Bearcats!

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Bearcats!
Rod Taylor (on right) and Dennis Cole with the 1914 Bearcat used in the pilot film Powderkeg
Genre	Western
Created by	Douglas Heyes
Written by	Jim Byrnes James L. Henderson Douglas Heyes Stephen Kandel Samuel Roeca Joe Ruby & Ken Spears
Directed by	Richard Donner Lee Madden Robert Totten Herb Wallerstein
Starring	Rod Taylor Dennis Cole
Theme music composer	Hal Hopper
Composer(s)	Dave Kahn
Country of origin	United States
Language(s)	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	13 (+ 1 pilot movie)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Douglas Heyes
Producer(s)	Morton Fine David Friedkin
Running time	60 mins. (approx)
Broadcast
Original channel	CBS
Original run	September 16, 1971 – December 30, 1971

Bearcats! is a short-lived American Western television series broadcast on the CBS television network during the Fall 1971 television season. It starred Rod Taylor and Dennis Cole as troubleshooters in the period before America entered World War One.

[edit] Synopsis

Set in 1914, somewhat later historically than a traditional Western, the stories centered around the heroes' use of a 1914 Stutz Bearcat automobile. Although autos were common in America in 1914, a $2000 sports car would have been very rare in the more remote areas of the American west. How the heroes paid for this expensive ride was rather unusual, as well. They undertook work which would probably loosely be considered "private security" for a prosperous clientèle, and rather than charging a traditional fee, extracted from the client a blank check, with the amount charged to be determined by just how difficult/dangerous the job proved to be once it was completed. Typical adventures included learning who was setting fire to oil wells, unraveling a plot where German Army soldiers dressed as American troops raided Mexican border towns hoping to force Mexico into a war with the U.S., and stopping mercenaries from sabotaging medical supplies being sent overseas to the Allies in World War I. Its time period also allowed the use of props not usually seen in typical Western, including a 1918 Standard J-1 airplane (though it's called a Curtiss Jenny in the script), a W.W.I tank, machine guns, and a number of period automobiles.

[edit] Production notes

The series was created by veteran TV writer/producer Douglas Heyes who also served as executive producer. He wrote and directed the TV movie Powderkeg that served as the pilot film for the series. Episodes were shot on location in near Tucson, Arizona and also in and around Santa Fe, New Mexico. The series featured a number of well-known guest stars including Leslie Nielsen, Jane Merrow, Keenan Wynn, Henry Darrow, David Canary, Ed Flanders and Eric Braeden.

For filming, the series used two full-scale metal replicas of first generation (1912-16) Stutz Bearcats made by well known Hollywood car customizer and film car builder George Barris. While externally very close to the original cars, in fact they were built on custom chassis powered by Ford drivetrains and had modern four wheel brake systems for safety. The two replicas were very similar to one another, however the first built (and the one used for most filming) had a manual 4-speed transmission while the second had an automatic. Additionally, there was a slight variation in the location of the horn bulb and the pinstripes on the sides of the hood of the second car, so the cars can be differentiated while closely viewing the episodes. In addition to the two cars used in the series, Barris built and retained a third car for use at car shows which differed in many details and color from the TV cars. All three cars survive today, though Barris' display car has been extensively modified.

The MPC model company produced a 1/25th scale model kit of a Stutz Bearcat as a tie-in with the series. Its box art featured Taylor and Cole in costume with the Bearcat used in Powderkeg. A photo on the side of the box showed the first Barris replica in scene from the episode "The Devil Wears Armor".

The Bearcat replica used most often in the series, the first built and restored to its TV colors, in 2008.

[edit] Reception, cancellation and overseas broadcasts

Bearcats!, despite a large promotional campaign prior to its premiere, and having a loyal fan base, lost in the Nielsen ratings, losing to both The Flip Wilson Show on NBC and a more traditional Western, Alias Smith and Jones, on ABC, and was cancelled midseason. (This marked the last time, as of 2008, that two Westerns broadcast by major U.S. networks have competed in the same time slot for viewers, marking a milestone in the decline of the Western series era in U.S. network television programming.) Bearcats! was produced by Filmways Inc. (which previously produced many series including The Addams Family, Mister Ed, The Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres, and Petticoat Junction). It was co-produced by Rodler, Rod Taylor's production firm.

The series was shown extensively overseas, including Canada, Germany. the United Kingdom, and Australia. Its pilot film, "Powderkeg" was released as a theatrical feature overseas.

[edit] Cast

• Rod Taylor as Hank Brackett
• Dennis Cole as Johnny Reach

[edit] Episodes

[edit] References

• Brooks, Tim and Marsh, Earle, The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows

[edit] External links

• Powderkeg (Pilot) at the Internet Movie Database
• Bearcats! at the Internet Movie Database
• Bearcats! at the Internet Movie Car Database
• Bearcats! at TV.com
• Bearcats! at EpGuides.com
• Page on the series at the Rod Taylor site