Dabney Coleman is perfect as the ego maniac host of a local TV show in Buffalo,New York. He thinks he should be national. The cast includes Joanna Cassidy as producer JoJo White. She’s also his girlfriend. John Fiedler is stage hand Woody. Max Wright is Karl Shub the station manager. Geena Davis is production assistant Wendy Killian. This is a chance to see Geena Davis before she became a major star. Charles Robinson is the cynical make up man Newdell.
August 17,1983 episode: “The Fan” – Bill is depressed.The staff reluctantly plans to throw him a surprise birthday party. He wants nothing to do with it and says his gifts should be delivered to his apartment. Karl is happy and wants to have the party anyway.
Bill keeps getting phone calls from a woman saying he’s the father of her baby and threatens to kill herself and him. Jojo brings the gifts over and ends up answering the phone. She says the woman is talking through a cloth. To help Bill she stays the night.
The next day he starts the show by saying Alexander Haig is supposed to be the guest but because of the flu can’t make it. Bill asks the audience if the name Franklin Delano Roosevelt is familiar and says he’s going to do a fireside type chat.
He relates the story of the phone calls. From the booth Jojo notices a cleaning woman off stage. She knows that she has to be the one calling him. Her name is Clara (Peggy Feury). Bill brings her on the show.
This is one of the series rare weak episodes but it does show Bill’s conceit and non caring attitude no matter what the situation. He has zero redeeming qualities. Don’t judge the series by this episode. If you get a chance to see the show..take it.
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