What Might've Been: Foul Play (1981)

The actors & writers' strikes of 2023 has had an effect on this season's primetime schedule, but it's nothing new.

Similarly, the 1980-1 season was also delayed, forcing the networks to scramble to fill programming. 

In fairness, that might've been why a TV version of the 1978 comedy adventure movie, "Foul Play", was left ignored by viewers.

Co-executive producer Thomas Miller (Happy Days, Mork & Mindy, Laverne & Shirley, etc.) had that same gig with this 1 hour drama, which had only 5 episodes air before the plug was pulled in March 1981, only for those same 5 to be replayed in August.

Barry Bostwick stepped into Chevy Chase's gumshoes, with Deborah Raffin filling Goldie Hawn's role as the dutiful girlfriend. That Foul Play aired at 10 pm (ET) meant ye scribe wasn't watching, as I was usually in bed by that point, with school the next morning.

Following is a sample episode, "Play it Again, Tuck", as seen on TV Land, with William Windom, the Rice twins (Greg & John), and Mary Jo Catlett.

No rating.