What Might've Been: Wildside (1985)

While I never saw Wildside, I was intrigued by the concept, which was, essentially, an Old West knock-off of NBC's A-Team. Unfortunately for Wildside, it was slotted by ABC opposite another hit NBC show---The Cosby Show. Enough said.

The plot was interesting all by itself. A reformed outlaw, now the governor of California, often had to call on his former comrades, now honest businessmen themselves, to fight crime in the small town they now called home. The cast included Howard Rollins (later of In The Heat of The Night), William Smith (ex-Laredo), pro wrestler Terry Funk, who'd cut his acting teeth in "Paradise Alley" with Sylvester Stallone, and future box office doll Meg Ryan (ex-As The World Turns). Jason Hervey, a couple of years before The Wonder Years, was also on the show, but you might not have noticed, since the series lasted just 5 weeks in the spring of 1985.

Long time ABC house announcer Ernie Anderson sets the stage......



J. Eddie Peck (Sutton) was hardly heard from after the series ended, but if the name's familiar, it's because his father, Ed Peck, was a frequent guest on Happy Days as a suburban sheriff often at odds with Fonzie. Post-series, Terry Funk went on to the then-World Wrestling Federation for his first tour of duty, then made a couple of movies--"Over the Top" with Stallone, and "Road House", with Patrick Swayze & Ben Gazzara. He's still fighting after all these years.

No rating.