I-40 Paradise is a 30-minute daily cable TV sitcom broadcast on The Nashville Network from March 1983,[2] when the network was first launched,[3] and lasted until at least April 1986.[4]
| I-40 Paradise | |
|---|---|
| Theme music composer | Lionel Cartwright[1] |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Producer | Ross Bagwell |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | The Nashville Network |
| Release | March 1983 – April 1986 |
The series was so popular that a weekly 30 minute spinoff, Pickin’ at the Paradise, began in December 1983.[5]
Premise
edit"The havoc and hi-jinks involved in running a restaurant and entertainment spot just outside Nashville are explored with hilarious results" was how early television listings described the series.[6][7]
The series was set in the small town of Crab Orchard, Tennessee, and most scenes took place in the roadside diner, I-40 Paradise, that had a separate-room tavern where country artists often stopped to perform.[8] There was a house-band, The Mighty Notes, headed by singer Buck Taylor. Buck's younger brother, Randy, was also in the band.[5]
Local residents frequented I-40 Paradise, and they were part of the episode storylines. Stories included: Sonny, Buck, Orvis and Calvin join a group that helps fatherless boys, but have to share Crab Orchard's only orphan;[9] Will Georgia quit her job to pursue a career in art?;[10] Lathrop is kidnapped and held for ransom;[11] and Velma and Calvin consider marriage.[12]
Cast
edit- Barbara George as Paradise owner LuAnn Bledsoe
- Bruce Camahan as mechanic Sonny Rollins
- John Ribble as bartender Stogie
- Trish Dougherty as waitress Georgia
- Jack Crook as singer Buck Taylor[5]
- Lionel Cartwright as singer Randy Taylor[5]
- Kelli Warren as singer Melody Dawn Rainey[5]
- Bruce Borin as shoe factory worker Calvin[13]
- Mike McElroy as pool hall owner Lathrop
- Park Overall as banker's daughter Tina Fudball (occasional role)[14]
Guest stars
editCountry music performers would drop in on their way to Nashville and sing a couple of songs on each episode. One of the first guest stars to tape segments for the show was Helen Cornelius, [15] and Ty Herndon was on several episodes before he became well known.[16] Reba McEntire was on two episodes. In one she just sang, but the other had her take part in a conversation about video games, which was one of her first opportunities to act.[17]
Production
editThe series was produced by Cinetel Productions in Knoxville, Tennessee. Producer Ross Bagwell rented a warehouse to use as a studio, and hired mostly local dinner-theater actors as regulars.[8] Outside shots of the I-40 Paradise building were of the nearby Mount Olive Trading Post, a grocery store that closed in 1987.[18]
Lionel Cartwright, who'd been working at the Wheeling Jamboree, wrote the series theme song, and acted as one of the house-band singers.[19]
Spin off series
editOn December 25, 1983 Pickin’ at the Paradise began a six-week pilot run as a 30-minute Sunday series, advertised as a weekly visit to the Paradise's music room, where Crab Orchard residents would stop by to hear the house-band sing. Regulars included Lionel Cartwright as Randy, Jack Crook as Buck, and Kelli Warren as Melody Dawn.[5] Lionel Cartwright wrote the series theme song.[19]
The Cineteo Productions[5] series was popular enough that additional episodes were made, and the series aired until at least March 1986.[20]
References
edit- ^ Erlewine, Michael, All Music Guide to Country, page 78, Miller-Freedman, 1997
- ^ Daily Listings, The Times Recorder, March 18, 1983, page 15
- ^ Coming Soon! - TNN ad, The Germantown News (Germantown, TN), March 3, 1983, page 5
- ^ Television and Radio, The Boston Globe, April 25, 1986, page 23
- ^ a b c d e f g New special is paradise, The Daily News-Journal (Murfreesboro, TN), December 11, 1983, page 80
- ^ TV listing, Longview News-Journal, March 27, 1983, page 126
- ^ Cable Tonight, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, April 13, 1983, page 46
- ^ a b Wolfe, Charles K, & Akenson, James E., Country Music Annual 2001 (ebook), University Press of Kentucky, page 16-17
- ^ Weekday TV, New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung (New Braunfels, TX) December 14, 1984, page 34
- ^ Weekday TV, New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung (New Braunfels, TX), November 4, 1984, page 55
- ^ Weekday TV, New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung (New Braunfels, TX) March 31, 1985, page 49]
- ^ Weekday TV, New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung (New Braunfels, Texas), December 23, 1984, page 43]
- ^ Otto, Becky, Actor wants to contribute to new theater movement, Kingsport Times-News (Kingsport, TN), January 1, 1988, page 90
- ^ Hull, Christopher, Actress learns to fly on television series, The Morning Star (Vernon, BC, Canada ), December 21, 1989, page 45
- ^ Davis, Doug, Country Happenings, The Times Recorder (Zanesville, Ohio), March 11, 1983, page 31
- ^ Oermann, Robert K., Herndon goes from 'pretty boy' to hit maker. The Tennessean, May 13, 1995, page 30
- ^ Sandvold, Jon, Softball to benefit from McEntire show, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, May 13, 1983, page 33
- ^ For Decades, Store Sold Beer On One Side, But Not On Other, The Herald-Sun (Durham, NC), May 17, 1987, page 41
- ^ a b 'Chance' carries singer to top, The Tennessean, October 28, 1989, page 57
- ^ Pay Television, The Province, March 27, 1986, page 158