Tenspeed and Brown Shoe
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| Fandom | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Tenspeed and Brown Shoe |
| Abbreviation(s): | |
| Creator: | |
| Date(s): | 1980 |
| Medium: | tv |
| Country of Origin: | USA |
| External Links: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Tenspeed and Brown Shoe was an American detective comedy series television show that aired in 1980. There were thirteen episodes.
Short Canon Description
From For Those Who Came in Late #1:
Proof that it's better to burn out than it is to rust, Tenspeed and Brown Shoe appeared in a blaze of ABC hype at the beginning of 1980, cutting a path through the Nielsen top ten, then disappearing almost immediately as the network repeatedly pre-empted it, then moved it to the Friday-at-ten death slot. But it was, as they say, fun while it lasted.In the first episode, Lionel Whitney, stockbroker, was set to marry the boss's daughter and settle down in University Park — until E.L. "Tenspeed" Turner, a fast-talking, fast-moving con artist, switched Lionel's luggage for a valise filled with stolen Mob money. This set in motion a series of misadventures involving Hitler's doctor, a lounge singer, the Paraguayan track team, various chases, and an explosive wedding rehearsal, which ultimately land the pair in jail. The wedding, needless to say, was off, to the increasingly discontented Lionel's relief. This being television — and Lionel being a fan of hard-boiled detective fiction — they decide to combine E.L.'s flair for disguise and fast talk with Lionel's black belt in karate, and become private detectives.
Subsequent episodes detail their various cases and Lionel's futile attempts to keep his partner on the straight and narrow, all under a barrage of squealing tires, half-crazed criminals, failed romances (Lionel had "sucker" tattooed on his forehead in letters visible to any woman within a 10-mile radius), financial instability, and the snappiest dialogue television would see until the heyday of Moonlighting five years later. While there was no overall storyline as such, as things progressed we were given various glimpses of the partners' families and backgrounds (always bearing in mind that E.L.'s accounts of his past vary greatly from one moment to the next) and saw their relationship progress from fragile truce to...well, a slightly less fragile truce.
Fan Comments
1980
Anybody watching TENSPEED and BROWNSHOE??? I keep asking my self, what is it that attracts me to Jewish actors playing semi-schmucks? (Who invariably guest-shot on other favorite shows, giving out lines like "Here comes McCoy now" to blond blintzes. [1]) Lionel Whitney, with his "Savage Says" has me hooked after the pilot and one episode!... What's confusing is why ABC would pick up two shows with "similar" themes, at approximately the same time, and whose quality differ so radically. (Seems to me like they must draw these ideas from a hat or something as logical.) There seems to be that certain chemistry between the actors (and let s face it. Ben Vereen is a joy to behold in any role), which I'm sure will remind you of certain other teams/partnerships in TV and motion picture history. I just hope the network won't let Archie Bunker bump them off the air. [2]
I've been watching another new show which looks very promising — TENSPEED & BROWNSHOE, It's nothing like S&H — much more humorous, and the characters are totally different. But they seem to be developing the same sort of camaraderie, and the show is, for TV, In credibly well written the premiere episode was bright, witty, well-paced, well-plotted, unusual. Interesting — in other words, practically unique on TV. The second episode wasn't quite as good, but was still excellent. The one spot where they might run in to trouble is in over-use of certain character quirks ... like Lionel's infatuation with sleazy detective novels.[4]
TENSPEED AND BROWNSHOE is fantastic! I love it because it's one of the few creative Ideas the networks have been able to crank out 1n the past year. This has been a real zero year for decent tv shows. [5]
Hopping through the letters, I'm pleased that so many people have caught on to TENSPEED & BROWNSHOE... it's amazing that ABC hasn't been deafened by the sound of people falling for that show. It's ABC's only hit of this year, and It's doing great. Pilot was #8, and the subsequent episodes have placed #14 and #8 in the Neilsens, which makes it the only new show of 1979-80 to make the top 10 in the composite Neilsens. I was bemused to find a show to collect on so soon after S&H...not because it offends my loyalty — I'm delighted to find another relationship show — but because of the cost in VTR tapes.[6]
Ah, TENSPEED AND BROWNSHOE. I am definitely in love again! I'm already at the point where I'm very upset If I miss it, (thank Ghu for VCRs!) and am busily collecting photos off the TV so I'll be all ready to do illustrations when someone writes a story about them. Anyonestarted one yet? I'm certainly glad it's doing well in the ratings — all too many good shows die within the first season or less. [7]
Fandom
A fan wrote of the story, "It's Who Do We Trust Time" in Syndizine #2, " ":
... if the series had been like that, it might still be on. [8]
Zines
- Savage Says
- Syndizine #2
- various issues of The Cannell Files
References
- ^ This is a reference to the Starsky & Hutch episode, "Murder on Stage 17" which co-starred Jeff Goldblum.
- ^ from S and H #8 (March 1980)
- ^ from S and H #8 (March 1980)
- ^ from S and H #8 (March 1980)
- ^ from S and H #9 (April 1980)
- ^ from S and H #9 (April 1980)
- ^ from S and H #10 (May 1980)
- ^ from an LoC in Syndizine #3