| "I won the Golden Globe for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy for Buffalo Bill and was nominated for an Emmy, as well. The double-parter I won for was about my character's abortion. Now this was 1983, and the writing was so brilliant that we pulled it off. Buffalo Bill was way ahead of it's time, and as you can see from the photo, we had the best actors and writers in show biz." Joanna |
Buffalo Bill is Bill Bittinger, a slightly self-centered, outrageous talk show host at a local TV station in Buffalo, New York. Bill's show is always volatile and unpredictable because Bill is never above unmercifully provoking his guests - often pushing them way beyond the point of arguments and tears. And when it comes to Bill's fellow workers, he is surrounded by a wonderful and unusual cast of characters.
Joanna "JoJo" White is the very lovely and extremely competent director of Bill's show. Not only is JoJo in total control of the show's technical end but she also manages to control the unpredictable actions of her star, which often occur live and in front of the cameras.
Cast:
Eddie Bell - Cameraman
Joanna Cassidy - Joanna "Jo-Jo" White
Stu Charno - Zawicki
Dabney Coleman - Bill Bittinger
Geena Davis - Wendy Killian
John Fiedler - Woodrow "Woody" Deschler
Claude Earl Jones - Stan Fluger
Pippa Pearthree - Melanie Wayne Bittinger
Charles Robinson - Newdell Spriggs, Jr.
Meshach Taylor - Tony
Max Wright - Karl Shub, Sr.
Episode List:
| Season 1 |
| 1. UNTITLED 1 |
| gs: Craig Littler () Russell Johnson () Feather Austen () Letty Rush () |
Bill tries to get a job with 60 Minutes. |
b: 01-Jun-1983 pc: 2101 w: Tom Patchett & Jay Tarses d: Tom Patchett |
NOTE: Received two Emmy nominations, for both writing (Tom Patchett and Jay Tarses) and directing (Tom Patchett). The series received a total of five nominations its first season on the air -- a testament to its acclaim as it only had been on the air a few weeks when the nominations were announced, and only the first five episodes were eligible for submission.
|
|
|
| 2. UNTITLED 2 |
| gs: Simone Griffeth () Elsa Raven () |
Karl tries to tame Bill by giving him a co-host. |
b: 08-Jun-1983 pc: 2102 w: Tom Patchett & Jay Tarses d: Tom Patchett |
|
|
| 3. Woody Quits |
| gs: George Jenesky () |
Bill insults Woody once too often. |
b: 15-Jun-1983 pc: 2105 w: Jay Tarses d: Jim Drake |
NOTE: Given the title "Woody Quits" when it was submitted for Emmy consideration.
|
|
|
| 4. UNTITLED 4 |
| gs: Lu Leonard () Deborah Geffner () Biff Yeager () Frank Sotonoma Salsedo () |
Bill tries to get a part in a movie being filmed in Buffalo. |
b: 22-Jun-1983 pc: 2112 w: Mitch Markowitz d: Jim Drake |
|
|
| 5. Bill Proposes |
| gs: Patricia Gaul () Wendy Hoffman () Lynn Longos () Michael Alaimo () E. Hampton Beagle () |
Bill gets lonely so he proposes to Jo-Jo, but the next day he tries to get out of it. |
b: 29-Jun-1983 pc: 2109 w: Merrill Markoe d: Jim Drake |
NOTE: Later given the title "Mrs. Buffalo Bill." |
|
|
| 6. Buffalo Bill Gets M*A*S*Hed |
| gs: Gary Bayer () Sandy-Alexander Champion () John Gowans () Bernard Kuby () Sarah Lilly () Nora Masterson () Jim McKrell () Milt Oberman () |
b: 13-Jul-1983 pc: 2113 w: Tom Patchett d: Tom Patchett |
NOTE: Later given the title "Buffalo Bill Gets M*A*S*H*E*D." |
|
|
| 7. UNTITLED 7 |
| gs: Pamela Printy () Earl Pomerantz () |
Bill's daughter, who he hasn't seen in ten years, visits the station. |
b: 20-Jul-1983 pc: 2106 w: Carol Gary d: Tom Patchett |
|
|
| 8. UNTITLED 8 |
| gs: Carol Willard () Wendy Cutler () Eldon Quick () Jean Howell () |
Melanie threatens to move in with Newdell. |
b: 27-Jul-1983 pc: 2107 w: Carol Gary d: Tom Patchett |
|
|
| 9. UNTITLED 9 |
| gs: Al Fann () Julie Brown () Tom Waters () |
When the ratings drop, Bill thinks he lost his touch. |
b: 03-Aug-1983 pc: 2103 w: Gary Markowitz d: Tom Patchett |
|
|
| 10. UNTITLED 10 |
| gs: Rebecca Street () |
Bill sees a picture of a woman and wants her on the show. |
b: 10-Aug-1983 pc: 2108 w: Dennis Klein d: Jim Drake |
|
|
| 11. UNTITLED 11 |
| gs: Peggy Feury () |
A woman claims she will have Bill's baby. |
b: 17-Aug-1983 pc: 2110 w: Jay Tarses d: Tom Patchett |
|
|
| 12. UNTITLED 12 |
| gs: Dana Gladstone () Fred Leaf () |
Wendy is insulted when Bill insults a guest she booked. |
b: UNAIRED pc: 2111 w: Dennis Klein d: Dennis Klein |
|
|
| Season 2
|
| 13. Hit the Road, Jack |
| gs: Leslie Bee () Esther Phillips () |
Bill gets Newdell fired, but he begins to regret it. |
b: 22-Dec-1983 pc: 3901 w: Dennis Klein d: Tom Patchett |
NOTE: This may have aired December 15, 1983. |
|
|
| 14. Jerry Lewis Week |
| gs: James Cromwell () Harry Basil () Mark Fensk () Gary Raff () Sandy Rosenberg () Frank Verroca () Keone Young () Jim Carrey (Jerry Lewis Impersonator (uncredited)) |
Karl challenges Bill by stealing the stuffed bear Bill has been using for on-air commercials about his mechanic. |
b: 05-Jan-1984 pc: 3905 w: Dennis Klein d: Jim Drake |
NOTE: #69 on TV Guide's List of the Top 100 television episodes of all time. |
|
|
| 15. The Interview |
| gs: Gail Edwards () |
A reporter interviews the crew for a news feature. |
b: 12-Jan-1984 pc: 3907 w: Dennis Klein d: Ellen Falcon |
|
|
| 16. Company Ink |
| gs: Martin Landau (Hayden Stone) Lynn Stewart () Janet Adams () |
The new owner of the station wants to fire Bill. |
b: 19-Jan-1984 pc: 3906 w: Tom Patchett d: Tom Patchett |
NOTE: Emmy records list this under the a.k.a. "Wilkinson's Sword."
|
|
|
| 17. Jo-Jo's Problem (1) |
Jo-Jo's problem is that she's pregnant. |
b: 26-Jan-1984 pc: 3903 w: Jay Tarses d: Jim Drake |
NOTE: a.k.a. "The Abortion" and "Jo-Jo's Abortion" |
|
|
| 18. Jo-Jo's Problem (2) |
Jo-Jo's problem is that she's pregnant. |
b: 02-Feb-1984 pc: 3904 w: Jay Tarses d: Ellen Falcon |
NOTE: Received two Emmy nominations for both writing (Jay Tarses) and directing (Ellen Chaset Falcon).
|
|
|
| 19. The Search High and Low for Miss WBFL |
| gs: Cynthia Leake () Stephanie Carr () |
Wendy and Melanie enter a beauty contest that Jo-Jo is protesting. |
b: 09-Feb-1984 pc: 3908 w: Geena Davis d: Tom Patchett |
|
|
| 20. The Big Freeze |
Bill and Jo-Jo have a falling out. Wendy wants to do a show about nuclear weapons. |
b: 16-Feb-1984 pc: 3909 w: Dennis Klein d: Tom Patchett |
NOTE: a.k.a. "Nuclear Freeze." |
|
|
| 21. The Girl on the Jetty |
| gs: Jim Carson () |
Jo-Jo takes in Karl when he's thrown out of the house. |
b: 23-Feb-1984 pc: 3911 w: Jay Tarses d: Jim Drake |
|
|
| 22. Buffalo Bill and the Soviets |
| gs: Jack Lukes () Carmen Argenziano () Bill Sorrells () Sandy Lipton () Gay Hagen () Len Lawson () |
Bill thinks two of his guests are smuggling technology to Russia. |
b: 01-Mar-1984 pc: 2104 w: Dennis Klein d: Jim Drake |
|
|
| 23. A Hero |
| gs: Susan Ruttan (Katherine Zawicki Shub) Leighton Greer () Carrie Lorraine () Dan Knapp () Sam Whipple () |
Karl Jr. worships Bill, so Karl gets him a job at the station to show him the real Bill. |
b: 08-Mar-1984 pc: 3910 w: Jay Tarses d: Jim Drake |
|
|
| 24. The Tap Dancer |
| gs: Lou Evans () Patti Johns () Stacy Strauss () Argalia Thompson () |
Bill's boyhood hero dies during the show. |
b: 15-Mar-1984 pc: 3902 w: Dennis Klein & Gary Markowitz d: Tom Patchett |
|
|
| 25. Have Yourself a Very Degrading Christmas |
| gs: Susan Ruttan (Katherine Zawicki Shub) Martine Beswick () Susie Scherer () Al Maines () Daryl T. Bartley () De Sha Bynum () Lee Ryan () |
Bill skips Jo-Jo's Christmas party for a date with a Brazilian movie star. |
b: 22-Mar-1984 pc: 3913 w: Dennis Klein d: Tom Patchett |
|
|
| 26. Church of the Poisoned Mind |
| gs: Tak Kubota () Frank Dent () Brad Maule () Jim Carson () |
Bill insults a priest on the air which ignites a boycott. |
b: 29-Mar-1984 pc: 3912 w: Dennis Klein d: Ellen Falcon |
|
|
| Welcome | Biography | Film Credits |
| News | Activism | Shop |
| Modeling Photos | Contact | Guestbook |
| Photo Gallery | On TV |