Buffalo Bill

That long line of great shows that were canceled or short - changed by television decision makers: HE AND SHE, TAXI (which at least managed to get through four seasons), BEST OF THE WEST, and this show.

Dabney Coleman is still active, God bless him, as a performer - but his really meanest days are behind him. Nowadays he can be seen playing nicer, older men. But when he started, on MARY HARTMAN, MARY HARTMAN, he was a despicable, power-hungry, lecherous creep. And he continued that persona in film and television program until about five years ago. NINE TO FIVE is the best example of this but there are other examples - his ambitious C.I.A. official in THE TALL DARK MAN WITH ONE RED SHOE (American version) is another example. And there was this show, that lasted one season only twenty three years ago.

Bill Bittinger was the host of a talk show in Buffalo who had no redeeming features at all. He had a following in Buffalo, but he never can break into national exposure - no matter what he tries. He gives agita to his producer (Max Wright) by his antics and comments that raise the hackles of various people and groups. He treats his staff (Geena Davis, John Fiedler, Charlie Robinson, Joanna Cassidy) as dirt. And he always ends up looking like an ass. Occasionally he is able to break even. In one episode he insults Fiedler, who (for some reason) really admires him. Fiedler quits, and Coleman finds he was absolutely essential to his success on the air. Fiedler, it turns out, also invested his salary wisely, and is Coleman's landlord. Coleman manages to apologize in a matter of speaking to Fiedler, which Fiedler (knowing Coleman's personality) is willing to accept.

In another episode, Coleman manages to talk himself into a corner (on "principle") that enables Wright to take him off the air. He's replaced by episodes of M.A.S.H. (which Wright likes because he likes the character of Radar). Eventually, much to Wright's surprise and dismay, Coleman manages to get back on the air by the end of the episode.

The best episode has been described - where Coleman's bigotry leads to his firing Robinson, and his having a nightmare that he is being pursued by the most violently imagined African-American stereotypes. I have never heard "Hit the Road Jack" since without thinking about this episode.

BUFFALO BILL was one of the best comedies in television history. It only lasted that one season - pity. But then television network programming executives frequently lack vision and patience - and certainly they lack pity.

Not ahead of it's time but firmly planted in the times. It gave us a nice look at the nastiness of the age. Hilarious. Probably one of the top three comedies to hit the airwaves. I have a distinct memory of laughing so hard that I fell off the couch. I have tried by hook or crook to get copies. I also think it's cancellation represents the true death of the soul of this country. The country had decided that it could not tolerate smart people writing for television. I don't know what it's numbers were but with a show of this quality it's bad business to not give it time to at least develop an audience. So, what's new another tragedy perpetuated by the Network idiots.

BUFFALO BILL was originally received like a Neil LaBute or Todd Solondz movie; the few who liked this program LOVED it, while the masses who didn't like it LOATHED it.

There had been sitcoms starring essentially unlikable characters before, such as ALL IN THE FAMILY and FAWLTY TOWERS, but Archie Bunker and Basil Fawlty were veritable pussycats compared to Dabney Coleman's Bill Bittinger, host of a Buffalo, NY talk show. Think Coleman's "sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot" of a boss in the movie 9 TO 5 and you pretty much have his BUFFALO BILL character, only here he's surrounded not by feisty secretaries but by wimps and sycophants. His stage manager Woody (John Fiedler) worships him, his research assistant Wendy (a young, nubile Geena Davis) is flustered around him while his director/longtime girlfriend Jo-Jo (Joanna Cassidy) puts up with him primarily out of self-loathing.

Brandon Tartikoff wrote in his memoirs that his greatest regret as NBC head was canceling BUFFALO BILL in 1984; one more season and it might have become a hit. Executive producer Bernie Brillstein went on to oversee THE LARRY SANDERS SHOW, and he's said he considers that successful HBO sitcom (also about an insecure talk show host) to have been the critical and ratings hit BUFFALO BILL should have been.

The series was created by the great comedy team of Tom (ALF) Patchett and Jay (MOLLY DODD) Tarses, who wrote the funniest episodes of THE BOB NEWHART SHOW in the 1970s. They bitterly broke up by the end of this show's run. I suspect that even if BUFFALO BILL had become a SEINFELD or FRIENDS-level hit, they'd have broken up anyway because the show was emotionally draining for an early-1980s sitcom. In one two-parter Jo-Jo, pregnant with Bill's baby, vindictively gets an abortion. In another episode, the racist Bill fires his black makeup man Newdell (Charlie Robinson), only to have a nightmare where he's chased by grotesque black stereotypes who lip sync to Ray Charles' "Hit the Road, Jack." Bill rehires Newdell and is congratulated on his enlightenment. In other words, WE GOT IT MADE or MAMA'S FAMILY this wasn't.

While BUFFALO BILL may not offer instant gratification, sticking through the entire run is worth it. Each member of the outstanding ensemble gets a moment to shine, the guest stars include Martin Landau and Jim Carrey (who impersonates Jerry Lewis) and the story lines are well-constructed with intelligent dialogue. In a stroke of good fortune, all 26 episodes were released in a no-frills three-disc DVD set in the fall of 2005 -- unfortunately, licensing issues prevented the "Hit the Road, Jack" sequence from making this set. Do yourself a favor and pick this up. There won't be another sitcom quite like BUFFALO BILL on network TV anytime soon.

A nasty, mean-spirited, and duplicitous lead character (Dabney Coleman) made for a comedy series that is always outrageous. And very, very funny.

When Dabney got too ornery, the series could always shift its focus to his co-star, Joanna Cassidy, cool on the surface, hot underneath.

Dabney's later series, "The Slap Maxwell Story", was the same idea, only his character had been defanged, and the venom removed for safety.

Only once in a while does a show this clever come along. Buffalo Bill Bittiner (Dabney Coleman) is an arrogant, self-centered, misogynistic pig, who hosts a low budget local talk show in Buffalo, NY. While the concept of an off-color comedy based on such a vile character will not appeal to all audiences, this show had many layers, and was very well written and executed. On the surface, the show focused on the offensive, yet hilarious, antics of Dabney's character, but below the surface is an insecure, paranoid, confused, and cowardly train wreck of a man -- not that one should feel sorry for him. Bill Bittiner may think his "assertive" antics conceal his flaws and insecurities from his co-workers and talk show audience, but these antics are transparent to everyone but Bill, and only added comedic and ironic flavor to the show.

Not only was Dabney Coleman brilliant in this role, but so was his supporting cast. His research assistant was played by a young Geena Davis, his faithful stage hand by the late John Fiedler (the voice of Piglet), and his makeup man was played by Charles Robinson, who later directed Night Court. There were also a number of notable guest appearances such as: Oscar winner Martin Landau, comedian Julie Brown, and an uncredited appearance by Jim Carrey. Most of the show focused on Bill Bittinger's antics, but there were also some genuine moments and meaningful side-skits acted out by Coleman's diverse cast of supporting characters.

This show did not do so well in prime time, and I was very disappointed to see it canceled.. I suspect that too many viewers found Coleman's character too much to bear, even if taken with a grain of salt. Nevertheless, I was thrilled when I found out that the complete series was released on DVD, even though it took 20 years.