Billy (1979 TV series)
| Billy | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Based on |
Billy Liar by Keith Waterhouse & Willis Hall |
| Directed by | John Rich |
| Starring |
Steve Guttenberg Peggy Pope James Gallery |
| Opening theme |
"You Could Be The Only One" performed by Ray Kennedy |
| Composer(s) | Earle Hagen |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 7 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | John Rich |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
John Rich Productions 20th Century Fox Television |
| Distributor | 20th Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Original release | February 26 – April 28, 1979 |
Billy is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from February 26 to April 28, 1979. The series was based on Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall's 1960 British play Billy Liar.
Synopsis
Billy stars Steve Guttenberg as Billy Fisher, a mortician's clerk with a tendency to daydream. His Walter Mitty-like tendency would have him imagining that he was a famous surgeon, a rock superstar, a disk jockey, a television network executive, or a football star. Each episode of Billy had at least two of his fantasies, which included appearances by Don Adams, Suzanne Somers, Larry Csonka, Merv Griffin, and Lou Ferrigno.
Peggy Pope and James Gallery portray Billy's often-frustrated parents (she thought Billy had a vivid imagination; he viewed Billy as a chronic, compulsive liar). Paula Trueman played his grandmother, who believed that Billy was insane, and Bruce Talkington played Billy's friend Arthur Milliken, a fellow worker at Shadrack and Shadrack funeral home.
Reception
Billy replaced Co-Ed Fever in CBS' Monday night lineup in February 1979. Co-Ed Fever had been cancelled after one episode. Billy did slightly better as Billy was cancelled two months later. Its last episode was broadcast by CBS on April 28, 1979.
Episode list
| Ep # | Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot | February 26, 1979 |
| 2 | "My Son the Doctor" | March 5, 1979 |
| 3 | "Showbiz" | March 12, 1979 |
| 4 | "Computer Dating" | March 24, 1979 |
| 5 | "Camping Trip" | March 31, 1979 |
| 6 | "Disco" | April 21, 1979 |
| 7 | "Dream Date" | April 28, 1979 |