Three years after a feature film based on a novel by Dan Jenkins had been in theatres, someone got the idea to adapt Semi-Tough into a sitcom, ignorant of the fact that sitcoms built around sports usually have short shelf-lives (i.e. Bad News Bears, Ball Four).
The small screen Semi-Tough was no exception. In fact, if IMDB is to be believed, the cast was overhauled after four episodes! Sad to say, there is no Wikipedia entry for the show, just the movie, which starred Burt Reynolds, Kris Kristofferson, and Bert Convy.
The TV version started with Bruce McGill (ex-Delta House) and David Hasselhoff (The Young & The Restless) in the roles originated by Kristofferson & Reynolds, respectively. Erstwhile game show host Jim McKrell (ex-Celebrity Sweepstakes) was one of the few, if not the only one, who crossed over from the movie, which was one of his first acting jobs after Sweepstakes ended its NBC run in 1976. Ed Peck, a recurring antagonist on Happy Days, and Markie Post, in one of her first acting roles, were in the supporting cast.
After a month, McGill & Hasselhoff were gone. Douglas Barr, who'd later work with Post on The Fall Guy opposite Lee Majors, replaced McGill. Per IMDB, it was a quick fix that went nowhere, as ABC cancelled the show after that one week.
Didn't see the movie or the show, so there won't be a rating. Gilmore Box serves up the intro, when McGill & Hasselhoff were the stars:
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