Nashville 99

I remember watching Nashville 99 for the one season it was on while I was in high school. It was an interesting little mix. It starred Claude Atkins as a Nashville TN police detective, badge #99, hence the title. On the plus side Akins and the woman who played his mother had an excellent chemistry and were quite a hoot together and it was nice having a show set in the South and showing Southerners in a positive light. On the other hand, it was extraordinarily violent with shootouts every week that Columbian drug gangs would be proud of and the most god-awful title song (Jerry Reed, who I like, caterwauling "Nashville 99" over and over again) in TV history. Every week had an actual country music singer like Mel Tillis worked in as a guest star which was lame the first time they did it.

"Nashville 99" was one of those mid-season replacements that didn't survive for very long, but I remember enjoying its brief time on the air. Claude Akins as the no-nonsense Nashville cop Lt. Stoney Huff (badge number 99), played well against Jerry Reed as partner Detective Trace Mayne, who provided comic (and musical) relief and would star just a month later in the classic "Smokey and the Bandit." Though the show took plenty of advantage of its Nashville setting with appearances by country music stars like Charley Pride, Mel Tillis, Chet Atkins and Tammy Wynette, it also showed other sides of Tennessee life, and made for an atypical cop show.

One episode that I still remember was the haunting drama "Joldy," featuring veteran character actor Pat Hingle. As Huff and Mayne hunt for two brothers on a crime spree, the brothers are in turn hampered by their delusional father (Hingle), who never recovered from the death of his youngest son Joldy and believes he's still alive.

Earle Hagen provided the score, including the catchy theme song sung by Reed. Hearing it again for the first time in over 30 years on You Tube of all places, it was just as I remembered it. I only wish I could find a recording of it somewhere.

The show only lasted for four episodes before heading off to television oblivion. It's unlikely that the show will ever find its way to DVD, and perhaps my memory of it is subjective, but I would be curious to view it today and see how it fares with the passage of time.

Nashville 99 was a mid-season replacement. It featured Claude Akins in the leading role as Detective Lt. Stonewall Huff, with Jerry Reed as his sidekick Detective Trace Mayne. The show, based in Nashville Tennessee, hosted a stunning array of Country Music superstars.

So why did it last only four episodes, and not get picked up as a series?

Reasons run from "Jerry Reed got a major role in "Smokey and the Bandit" and couldn't stay on the set of Nashville 99", to "they couldn't keep coming up with big-name Country Stars for every episode".

But I see other reasons.

First, character Stonewall Huff (actor Claude Akins) operates a 200-acre farm, but he is also the lead cop in the Nashville Police Force. Those are both 16-hour per day jobs. Nobody could handle all of that. And it's a bit confusing when a scene is in downtown Nashville, with the city lights and the grittiness of the street, but in the next scene Huff is sitting on a porch out in the sticks somewhere sipping on "corn-cob wine".

Second, some of the character development was silly and unnecessary. For example, Huff's Mom (character Birdie Huff, played by actress Lucille Benson) is a secret cigarette smoker; Huff is constantly telling her to stop.

Third, a lot of Christian religion is involved. From prayer at the dining room table,to frequent mention of God, to Akins singing in the Church choir. That was clearly aimed at the target audience (Southerners, predominantly White Christians, people who went to Church regularly). It probably went over well with the viewers. But all of that Christianity didn't sit well with TV producers in California and New York City.

Fourth, some of the stories just didn't flow. Gaps and inconsistencies mar a couple of the episodes. Maybe in time the writers would have tightened it up, but there are too many plot holes and improbabilities.

"Nashville 99" is fun to watch, especially if you are a Country Music fan, or a Southerner (Akins' character is named after General Thomas Stonewall Jackson). Or, if you just like to watch good cop shows with plenty of action!

You can find the four episodes on the internet.

I rate Nashville 99 8 stars!

Florida Fred.