Run Buddy Run

to the person who thought Buddy used power pills, I think you are recalling another show that was on CBS around the same time called Mr. Terrific. I think of both shows in the same breath as well. They had a similar look and sensibility about them. The scene I remember about this show, and I don't know why , is where Buddy ( who wasn't too smart) is working at a Coney island type snack bar. Hes being instructed on the art of selling frosty type ice cream cones.....when a little girl comes up and asks for a frosty....he goes to the frosty machine, swirls the ice cream onto the cone and hands it to girl, who says , "thank you ", and walks away......he asks the person training him how he did, and they say "great, except for one thing, you didn't get her money!"....as a kid, that struck me as funny......

I have a DVD of four episodes of this series and it's quite entertaining. Bernie Kopell plays Buddy Overstreet's brother Albert. He appeared in Get Smart as well playing the head of KAOS. Leonard Stern also produced Get Smart. More similarities: David Ketchum, who appeared in Get Smart, also appeared in Run, Buddy Run. The very first episode was executive-produced by David Susskind but other episodes I have did not list him. The pill-taking Superhero was either Captain Nice or Mr. Terrific. These shows also include the network id (CBS) but did not include the original commercials. My copies were done from 16mm film. According to some information I have, Jack Sheldon is a musician and got his start in show-business as a musician and his son also is a musician now. When watching this, it reminded me of the naiveté of Will Ferrell's character in "Elf" and Jack Sheldon looked a little like Will Ferrell in that movie. Buddy Overstreet appears to be a simpleton.

I remember this show as fun and would like to see it again in syndication (since Buddy was running from the "Syndicate"). It is also somewhat timely in light of the activities of John Gotti and his son "Junior". It was a product of a more innocent time and was amusing without being vulgar or offensive. I really miss this type of creative entertainment.

Buddy Overstreet witnesses or hears (can't remember which) some mob goings on and the syndicate boys begin chasing him to silence him. Each episode was about Buddy's on going attempts to elude the mob. It was a comedy and the show was short lived but had it's moments of hilarity. Where is it today? Who knows. It would be fun to see the few episodes again. Bruce Gordon who portrayed Frank Nitti on the Untouchables was cast once again as a mobster.

When this excellent production was cancelled after a brief run, I was disappointed and angry. And yet another example of a bad-executive-decision. Jack Sheldon told this joke on a Bob Hope gig I was on: 'I wish Glenn Miller would have lived and his music would have died !' The whole band cracked up. Jack was funny, and so was this show, and it should have continued.