Bay City Blues
Genre
Created by
Starring
ComposerMike Post
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes8 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Steven Bochco
  • Gregory Hoblit
Producers
  • Jeffrey Wallace
  • Rick Wallace
Production locationPacoima, Los Angeles, California
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time4548 minutes
Production companyMTM Enterprises
Original release
NetworkNBC
ReleaseOctober 25, 1983 (1983-10-25) 
July 8, 1984 (1984-07-08)

Bay City Blues is an American comedy-drama television series that aired on NBC from October 25 to November 15, 1983.[1] The series stars Michael Nouri, Dennis Franz, and Pat Corley, and was created and produced by Steven Bochco.[1][2] Eight episodes were produced, but only four were aired prior to its cancellation.

Synopsis

Bay City Blues centers on a Bay City, California minor league baseball team, the Bluebirds. Players varied from young hopefuls to once-great players who were sent to the minors before retirement. Storylines revolve around the players' lives, loves, and problems. Bay City Blues features an ensemble cast of regulars including a then-unknown Sharon Stone, Mykelti Williamson and Dennis Franz.

The series from producer Steven Bochco utilized many actors who had appeared on Hill Street Blues including Franz, Jurasik, Corley and Rodriguez. After the series' cancellation, Ken Olin joined Hill Street Blues cast in the fall of 1984 and Mykelti Williamson appeared in a recurring role. Michael Nouri portrayed Joe Rohner, the Bluebirds' kindly manager. His love interest on the show was played by Kelly Harmon.

Filming

Filming took place in a parking lot in Pacoima, a neighbourhood town in Los Angeles, California. Production for Bay City Blues was started in August 1983.

Broadcast

Scheduled opposite ABC's Hart to Hart and CBS's Tuesday Night Movies, Bay City Blues drew poor ratings and was pulled from NBC's lineup after airing four of the eight episodes that were produced at 10 pm.[1] The four remaining episodes were aired by selected affiliates in two-hour blocks on Sunday July 1 and Sunday July 8, 1984, after the local news broadcasts. The prime-time run ended up ranking 93rd out of 101 programs, averaging only a 10 household rating and a 17 percent audience share.[3]

The remaining four episodes had not been seen again in prime-time until 2011, when ESPN Classic acquired the rights to the series and aired all eight episodes.

Cast

US television ratings

Season Episodes Start Date End Date Nielsen Rank Nielsen Rating[4] Tied With
1983-84 8 October 25, 1983 July 8, 1984 92 10.0 "Two Marriages"

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
1"Pilot"Gregory HoblitSteven Bochco & Jeffrey LewisOctober 25, 1983 (1983-10-25)

Everyone on the minor-league Bay City (California) Bluebirds dreams of baseball's big leagues; team owner Ray Holtz dreams of profits.

Guest stars: Kevin McCarthy and Barry Tubb
2"Beautiful Peoples"Michael RhodesThad Mumford & Dan WilcoxNovember 1, 1983 (1983-11-01)

On his own Appreciation Day, Ozzie People strikes out and later is caught stealing; meanwhile, Rohner and Jacoby are on the rebound from losing their wives.

Guest stars: Leonard Stone, E. G. Daily, and Woodrow Parfrey
3"Zircons Are Forever"Allen ReisnerStory by: Steven Bochco & Jeffrey Lewis
Teleplay by: David Milch
November 8, 1983 (1983-11-08)

Prospect St. Marie signs with a high-powered agent, spawning resentment; Rohner balks at going into business with Hayward; pitcher Mickey Wagner returns to the bluebirds.

Guest stars: Barry Tubb, Rob Kim, David Sage, Shane McCabe, Robert Costanzo, Sunny Johnson, John Furey, Diane Franklin, and Denise Galik-Furey
4"I Never Swung for My Father"Arthur Allan SeidelmanJoel SurnowNovember 15, 1983 (1983-11-15)

Vic and Moe Kreskey fight; Hayward becomes even more insistent about his business proposal and more perplexed by Rohner's resistance; Padillo, Scott, and Jacoby pay a solemn final tribute to a fallen colleague.

Guest stars: Barry Tubb, Ellen Blake, Rob Kim, John Karlen, John Furey, Sunny Johnson, William Lucking, and Erich Anderson
5"Going, Going, Gone"Rick WallaceSteven Bochco & Jeffrey LewisJuly 1, 1984 (1984-07-01)
Guest stars: Barry Tubb, Jeremy Licht, and Eddie Velez
6"Look Homeward Hayward"
"Hurry Home Hayward"
Arthur Allan SeidelmanSteven Bochco & Jeffrey LewisJuly 1, 1984 (1984-07-01)
Guest stars: Barry Tubb, Jeremy Licht, and Eddie Velez
7"Rocky IV-Eyes"Rick WallaceSteven Bochco & Jeffrey LewisJuly 8, 1984 (1984-07-08)

Rocky tries to improve his vision,but his new glasses prove to be a distraction.

Guest stars: Barry Tubb, Ellen Blake, Julius Carry, Mark Patrick Costello, Jay Gerber, Steve Greenstein, Darian Mathias, and Eddie Velez
8"Play It Again, Milt"Thomas CarterSteven Bochco & Jeffrey LewisJuly 8, 1984 (1984-07-08)

At season's end everyone considers their next moves; Ray commits his wife; Milt dies while playing the organ.

Guest stars: Barry Tubb, E. Erick Anderson, Julius Carry, Robert Davi, Robin Gammell, Wiley Harker, Sunny Johnson, and Kevin McCarthy

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 Brooks & Marsh 2007, p. 111.
  2. Terrace 2011, p. 80.
  3. J Clawson (May 27, 1984). "1983-84 Ratings History -- The Networks Are Awash in a Bubble Bath of Soaps". The TV Ratings Guide. United States: Arlina Design. Akron Beacon Journal. Archived from the original on 2018-01-18. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
  4. "1983-84 Ratings History -- The Networks Are Awash in a Bubble Bath of Soaps". Archived from the original on 2018-01-18. Retrieved 2017-12-04.

Sources

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