WHITE SHADOW TRIBUTE THREAD
pickwick33
8,946 Posts
One of those '70s-era shows you start out watching for the kitsch factor, but then you gradually learn that the plotlines are stronger than you think. No, this wasn't Eight Is Enough or Diff'rent Strokes - this was a well-done program for its' time (1978-81), starring Ken Howard as a former athlete who becomes a coach at a mostly black high school. Seasons one and two are out on DVD, and although everybody hates the final season (mostly new cast members), I think that should be released as well. It's a good thing the show is on DVD, too. For some reason, when ESPN was running the series a few years back, they wouldn't show the episodes where the team members form a doo-wop group!! (Unusually large, too - eight members?) The final season had one show where they pressed up their own 45, which was a lame disco remake of "Under The Boardwalk."And that theme song was funky as a big-head BITCH...[/b]
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Season One on DVD....
The disabled kid that steals the Carver Peanuts mascot suit and runs out on the court during a game is .....
The 8 member Doo-wop group that got its start in the shower is
The early episode where he's trying to gain the trust of the faculty and the team are well fleshed out stories.
The principle and the cute English teacher rounded out the cast.
Im afraid to cop the 2nd & 3rd seasons cause the team changes. Dudes were already 20 year olds playing high schoolers.
Id only cop for the episode where the girl in high on Dust or whatever the PSA drug of the moment was. "I Can Fly!!!!" - about to jump off the gym roof....hilarious.
Plus......watching the OG Nikes that cats wore on the show.
LOL @ Timothy Van Patten as Salami
My uncle used to be on that show as a bit part. I have an autographed picture of the whole cast somewhere that kinda looks like that one up top and one of just Ken. Whenever Ken Howard would come to Santa Fe me and my dad would have dinner with him, real nice guy.
I loved that show, used to watch it religiously.
One of my favorite shows EVER...even something my strict-as-fuck dad (who used to coach some of my basketball teams) used to watch with me and he'd enjoy it as much as I did.
I distinctly recall Coolidge being the coolest kid on the show.
Coolidge got all the good good. I probably identified with Thorpe the most as the brainy point guard type. And Hayward looked exactly like this dude Mega who lived around the corner from me.
Along with Warriors, it was awesome to finally see images like that on tv.
Peace,
Dress
It used to be one of my fav shows growing up
If i remember correctly,season 2 was weak for the most part
Wasn't the cast almost all diffrent from season 1?
actually no. salami's cousin was added to the cast, but apart from that, nothing major.
season three (which is NOT on DVD) is when the major changes went down - they still retained salami, his cousin, coolidge and thorpe, but everybody else was new (including stoney jackson).
(remember the ballet teacher who moonlighted as a stripper? also, coach was dating this really hot-looking undercover cop, IIRC, on the ep where the girl was so high she threatened to "fly" off the roof)
you do know that Joan Pringle (from the second season of That's My Mama) was part of the White Shadow cast, right?
Of course.
There were two Tracy's right, not counting the pilot one? And u know the goofy husband was a teacher on the first WHite Shadow season.
Right. Lynne Moody was the first Tracy.
Right, right, he sure was. IIRC, the character he played had the same nerdy, Frasier Crane-ish mannerisms as "Leonard" (who he played on ...Mama).
Milton the glasses and skully drunk cat?
No doubt.
What was Salami's story? His boxer aspirations,right?
The Gang story was kinda scary.
AND wasnt the Principal the Original EARL in the Mama pilot?
No doubt.
What was Salami's story? His boxer aspirations,right?
Right, he did. Evidently the man knew how to scrap - remember the one episode where he laid this kid up in the hospital for getting a little too close during a game?
Of course, the guy who played Coolidge reappeared on St. Elsewhere playing the same character (both shows were produced by the same guy). The explanation was that he had a promising career as a b-baller, but an injury cut that short and now he's working at a hospital. Supposedly there was one episode where Timothy Van Patten shows up playing somebody totally unrelated to White Shadow. Coolidge is all like, "hey, Salami, remember me?" And Patten - who, remember, is NOT playing Salami - sez something along the lines of, "I don't believe we've ever met."
I live for crazy in-jokes like that.
Same dude. And sure enough, there was a different person playing the principal in the White Shadow pilot.