| Freebie and the Bean | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Print ad | |
| Based on | Freebie and the Bean |
| Starring | Héctor Elizondo Tom Mason |
| Composer | Dominic Frontiere |
| No. of episodes | 9 (2 unaired) |
| Production | |
| Producers | Norman Jolley Robert Sherman |
| Cinematography | Ric Waite |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production company | Warner Bros. Television |
| Original release | |
| Release | December 6, 1980 (1980-12-06) – January 17, 1981 (1981-01-17) |
Freebie and the Bean was an American action comedy television series about two off-beat plainclothes police detectives in San Francisco. Based on the 1974 film of the same name, it starred Tom Mason and Héctor Elizondo in the title roles and was broadcast on CBS on Saturday nights at 9:00 PM in December 1980 and January 1981.
Cast
- Tom Mason as Det. Sgt. Tim "Freebie" Walker
- Héctor Elizondo as Det. Sgt. Dan "Bean" Delgado
- William Daniels as Dist. Atty. Walter W. Cruikshank
- George Loros as Willie
- Jeannetta Arnette
- Kimberly Beck
- Victoria Carroll as Louise
- Jon Cypher as Dwight Rollins
- Shannon Farnon as Dr. Brimmer
- Ben Hammer as Dr. Bronson
- Katherine Justice as Marsha
- Lori Lethin as Alice
- Donald May as Paul Stacey
- Patricia Pivaar as Gwen Brown
- Sharon Spelman as Stella Wickham
- Joseph Wiseman as Dr. Dorf
- Bill Beyers as George Wilson
- John Carter as Vernon Wilson
- Sandra de Bruin as Melodie Parsons
- Charles Dierkop as Wingy Landon
- Frank Farmer as Borchek
- BarBara Luna as Rita Valdez
- Karen Rushmore
- Mykelti Williamson as Lemar Washington
- Mel Stewart as Rodney "Axle" Blake
Reception
The show ran opposite The Love Boat, which overshadowed it in viewer polls. In their book The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present, authors Tim Brooks and Earle F. Marsh write, "Unfortunately this series was such as mishmash of comedy and drama, slapstick and reality, that it soon sank without a trace. The fact that it was scheduled opposite ABC's The Love Boat-which had no trouble defining what it wanted to be-probably didn't help."
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Seduction of the Bean" | Lawrence Dobkin | Dick Nelson | December 6, 1980 (1980-12-06) | |
| 2 | "Health Nuts" | Bruce Kessler | Dick Nelson | December 13, 1980 (1980-12-13) | |
| Freebie and Bean learn that a series of hold-up victims all visit the same wellness spa so they investigate the employees to see if they are tipping off the bandits. | |||||
| 3 | "Pilot" | Hy Averback | Jay Folb | December 20, 1980 (1980-12-20) | |
| Freebie and Bean rely on a scorned woman to testify against a loan shark they've been wanting to put away. | |||||
| 4 | "Flying Aces" | Michael Preece | Robert W. Lenski | December 27, 1980 (1980-12-27) | |
| 5 | "Highway Robbery" | Michael Caffey | Bill Taub | January 10, 1981 (1981-01-10) | |
| Freebie and the Bean go undercover as teamsters to stop a truckjacking ring. | |||||
| 6 | "Tee-Off for Two" | Arnold Laven | Rick Mittleman | January 17, 1981 (1981-01-17) | |
| 7 | "Lover, Come Back" | Michael Preece | Donald R. Boyle | PRE-EMPTED BY CBS NEWS SPECIAL "The Ordeal" | |
| 8 | "A Pair of Pirates" | Lawrence Dobkin | Robert W. Lenski | UNAIRED | |
| 9 | "Follow the Leader" | Alex March | Dick Nelson | UNAIRED | |
References
- "Freebie and the Bean | TV Guide". TVGuide.com.
- Rowan, Terry (23 March 2015). Whodoneit! A Film Guide. Lulu.com. ISBN 9781312308060 – via Google Books.
- Leszczak, Bob (May 16, 2016). Single Season Sitcoms of the 1980s: A Complete Guide. McFarland. ISBN 9781476623849 – via Google Books.
- ^ Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (June 24, 2009). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. Random House Publishing Group. ISBN 9780307483201 – via Google Books.
- Richard Meyers (1981). A.S. Barnes (ed.). TV detectives. p. 276.
- Vincent Terrace (1985). "Encyclopedia of Television Series, Pilots and Specials: 1974-1984". VNR AG. p. 154.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|url=(help) - Baugh, Scott L. (April 13, 2012). Latino American Cinema: An Encyclopedia of Movies, Stars, Concepts, and Trends: An Encyclopedia of Movies, Stars, Concepts, and Trends. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9780313380372 – via Google Books.
- Fearn-Banks, Kathleen (August 4, 2009). The A to Z of African-American Television. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810863484 – via Google Books.
- Fearn-Banks, Kathleen (November 15, 2005). Historical Dictionary of African-American Television. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810865228 – via Google Books.
- "Freebie and The Bean | Nostalgia Central". 28 September 2014.
External links
Categories:- 1980 American television series debuts
- 1981 American television series endings
- 1980s American crime television series
- 1980s American police comedy television series
- CBS original programming
- American English-language television shows
- Fictional portrayals of the San Francisco Police Department
- Live action television shows based on films
- Television shows set in San Francisco
- American crime comedy television series
- American action comedy television series