Co-Ed Fever
Encyclopedia
Co-Ed Fever is an American sitcom that aired on CBS
in 1979. The series attempted to capitalize on the success of the motion picture National Lampoon's Animal House
. It was the third of three "frat house" comedy series to air in early 1979 (the others were ABC
's Delta House and NBC
's Brothers and Sisters
). CBS cancelled Co-Ed Fever after only one episode, and all three series were off the air by the end of April 1979. The series was so low rated it never made it to it's regular time slot, Monday night, instead it aired as a 'special preview' the night before.
In 2002, Co-Ed Fever ranked number 32 on TV Guide
s 50 Worst Shows of All Time list.
on the campus of Baxter College, a formerly all-female college that had just started to admit male students
.(12 January 1979). College fun big success in Hollywood], Montreal Gazette (UPI story) Co-Ed Fever starred Heather Thomas
(The Fall Guy, Zapped!) (as Sandi), Alexa Kenin
(Maria a.k.a. "Mousie"), Cathryn O'Neil (Elizabeth), Tracey Phillips (Hope), and Jillian Kesner (Melba) as residents of Brewster House, who are joined by David Keith
(Tucker Davis), Christopher S. Nelson (Doug), and Michael Pasternak (Gobo). Jane Rose played the "spaced-out" housemother Mrs. Selby; Hamilton Camp
was Mr. Peabody.
The pilot
episode was aired as a "special preview" at 10:30 pm(et) on February 4, immediately after the airing of the movie Rocky
; however, the series was canceled in the interim between this airing and the scheduled premiere date (February 19). Six episodes were completed, but only the pilot was broadcast in the United States
; however, all six were aired in Canada (on BCTV
in Vancouver
) in a late afternoon weekend timeslot. The Brewster House "set" was later reused as the girls' dormitory during the first season of The Facts of Life
which premiered during the summer of 1979.
Another new sitcom, Billy
, was scheduled on CBS in Co-Ed Fever's regular timeslot instead. By airing once, Co-Ed Fever at least fared better than Mr. Dugan
, another sitcom that CBS planned to air during the spring of 1979; the Norman Lear
-produced comedy about a black congressman never aired at all, due to complaints from real black congressmen.
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
in 1979. The series attempted to capitalize on the success of the motion picture National Lampoon's Animal House
National Lampoon's Animal House
National Lampoon's Animal House is a 1978 American comedy film directed by John Landis. The film was a direct spin-off of National Lampoon magazine...
. It was the third of three "frat house" comedy series to air in early 1979 (the others were ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's Delta House and NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Brothers and Sisters
Brothers and Sisters (1979 TV series)
Brothers and Sisters is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from January to April 1979. The series attempted to capitalize on the success of the 1978 motion picture National Lampoon's Animal House...
). CBS cancelled Co-Ed Fever after only one episode, and all three series were off the air by the end of April 1979. The series was so low rated it never made it to it's regular time slot, Monday night, instead it aired as a 'special preview' the night before.
In 2002, Co-Ed Fever ranked number 32 on TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
s 50 Worst Shows of All Time list.
Synopsis
The series was set in Brewster House, a dormDormitory
A dormitory, often shortened to dorm, in the United States is a residence hall consisting of sleeping quarters or entire buildings primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people, often boarding school, college or university students...
on the campus of Baxter College, a formerly all-female college that had just started to admit male students
Coeducation
Mixed-sex education, also known as coeducation or co-education, is the integrated education of male and female persons in the same institution. It is the opposite of single-sex education...
.(12 January 1979). College fun big success in Hollywood], Montreal Gazette (UPI story) Co-Ed Fever starred Heather Thomas
Heather Thomas
Heather Anne Thomas is an American actress, screenwriter, author and political activist, best known for her co-starring role as Jody Banks on the TV series The Fall Guy.-Early life:...
(The Fall Guy, Zapped!) (as Sandi), Alexa Kenin
Alexa Kenin
Alexa Kenin was an American actress known for her supporting roles in several films released during the 1980s, including Pretty in Pink, Little Darlings, and Honkytonk Man.-Career:...
(Maria a.k.a. "Mousie"), Cathryn O'Neil (Elizabeth), Tracey Phillips (Hope), and Jillian Kesner (Melba) as residents of Brewster House, who are joined by David Keith
David Keith
David Lemuel Keith is an American actor and director. He received Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actor and New Star of the Year – Actor for his performance in An Officer and a Gentleman.-Career:...
(Tucker Davis), Christopher S. Nelson (Doug), and Michael Pasternak (Gobo). Jane Rose played the "spaced-out" housemother Mrs. Selby; Hamilton Camp
Hamilton Camp
Hamilton Camp was an English-American singer, songwriter, actor and voice actor.-Early life:Camp was born in London, England, and was evacuated during World War II to the United States as a child with his mother and sister. He became a child actor in films and onstage...
was Mr. Peabody.
The pilot
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
episode was aired as a "special preview" at 10:30 pm(et) on February 4, immediately after the airing of the movie Rocky
Rocky
Rocky is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and both written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It tells the rags to riches American Dream story of Rocky Balboa, an uneducated but kind-hearted debt collector for a loan shark in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
; however, the series was canceled in the interim between this airing and the scheduled premiere date (February 19). Six episodes were completed, but only the pilot was broadcast in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
; however, all six were aired in Canada (on BCTV
CHAN-TV
CHAN-DT is a television station in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, broadcasting over-the-air on digital channel 22, and available via cable providers in the area on channel 11. Owned by Shaw Communications as a part of its Shaw Media division, it is the West Coast flagship station of the...
in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
) in a late afternoon weekend timeslot. The Brewster House "set" was later reused as the girls' dormitory during the first season of The Facts of Life
The Facts of Life (TV series)
The Facts of Life is an American sitcom that originally ran on the NBC television network from August 24, 1979 to May 7, 1988. A spin-off of the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes, the series' premise focused on Edna Garrett as she becomes a housemother at the fictional Eastland School, a prestigious...
which premiered during the summer of 1979.
Another new sitcom, Billy
Billy (1979 TV series)
Billy is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from February to April 1979. The series was based on Keith Waterhouse's 1960 British play Billy Liar.-Synopsis:...
, was scheduled on CBS in Co-Ed Fever's regular timeslot instead. By airing once, Co-Ed Fever at least fared better than Mr. Dugan
Mr. Dugan
Mr. Dugan is an American sitcom about a black Congressman that was scheduled to air in March 1979 on CBS, but never aired.-History:In early 1978, producer Norman Lear felt his long-running comedy Maude was getting stale, so he decided to enliven things by moving the show to Washington, D.C. and...
, another sitcom that CBS planned to air during the spring of 1979; the Norman Lear
Norman Lear
Norman Milton Lear is an American television writer and producer who produced such 1970s sitcoms as All in the Family, Sanford and Son, One Day at a Time, The Jeffersons, Good Times and Maude...
-produced comedy about a black congressman never aired at all, due to complaints from real black congressmen.
Episode list
| Episode # | Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot | February 4, 1979 |
| 2 | "Pepperoni Passion" | Unaired in the U.S.A |
| 3 | "Goodbye, Mrs. Selby" | Unaired in the U.S.A |
| 4 | "Mid-Term Panic" | Unaired in the U.S.A |
| 5 | "Disco Tuck" | Unaired in the U.S.A |
| 6 | "Double Exposure" | Unaired in the U.S.A |
External links
- Sitcoms online listing for Co-Ed Fever, including pictures and cast list
- YouTube video showing series promo and first few minutes of pilot