady Truckers", also a two-parter}} B.J. has settled down to run Bear Enterprises, a trucking company based in Los Angeles. His nemesis is Rutherford T. Grant (Murray Hamilton), the corrupt head of the state's Special Crimes Action Team, who is a secret partner in a competing trucking company. Because of Grant's harassment, B.J. is unable to hire experienced truckers, and is forced to hire seven beautiful young female truckers, consisting of Grant's daughter Cindy (Sherilyn Wolter), twins Teri and Geri (Candi and Randi Brough), no-nonsense Angie (Sheila Wills), Samantha (Amanda Horan Kennedy), Callie (Linda McCullough), and a busty blonde nicknamed "Stacks" (Judy Landers), along with a female dispatcher, Stacy (Susan Woollen).

Though Universal has never released B. J. and the Bear on home video, bootleg editions are available on DVD.

Episodes

=Pilot (1978)=

{{Episode table |total_width=70 |background=000 |title=32 |director=20 |writer=20 |airdate=18 |episodes=

{{Episode list

| Title = The Foundlings

| DirectedBy = Bruce Bilson

| WrittenBy = Glen A. Larson & Christopher Crowe

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1978|10|4}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor = 000

}}

}}

=Season 1 (1979)=

{{Episode table |background=B11030 |total_width=70 |overall=5 |season=5 |title=22 |director=20 |writer=20 |airdate=18 |episodes=

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 1

| EpisodeNumber2 = 1

| Title = Odyssey of the Shady Truth

| DirectedBy = Christian I. Nyby II

| WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay

| t = Michael Sloan

| ex1 = Kenneth Realman

| tlabel = {{abbr|T|Teleplay by}}

| ex1label = {{abbr|S/T|Story and teleplay by}}

}}

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|2|10}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor = B11030

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 2

| EpisodeNumber2 = 2

| Title = Shine On

| DirectedBy = Christian I. Nyby II

| WrittenBy = Chris Lucky & Frank Lupo

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|2|24}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor = B11030

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 3

| EpisodeNumber2 = 3

| Title = A Coffin with a View

| DirectedBy = Ray Austin

| WrittenBy = Michael Sloan

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|3|10}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor = B11030

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 4

| EpisodeNumber2 = 4

| Title = Deadly Cargo

| DirectedBy = Cliff Bole

| WrittenBy = Michael Sloan

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|3|17}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor = B11030

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 5

| EpisodeNumber2 = 5

| Title = Never Give a Trucker an Even Break

| DirectedBy = Christian I. Nyby II

| WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay

| s = Richard Lindheim

| ex1 = Frank Lupo

| slabel = {{abbr|S|Story by}}

| ex1label = {{abbr|S/T|Story and teleplay by}}

}}

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|3|24}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor = B11030

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 6

| EpisodeNumber2 = 6

| Title = Lobo's Revenge

| DirectedBy = Bruce Bilson

| WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay

| s = Glen A. Larson & Richard Lindheim

| ex1 = Michael Sloan

| slabel = {{abbr|S|Story by}}

| ex1label = {{abbr|S/T|Story and teleplay by}}

}}

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|4|7}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor = B11030

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 7

| EpisodeNumber2 = 7

| Title = The Murphy Contingent

| DirectedBy = Rod Holcomb

| WrittenBy = Frank Lupo & C. R. O. Christopher

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|4|14}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor = B11030

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 8

| EpisodeNumber2 = 8

| Title = Wheels of Fortune

| DirectedBy = Bruce Bilson

| WrittenBy = Glen A. Larson

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|4|21}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor = B11030

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 9

| EpisodeNumber2 = 9

| Title = Crackers

| DirectedBy = Michael Caffey

| WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay

| s = Glen A. Larson

| ex1 = Michael Sloan

| slabel = {{abbr|S|Story by}}

| ex1label = {{abbr|S/T|Story and teleplay by}}

}}

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|4|28}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor = B11030

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 10

| EpisodeNumber2 = 10

| Title = Lobo

| DirectedBy = Bruce Bilson

| WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay

| s = Michael Sloan

| ex1 = Glen A. Larson

| slabel = {{abbr|S|Story by}}

| ex1label = {{abbr|S/T|Story and teleplay by}}

}}

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|5|5}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor = B11030

}}

}}

=Season 2 (1979–80)=

{{Episode table |background=86CEFF |overall=5 |season=5 |title=22 |director=20 |writer=20 |airdate=18 |episodes=

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 11

| EpisodeNumber2 = 1

| Title = Snow White and the Seven Lady Truckers: Part 1

| DirectedBy = Christian I. Nyby II

| WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay

| s = Glen A. Larson

| ex1 = Michael Sloan

| slabel = {{abbr|S|Story by}}

| ex1label = {{abbr|S/T|Story and teleplay by}}

}}

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|9|29}}

| ShortSummary = Guest stars Sonia Manzano, and Andre the Giant.

| LineColor = 87CEFF

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 12

| EpisodeNumber2 = 2

| Title = Snow White and the Seven Lady Truckers: Part 2

| DirectedBy = Christian I. Nyby II

| WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay

| s = Glen A. Larson

| ex1 = Michael Sloan

| slabel = {{abbr|S|Story by}}

| ex1label = {{abbr|S/T|Story and teleplay by}}

}}

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|10|6}}

| ShortSummary = Guest star Sonia Manzano

| LineColor = 87CEFF

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 13

| EpisodeNumber2 = 3

| Title = Cain's Cruiser

| DirectedBy = Charles R. Rondeau

| WrittenBy = Robert L. McCullough

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|10|13}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor = 87CEFF

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 14

| EpisodeNumber2 = 4

| Title = Pogo Lil

| DirectedBy = Bernard McEveety

| WrittenBy = Richard Kelbaugh

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|10|20}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor = 87CEFF

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 15

| EpisodeNumber2 = 5

| Title = Cain's Son-in-Law

| DirectedBy = Charles R. Rondeau

| WrittenBy = Frank Lupo

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|10|27}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor = 87CEFF

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 16

| EpisodeNumber2 = 6

| Title = Run for the Money: Part 1

| DirectedBy = Bruce Bilson

| WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay

| s = Glen A. Larson & John Peyser

| t = Michael Sloan

| ex1 = Sidney Ellis, Frank Lupo & Robert L. McCullough

| slabel = {{abbr|S|Story by}}

| tlabel = {{abbr|T|Teleplay by}}

| ex1label = {{abbr|S/T|Story and teleplay by}}

}}

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|11|3}}

| ShortSummary = Crossover story with The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo.

| LineColor = 87CEFF

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 17

| EpisodeNumber2 = 7

| Title = The Eyes of Texas

| DirectedBy = Bruce Bilson

| WrittenBy = Glen A. Larson

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|11|10}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor = 87CEFF

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 18

| EpisodeNumber2 = 8

| Title = Mary Ellen

| DirectedBy = Frank Beascoechea

| WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay

| t = Sidney Ellis & Michael Sloan

| ex1 = Jimmy Sangster

| tlabel = {{abbr|T|Teleplay by}}

| ex1label = {{abbr|S/T|Story and teleplay by}}

}}

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|11|17}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor = 87CEFF

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 19

| EpisodeNumber2 = 9

| Title = Gasohol

| DirectedBy = Charles R. Rondeau

| WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay

| s = Richard Bluel & Pat Fielder

| t = Robert L. McCullough

| slabel = {{abbr|S|Story by}}

| tlabel = {{abbr|T|Teleplay by}}

}}

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|11|24}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor = 87CEFF

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 20

| EpisodeNumber2 = 10

| Title = B.J.'s Sweethearts

| DirectedBy = Jeff Gold

| WrittenBy = Michael Sloan

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|12|1}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor = 87CEFF

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 21

| EpisodeNumber2 = 11

| Title = Fly a Wild Horse

| DirectedBy = Christian I. Nyby II

| WrittenBy = Richard Kelbaugh

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|12|8}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor = 87CEFF

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 22

| EpisodeNumber2 = 12

| Title = Silent Night, Unholy Night

| DirectedBy = Vince Edwards

| WrittenBy = Michael Sloan

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|12|15}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor = 87CEFF

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 23

| EpisodeNumber2 = 13

| Title = Fire in the Hole

| DirectedBy = Bruce Kessler

| WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay

| s = Richard Kelbaugh

| t = Sidney Ellis

| slabel = {{abbr|S|Story by}}

| tlabel = {{abbr|T|Teleplay by}}

}}

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1980|1|12}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor = 87CEFF

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 24

| EpisodeNumber2 = 14

| Title = Siege

| DirectedBy = Michael Preece

| WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay

| s = Glen A. Larson

| ex1 = Michael Sloan

| slabel = {{abbr|S|Story by}}

| ex1label = {{abbr|S/T|Story and teleplay by}}

}}

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1980|1|19}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor = 87CEFF

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 25

| EpisodeNumber2 = 15

| Title = Through the Past, Darkly

| DirectedBy = Charles R. Rondeau

| WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay

| s = Steven C. Kurzfeld, Glen A. Larson & Chris Lucky

| t = Robert L. McCullough

| ex1 = Frank Lupo

| slabel = {{abbr|S|Story by}}

| tlabel = {{abbr|T|Teleplay by}}

| ex1label = {{abbr|S/T|Story and teleplay by}}

}}

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1980|1|26}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor = 87CEFF

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 26

| EpisodeNumber2 = 16

| Title = Bear Bondage

| DirectedBy = Bruce Kessler

| WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay

| s = Richard Lindheim

| t = Frank Lupo & Robert L. McCullough

| slabel = {{abbr|S|Story by}}

| tlabel = {{abbr|T|Teleplay by}}

}}

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1980|2|2}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor = 87CEFF

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 27

| EpisodeNumber2 = 17

| Title = B.J. and the Witch

| DirectedBy = Charles R. Rondeau

| WrittenBy = Sidney Ellis

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1980|2|9}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor = 87CEFF

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 28

| EpisodeNumber2 = 18

| Title = The Good, the Bad and the Beautiful

| DirectedBy = Christian I. Nyby II

| WrittenBy = Robert L. McCullough

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1980|2|16}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor = 87CEFF

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 29

| EpisodeNumber2 = 19

| Title = The Girls on the Hollywood High

| DirectedBy = Bruce Bilson

| WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay

| s = Ron Friedman

| ex1 = Glen A. Larson

| slabel = {{abbr|S|Story by}}

| ex1label = {{abbr|S/T|Story and teleplay by}}

}}

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1980|2|23}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor = 87CEFF

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 30

| EpisodeNumber2 = 20

| Title = The 18-Wheel Rip-Off

| DirectedBy = Gil Bettman

| WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay

| s = Sidney Ellis

| ex1 = Michael Sloan

| slabel = {{abbr|S|Story by}}

| ex1label = {{abbr|S/T|Story and teleplay by}}

}}

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1980|3|22}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor = 87CEFF

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 31

| EpisodeNumber2 = 21

| Title = The Friendly Double Cross

| DirectedBy = Keith Atkinson

| WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay

| s = Frank Lupo

| t = Robert L. McCullough

| slabel = {{abbr|S|Story by}}

| tlabel = {{abbr|T|Teleplay by}}

}}

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1980|3|29}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor = 87CEFF

}}

}}

=Season 3 (1981)=

{{Episode table |background=424242 |overall=5 |season=5 |title=22 |director=20 |writer=20 |airdate=18 |episodes=

{{Episode list

| NumParts = 2

| EpisodeNumber_1 = 32

| EpisodeNumber_2 = 33

| EpisodeNumber2_1 = 1

| EpisodeNumber2_2 = 2

| Title = B.J. and the Seven Lady Truckers: Parts 1 & 2

| DirectedBy = Christian I. Nyby II

| WrittenBy = Michael Sloan

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1981|1|13}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor = 424242

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 34

| EpisodeNumber2 = 3

| Title = The Fast and the Furious: Part 1

| DirectedBy = Christian I. Nyby II

| WrittenBy = Robert L. McCullough

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1981|1|20}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor = 424242

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 35

| EpisodeNumber2 = 4

| Title = The Fast and the Furious: Part 2

| DirectedBy = Christian I. Nyby II

| WrittenBy = Michael Halperin

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1981|1|27}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor = 424242

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 36

| EpisodeNumber2 = 5

| Title = Intercepted Pass

| DirectedBy = Georg Fenady

| WrittenBy = Rogers Turrentine

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1981|2|3}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor = 424242

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 37

| EpisodeNumber2 = 6

| Title = Down & Dirty

| DirectedBy = Michael Preece

| WrittenBy = Rogers Turrentine

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1981|2|10}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor = 424242

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 38

| EpisodeNumber2 = 7

| Title = Beauties and the Beasts

| DirectedBy = Christian I. Nyby II

| WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay|s= Ken Pettus|t= Robert L. McCullough & Tom Sawyer & Michael Halperin & Richard Christian Matheson & Thomas E. Szollosi}}

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1981|2|17}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor = 424242

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 39

| EpisodeNumber2 = 8

| Title = Blond in a Gilded Cell

| DirectedBy = Christian I. Nyby II

| WrittenBy = Robert L. McCullough

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1981|3|3}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor = 424242

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 40

| EpisodeNumber2 = 9

| Title = For Adults Only

| DirectedBy = Daniel Haller

| WrittenBy = Tom Sawyer

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1981|3|10}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor = 424242

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 41

| EpisodeNumber2 = 10

| Title = A Bear in the Hand

| DirectedBy = Christian I. Nyby II

| WrittenBy = Michael Halperin

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1981|3|17}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor = 424242

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 42

| EpisodeNumber2 = 11

| Title = Seven Lady Captives

| DirectedBy = Christian I. Nyby II

| WrittenBy = Tom Sawyer

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1981|3|24}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor = 424242

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 43

| EpisodeNumber2 = 12

| Title = S.T.U.N.T.

| DirectedBy = Daniel Haller

| WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay|s= Michael Sloan & Richard Lindheim|t= Michael Sloan}}

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1981|3|31}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor = 424242

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 44

| EpisodeNumber2 = 13

| Title = Who Is B.J.?

| DirectedBy = Peter Crane

| WrittenBy = Michael Sloan

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1981|4|25}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor = 424242

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 45

| EpisodeNumber2 = 14

| Title = Detective Finger, I Presume

| DirectedBy = Gil Bettman

| WrittenBy = Robert L. McCullough

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1981|5|2}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor = 424242

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 46

| EpisodeNumber2 = 15

| Title = The Two Million Dollar Hustle

| DirectedBy = David Phinney

| WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay|s= Tom Sawyer|t= Tom Sawyer & Robert L. McCullough & Michael Halperin}}

| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1981|5|9}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor = 424242

}}

}}

Notes

{{Reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

References

{{Reflist}}