Sons of Thunder
Encyclopedia
Sons of Thunder is a television
show that ran from March to April 1999
on CBS
. It was a spin-off
of Walker, Texas Ranger
.
sergeant and a protégé of Walker.
When Rev. Thunder Malloy, a close friend of Walker, dies from a heart attack, his son Trent returns home and, eventually, quits the Army to stay. Walker and his partner Trivette go after a serial cop killer who has Carlos on his list, which Trent ends up getting involved in by accident when he saved Carlos' life and later helped Walker and Carlos take down the criminal.
dojo
as well as a protection agency to either help people who are too scared to go to the police or who the police can't help. Sometimes he has Carlos assist him in some of his cases and at other times they help Walker on several of his cases, which often involve personal issues, or Trent turns over his current case
. He teams up with Trent to find the assassin and they later decide to form their own private investigation firm called Thunder Investigation.
of the previous two seasons. Producers Chuck
and Aaron Norris
assumed that the show would be given a season's full of episodes to try and make it on to the CBS line-up. But CBS passed on the show citing budget concerns.
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
show that ran from March to April 1999
1999 in television
The year 1999 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1999.For the American TV schedule, see: 1999-00 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-Miniseries:...
on CBS
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...
. It was a spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
of Walker, Texas Ranger
Walker, Texas Ranger
Walker, Texas Ranger is an American television action crime drama series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis, and starring Chuck Norris as a member of the Texas Ranger Division. The show aired on CBS in the spring of 1993, with the first season consisting of three pilot episodes. Eight full...
.
Pilot
The two-hour pilot, Sons of Thunder, was shown as episode 4.24 of Walker. This episode introduced the characters of childhood friends Carlos Sandoval, a Dallas PD Detective, and Trent Malloy, an ArmyArmy
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
sergeant and a protégé of Walker.
When Rev. Thunder Malloy, a close friend of Walker, dies from a heart attack, his son Trent returns home and, eventually, quits the Army to stay. Walker and his partner Trivette go after a serial cop killer who has Carlos on his list, which Trent ends up getting involved in by accident when he saved Carlos' life and later helped Walker and Carlos take down the criminal.
Seasons 5 and 6 of Walker
During Seasons 5 and 6 of Walker, Carlos and Trent appeared on 16 episodes (one of these episodes included a Hayes Cooper story in which both actors appeared in a dual role). During these episodes, Trent opens his own martial artsMartial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
dojo
Dojo
A is a Japanese term which literally means "place of the way". Initially, dōjōs were adjunct to temples. The term can refer to a formal training place for any of the Japanese do arts but typically it is considered the formal gathering place for students of any Japanese martial arts style to...
as well as a protection agency to either help people who are too scared to go to the police or who the police can't help. Sometimes he has Carlos assist him in some of his cases and at other times they help Walker on several of his cases, which often involve personal issues, or Trent turns over his current case
The spin-off series
Finally, in 1999, they got their own spin-off series, which only lasted six episodes. Carlos resigns from the PD after his partner is murdered by a serial killerSerial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
. He teams up with Trent to find the assassin and they later decide to form their own private investigation firm called Thunder Investigation.
Cancellation
Why Sons of Thunder was not picked up for the fall 1999 CBS line-up was perplexing to many involved with the show. While replacing Walker, Texas Ranger (which was on hiatus) in the 8 o'clock Saturday night time slot, the show beat Walkers ratingsNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
of the previous two seasons. Producers Chuck
Chuck Norris
Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris is an American martial artist and actor. After serving in the United States Air Force, he began his rise to fame as a martial artist and has since founded his own school, Chun Kuk Do...
and Aaron Norris
Aaron Norris
Aaron Norris is an American film producer, director, and actor.-Personal information:Norris, who is of Irish descent, is the younger brother of Chuck Norris. During the Vietnam war, both Aaron and his older brother Wieland Clyde Norris enlisted in the United States Army...
assumed that the show would be given a season's full of episodes to try and make it on to the CBS line-up. But CBS passed on the show citing budget concerns.
Cast
- Trent Malloy - James WlcekJames WlcekJames 'Jimmy' Wlcek is an American actor born in New York.He began his acting career in 1986 with an episode of Tales from the Darkside. In 1987, he auditioned for a part on All My Children; however he did not get the part because he was not old enough...
- Carlos Sandoval - Marco SanchezMarco Sanchez-Life and career:The son of Cuban immigrants, and the youngest of 4 siblings, Marco Sanchez was raised in Palm Desert, California. Having studied theater throughout junior high and high school, he entered the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television in 1988. In the summer of 1989, he studied...
- Kim Sutter - Dawn MaxeyDawn MaxeyDawn Maxey an American actress, known for her side starring roles in several 1990s movies.-Early life and beginning career:Maxey was born in Cleveland, Ohio. She attended Ohio University...
- Butch McMann - Alan AutryAlan AutryCarlos Alan Autry is an American actor, politician, and former National Football League football player. He is best known for his role as Captain Bubba Skinner on the television series In the Heat of the Night; he also has been in numerous movies and other television shows...
- Tommy Malloy - Shane MeierShane MeierShane Meier is a Canadian actor who is probably most notable for playing the title role in The Matthew Shepard Story, a TV movie about the life and murder of Matthew Shepard....