Buffalo Bill

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.

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.

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.

That long line of great shows that were canceled or short - changed by television decision makers: HE AND SHE, TAXI (which at least managed to get through four seasons), BEST OF THE WEST, and this show.

Dabney Coleman is still active, God bless him, as a performer - but his really meanest days are behind him. Nowadays he can be seen playing nicer, older men. But when he started, on MARY HARTMAN, MARY HARTMAN, he was a despicable, power-hungry, lecherous creep. And he continued that persona in film and television program until about five years ago. NINE TO FIVE is the best example of this but there are other examples - his ambitious C.I.A. official in THE TALL DARK MAN WITH ONE RED SHOE (American version) is another example. And there was this show, that lasted one season only twenty three years ago.

Bill Bittinger was the host of a talk show in Buffalo who had no redeeming features at all. He had a following in Buffalo, but he never can break into national exposure - no matter what he tries. He gives agita to his producer (Max Wright) by his antics and comments that raise the hackles of various people and groups. He treats his staff (Geena Davis, John Fiedler, Charlie Robinson, Joanna Cassidy) as dirt. And he always ends up looking like an ass. Occasionally he is able to break even. In one episode he insults Fiedler, who (for some reason) really admires him. Fiedler quits, and Coleman finds he was absolutely essential to his success on the air. Fiedler, it turns out, also invested his salary wisely, and is Coleman's landlord. Coleman manages to apologize in a matter of speaking to Fiedler, which Fiedler (knowing Coleman's personality) is willing to accept.

In another episode, Coleman manages to talk himself into a corner (on "principle") that enables Wright to take him off the air. He's replaced by episodes of M.A.S.H. (which Wright likes because he likes the character of Radar). Eventually, much to Wright's surprise and dismay, Coleman manages to get back on the air by the end of the episode.

The best episode has been described - where Coleman's bigotry leads to his firing Robinson, and his having a nightmare that he is being pursued by the most violently imagined African-American stereotypes. I have never heard "Hit the Road Jack" since without thinking about this episode.

BUFFALO BILL was one of the best comedies in television history. It only lasted that one season - pity. But then television network programming executives frequently lack vision and patience - and certainly they lack pity.

Imagine that "The Dick Van Dyke Show" had centered on Carl Reiner's Alan Brady character and you will have a pretty good handle on Dabney Coleman's "Buffalo Bill" series.

Despite the many conspiracy theories there is little actual mystery regarding the early cancellation of Coleman's series; it simply failed to find an audience large enough to sustain it. Awards and critical acclaim won't take a show very far; especially back in the days when the three networks were pulling in the vast majority of television viewers.

If a quality show is a little different (insert "The Big Bang Theory" here) it will start slow and must show "steady" progress toward building a larger viewing audience. The progress only happens if it "holds" onto its initial group of viewers while adding new viewers each week that it is broadcast. Generally this only works if the show has figured out what it wants to be and consistently delivers a weekly product. Once firmly established a show has the luxury of an occasional clinker episode.

Unfortunately, "Buffalo Bill" was perhaps the most inconsistent series in the history of television. I hung with it throughout its entire broadcast run and was amazed by the wild swings from week-to-week. Episode 7 "Guess Who's Coming To Buffalo?" was an absolute gem, and several other episodes were equally inspired; but you never quite knew what you would get. Friends could be talked into one viewing. If it happened to be the right episode they would be hooked. If they saw a dog episode they would never watch again.

The cast was rarely the problem, although someone should have figured out that the best moments seemed to come when Dabney Coleman and Pippa Peartree were interacting as father and wayward daughter. These provided an amazing mix of comedy and poignancy; yet they were far too few. Contrast them with the much more frequent stuff involving Charles Robinson's Newdell, which was generally awkward and forced; both the writing and the execution. You don't have to look further than decisions like this to see that the producers had some serious "don't have a clue" moments.

The self-absorbed title character was often the source of the ratings-killing inconsistency. The humorous moments came from his exaggerated character flaws; imagine a self-promoting version of Sheldon Cooper. The "wheels fall off" moments were typically those showcasing his unlikely need for the approval of others; they could never quite settle on just who Bill was. The more his character wobbled between extremes of selfishness and vulnerability the harder it was take vicarious pleasure in his antics.

The uniqueness of the series was in its attempt to integrate comedy with serious subjects. Too often this crossed the line into overwrought melodrama. But when they got the balance right it worked as well as anything that has ever been on network television.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.