She's the Sheriff#Original pilot
{{Short description|American television sitcom (1987–1989)}}
{{more citations needed|date=June 2009}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox television
| image = Shesthesheriff.jpg
| genre = Sitcom
| creator = Dan Guntzelman
Steve Marshall
| developer =
| writer = Cheryl Alu
Gene Braunstein
Bobby Fine
Dan Guntzelman
Lawrence H. Hartstein
Juliet Law Packer
Steve Marshall
Mark Miller
Marty Nadler
Barry O'Brien
Bob Perlow
Richard Rossner
Mark Rothman
| director = David Grossman
Gary Menteer
Lee Miller
Russ Petranto
Alan Rafkin
Doug Smart
Howard Storm
| starring = Suzanne Somers
George Wyner
Pat Carroll
Nicky Rose
Taliesin Jaffe
Lou Richards
Guich Koock
Leonard Lightfoot
| theme_music_composer = Bruce Miller
| opentheme =
| endtheme =
| composer = Bruce Miller
| country = United States
| language = English
| num_seasons = 2
| num_episodes = 44 (plus unaired pilot)
| list_episodes =
| executive_producer = Mark Rothman
| camera = Multi-camera
| runtime = 22–24 minutes
| company = Lorimar-Telepictures
| channel = Syndication
| first_aired = {{Start date|1987|9|19}}
| last_aired = {{End date|1989|4|1}}
}}
She's the Sheriff is an American television sitcom that aired in first-run syndication from September 19, 1987, to April 1, 1989. Produced by Lorimar Television, the series marked the return of Suzanne Somers to television for the first time since she left her role as Chrissy Snow on ABC's Three's Company in 1980.
In 2002, She's the Sheriff was ranked number 44 on TV Guide{{'s}} "50 Worst TV Shows of All Time".{{cite magazine |year=2002 |title=50 Worst Shows of All Time |magazine=TV Guide}}
Synopsis
Somers stars as Hildy Granger, a young woman whose husband, the sheriff of fictional Lakes County, Nevada (near Lake Tahoe), has died suddenly. Now a widow with two children to support, Hildy accepts the county commissioner's offer to appoint her to serve as sheriff herself, despite her lack of relevant experience. The show focuses on her efforts to handle the daily problems of locals and tourists, while learning to work with her four deputies. In particular, Hildy has regular battles with Deputy Max Rubin, who thinks her undeserving of the job.
Cast and characters
- Suzanne Somers as Hildy Granger, the newly appointed Sheriff of Lakes County, Nevada
- George Wyner as Deputy Max Rubin, indignant that he has been passed over for the job of sheriff.
- Pat Carroll as Gussie Holt, Hildy's mother and a part-time writer.
- Lou Richards as Deputy Dennis Putnam, a naïve man who takes things too literally.
- Guich Koock as Deputy Hugh Mulcahy, a man admired for his intelligence.
- Leonard Lightfoot as Deputy Alvin Wiggins, who tries to be a voice of reason.
- Taliesin Jaffe as Hildy's son Kenny
- Nicky Rose as Hildy's daughter Allison.
Episodes
=Season 1 (1987–88)=
{{Episode table|total_width=|background=#D2B48C|overall=|season=|title=|director=|writer=|airdate=|episodes=
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 0
| EpisodeNumber2 = 0
| Title = She's the Sheriff
| DirectedBy = Alan Rafkin
| WrittenBy = Mark Rothman
| OriginalAirDate = N/A
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = D2B48C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 1
| EpisodeNumber2 = 1
| Title = All in a Day's Work
| DirectedBy = Alan Rafkin
| WrittenBy = Mark Rothman
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1987|9|19}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = D2B48C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 2
| EpisodeNumber2 = 2
| Title = Butterfly Is Free
| DirectedBy = Mark Rothman
| WrittenBy = Barry O'Brien,
Juliet Law Packer
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1987|9|26}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = D2B48C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 3
| EpisodeNumber2 = 3
| Title = Unsafe at Any Speed
| DirectedBy = Alan Rafkin
| WrittenBy = Juliet Law Packer
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1987|10|3}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = D2B48C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 4
| EpisodeNumber2 = 4
| Title = A Little Romance
| DirectedBy = Lee Miller
| WrittenBy = Gene Braunstein,
Bob Perlow
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1987|10|10}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = D2B48C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 5
| EpisodeNumber2 = 5
| Title = Lover Boy
| DirectedBy = Alan Rafkin
| WrittenBy = Lawrence H. Hartstein,
Richard Rossner
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1987|10|17}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = D2B48C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 6
| EpisodeNumber2 = 6
| Title = Monkey Business
| DirectedBy = Alan Rafkin,
Doug Smart
| WrittenBy = Mark Miller,
Mark Rothman
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1987|10|24}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = D2B48C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 7
| EpisodeNumber2 = 7
| Title = Max Moves In
| DirectedBy = Doug Smart
| WrittenBy = Barry O'Brien,
Mark Rothman
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1987|10|31}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = D2B48C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 8
| EpisodeNumber2 = 8
| Title = Poker Fever
| AltTitle = The Golden Streak
| DirectedBy = Russ Petranto
| WrittenBy = Bobby Fine
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1987|11|7}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = D2B48C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 9
| EpisodeNumber2 = 9
| Title = Hildy Gets Shot
| DirectedBy = Russ Petranto
| WrittenBy = Barry O'Brien,
Mark Rothman
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1987|11|14}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = D2B48C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 10
| EpisodeNumber2 = 10
| Title = Child's Play
| DirectedBy = Russ Petranto
| WrittenBy = Bobby Fine
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1987|11|21}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = D2B48C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 11
| EpisodeNumber2 = 11
| Title = Call Me Madam
| DirectedBy = Alan Rafkin
| WrittenBy = Barry O'Brien,
Mark Rothman
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1987|11|28}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = D2B48C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 12
| EpisodeNumber2 = 12
| Title = The Perils of Pauline
| DirectedBy = Russ Petranto
| WrittenBy = Bobby Fine
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1987|12|5}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = D2B48C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 13
| EpisodeNumber2 = 13
| Title = A Hero
| DirectedBy = David Grossman
| WrittenBy = Mark Rothman
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1987|12|12}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = D2B48C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 14
| EpisodeNumber2 = 14
| Title = The Feds
| DirectedBy = Lee Miller
| WrittenBy = Simon Hunter
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1987|12|19}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = D2B48C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 15
| EpisodeNumber2 = 15
| Title = New Year's Eve
| DirectedBy = Russ Petranto
| WrittenBy = Lawrence H. Hartstein,
Richard Rossner
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1988|1|2}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = D2B48C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 16
| EpisodeNumber2 = 16
| Title = The Great Escape
| DirectedBy = Arlando Smith
| WrittenBy = Gene Braunstein,
Bob Perlow
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1988|1|9}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = D2B48C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 17
| EpisodeNumber2 = 17
| Title = Hostage
| DirectedBy = Marc Gass
| WrittenBy = Dan Guntzelman,
Steve Marshall
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1988|1|16}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = D2B48C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 18
| EpisodeNumber2 = 18
| Title = All Alone
| DirectedBy = Russ Petranto
| WrittenBy =
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1988|1|30}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = D2B48C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 19
| EpisodeNumber2 = 19
| Title = Hildy the Homewrecker
| DirectedBy = Russ Petranto
| WrittenBy = Mark Rothman
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1988|2|6}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = D2B48C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 20
| EpisodeNumber2 = 20
| Title = Hair
| DirectedBy = Russ Petranto
| WrittenBy = Lawrence H. Hartstein,
Richard Rossner
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1988|2|13}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = D2B48C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 21
| EpisodeNumber2 = 21
| Title = Dinsmore's Wedding
| DirectedBy = Russ Petranto
| WrittenBy = Lawrence H. Hartstein,
Richard Rossner
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1988|2|20}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = D2B48C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 22
| EpisodeNumber2 = 22
| Title = Hildy's First Kiss
| DirectedBy = Russ Petranto
| WrittenBy = Barry O'Brien
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1988|2|27}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = D2B48C
}}
}}
=Season 2 (1988–89)=
{{Episode table|background=#FFD700|overall=|season=|title=|director=|writer=|airdate=|episodes=
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 23
| EpisodeNumber2 = 1
| Title = A Not So Fatal Attraction
| DirectedBy = David Grossman
| WrittenBy = Barry O'Brien
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1988|10|8}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = FFD700
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 24
| EpisodeNumber2 = 2
| Title = Hildy's Public Defender
| DirectedBy = Russ Petranto
| WrittenBy = Barry O'Brien
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1988|10|15}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = FFD700
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 25
| EpisodeNumber2 = 3
| Title = A Friend in High Places
| DirectedBy = Russ Petranto
| WrittenBy = Marty Nadler
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1988|10|22}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = FFD700
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 26
| EpisodeNumber2 = 4
| Title = Have a Nice Day
| DirectedBy = Russ Petranto
| WrittenBy =
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1988|10|29}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = FFD700
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 27
| EpisodeNumber2 = 5
| Title = Gussie Behind Bars
| DirectedBy = Gary Menteer
| WrittenBy = Cheryl Alu
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1988|11|5}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = FFD700
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 28
| EpisodeNumber2 = 6
| Title = Max's Ten
| DirectedBy = David Grossman
| WrittenBy =
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1988|11|12}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = FFD700
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 29
| EpisodeNumber2 = 7
| Title = Mulcahy Gets Kicked Out
| DirectedBy = Gary Menteer
| WrittenBy = Mark Miller
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1988|11|19}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = FFD700
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 30
| EpisodeNumber2 = 8
| Title = Dream the Implausible Dream
| DirectedBy = Gary Menteer
| WrittenBy = Mark Miller
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1988|11|26}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = FFD700
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 31
| EpisodeNumber2 = 9
| Title = Father-Son Banquet
| DirectedBy = Russ Petranto
| WrittenBy = Mark Miller
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1988|12|3}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = FFD700
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 32
| EpisodeNumber2 = 10
| Title = Love Hurts
| DirectedBy = Michael Miller
| WrittenBy = Michael Klein
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1988|12|10}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = FFD700
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 33
| EpisodeNumber2 = 11
| Title = Down for the Count
| DirectedBy = Gary Menteer
| WrittenBy = Cheryl Alu
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1988|12|17}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = FFD700
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 34
| EpisodeNumber2 = 12
| Title = Midnight Run
| DirectedBy = Howard Storm
| WrittenBy = Kimberly Young
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1989|1|7}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = FFD700
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 35
| EpisodeNumber2 = 13
| Title = Tastes Great, Less Killing
| DirectedBy = Howard Storm
| WrittenBy = Doug McIntyre
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1989|1|14}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = FFD700
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 36
| EpisodeNumber2 = 14
| Title = Divorce, Wiggins Style
| DirectedBy = Gary Menteer
| WrittenBy = Marty Nadler
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1989|1|21}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = FFD700
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 37
| EpisodeNumber2 = 15
| Title = Forever Young
| DirectedBy = Gary Menteer
| WrittenBy = Barry O'Brien
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1989|2|4}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = FFD700
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 38
| EpisodeNumber2 = 16
| Title = The Teflon Sheriff
| DirectedBy = Gary Menteer
| WrittenBy = Barry O'Brien
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1989|2|11}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = FFD700
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 39
| EpisodeNumber2 = 17
| Title = The Mother Mugger
| DirectedBy = Gary Menteer
| WrittenBy = Cheryl Alu
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1989|2|18}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = FFD700
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 40
| EpisodeNumber2 = 18
| Title = I'm Okay, You're All Crazy
| DirectedBy = Gary Menteer
| WrittenBy = Cheryl Alu
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1989|2|25}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = FFD700
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 41
| EpisodeNumber2 = 19
| Title = Max Gets Trumped
| DirectedBy = Gary Menteer
| WrittenBy = Cheryl Alu
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1989|3|4}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = FFD700
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 42
| EpisodeNumber2 = 20
| Title = You Always Hurt the One You Love
| DirectedBy = Gary Menteer
| WrittenBy = Cheryl Alu
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1989|3|18}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = FFD700
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 43
| EpisodeNumber2 = 21
| Title = Me Tarzan, You Hildy
| DirectedBy = Gary Menteer
| WrittenBy = Cheryl Alu
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1989|3|25}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = FFD700
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 44
| EpisodeNumber2 = 22
| Title = Kissing Cousins
| DirectedBy = Gary Menteer
| WrittenBy = Suzanne Somers
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1989|4|1}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = FFD700
}}
}}
Original pilot
File:Cass Malloy title card.PNG
The series had its origins in the 1982 CBS sitcom pilot Cass Malloy. Creators Dan Guntzelman and Steve Marshall pitched the format to CBS that later became the syndicated She's the Sheriff: that of a late sheriff's wife taking over her husband's job, and the challenges she faced as a woman in a male-oriented environment. Annie Potts was originally cast as the titular Cass Malloy, but she was soon dropped during development in favor of Caroline McWilliams, who was in search of a starring vehicle after leaving the hit ABC series Benson. The pilot was shot and greenlighted by CBS, and aired as a one-off on July 21, 1982. The pilot did not perform to CBS' expectations, and thus was not picked up as a series.
George Wyner and Lou Richards appeared in both Cass Malloy and She's the Sheriff, but in the CBS pilot, their characters' surnames were different. Wyner played Deputy Max Rosenkrantz, who had hoped to fill the shoes of deceased sheriff Big Jim Malloy, but who was now upset about being passed over in favor of Malloy's wife. Richards played Deputy Dennis Little in the pilot. The cast also featured Glynn Turman as officer Woodrow Freeman, a character that served as the basis for Leonard Lightfoot's Alvin Wiggins in She's the Sheriff; Dick Butkus as officer Alvin Dimsky; Murphy Dunne as Adam Barrett; and Dianne Kay (in her first project after Eight is Enough) as Tina Marie Nelson.
Sheriff Cass Malloy had three children in the original pilot: teenager Colleen (Amanda Wyss), preteen Nona (Heather Hobbs) and the youngest, "Little Big" Jim (Corey Feldman). While She's the Sheriff was set in Lakes County, Nevada, Cass Malloy was situated in Burr County, Indiana.
Guntzelman and Marshall would find success as producers a few years later with ABC's Growing Pains, which prompted them to revisit the Cass Malloy teleplay in hopes of finally getting it on the air as a series. Lorimar-Telepictures took an interest in a revised version of the script and greenlighted a series order in 1987 for the then-burgeoning first-run syndication market. Early in production, a two-page ad was placed in the January 5, 1987, issue of Broadcasting & Cable magazine listing the show under the working title Suddenly Sheriff and with Priscilla Barnes as the star (Barnes had been the second replacement for Suzanne Somers on Three's Company.) It is not known exactly when the show's name and casting were finalized.{{cite web|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/87-OCR/BC-1987-01-05-OCR-Page-0028.pdf#search=%22bc-1987-01-05-ocr-page-0028%22|title=BC|date=1987-01-05|page=28|website=Americanradiohistory.com|access-date=March 27, 2022}}{{cite web|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/87-OCR/BC-1987-01-05-OCR-Page-0029.pdf#search=%22bc-1987-01-05-ocr-page-0029%22|title=BC|date=1987-01-05|page=29|website=Americanradiohistory.com|access-date=March 27, 2022}}
Production
David Goldsmith and Arthur Silver were the executive producers, Marty Nadler was producer, Wenda Fong was co-producer and Lisa Lewis was associate producer.
Syndication
She's the Sheriff was part of NBC's much-hyped "Prime Time Begins at 7:30" campaign, in which the network's owned-and-operated stations would air first-run sitcoms in the 7:30-8 p.m. time slot to counter competing stations' game shows, sitcom reruns and other offerings. However, this experiment was short-lived, and although She's the Sheriff was renewed for a second season, it was moved to a weekend time slot.
In popular culture
In the South Park episode Death, the show is referenced and parodied with a cartoon Suzane Somers having an argument with an inmate.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|id=0092449}}
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsAZcf_O7Kg She's the Sheriff opening credits on YouTube]
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zI-vNsNrTOg Cass Malloy (pilot) opening credits on YouTube]
{{NBC's "Prime Time Begins at 7:30"}}
Category:1987 American television series debuts
Category:1989 American television series endings
Category:1980s American multi-camera sitcoms
Category:1980s American workplace comedy television series
Category:American English-language television shows
Category:First-run syndicated sitcoms
Category:Television shows set in Nevada