1st & Ten (1984 TV series)

Television series the 1984 HBO comedy series the 2003 ESPN sports talk program 1st and 10 (2003 TV series) other uses 1st & Ten (disambiguation) August 2026 March 2025 1st & Ten pic.jpeg Comedy Sports 25 minutes Carl Kleinschmitt Delta Burke O. J. Simpson Shannon Tweed John Matuszak Jason Beghe Geoffrey Scott Keith Amos Paul Tuerpe Prince Hughes Shanna Reed Reid Shelton Donald Gibb Keith Amos United States Donald Kushner Peter Locke HBO The Kushner-Locke Company Single-camera 1984 12 02 1991 01 23 80 6 1st & Ten is an American sitcom that aired between December 1984 and January 1991 on the cable television network HBO. Featuring series regulars Delta Burke and veteran Reid Shelton, it was one of cable's first attempts to lure the lucrative sitcom audience away from the then-dominant "Big Three" broadcast television networks, by taking advantage of their freedom to include occasional profanity and nudity. Plot The sports-themed series follows the on-and off-field antics of the fictional American football team, the California Bulls.http://www.misterhabs.com/TV_movie.htm Television & Film Helmets Misterhabs.com 2011-08-12 https://web.archive.org/web/20110716140324/http://www.misterhabs.com/TV_movie.htm 16 July 2011 livehttp://mghelmets.com/movies.html Movie/TV helmets Mghelmets.com 2011-08-12 https://web.archive.org/web/20110714081535/http://mghelmets.com/movies.html 14 July 2011 dead The team changed owners throughout the series' history, with the premise that a woman is in charge. During the first season Diane Barrow (Delta Burke) becomes the owner of her ex-husband's team as part of a divorce settlement, after he has an affair with the team's tight end. She quickly learns the ups and downs of pro football. In one episode, she is forced to coach the team herself after the head coach, Ernie Denardo, is placed in the hospital. She also has constant battles with her General Manager/husband's nephew, who has dealings with the local mob, and fights off advances made by her quarterback (played by Geoffrey Scott). The second season dealt with two themes: training camp and the playoffs. Barrow was dealing with her players taking recreational drugs during training camp. During this season, O. J. Simpson joined the cast as T.D. Parker, a veteran running back who is forced to make the transition from player to coach. Two real-life football stars made cameo appearances: Marcus Allen portrayed a rookie who was taking over T.D.'s spot on the team, and Vince Ferragamo played "Mainstreet" Manneti, a veteran quarterback. Jason Beghe joined the cast to play Tom Yinessa, a walk-on quarterback who deals with his overnight celebrity. Delta Burke left the show midway through the third season, after committing herself exclusively to CBS' Designing Women, which she had begun starring on in 1986, and which was renewed. Diane loses control of the Bulls to Teddy Schraeder, her former lover, who manipulates everyone to his own ends. His antics include having T.D. fire Ernie as coach, letting Yinessa practice without a contract, and ignoring steroid use. Legal issues force him to leave the country and turn control over to his daughter, played by Leah Ayres. Season 4 was briefly renamed 1st and Ten: The Bulls Mean Business. Shanna Reed joins the cast as the team's new female president, representing the new owners, the Dodds Corporation. Her attempts to innovate include bringing a female soccer player in to kick, and signing an Olympic sprinter as wide receiver. Joe Namath has a cameo appearance. Shannon Tweed would replace her in Season 5, and remain with the show to the end. The show was renamed 1st and Ten: Do it Again for the fifth season. The final season was 1st and Ten: In Your Face. Series themes The Bulls somehow manage to make it to the championship football game, yet lose in a controversial, heartbreaking manner. Mad Dog and Dr. Death haze the rookies and rally the defense. Bubba and Jethro help each other with their various (often sex-related) mishaps. Bubba's voracious appetite is also a running gag The volatile ownership position of the franchise. Controversial aspects of professional sports in the late 1980s: steroids, the instant replay, women in the locker room, the role of free agency, multi-sport stars, endorsements. Game footage Footage was used from USFL's Los Angeles Express. During simulated game shots, the Bulls football helmet has a decal of horns on the side. When the show uses actual game footage, you can clearly see the letters "L" and "A" on the helmets side, representing the L.A. Express. The Bulls quarterbacks wore #14 to match the actual game footage of L.A. Express real-life quarterback Tom Ramsey. Many generic shots of USFL stadiums were used to depict where the Bulls were playing. As the series went on, aerial shots were used of Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to represent the Bulls home stadium. Game footage from the USFL stopped midway through the third season, as scripted football plays were being used instead, and the USFL had ceased operations by that point. At one point, Denardo suggests trading for a running back. He mentions the Bulls from "that other league." He was talking about the Jacksonville Bulls from the United States Football League. Characters Only Donald Gibb, Cliff Frazier, Prince Hughes and Reid Shelton appeared in all six seasons. John Kassir and O.J. Simpson joined the cast the second season and stayed till the show's end. Main Delta Burke as Diane Barrow (seasons 1–3) Jason Beghe as Tom Yinessa Cliff Frazier as Jethro Snell Donald Gibb as Leslie "Dr. Death" Krunchner Prince Hughes as Buford "Bubba" Kincaid Stan Kamber as Coach Grier Shannon Tweed as Kristy Fulbright John Kassir as Zagreb Shkenusky Tommy 'Tiny' Lister as Otis Tony Longo as Mad Dog Smears Michael Toland as Billy Cooper O. J. Simpson as T.D. Parker Leah Ayres as Jill Schrader Keith Amos as Miracle Miles Coolidge Guest stars Mariann Aalda as Ellen Robert Costanzo as Jake Alexa Hamilton as Kay J. C. Quinn as Red Griswald Liam Sullivan as Doctor Special Guest Star Roy Thinnes as Teddy Schrader Mark Lonow as Max Green John Matuszak as John Manzak Keith Amos as "Miracle Miles" Coolidge Reid Shelton as Coach Ernie Denardo Gail: Shanna Reed Dr. Doc Phillips: Jim Antonio Johnny Valentine: Sam J. Jones Elvin Putts: Jeff Hochendoner Jamie Waldren: Jeff Kaake Mac Daniels: Jay Kerr Roger Barrow: Clayton Landey Rona Gold: Ruta Lee Deacon: John Benjamin Martin Johnny Gunn: Christopher Meloni Carl Witherspoon: Sam Scarber Bob Dorsey: Geoffrey Scott Police officer: Ron Shipp Joe "Mainstreet" Manneti: Vince Ferragamo 'Tombstone' Packer: Lawrence Taylor Mace Petty: Marshall R. Teague Rick Lambert: Marcus Allen Billy Cooper: Michael Toland Bulls lineman: Arthur Avant Bulls wide receiver: A. J. DiSpirito Episodes Season 1: 1984–85 1 1 By the Bulls Rod Daniel Carl Kleinschmitt 1984 12 2 2 2 The Opener Bruce Seth Green Nick Arnold 1984 12 2 3 3 All Roads Lead to Dayton Bruce Seth Green Nick Arnold 1984 12 9 4 4 The Slump Bruce Seth Green Nick Arnold 1984 12 16 5 5 Play Me or Trade Me Bruce Seth Green Eric Cohen 1984 12 23 6 6 You Are Who You Eat Bruce Seth Green Nick Arnold 1984 12 30 7 7 Uneasy Lies the Head Bruce Seth Green George Yanok 1985 1 6 8 8 The Sins of the Quarterback Bruce Seth Green Gary H. Miller 1985 1 13 9 9 I Only Read Defenses Bruce Seth Green George Tricker & Neil Rosen 1985 1 20 10 10 Wine Time Bruce Seth Green Hank Bradford & Eric Cohen 1985 1 27 11 11 Rona's Fling Bruce Seth Green Eric Cohen 1985 2 3 12 12 Not Quite Mr. Right Bruce Seth Green Eric Cohen 1985 2 10 13 13 Super Bull Sunday Bruce Seth Green Eric Cohen 1985 2 17 Season 2 (The Championship, 1986–87) 14 1 The Rookies Bruce Seth Green Maxwell Pitt & Gary H. Miller 1986 8 25 15 2 The Veterans Bruce Seth Green Maxwell Pitt & Gary H. Miller 1986 9 1 16 3 A Second Chance Bruce Seth Green Phil Mishkin 1986 9 8 17 4 Quarterbacks Tell No Tales Bruce Seth Green George Yanok & Gary H. Miller George Yanok 1986 9 15 18 5 California Freeze Out Bruce Seth Green Maxwell Pitt & Gary H. Miller Maxwell Pitt & Elizabeth A. Bardsley 1986 9 22 19 6 The Unkindest Cut Bruce Seth Green Maxwell Pitt & Gary H. Miller Maxwell Pitt & Elizabeth A. Bardsley 1986 9 29 20 7 Yinessa's Interview Burt Brinckerhoff Phil Mishkin & Gary H. Miller Phil Mishkin 1986 12 30 21 8 Easy Come, Easy Go Burt Brinckerhoff Richard Freiman & Gary H. Miller Richard Freiman 1987 1 6 22 9 A Family Affair Burt Brinckerhoff Lee H. Grant & Gary H Miller Lee H. Grant 1987 1 13 23 10 The Big One Burt Brinckerhoff Nick Arnold & Gary H. Miller Nick Arnold 1987 1 20 Season 3 (Going for Broke, 1987) 24 1 Ernie's Last Quarter Stan Lathan Gary H. Miller 1987 8 5 25 2 A Second Chance Once Removed Stan Lathan Phil Mishkin 1987 8 12 26 3 A Loaded Gun Stan Lathan Barry Rubinowitz 1987 8 19 27 4 The Comeback Trail Stan Lathan Kimmer Ringwald 1987 8 26 28 5 Illegal Use of Love Stan Lathan Phil Mishkin 1987 9 2 29 6 The Bulls Change Hands Stan Lathan Gary H. Miller 1987 9 9 30 7 Mutiny on the Bull Team Stan Lathan Gary H. Miller 1987 10 7 31 8 The Brink of Death Bruce Seth Green Jay Abramowitz & Zach Wechsler 1987 10 20 32 9 Call for the Hall Bruce Seth Green Barry Gurstein & David Pitlik 1987 11 4 33 10 Blood on Blood Bruce Seth Green Phil Mishkin 1987 11 27 34 11 Land of the Free (Agent) Bruce Seth Green Jay Abramowitz & Zach Wechsler 1987 12 2 35 12 Of Scalpers and Superstars Bruce Seth Green Gary H. Miller 1987 12 9 36 13 Championship Game Jinx Bruce Seth Green Gary H. Miller 1987 12 16 Season 4 (The Bulls Mean Business, 1988–89) 37 1 The Bulls Own Up Stan Lathan Gary H. Miller 1988 10 5 38 2 The Inmates Buy the Asylum Stan Lathan Kenneth R. Carlton 1988 10 12 39 3 Caught in the Draft Stan Lathan Zach Wechsler & Jay Abramowitz 1988 10 19 40 4 Down and Out in Bulls' Stadium Stan Lathan Barry Gurstein & David Pitlik 1988 10 26 41 5 …The Clock Runs Out Stan Lathan Barry Gurstein & David Pitlik 1988 11 2 42 6 The Dark Side Stan Lathan Danny Rivera 1988 11 9 43 7 Saturday, Bloody Saturday Stan Lathan Stephen Glantz 1988 11 16 44 8 Injustice for All Stan Lathan Gary H. Miller 1988 11 23 45 9 Team Picture Stan Lathan Kenneth R. Carlton 1988 11 30 46 10 Out of the Past Stan Lathan Jay Abramowitz 1988 12 7 47 11 Final Bow Stan Lathan Zach Wechsler 1988 12 14 48 12 Duty Calls Stan Lathan Farnsworth Gallagher 1988 12 21 49 13 The High and the Mighty Stan Lathan Farnsworth Gallagher 1988 12 28 50 14 The Irreducible Bottom Line Stan Lathan Marty Kurtz 1989 1 4 Season 5 (Do It Again, 1989–90) 51 1 The Book According to Zagreb Stan Lathan Maxwell Pitt 1989 10 11 52 2 The Con Stan Lathan Maxwell Pitt 1989 10 18 53 3 False Start Stan Lathan Tom O'Brien 1989 10 25 54 4 Mind Games Stan Lathan Bill Fuller & Jim Pond 1989 11 1 55 5 Love and Marriage Stan Lathan Scott Spencer Gorden 1989 11 8 56 6 Clean and Sober Stan Lathan Richard Marcus 1989 11 15 57 7 Blood Money Stan Lathan Maxwell Pitt 1989 11 22 58 8 Vindication Stan Lathan Daniel Finneran 1989 12 6 59 9 Gunn and Bullette Stan Lathan David Ehrman 1989 12 13 60 10 Heaven Help Me Stan Lathan Maxwell Pitt 1989 12 20 61 11 Surprise, Surprise Stan Lathan W. Reed Moran & Grant Moran and Maxwell Pitt 1989 12 27 62 12 All's Fair in Love and Football Ethan Lathan Scott Spencer Gorden 1990 1 10 63 13 Earn This One for Ernie Stan Lathan Richard Marcus 1990 1 17 64 14 Who Stole Johnny Gunn? Stan Lathan Maxwell Pitt 1990 1 24 Season 6 (1990–91) 65 1 Opening Night Peter Bonerz Bruce Kirschbaum 1990 10 3 66 2 Old Dogs... New Tricks Peter Bonerz Scott Spencer Gorden 1990 10 10 67 3 She's Ba-ack Peter Bonerz Richard Marcus 1990 10 17 68 4 Altared States Peter Bonerz David Ehrman 1990 10 24 69 5 Going in Style Peter Bonerz Maxwell Pitt 1990 10 31 70 6 Don't Powerburst My Bubble Peter Bonerz Tom O'Brien 1990 11 7 71 7 The Squeeze Peter Bonerz Jim Kearns 1990 11 14 72 8 Take My Wives... Please! Peter Bonerz Nick Arnold 1990 11 21 73 9 Bull Day Afternoon Peter Bonerz Bruce Kirschbaum 1990 11 28 74 10 Sex, Bulls and Videotape Peter Bonerz Larry Balmagia 1990 12 5 75 11 Irma Za-greb Peter Bonerz Richard Marcus 1990 12 12 76 12 If I Didn't Play Football Peter Bonerz Scott Spencer Gorden 1990 12 19 77 13 A Roast is a Roast Peter Bonerz Richard Marcus 1990 12 26 78 14 Close Encounters of the Third Down Peter Bonerz Scott Spencer Gorden 1991 1 9 79 15 Flashbacks Jonathan Debin Bruce Kirschbaum 1991 1 16 80 16 Championship Game Peter Bonerz Larry Balmagia 1991 1 23 Syndication and home media At the height of the O. J. Simpson murder case, the show made its way to syndicated reruns. The complete series was released on DVD on January 24, 2006. The original HBO versions ran for 30 minutes, while the edited-for-syndication versions ran for 22 minutes, and had some dialog and scenes edited for content, as well as the addition of a laugh-track. The majority of episodes on the "Complete Collection" DVD are the syndicated versions.https://hbowatch.com/hbo-classics1st-ten/ HBO Classics: 1ST & TEN 12 November 2013 2018-10-26 2020-11-15 https://web.archive.org/web/20201115023016/https://hbowatch.com/hbo-classics1st-ten/ live The original opening credits showed former professional football player Fran Tarkenton introducing the players and the plot points at the beginning of each episode. Completely different closing credits were originally used, too. They showed credits rolling over scenes from the episode. In syndication, these were replaced with later opening credits featuring Miracle Miles Coolidge (even though he did not join the cast until the last season) and a generic "Copyright 1991" disclaimer on a blue background respectively. In popular culture Outtake promos for the "championship" season with OJ and Marcus Allen were featured in the 2016 Oscar-winning documentary OJ: Made in America.https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5275892/movieconnections/?tab=mc&ref_=tt_trv_cnn O.J.: Made in America (2016)-Connections-IMDB IMDb 2018-10-26 2020-11-15 https://web.archive.org/web/20201115023036/https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5275892/movieconnections/?tab=mc&ref_=tt_trv_cnn live https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086660/movieconnections?ref_=ttfc_ql_trv_6 1st & Ten: The Championship Season (TV Series 1984-1991)-Connections-IMDB IMDb 2018-10-26 2020-11-15 https://web.archive.org/web/20201115023038/https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086660/movieconnections?ref_=ttfc_ql_trv_6 live References External links 1st and Ten Category:1980s American single-camera sitcoms Category:1980s American sports television series Category:1984 American television series debuts Category:1984 English-language television series debuts Category:1990s American single-camera sitcoms Category:1990s American sports television series Category:1991 American television series endings Category:1991 English-language television series endings Category:English-language American television shows Category:American football television series Category:American sports comedy television series Category:HBO Shows (series) WITHOUT Episode info, list, or Article Category:HBO sitcoms Category:Television series by The Kushner-Locke Company Category:Television shows set in California