WINK MARTINDALE DEAD AT 91

 

You can read the full story here.

He played Sphinx Martindale—a parody of himself combined with the legendary Sphinx—in an episode of Hercules: The Animated Series. 

JEAN MARSH DEAD AT 90

 

You can read the full story here.

Best known for creating and starring in the series Upstairs, Downstairs, she appeared on a couple episodes of Sesame Street.

JAY NORTH DEAD AT 73

 

You can read the full story here.

Best known as the original Dennis the Menace, he voiced Prince Turhan in the Arabian Knights segment of The Banana Splits Adventure Hour; Terry Dexter in Here Comes the Grump; and teenaged Bamm-Bamm Rubble in The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show and The Flintstone Comedy Hour (1972). 

CLIVE REVILL DEAD AT 94

 

You can read the full story here.

He voiced the storyteller (narrator) in Dragon’s Lair; Dr. Galeo Seaworthy in Snorks; Lord Belveshire and Dumas in two episodes of Pound Puppies (1986); Shakespeare and King Lear in an episode of Tiny Toon Adventures; Sorcerer Blowfish in two episodes of The Little Mermaid: The Animated Series; Alfred Pennyworth for three episodes and a police blimp radioman in Batman: The Animated Series; Baffeardin, Lyle Spanger, Inspector Hogan and Hermil Sioro in episodes of Freakazoid!; King Claudius in an episode of Pinky and the Brain; Eustace McPhail in an episode of Godzilla: The Series; a wizard in an episode of Pepper Ann; and the moderator in an episode of All Grown Up!. He also provided additional voices for The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries, Alvin and the Chipmunks (1983), Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures, The Smurfs (1981), Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventures, and the Tom & Jerry Kids Show.

HANG TIME

 

HANG TIME
(NBC, September 9, 1995-December 16, 2000)
 
NBC Productions/NBC Studios, Peter Engel Productions (season 2-6)

 

 

MAIN CAST:
Daniella Deutscher – Julie Connor
Megan Parlen – Mary Beth Pepperton
Chad Gabriel – Danny Mellon (season 1-3)
Reggie Theus – Coach Bill Fuller (season 1-3)
David Hanson – Chris Atwater (season 1)
Hilary Tuck – Samantha Morgan (season 1)
Christian Belnavis – Michael Maxwell (season 1)
Robert Michael Ryan – Earl Hatfield (season 1)
Kevin Bell – Josh Sanders (season 2)
Paige Peterson – Cindy Amy Wright (season 2)
Michael Sullivan – Vince D’Amata (season 2-3)
Anthony Anderson – Theodore “Teddy” Brodis Jr. (season 2-3)
Adam Frost – Michael Manning (season 3-6)
Amber Barretto – Kristy Ford (season 3-6)
Mark Famiglietti – Nick Hammer (season 4, guest 5 & 6)
Dick Butkus – Coach Mike Katowinski (season 4-6)
Danso Gordon – Kenny “Silk” Hayes (season 4-6)
James Villani – Roco Bosco (season 4)
Jay Hernandez – Antonio Lopez (season 5-6, recurring season 4)
Phillip Glasser – Eugene Brown (season 5-6)

  

Hang Time was another attempt by NBC to duplicate the success of Saved by the Bell for their Teen NBC programming block. Created by Troy Searer, Robert Tarlow, and former Bell writer Mark Fink, the series was basketball-centric (coinciding with the network’s then-current association with the NBA), taking its title from the term referring to how long a player stays in the air after leaping for a slam dunk. It centered on the exploits and lives of the Deering Tornados [sic] boys’ varsity basketball team from the fictional Deering High School in the equally fictional Deering, Indiana.

Julie getting a cold reception at tryouts from Chris.

Julie Connor (Daniella Deutscher) transferred into the school after moving with her family from Chicago. Julie had been in love with the game of basketball since her father taught it to her when she was three. Since the school lacked any girls’ teams, she decided to try out for the boys’ team…which was met with much resistance from the other players. However, her skill and drive eventually earned her their respect and a place on the team as their point guard. Also new to the school was the team’s coach, former professional basketball player Bill Fuller (played by real former player Reggie Theus). Fuller was hired to replace the previous coach who had led the Tornados through a disastrous season.

The Season 1 Tornados: Coach Fuller, Michael, Chris, Earl, Julie, Mary Beth, Danny and Samantha.

Other members of the team included their forward and captain Chris Atwater (David Hanson), who was also their star player and eventually Julie’s boyfriend; guard Danny Mellon (Chad Gabriel), a goofy kid with dreams of basketball greatness who developed an instant crush on Julie; forward Michael Maxwell (Christian Belnavis), whose playing was only overshadowed by his overconfidence in his skills; and very tall center Eartl Hatfield (Robert Michael Ryan), a country-bred yokel that lived on a farm with his family and drove their tractor to school. Other characters included head cheerleader Mary Beth Pepperton (Megan Parlen), who came from a wealthy family and was a bit ditzy, as well as Chris’ original girlfriend, and Samantha Morgan (Hillary Tuck), the overzealous team manager with aspirations of becoming a coach herself and eventually Danny’s girlfriend. When not on the court or in school, the kids could be found hanging out at the local mall where some of them also had part-time jobs; particularly at a sporting goods store called The Sports Shack.

The team hanging out at The Stadium.

Hang Time debuted on NBC on September 9, 1995, running for six seasons and airing two episodes a day for the 3^rd and 4th. Following the first season, producer Peter Engel, co-creator of Bell, was installed as showrunner. With his appointment came heavy changes to the series. Storylines increasingly incorporated a balance of topical teenage issues and life lessons with wacky comedic plots (earning a Prism Award for its accurate depiction of drug use in season 4). Hanson, Tuck, Belnavis and Ryan were let go, with the explanation that Chris went to college and Samantha moved to Chicago (the other two were just vaguely explained as being gone). Their characters were replaced by Josh Sanders (Kevin Bell), a Little League veteran who had given up competitive sports when his former coach urged him to hit another kid with the ball; Vince D’Amata (Michael Sullivan), another transplant from Chicago that served as an alternate on the team, was a bit of a dimwit, and eventually Mary Beth’s boyfriend; and Theodore “Teddy” Brodis Jr. (Anthony Anderson), Fuller’s godson that just moved to town and whose father was also a professional basketball player (played by former player Marques Johnson). Cindy Amy Wright (Paige Peterson), who went by Amy as she hated her first name, became the new head cheerleader while Mary Beth was promoted to team manager to learn responsibility (and get a new car from her father if she made it the year). Unfortunately, Mary Beth tended to screw up often (such as ordering the team’s uniforms in the wrong colors because the old ones weren’t “flattering”), resulting in her eventually being demoted to assistant team manager. Fuller also gained a bit of a temper, having little tolerance for shenanigans amongst his players. While the kids still hung out at the mall, their primary spot was now a sports-themed diner called The Stadium (similar to The Max from Bell); which replaced the school’s outdoor cafeteria set.

The season 3 Tornados: Danny, Vince, Michael, Julie, Mary Beth, Coach Fuller, Teddy and Kristy.

As with fellow TNBC series Saved by the Bell: The New Class, Hang Time became synonymous with frequent cast changes every season. Season 3 added Michael Manning (Adam Frost), a new transfer student that would be the team’s new star player and Julie’s eventual on-again/off-again boyfriend, and Kristy Ford (Amber Barretto), the new head cheerleader replacing Amy after her unexplained departure. Kristy ended up constantly being drawn into Mary Beth’s shenanigans and would eventually be promoted to team manager to replace her.

The season 4 Tornados: Hammer, Rico, Julie, Michael, Mary Beth, Coach Katowinski, Kristy and Silk.

After the third season, Theus decided to leave the show with the explanation that Fuller took as the athletic director job at Florida University after having previously turned it down in the season finale. Sullivan, Anderson and Gabriel also left, with Teddy and Vince having said to be attending that same college, and Danny going to NYU while also following his dream of performing stand-up comedy. The new coach was Mike Katowinski, played by former football player-turned-actor Dick Butkus. He had a tendency to tell dad jokes and was a bit intimidating, but was new to high school coaching and especially to coaching a girl. New members of the team included Nick Hammer (Mark Famiglietti) who was always addressed mostly by his last name, wore a lucky leather jacket, and eventually became Mary Beth’s boyfriend; Kenny “Silk” Hayes (Danso Gordon), who exuded the same overconfidence as Michael Maxwell from season 1; and Rico Bosco (Jams Villani), whose diminutive stature tended to come up frequently.

The final Tornados line-up: Michael, Coach, Mary Beth, Eugene, Julie, Kristy, Silk and Antonio.

With season 5, Rico was dropped; said to have left basketball to join the wrestling team. He was replaced by Eugene Brown (Phillip Glasser), a player who spent the entirety of the previous season on the bench and took over as the goofy comedy relief. Hammer was also written out; his character being given the only on-screen sendoff of being accepted into Duke University’s pre-admissions program and would have to move to North Carolina. Hammer would be the only departed character to make a return appearance the following season. Additionally, Antonio Lopez (Jay Hernandez), a recurring character in season 4 that became Kristy’s long-distance boyfriend, was upgraded to a series regular with his character having moved to Deering from San Antonio, Texas. Hang Time’s 5^th and 6^th seasons were filmed together, meaning they were the only ones to not have any cast changes between them; emulating The New Class’ final seasons.

Coach Fuller calls in his friend Kobe Bryant to help his kids against some hustlers.

Because of the network’s association with the NBA, the league provided the athletic gear used in the series. Additionally, a number of actual NBA personnel made appearances on the show. They included Alonzo Mourning Jr. and Tim Hardaway of the Miami Heat; Francis “Chick” Hearn, the Los Angeles Lakers’ play-by-play announcer and one-time assistant general manager; Ahmad Rashad and Willow Bay, the hosts of sports magazine-style show NBA Inside Stuff on NBC; Grant Hill, then of the Detroit Pistons; Mitch Richmond, then of the Sacramento Kings; Cedric Ceballos, then of the Lakers; Muggsy Bogues, then of the Charlotte Hornets; Juwan Howard, then of the Washington Bullets (now the Wizards); Lisa Leslie of the Los Angeles Sparks; Glenn Robinson Jr., then of the Milwaukee Bucks; Damon “Mighty Mouse” Stoudamire, then of the Toronto Raptors; Gary Payton Sr., then of the Seattle SuperSonics (now the Oklahoma City Thunder); Kobe Bryant of the Lakers; Shareef Abdur-Rahim, then of the Vancouver Grizzlies (now the Memphis Grizzlies); and Sheryl Swoopes, then of the Houston Comets. Additionally, there was an appearance by Florence Griffith Joyner, a track and field athlete and the fastest woman ever recorded; The Moffatts, a Canadian pop/rock country band comprised of brothers Scott, Clint, Bob and Dave; Dr. Drew Pinsky, an internist, addiction medicine specialist and media personality; The Atomic Fireballs (shortly before breaking up), a swing revival band from Detroit; and Dustin Diamond reprised his role as Screech Powers from the Saved by the Bell franchise (Mary Beth and Amy also appeared on an episode of The New Class, “The Kiss”).

Coach and Mitch Richmond playing for a lobster dinner.

The series was written by Jeff Ferro, Cindy Begel, Ken Kuta, Bernie Ancheta, Ronald B. Solomon (also an executive producer), Brett Dewey, Tony Soltis, Sheldon Krasner (also a story editor), David Saling (also a story editor), Noah Taft, Jeffrey J. Sachs (also an executive producer), Jordana Arkin (also a story editor), Scott Spencer Gorden, Richard Albrecht, Casey Keller, Peggy Nicoll (also a producer), Barry Stringfellow (also a producer), Carl Kurlander, Todd J. Greenwald, Renee Paylo, Karen Russell (also a story editor), David Garber, Rob Hammersley, Mark Scherzer (also a story editor) and Jay J. Demopoulos, along with Fink and Tarlow in the first season and Searer in the first and final two seasons (the last of which he was also a producer). The first series theme was composed by Stan Meissner and Fred Mollin, with the rest of the music done by Alan Ett. Bill Shortridge handled the main title design. For the second season, a new theme was composed by Mark Heyes and John Parker, with Heyes handling the rest of the music and new main titles designed by Geoff Nelson. Along with the Prism Award, the series was nominated for an ALMA Award and Parlen was nominated for three YoungStar Awards, winning one.

Deutscher with Hernandez at a press event for his film Suicide Squad.

The series last aired in reruns on ABC Family (now Freeform) in 2004. To date, it hasn’t been made available on home video or streaming officially, however fans have uploaded the entire series to YouTube. While the show may be a footnote in the history of TNBC, it did have one lasting impact: Deutscher and Hernandez began dating and married in 2006.

 

EPISODE GUIDE:

Season 1:

“Pilot” (9/9/95) – Newly-transferred student Julie Conner decides to try out for the boys’ varsity basketball team, but her teammates aren’t very receptive to the idea.

 

“Trouble in Paradise” (9/16/95) – Mary Beth believes Chris and Julie have feelings for each other while Danny fails to profess his own for Julie.

 

“Full Court Press” (9/23/95) – As Julie’s first game approaches, her teammates begin to resent all the attention she’s getting from the press.

 

“Will the Real Michael Maxwell Please Stand Up” (9/30/95) – A bad game causes Michael to lose his confidence and Samantha helping Danny win Julie’s heart causes her to fall for him.

 

“Oh Captain, My Captain” (10/7/95) – Coach Fuller mixes up the team to improve their performance and Chris quits when he’s unhappy with his new position.

 

“Earl Makes the Grade” (10/14/95) – Earl must pass his history test or else he can’t play in an important game.

 

“Let’s Get Ready to Rumble” (10/21/95) – A rift grows between Mary Beth and Chris when she goes out with an old classmate and Danny ditches date night with Samantha to watch a fight at Coach’s house.

 

“The Candidate” (10/28/95) – While Michael and Mary Beth run against each other for student president, Chris and Julie bet which teacher will ask Coach out first.

 

“Stranded” (11/4/95) – The team gets stranded in the gym due to a blizzard and Julie tries to cool things down with Chris since teammates shouldn’t be together.

 

“The Sweat Shack” (11/11/95) – Mary Beth reluctantly gets a job at the Sports Shack while Earl falls for the Russian exchange student Michael has his eye on.

 

“The Bachelor Pad” (11/18/95) – Danny stays with Coach while his parents are away and Samantha feels the team doesn’t appreciate her.

 

“Poetic Justice” (11/25/95) – Earl convinces Mary Beth to write a poem after she discovers Chris and Julie have been secretly dating.

 

“Game Day” (12/2/95) – Julie gets annoyed at Chris for going for his pre-game good luck kiss from Mary Beth while Danny struggles to tell Samantha he loves her.

 

Season 2:

“Winning isn’t Everything” (9/7/96) – With half the team gone and the rest out of shape, they try to recruit the excellent Josh Sanders by proving to him that they don’t think winning is everything.

 

“Just One of the Guys” (9/14/96) – Julie quits the team thinking it prevents boys from noticing her while Mary Beth and Amy make all the girls stop talking to Danny, Teddy and Vince when they make fun of the cheerleaders.

 

“Harvest Moon” (9/21/95) – The Harvest Moon dance is coming up: Danny learns Samantha has a new love; Mary Beth and Vince insult each other’s dates; Teddy is convinced to be the dance DJ.

 

“The Sure Thing” (9/28/95) – Teddy falls for a prospective cheerleader while Josh is tired of Julie’s constant “baby talk”.

 

“War of the Roses” (10/5/96) – Mary Beth paints the locker room pink, leading to a war between her and Vince.

 

“Short Cuts” (10/12/96) – Vince will do anything to get into a basketball training camp hosted by Coach and Muggsy Bogues—including taking steroids.

 

“Fake ID-ology” (10/19/96) – The entire team gets benched after they used fake IDs to get into a club and drink.

 

“When Loss is Gain” (10/26/96) – Mary Beth gets mugged while the team decides to sacrifice an important personal item for a charity drive.

 

“Style Before Substance” (11/2/96) – The basketball team challenges the football team to various competitions.

 

“Son-in-Law” (11/9/96) – The team must win the next game for a chance at the playoffs while Mary Beth dates Vince to get her father’s attention.

 

“Superman Brodis” (11/16/96) – Teddy’s father moves to town after retiring from the NBA.

 

“Green-Eyed Julie” (11/23/96) – Julie feels threatened by the gorgeous new waitress at The Stadium who has a crush on her boyfriend.

 

“The Best Game of the Season” (11/30/96) – Julie is offered a chance to play professionally in Italy.

 

Season 3:

“Team Captain” (9/13/97) – Julie gets upset when the team chooses new player Michael Maning to be team captain without even considering her.

 

“Sexual Harassment” (9/13/97) – Mary Beth gets a waitressing job to earn back the team’s money she wasted only to be sexually harassed by her manager.

 

“First Game of the Season” (9/20/97) – The new vice principal is Coach’s ex-fiancée and the entire team ends up in detention after skipping study hall to practice for their upcoming game.

 

“Fighting Words” (9/20/97) – Danny takes up karate after getting into an argument with a bully while the Montrose and Deering cheerleaders engage in a prank war.

 

“No Smoking” (9/27/97) – Teddy is going to be dropped from the team if he doesn’t stop smoking, and Kristy finds herself with bad luck after walking under a ladder.

 

“Coach Fuller’s Car” (9/27/97) – Coach leaves his car in the care of his team and it ends up stolen when they leave it behind at a party after drinking spiked punch.

 

“Julie’s Guy” (10/4/97) – Julie dates a player from a rival team while Mary Beth tries to arrange a dinner so that all the players can get to know each other.

 

“Playing With Pain” (10/4/97) – Michael attempts to hide his injury when a scout from the University of Arizona comes to see him play.

 

“Not A D’Amata” (10/11/97) – Vince is upset that his little brother has taken up poetry since returning from France.

 

“Kristy’s Other Mother” (10/11/97) – The team heads to California for a tournament where Kristy learns her birth mother lives and the guys inadvertently enter a dating show.

 

“The Hustlers” (10/18/97) – Julie and Teddy are targeted by professional basketball hustlers while the others go searching for celebrities with Mary Beth.

 

“Fuller’s Rival” (10/18/97) – Coach wants to beat his rival’s team in the tournament while Julie and Kristy compete for the attention of a hotel employee.

 

“The Perfect Girl” (10/25/97) – Losing a modeling contest has Mary Beth considering plastic surgery, and Coach covers a cooking class that ends up being tough for his players in attendance.

 

“Blood Drive” (10/25/97) – Danny gets jealous of the doctor helping Kristy with the blood drive while Vince almost ruins the dance for Mary Beth due to his inability to find a good band.

 

“Teen Mom” (11/1/97) – Danny starts dating a teen mom while a video game causes Kristy to miss an important photoshoot.

 

“Midnight Basketball” (11/1/97) – Volunteering for the teen line leads to Teddy proposing a midnight basketball program to get kids off the streets, and bad advice for Julie and Michael about their feelings for each other.

 

“Mary Beth’s Parents” (11/8/97) – Mary Beth’s ski lodge birthday is ruined by the revelation that her parents are divorcing.

 

“The Laugh Riot” (11/8/97) – Danny dreams about being a stand-up comic and performs at the ski lodge while Mary Beth loses the expensive ring Vince gave her.

 

“Love on the Rockies” (11/15/97) – Julie’s ex-boyfriend is staying at the lodge, and Coach, Teddy, Danny and Kristy end up saving a millionaire on the slopes.

 

“Fuller’s Camp” (11/15/97) – The team helps out at Coach’s basketball camp where Julie tries to befriend the only girl in attendance.

 

“Kristy Connor” (11/22/97) – Kristy gets mistaken for Julie by a cute fan after borrowing her jacket, and Coach’s order of burgers for the team leads to a live cow being delivered.

 

“Game Point” (11/22/97) – Kristy reminisces on past events while writing a paper on how sports can enhance personal relationships.

 

“Twister” (11/29/97) – Teddy wins concert tickets for a school day, and Coach entrusts Mary Beth with a valuable quarter that Vince ends up spending on a soda.

 

“Goodnight Vince” (11/29/97) – Vince loses his confidence when he misses a free throw during the game.

 

“The Curfew” (12/6/97) – Coach sets a curfew before the big game, but Teddy ends up at a sorority party after talking to a girl and his teammates attempt to retrieve him before Coach’s headcount.

 

“Fuller’s Big Offer” (12/6/97) – The team ends up worried they’ll lose their Coach when he’s offered a position at Southern Florida University.

 

Season 4:

“A Whole New Ballgame” (9/12/98) – Coach Katowinski treats Julie differently from the other players because she’s a girl.

 

“Team Players” (9/12/98) – The new players overhear Michael talking about their poor skills while Mary Beth attempts to win over the new coach.

 

“Let Them Play” (9/19/98) – The team discovers a rival player has HIV while Kristy writes a mean letter to her art history teacher after two poor grades.

 

“Lend a Heling Hammer” (9/19/98) – Coach brings in a ballet teacher to help improve their agility and flexibility while Hammer discovers the waitress at The Stadium is homeless.

 

“S.A.T. Blues” (9/26/98) – Hammer’s S.A.T. scores aren’t good enough to get him into the schools he wants while Mary Beth mistakenly believes Michael is buying Julie a ruby for their anniversary.

 

“Easy Credit” (9/26/98) – Julie is named state player of the month while Silk racks up a huge credit card debt.

 

“Assault and Pepper Spray” (10/3/98) – Mary Beth and Julie join Kristy in a self-defense class after she’s mugged and the guys attempt to convince Coach to use his extra Pacers ticket on them.

 

“High Hoops” (10/3/98) – Rico starts smoking pot while Michael, Mary Beth and Kristy take Auto Shop looking for an easy “A”.

 

“Love Triangle” (10/10/98) – Mary Beth tries to fix up Hammer and Kristy, but Hammer thinks she’s the one that likes him.

 

“Texas Rose” (10/10/98) – In Texas for the Tri-State final, Silk meets a girl he thinks is rich while Kristy meets a boy she thinks can only speak Spanish.

 

“Restless Mary Beth” (10/17/98) – Mary Beth must take up more extracurricular activities in order to get into college and the team has big plans for the new hot tub Coach gets for sports injuries.

 

“Shoot Out” (10/17/98) – Kristy gets mad at Antonio for pretending to not understand English and Coach discovers a rival coach is his old assistant now wheelchair-bound.

 

“Nothing in Common” (10/24/980 – Mary Beth tries to surprise Hammer by turning herself into a biker.

 

“And Then There Were Nuns” (10/24/98) – The team follows Kristy to Mexico, believing she’s run off to marry Antonion.

 

“The Tall and Short of It” (10/31/98) – Rico is self-conscious about his date being taller than him while Kristy helps Mary Beth search for Hammer’s jacket that she accidentally threw out.

 

“Just Friends” (10/31/98) – Julie’s feelings for Michael have changed while Mary Beth takes a job that makes her Kristy’s boss.

 

“Sharing the Spotlight” (11/7/98) – Julie must get a good grade in math or else end up benched.

 

“New Girl in Town” (11/7/98) – At basketball camp, a girl named Eve attempts to sabotage Julie so that she’ll look good in front of scouts coming to visit.

 

“Rocky Road to the Playoffs” (11/14/98) – Michael is afraid his dad will bench him over his poor report card while Kristy and Mary Beth compete one-on-one to win a car.

 

“Kristy Nightingale” (11/14/98) – Kristy loses her confidence when she nearly kills Rico while working as a nurse’s assistant at the camp.

 

“Phenom Blues” (11/21/98) – The team is up against one with the best player in the state while Kristy is forced to face Coach in a pool competition she entered to win him a present.

 

“New York Nick” (11/22/98) – The team wins a trip to New York where Hammer looks up an old girlfriend and Rico, Silk and Michael get into a food fight at a Knicks game.

 

“Breaks of the Game” (11/28/98) – Hammer gets benched when he tests positive for steroids, and Silk and Rico refuse to believe him when he says he hasn’t taken any.

 

“Window of Opportunity” (11/28/98) – Mary Beth’s boss takes credit for her ideas at the mall while Coach and the guys end up being arrested when he’s mistaken for a thief also dressed as Santa.

 

“Christmas in New York” (12/5/98) – Rico’s grandfather wants to spend Christmas with him, but out of embarrassment of him Rico lies and says he won’t be in New York for the holidays.

 

“Waiting for Mary Beth” (12/5/98) – As the team reminisces about the past year, a hairdresser ruins Mary Beth’s hair.

 

Season 5:

“Hello and Goodbye” (9/11/99) – Hammer is forced to move for a scholarship opportunity while Antonia moves from Texas to be with Kristy.

 

“Managing Michael” (9/18/99) – The team is worried that Coach may be considering another job while Mary Beth becomes the manager of Michael’s band.

 

“Beer Pressure” (10/2/99) – Julie’s new older boyfriend constantly pressures her to do “adult” things and Antonio rents an apartment from Coach.

 

“Extreme Eugene” (10/9/99) – Kristy is worried about introducing Antonio to her parents while Eugene’s love of skateboarding begins to override his love of basketball.

 

“Too Good to be True” (10/16/99) – Michael takes a loan and a job from a man he met after a game, and when Julie learns he’s a college recruiter she worries Michael became ineligible to play college basketball.

 

“Shall We Dance?” (10/23/99) – Mary Beth thinks there’s more going on between Kristy and Antonio than practicing for a dance competition.

 

“Join Venture” (10/30/99) – Eugene and Silk become managers of a dance club while Kristy and Mary Beth go undercover to score drugs to earn themselves a spot on the newspaper.

 

“Revolver, Problem Solver? (11/6/99) – When Silk is terrorized by a criminal, he gets a gun to make himself feel safe.

 

“Tolerance” (11/13/99) – Kristy decides to become a Grote (goth) to get to know them better when she’s paired with one in lab, while Eugene lies to a college girl by saying he’s also in college.

 

“Big Brother Blues” (11/20/99) – Michael and Silk sign up for the big brother program and discover the mother of the boy they get is a racist.

 

“Finals Fury” (11/27/99) – At the state finals, Kristy gets jealous when she learns girls were at the fraternity party Antonio attended while a guy in the stands heckles Michael.

 

“The Upset” (12/4/99) – The team gets overconfident when they find out they’re playing the worst in the league while Kristy and Mary Beth get humiliated trying to reconcile for teasing an old classmate.

 

“Fighting for Your Dreams” (1/8/00) – An injury forces Antonio to decline a scholarship to the University of Kentucky.

 

“My Family” (3/11/00) – Coach doesn’t know his visiting teenaged daughter is a mother while the guys try to sell pagers to raise money for a ski trip.

 

Season 6:

“www.eugene.trouble.com” (9/23/00) – Eugene gets involved with online gambling and Mary Beth takes Kristy’s place at a school interview when a dental problem leaves her unable to speak.

 

“That ‘60s Show” (9/30/00) – A popular teacher gets fired after telling the students to rebel against the school’s new dress code, which ends up overturned anyway.

 

“The Gospel According to Silk” (10/7/00) – Silk loses his faith when his aunt dies, and Mary Beth and Coach are the last two competitors to win a new car.

 

“The Enforcer” (10/14/00) – Coach telling Julie to toughen up causes her to injure a player destined for the NBA and lose her confidence.

 

“Have No Fear” (10/21/00) – Silk gets a basketball scholarship from Temple University but worries he won’t be able to maintain his grades.

 

“At the Movies” (10/28/00) – Kristy and Antonio enjoy being co-workers at the theater until a promotion becomes available.

 

“Life 101” (11/4/00) – Hammer drops out of Duke to join Mary Beth and Kristy at UCLA, but when he isn’t accepted Mary Beth must choose between him and Kristy.

 

“Secrets and Lies” (11/11/00) – While working on an article, Mary Beth meets a guy who seems nice until he ends up trying to rape her.

 

“For the Love of the Game” (11/18/00) – With an undefeated season on the line, Coach tries to remind the team how to play for fun to keep their mind off their fear of losing.

 

“A Night to Remember” (12/2/00) – Prom night ends up being a series of disasters, topped off by a tornado hitting the area.

 

“High School Confidential” (12/9/00) – Mary Beth and Kristy interview the team about their best and worst moments.

 

“Graduation on Three” (12/16/00) – As everyone prepares to graduate, Kristy is worried that they’ll all lose touch when they go their own ways.

GEORGE FOREMAN DEAD AT 76

 

You can read the full story here.

He played George Fisticuff, a parody of himself, in an episode of Garfield and Friends.

DAVID STEVEN COHEN DEAD AT 58

 

You can read the full story here.

He wrote for ALF Tales (also serving as story editor), Pee-wee’s Playhouse, Tiny Toon Adventures and Kenny the Shark.

NBA INSIDE STUFF

 

NBA INSIDE STUFF
(NBC, ABC, October 27, 1990-January 15, 2006
NBA TV November 2, 2013-February 27, 2016)
 
NBA Entertainment Inc.

  

MAIN CAST:
Ahmad Rashad – Host (1990-2006)
Julie Moran – Host (1990-91)
Willow Bay – Host (1991-98)
Summer Sanders – Host (1998-2006)
Grant Hill – Host (2013-16)
Kristen Ledlow – Host (2013-16)
Shaquille O’Neal – Substitute host (2013-16)

  

NBA Inside Stuff was a sports magazine-style show designed to target teenaged viewers and give them unprecedented access to players within the National Basketball Association (NBA). Not just showcasing their performance on the court, but who they were off the court as well.

The 1954 NBA Finals with the Minneapolis Lakers vs. the Syracuse Nationals.

          The NBA had a long history with television networks; beginning with their 8^th season in 1953 airing on the short-lived DuMont Network. However, the lack of supporting television stations led to their switching to NBC the following year. In 1962, the league moved to Sports Network Incorporated (later the Hughes Television Network), then to ABC in 1965 and CBS in 1973. The league would also journey into cable during this time; airing at various intervals on USA Network, ESPN, Turner Sports, TBS and TNT.

Michael Jordan after he was drafted to the Chicago Bulls in 1984.

            Unfortunately, the league was languishing in a ratings slump through the 70s and early 80s. This dark period in the league’s history was also known as the “tape delay playoff era”, as CBS chose to tape-delay game broadcasts in late night timeslots so as not to preempt programming with higher ratings. That began to change in 1984, when lawyer and executive David Stern became the new commissioner of the NBA. He shifted the focus from the teams as a whole to its star players, such as Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, who preceded his tenure, and Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley, who were in the 1984 NBA draft after he took office. He oversaw the expansion of league broadcasts outside of the United States, allowed players to participate in international tournaments leading to the creation of the 1992 U.S. Olympic team (aka the “Dream Team”), expanded the league into Canada, and admitted seven new franchises to bring the number of teams up to 30 by 2004.

            In 1990, NBC reacquired the broadcasting rights from CBS. Along with broadcasting the games, Stern wanted to have a show that the league was in complete control of on the network. He worked with Dick Ebersol, then-President of NBC Sports, to craft a show that would go beyond the games and connect with younger fans to capture that audience. NBA Entertainment, the marketing and production arm of the league, produced a pilot for what would become NBA Inside Stuff and presented it to the network. The series was greenlit, and was placed at the end of the network’s Saturday morning programming where it could serve as a transition into their sports programming.

Ahmad Rashad during his days with the Vikings.

            Stern personally chose former National Football League player Ahmad Rashad about hosting the new program, having met him through sportscaster Howard Cosell. Rashad had played football from 1972-83, ending his career with the Minnesota Vikings. While playing for them, he worked part time as a reporter for the CBS affiliate in Minneapolis. After his retirement, he joined NBC Sports as a studio anchor and game reporter. As part of a promotional stunt to advertise the show, Rashad and Stern concocted the plan to have him actually join and play for an NBA team for a brief time.

            Rashad, then 40-years-old, signed a two-day contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. He practiced with the team and was allowed to play in an NBA preseason game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the newly-built Target Center. Rashad scored the first and only points of his career, and the 76ers went on to win the game 102-96. Rashad announced his retirement from the game during a post-game interview, giving him technically a perfect career scoring record.

Rashad and Willow Bay on the Inside Stuff set.

            NBA Inside Stuff debuted on NBC on October 27, 1990. Rashad not only hosted, but served as an executive producer and managing editor giving him unprecedented creative control over the show. For the first year, he was joined by journalist and sportscaster Julie Moran as co-host before she left to join ABC Sports Network (now ESPN on ABC). She was replaced by journalist and former model Willow Bay for the next seven years. After leaving to become an anchor for CNN, she was replaced by Olympic champion and reporter Summer Sanders, who also served as a sideline reporter for the WNBA and feature correspondent for NBA on NBC. To not only have a Black man in so many prominent roles on a network show but also a woman on visibly equal footing was groundbreaking for the time.
Each episode had three recurring segments: “Last Night” recapped the games that aired the night before their broadcast; “Rewind” showcased top game highlights, antics such as mascots dunking off of trampolines, and news like player drafts and management changes that occurred over the past week’s games; and “Jam Session” showcased the biggest slam dunks from the week. Much of the program was infused with the hottest music at the time and a few golden classics to help make the series more appealing to their younger viewers as well as embrace the growing hip-hop movement. While they did work off scripts, Rashad opted to have a spontaneous feel to the program by refusing to edit out any line flubs and by engaging in banter with his co-stars.

Jamal Mashburn gives healthy eating tips to Summer Sanders.

            However, the truly unique aspect of Inside Stuff was the equal focus on the lives of the players off the court. NBA Entertainment sought to showcase the players while building a collaborative working relationship built on unprecedented access and the trust that came with that. This allowed fans a greater chance to connect with them than any other show before it. Along with showcasing their interests, talents and activities, Rashad or his co-host would engage in one-on-one casual interviews (or “conversations”, as Rashad would put it). In keeping with the fun and spontaneity Rashad envisioned for the show, that sometimes included participating in the players’ daily routines, following them around for the day, visiting their homes and where they grew up, or just allowing the players a chance to play correspondent for the show. Inside Stuff also took part in the 1994 marketing campaign surrounding actor Bill Murray desiring to join the NBA. It was treated as an actual event by Inside Stuff, with Rashad involved in asking Murray questions during his mock press conference. However, this playful approach didn’t mean they shied away from serious topics; such as Magic Johnson revealing his HIV diagnosis, Rick Fox talking about his attention deficit disorder, or how Dražen Petrović’s relationships suffered due to the wars in his native Yugoslavia. Inside Stuff became a safe forum for players to open up, strengthening the relationship between them and the league.

Rashad palling around with Michael Jordan.

            Much of that access was possible thanks to the friendships Rashad had with many of the players, as well as the relationships Leah Wilcox, Vice President of Player and Talent Relations, had forged with every major star in the NBA. Wilcox would also secure celebrity cameos--such as crooner Tony Bennett, actress Mayim Bialik, supermodel Cindy Crawford, actor Ben Stiller, baseball player Mo Vaughn, rapper and actor L.L. Cool J, comedian Rodney Dangerfield, actor Robert Townsend or singer Pink--to deliver the line “Now, that’s the Inside Stuff!” (or some variation thereof) leading into the first commercial break.

A 1996 issue of the magazine.

Inside Stuff’s formula proved to be a success. The series drew in their young audience and turned many of them into basketball fans. Additionally, it was done in such a way that even older viewers could enjoy it. Players, initially apprehensive about the level of access Inside Stuff was getting into their lives, started clamoring for their turn to be spotlighted on the show. Rashad also utilized the show to slip some educational moments in between kids’ love of the game; particularly with his involvement in the “Stay in School” campaign during All-Star Weekends. In 1992, the series was supplemented with a magazine that tried to capture the vibe of the show and expand upon its content.

            Unfortunately, that success would not last. NBC decided not to renew their contract with the NBA after 2002. ABC picked it up and moved all of the NBA’s content—including Inside Stuff—over to their network; with reruns airing on both ESPN and the league’s own NBA TV. Although their placement on ABC’s schedule was comparable to NBC’s, the problem was that ABC’s Saturday morning line-up wasn’t geared towards the same audience as NBC’s. That meant that most of Inside Stuff’s audience didn’t follow the show over to its new home, nor did it attract the same kind of following as they had before. Ratings suffered as a result. To try and combat this, ABC moved Inside Stuff to their Sunday morning schedule in 2003 where it would lead into the network’s regular sports programming. Rashad attempted to punch up the show with “more documentary-like pieces, behind the scenes looks at stuff like what goes on during an NBA training camp”, as well as deeper profiles into the players by following them around for a week or more.

            Inside Stuff ultimately never recovered its ratings and was cancelled, last airing in January of 2006 after just over 3 years on the network. Rashad, however, would go on to host its replacement, the similar NBA Access with Ahmad Rashad, while reruns of Inside Stuff aired on NBA TV. But the NBA wasn’t done with Inside Stuff yet. Two years after Rashad’s new show ended, it was decided to bring Inside Stuff back in 2013 as an NBA TV original. This time around, the show would be hosted by professional basketball player Grant Hill, who had just retired after 19 seasons of playing. He was joined by sports anchor Kristen Ledlow on hosting duties. While familiar segments like “Rewind” and “Jam Session” returned, the revival series integrated social media participation whenever possible and made us of various NBA Digital platforms.

            Serving as an occasional fill-in host for the revival was player-turned-actor, entrepreneur, pitchman and sports analyst Shaquille “Shaq” O’Neal; who himself had retired after 19 seasons in 2011. Shaq’s involvement with Inside Stuff was very much a full-circle moment, as he had appeared on the original show shortly before the beginning of his professional career in 1992. A friendly bout of one-on-one between Shaq and Rashad led to Shaq shattering the glass backboard while doing a slam dunk and landing on his back. After ensuring Shaq was okay, Rashad kept the cameras rolling and quipped “That all you got?” The footage made it onto NBC Nightly News before it quickly spread around the world, becoming the NBA’s first viral moment long before there was such a thing. Shaq had also made additional appearances on the show during his career.
            

Grant Hill and Kristen Ledlow on the new set for Inside Stuff.

The new NBA Inside Stuff debuted on November 2, 2013 and ran until February of 2016. A large part of the series’ original main selling point—getting inside the lives of NBA players—was undone by the rise of social media. Players could now give fans that on their own through their personal or professional accounts and the NBA could take them behind the scenes as well with their own platforms, making Inside Stuff a bit redundant. Not to mention highlights from games could be uploaded online instantly, taking away the recap element the series also offered with “Rewind” and “Jam Session”. The NBA’s website continues to host various episodes of Inside Stuff, while fans have uploaded recordings to YouTube.

The Inside Stuff reunion.

            In the decades since, Inside Stuff remains an important piece of NBA history, helping to further elevate the sport and turn on new fans to it. It’s fondly remembered by those who watched and participated during its initial run, and has influenced sports programs that followed; moving them away from stuffy matter-of-fact news-like storytelling to energetic fun. In 2020, Rashad hosted an online reunion special that aired across the NBA’s social media accounts prior to the two-episode series finale of the ESPN docuseries The Last Dance. In attendance were Bay, Hill, Shaq, Charles Barkley, Muggsy Bogues, Dell Curry, Clyde Drexler, Patrick Ewing, Tim Hardaway, Ron Harper, Robert Horry, Shawn Kemp, Karl Malone, Reggie Miller, Dikembe Mutombo, Gary Payton, Glen Rice, Mitch Richmond, David Robinson, Detlef Schrempf, John Stockton and Dominique Wilkins. In 2025, it was reported that the NBA was seeking to renew the Inside Stuff trademark just as games are set to return to NBC.