Buffalo Bill

When will the network suits realize that they have genius within their grasp: they've screwed up TWO Dabney Coleman series' in one decade and, of the two, this one is the saddest loss.

In "Buffalo Bill", Coleman plays Bill Bittinger, the host of a local talk show in Buffalo, New York (naturally), who isn't above a little pushing, shoving, name-calling and double-dealing to get what he wants from his show, co-workers, fans, guests...the list goes on and on.

And of course, as created by the creative team of Tom Patchett and Jay Tarses, it is not lacking for sardonic wit and commentary so biting it leaves a mark. Just check their credits - they're no strangers to this territory.

And the supporting cast contains no slouchers. Joanna Cassidy, John Fiedler, Geena Davis (!), Charles Robinson (Mack from "Night Court"); every one of them is a pro and shine their brightest. But the best support comes from Max Wright, who plays Bill's station manager - the ever-paranoid Karl Shub.

But this show was at its best when Coleman was at his most corrosive. There were touchy subjects delved into here (racism, work ethics, demanding relationships, etc.), all sharpened to razor-keenness and delivered unflinchingly with only the slightest sugar-coating.

And HERE'S the weird part: after winning accolade after accolade from reviewers, magazines, TV fans and just about everybody else...it got CANCELED! WHY??! Well, probably because it dove a little TOO deep into what goes on behind the scenes of a TV show. Oh, those crazy network suits and their 180's....

Well, far be it from me to second-guess what NBC was thinking when they got rid of this singular gem in their schedule. But it was a bad move on their part, to say the least. Maybe they figured having "Hill Street Blues" was enough?

Ten stars for "Buffalo Bill", and one bonus star for Dabney Coleman at his best. If you ever get a chance, shuffle off to THIS "Buffalo".

This was a terribly funny corruscating comedy centered upon a loathsome boss at work. The show was consistently surprising - fast-moving with real bite. I loved it - it's a shame it was taken off the air so soon. I'd love to see a DVD of the episodes.

Dabney Coleman can deliver terribly funny terribly unprofessional lines better than any actor I know - the striking thing is that they seem so natural to the character he plays. Joanna was a perfect foil.

The series was just perfect - but not promoted well enough before it was cancelled to build up a head of steam among the audience.

Come to think of it, they could just put the series on again today - Coleman is very much still around. It would be loved.

A nasty, mean-spirited, and duplicitous lead character (Dabney Coleman) made for a comedy series that is always outrageous. And very, very funny.

When Dabney got too ornery, the series could always shift its focus to his co-star, Joanna Cassidy, cool on the surface, hot underneath.

Dabney's later series, "The Slap Maxwell Story", was the same idea, only his character had been defanged, and the venom removed for safety.

Long before "Larry Sanders", this series took a look at what goes on during and behind the scenes at a talk show. This is Dabney Coleman at his best. His portrayal of the philanderer Bill Bittinger is brilliant. And Joanna Cassidy is wonderful as JoJo, his on-again, off-again romantic interest. After all these years, I still consider this to be one of the funniest shows I've ever seen. It's a shame that few people have seen it.

Only once in a while does a show this clever come along. Buffalo Bill Bittiner (Dabney Coleman) is an arrogant, self-centered, misogynistic pig, who hosts a low budget local talk show in Buffalo, NY. While the concept of an off-color comedy based on such a vile character will not appeal to all audiences, this show had many layers, and was very well written and executed. On the surface, the show focused on the offensive, yet hilarious, antics of Dabney's character, but below the surface is an insecure, paranoid, confused, and cowardly train wreck of a man -- not that one should feel sorry for him. Bill Bittiner may think his "assertive" antics conceal his flaws and insecurities from his co-workers and talk show audience, but these antics are transparent to everyone but Bill, and only added comedic and ironic flavor to the show.

Not only was Dabney Coleman brilliant in this role, but so was his supporting cast. His research assistant was played by a young Geena Davis, his faithful stage hand by the late John Fiedler (the voice of Piglet), and his makeup man was played by Charles Robinson, who later directed Night Court. There were also a number of notable guest appearances such as: Oscar winner Martin Landau, comedian Julie Brown, and an uncredited appearance by Jim Carrey. Most of the show focused on Bill Bittinger's antics, but there were also some genuine moments and meaningful side-skits acted out by Coleman's diverse cast of supporting characters.

This show did not do so well in prime time, and I was very disappointed to see it canceled.. I suspect that too many viewers found Coleman's character too much to bear, even if taken with a grain of salt. Nevertheless, I was thrilled when I found out that the complete series was released on DVD, even though it took 20 years.