Buffalo Bill

After a wait of 20 years I was finally able to obtain the 3 disc set of Buffalo Bill, a favorite of mine from the 80's. Watching it again only underscores my fond memories of classic leading edge humor on TV and I recommend it to all who appreciate extraordinary quality. The writing and cast selection defy criticism as each actor was perfect in their part-----many have gone on to even greater successes.

Cancellation of the series absolutely defied logic as it was a clear winner. Kudos to all associated with the production----a true classic to make all very proud. Thanks for a great job!!!

Bob Schoenberg, Brewster, NY

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.

Not ahead of it's time but firmly planted in the times. It gave us a nice look at the nastiness of the age. Hilarious. Probably one of the top three comedies to hit the airwaves. I have a distinct memory of laughing so hard that I fell off the couch. I have tried by hook or crook to get copies. I also think it's cancellation represents the true death of the soul of this country. The country had decided that it could not tolerate smart people writing for television. I don't know what it's numbers were but with a show of this quality it's bad business to not give it time to at least develop an audience. So, what's new another tragedy perpetuated by the Network idiots.

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.

BUFFALO BILL was originally received like a Neil LaBute or Todd Solondz movie; the few who liked this program LOVED it, while the masses who didn't like it LOATHED it.

There had been sitcoms starring essentially unlikable characters before, such as ALL IN THE FAMILY and FAWLTY TOWERS, but Archie Bunker and Basil Fawlty were veritable pussycats compared to Dabney Coleman's Bill Bittinger, host of a Buffalo, NY talk show. Think Coleman's "sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot" of a boss in the movie 9 TO 5 and you pretty much have his BUFFALO BILL character, only here he's surrounded not by feisty secretaries but by wimps and sycophants. His stage manager Woody (John Fiedler) worships him, his research assistant Wendy (a young, nubile Geena Davis) is flustered around him while his director/longtime girlfriend Jo-Jo (Joanna Cassidy) puts up with him primarily out of self-loathing.

Brandon Tartikoff wrote in his memoirs that his greatest regret as NBC head was canceling BUFFALO BILL in 1984; one more season and it might have become a hit. Executive producer Bernie Brillstein went on to oversee THE LARRY SANDERS SHOW, and he's said he considers that successful HBO sitcom (also about an insecure talk show host) to have been the critical and ratings hit BUFFALO BILL should have been.

The series was created by the great comedy team of Tom (ALF) Patchett and Jay (MOLLY DODD) Tarses, who wrote the funniest episodes of THE BOB NEWHART SHOW in the 1970s. They bitterly broke up by the end of this show's run. I suspect that even if BUFFALO BILL had become a SEINFELD or FRIENDS-level hit, they'd have broken up anyway because the show was emotionally draining for an early-1980s sitcom. In one two-parter Jo-Jo, pregnant with Bill's baby, vindictively gets an abortion. In another episode, the racist Bill fires his black makeup man Newdell (Charlie Robinson), only to have a nightmare where he's chased by grotesque black stereotypes who lip sync to Ray Charles' "Hit the Road, Jack." Bill rehires Newdell and is congratulated on his enlightenment. In other words, WE GOT IT MADE or MAMA'S FAMILY this wasn't.

While BUFFALO BILL may not offer instant gratification, sticking through the entire run is worth it. Each member of the outstanding ensemble gets a moment to shine, the guest stars include Martin Landau and Jim Carrey (who impersonates Jerry Lewis) and the story lines are well-constructed with intelligent dialogue. In a stroke of good fortune, all 26 episodes were released in a no-frills three-disc DVD set in the fall of 2005 -- unfortunately, licensing issues prevented the "Hit the Road, Jack" sequence from making this set. Do yourself a favor and pick this up. There won't be another sitcom quite like BUFFALO BILL on network TV anytime soon.