Run, Buddy, Run
| Run, Buddy, Run | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by | Leonard Stern |
| Starring |
Jack Sheldon Bruce Gordon Jim Connell Gregg Palmer |
| Narrated by | Ted Knight |
| Theme music composer | Jerry Fielding |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
Leonard Stern Daniel Melnick |
| Producer(s) | Jack Elinson |
| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Talent Associates |
| Distributor |
Warner Bros. Television Distribution (North America) CBS Television Distribution (international) |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Audio format | Monaural |
| Original release | September 12, 1966 – January 2, 1967 |
Run, Buddy, Run is an American sitcom starring Jack Sheldon, which ran on CBS from September 12, 1966, until January 2, 1967. The series was produced by Leonard Stern, the producer of popular spy spoof Get Smart. Run, Buddy, Run was also a spoof, in this case of then-current "running man" shows such as The Fugitive, Run For Your Life, or Coronet Blue.
Overview
Sheldon, a jazz trumpet player and singer, portrayed Buddy Overstreet, an "ordinary guy", an accountant, on the run from a group of comical gangsters. As the plot unfolds, while he is taking a steam bath, Buddy overhears mobster "Mr. Devere" or "Mr. D", played by Bruce Gordon, plotting the death of a "Chicken Little".[1] Jim Connell played Gordon's bumbling son, "Junior". Gregg Palmer appeared in the recurring role of Harry, a gunman in Chicago.[2]
In a typical segment, Buddy Overstreet enters a new town trying to establish employment, and Mr. D would arrive and force Buddy into a narrow escape. In the ninth episode, Buddy is working as a welder in a factory when he tells a coworker Devere Enterprises has put a price on his head. The colleague double-crosses Buddy, and phones Mr. D's office long-distance.[3]
Among guests on the series were Jack Albertson, Med Flory, Sid Melton, Burt Mustin, J. Pat O'Malley, Julie Sommars, and Vaughn Taylor.[2]
Production notes
On Run, Buddy, Run, Leonard Stern used many of the same technical crew behind his Get Smart series on NBC.
Reception
The program aired on Monday nights at 8 p.m. Eastern, hammocked between Gilligan's Island and The Lucy Show, both of which were top-30 shows at the time. The series was dropped at midseason after sixteen episodes were produced (Gilligan's Island had fallen out of the top 30 that year, damaging Run, Buddy, Run's lead-in and its overall ratings).[2] Its competition was I Dream of Jeannie on NBC and the second half of The Iron Horse, an ABC Western about the railroad.[4]
Episode list
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Steam Bath and Chicken Little" | TBA | TBA | September 12, 1966 |
| While in a steam room, Buddy Overstreet overhears a group of mobsters plot a murder, forcing him to go on the run. | ||||
| 2 | "Win, Place and Die" | TBA | TBA | September 19, 1966 |
| Buddy hitches a ride with a temperamental race horse, then is recruited to serve as its jockey in a big race. | ||||
| 3 | "Wild, Wild Wake" | Gene Reynolds | William Raynor & Myles Wilder | September 26, 1966 |
| Devere poses as a corpse at a faux wake in order to lure Buddy into his grasp. | ||||
| 4 | "Down on the Farm" | TBA | TBA | October 3, 1966 |
| Buddy is hired as a harvest hand, and then goes to a square dance with a milkmaid who saves him from Devere's men. | ||||
| 5 | "Grand Mexican Hotel" | TBA | TBA | October 10, 1966 |
| Buddy stages a fiesta for a struggling Mexican hotel and ends up attracting some unwanted customers. | ||||
| 6 | "The Death of Buddy Overstreet" | TBA | TBA | October 17, 1966 |
| While riding in a boxcar in Florida, Buddy's fellow passenger devises a plan to film his death to convince Devere that Buddy is dead. | ||||
| 7 | "Bank Holdup" | TBA | TBA | October 24, 1966 |
| After leaving a Connecticut diner, Buddy unknowingly hitches a ride in bank robber's getaway car. | ||||
| 8 | "I Want a Piece of That Boy" | TBA | TBA | October 31, 1966 |
| Buddy takes a job as a boxer's sparring partner, then competes in a match in which Devere is wagering on him. | ||||
| 9 | "Buddy Overstreet, Forgive Me" | TBA | TBA | November 7, 1966 |
| While working in a factory as a welder, Buddy makes the mistake of telling a co-worker of his plight. | ||||
| 10 | "Mr. D's Revenge" | TBA | TBA | November 14, 1966 |
| Devere sets up a plan to trap Buddy, but a mix-up with identities causes Wendell to inadvertently become the target. | ||||
| 11 | "Good-bye, Wendell" | TBA | TBA | November 21, 1966 |
| After Wendell seems to disappear, one of the people that ends up looking for him is Buddy. | ||||
| 12 | "The Sky Is Falling" | TBA | TBA | November 28, 1966 |
| Buddy makes the mistake of once again over-hearing the second part of Devere's plan for murder. | ||||
| 13 | "Buddy Overstreet, Please Come Home" | TBA | TBA | December 5, 1966 |
| When tax auditors put their focus on Devere Enterprises, Devere gives up looking for Buddy. | ||||
References
- ↑ Run, Buddy, Run - TV.com
- 1 2 3 Run Buddy Run / Jack Sheldon
- ↑ Run, Buddy, Run: Buddy Overstreet, Forgive Me - TV.com
- ↑ 1966-1967 United States network television schedule