The Fall Guy
Encyclopedia
The Fall Guy is an American action/adventure
television program produced for ABC
and originally broadcast from November 4, 1981 to May 2, 1986. It starred Lee Majors
, Douglas Barr
, and Heather Thomas
. Majors and Barr are the only two actors to appear in all 112 episodes of the series. Thomas appeared in every episode of the show except for one in the first season.
stunt man
who moonlights as a bounty hunter
. He uses his physical skills and knowledge of stunt effects (especially stunts involving cars or his large GMC pickup truck
) to capture fugitives and criminals. He is accompanied by his cousin and stuntman-in-training Howie Munson (Barr), whom Colt frequently calls "Kid", and occasionally by fellow stunt performer Jody Banks (Thomas).
Typically, an episode begins with a voice-over introduction from Seavers explaining the precarious life of a Hollywood stuntman, and how he, Colt, is unable to make a full-time living from stunt work and must moonlight as a bounty hunter. This is intercut with actual Hollywood stock footage, from various eras, of dangerous movie stunts, such as an exploding plane plunging straight into the ground, or a motorcycle jumping through a flaming hoop. After the voice-over introduction, the crew is seen performing a stunt for a film or TV series when Seavers is then assigned to finding, for example, a man who has skipped bail
. His case turns out to be more complicated than it first seemed. In the course of dealing with the villains, Seavers performs a stunt similar to the one shown at the beginning of the show. Colt's voice-over narration was dropped from the second series onward.
The series is known for its frequent cameos by Hollywood celebrities and the occasional in-joke referring to Majors' previous starring role in the series The Six Million Dollar Man
(the pilot featured a cameo appearance by his ex-wife Farrah Fawcett
).
tires mounted on a 16-inch chrome wagon style wheel
. The truck also had a custom-made chrome roll bar
mounted with 4 off-road lights, and a custom chrome grille
guard mounted with 2 off-road lights and a Warn winch
. One unusual characteristic was a secret compartment in the truck's bed, which was used to stash away villains or to hide weapons.
The vehicle was painted brown and tan two-tone; it had an eagle painted on the hood with the phrase "Fall Guy Stuntman Association" underneath. The truck was very often involved in high-speed chases and huge jumps. As a result, it became very popular, especially with children, and numerous toy and model versions were produced.
During the show's run, the stunts took their toll on the trucks (for example, one clip that appears in the opening credits clearly shows an axle breaking after a jump), so several different year model trucks are used during the show's initial run. As a result, there are some inconsistencies in the episodes. For instance, in the pilot episode the truck (a 1980 model) has two square headlights and a light tan interior. For the remainder of the series, it almost always had the quad headlight configuration of the 1981 and newer models, with a dark brown interior. The truck usually appeared to be a long bed model, but sometimes a short bed model was used. After destroying several trucks due to the huge jumps, a custom built jump truck was built as a solution. It had a reinforced frame and axle
s, and a mid-mounted engine
. This greatly reduced the number of trucks scrapped during the show's production.
At the end of the series, the remaining trucks were either auctioned or given away in a contest. One of them was sold on eBay
in 2003.
, "Unknown Stuntman", was written by Glen A. Larson, Gail Jensen, and David Sommerville, and performed by Lee Majors. The lyrics include a reference to Majors' then-estranged wife, Farrah Fawcett
and bemoaning the fact that while he takes all the risks it is the stars like Clint Eastwood
or Robert Redford
who get the glory and the girls.
released the first season of The Fall Guy on DVD in Region 1. As with a number of other TV shows of the era released on DVD, the 6-disc set contains extensive music substitutions due to copyright
reasons (as well as completely editing out the sequences with actor / singer Paul Williams
, in the Pilot). Due to poor sales it is unknown if the remaining seasons will be released.
Region 2
Season 1 was released on DVD in Region 2 in Germany and the UK. Season 2 has also been released in Region 2, in Germany on November 28, 2008 and in the UK on February 16, 2009.
have teamed up with producer Walter F. Parkes
to work on the film. Martin Campbell
is in talks to direct the film.
Adventure (genre)
The adventure genre, in the context of a narrative, is typically applied to works in which the protagonist or other major characters are consistently placed in dangerous situations...
television program produced for 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...
and originally broadcast from November 4, 1981 to May 2, 1986. It starred Lee Majors
Lee Majors
Lee Majors is an American television, film and voice actor, best known for his starring role as Colonel Steve Austin in The Six Million Dollar Man and as Colt Seavers in The Fall Guy ....
, Douglas Barr
Douglas Barr
Douglas Barr is an American actor, writer, and director. He has starred in movies and on television.Douglas was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. His first TV series, during the 1980s, was When the Whistle Blows. Later on, his big role came in the ABC TV series The Fall Guy as Howie Munson from 1981–1986...
, and 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:...
. Majors and Barr are the only two actors to appear in all 112 episodes of the series. Thomas appeared in every episode of the show except for one in the first season.
Plot
Lee Majors plays Colt Seavers, a HollywoodHollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
stunt man
Stunt double
A stunt double is a type of body double, specifically a skilled replacement used for dangerous film or video sequences, in movies and television , and for other sophisticated stunts...
who moonlights as a bounty hunter
Bounty hunter
A bounty hunter captures fugitives for a monetary reward . Other names, mainly used in the United States, include bail enforcement agent and fugitive recovery agent.-Laws in the U.S.:...
. He uses his physical skills and knowledge of stunt effects (especially stunts involving cars or his large GMC pickup truck
Pickup truck
A pickup truck is a light motor vehicle with an open-top rear cargo area .-Definition:...
) to capture fugitives and criminals. He is accompanied by his cousin and stuntman-in-training Howie Munson (Barr), whom Colt frequently calls "Kid", and occasionally by fellow stunt performer Jody Banks (Thomas).
Typically, an episode begins with a voice-over introduction from Seavers explaining the precarious life of a Hollywood stuntman, and how he, Colt, is unable to make a full-time living from stunt work and must moonlight as a bounty hunter. This is intercut with actual Hollywood stock footage, from various eras, of dangerous movie stunts, such as an exploding plane plunging straight into the ground, or a motorcycle jumping through a flaming hoop. After the voice-over introduction, the crew is seen performing a stunt for a film or TV series when Seavers is then assigned to finding, for example, a man who has skipped bail
Bail
Traditionally, bail is some form of property deposited or pledged to a court to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding that the suspect will return for trial or forfeit the bail...
. His case turns out to be more complicated than it first seemed. In the course of dealing with the villains, Seavers performs a stunt similar to the one shown at the beginning of the show. Colt's voice-over narration was dropped from the second series onward.
The series is known for its frequent cameos by Hollywood celebrities and the occasional in-joke referring to Majors' previous starring role in the series The Six Million Dollar Man
The Six Million Dollar Man
The Six Million Dollar Man is an American television series about a former astronaut with bionic implants working for the OSI...
(the pilot featured a cameo appearance by his ex-wife Farrah Fawcett
Farrah Fawcett
Farrah Fawcett was an American actress and artist. A multiple Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominee, Fawcett rose to international fame when she first appeared as private investigator Jill Munroe in the first season of the television series Charlie's Angels, in 1976...
).
The truck
Colt's truck was an early 1980s GMC 4x4 pickup. It had a 6-inch lift and 35-inch Dick Cepek off-roadOff-roading
Off-roading is a term for driving a vehicle on unsurfaced roads or tracks, made of materials such as sand, gravel, riverbeds, mud, snow, rocks, and other natural terrain.-Off-road vehicle:...
tires mounted on a 16-inch chrome wagon style wheel
Wagon style wheel
Wagon wheels are a style of automotive wheel popular in the 1970s and 1980s. They were a two piece wheel made of steel and came in white, black, or chrome plated. The wheels got their nickname because they were either an 8 or 10 spoke design like wheels on a wagon...
. The truck also had a custom-made chrome roll bar
Roll cage
A roll cage is a specially constructed frame built in the cab of a vehicle to protect its occupants from being injured in an accident, particularly in the event of a roll-over. Roll cages are used in nearly all purpose-built racecars, and in most cars modified for racing...
mounted with 4 off-road lights, and a custom chrome grille
Grille
A grille or grill is an opening of several slits side by side in a wall or metal sheet or other barrier, usually to let air or water enter and/or leave but keep larger objects including people and animals in or out.-Spelling:In the United States, "grille" is used to differentiate the automotive...
guard mounted with 2 off-road lights and a Warn winch
Winch
A winch is a mechanical device that is used to pull in or let out or otherwise adjust the "tension" of a rope or wire rope . In its simplest form it consists of a spool and attached hand crank. In larger forms, winches stand at the heart of machines as diverse as tow trucks, steam shovels and...
. One unusual characteristic was a secret compartment in the truck's bed, which was used to stash away villains or to hide weapons.
The vehicle was painted brown and tan two-tone; it had an eagle painted on the hood with the phrase "Fall Guy Stuntman Association" underneath. The truck was very often involved in high-speed chases and huge jumps. As a result, it became very popular, especially with children, and numerous toy and model versions were produced.
During the show's run, the stunts took their toll on the trucks (for example, one clip that appears in the opening credits clearly shows an axle breaking after a jump), so several different year model trucks are used during the show's initial run. As a result, there are some inconsistencies in the episodes. For instance, in the pilot episode the truck (a 1980 model) has two square headlights and a light tan interior. For the remainder of the series, it almost always had the quad headlight configuration of the 1981 and newer models, with a dark brown interior. The truck usually appeared to be a long bed model, but sometimes a short bed model was used. After destroying several trucks due to the huge jumps, a custom built jump truck was built as a solution. It had a reinforced frame and axle
Axle
An axle is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to its surroundings, with the wheels rotating around the axle. In the former case, bearings or bushings are provided at the mounting points where the axle...
s, and a mid-mounted engine
Mid-engine design
A mid-engine layout describes the placement of an automobile engine between the rear and front axles. Another term for this is mid-ship.-Benefits:The mid-engine layout is typically chosen for its relatively favorable weight distribution...
. This greatly reduced the number of trucks scrapped during the show's production.
At the end of the series, the remaining trucks were either auctioned or given away in a contest. One of them was sold on eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
in 2003.
Cast
- Colt Seavers – Lee MajorsLee MajorsLee Majors is an American television, film and voice actor, best known for his starring role as Colonel Steve Austin in The Six Million Dollar Man and as Colt Seavers in The Fall Guy ....
- Howie Munson – Douglas BarrDouglas BarrDouglas Barr is an American actor, writer, and director. He has starred in movies and on television.Douglas was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. His first TV series, during the 1980s, was When the Whistle Blows. Later on, his big role came in the ABC TV series The Fall Guy as Howie Munson from 1981–1986...
- Jody Banks – Heather ThomasHeather ThomasHeather 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:...
- Samantha "Big Jack" Jack – Jo Ann PflugJo Ann PflugJo Ann Pflug is a former American motion picture and television actress, who retired in the 1990s.Pflug's first major role was as U.S. Army nurse Lt. Maria "Dish" Schneider in 1970's MASH. Other notable roles include the voice of Invisible Girl in the 1967 animated version of Fantastic Four, Lt...
(1981–82) - Terri Shannon / Michaels – Markie PostMarkie PostMarjorie Armstrong "Markie" Post is an American actress, best known for her roles as bail bondswoman Terri Michaels in The Fall Guy on ABC from 1982 to 1985, as public defender Christine Sullivan on the NBC sitcom Night Court from 1985 to 1992, and as Georgie Anne Lahti Hartman on the CBS sitcom...
(1982–85) - Pearl Sperling – Nedra VolzNedra VolzNedra Volz was an American film and television actress.-Early life and career:Born Nedra Gordonier in Montrose, Iowa, she began her career in the family tent show, and appeared in vaudeville as a toddler...
(1985-86)
Theme song
The show's theme songTheme music
Theme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
, "Unknown Stuntman", was written by Glen A. Larson, Gail Jensen, and David Sommerville, and performed by Lee Majors. The lyrics include a reference to Majors' then-estranged wife, Farrah Fawcett
Farrah Fawcett
Farrah Fawcett was an American actress and artist. A multiple Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominee, Fawcett rose to international fame when she first appeared as private investigator Jill Munroe in the first season of the television series Charlie's Angels, in 1976...
and bemoaning the fact that while he takes all the risks it is the stars like Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood
Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
or Robert Redford
Robert Redford
Charles Robert Redford, Jr. , better known as Robert Redford, is an American actor, film director, producer, businessman, environmentalist, philanthropist, and founder of the Sundance Film Festival. He has received two Oscars: one in 1981 for directing Ordinary People, and one for Lifetime...
who get the glory and the girls.
DVD releases
On June 5, 2007, 20th Century Fox20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment is the home video distribution arm of the 20th Century Fox film studio. It was established in 1976 as Magnetic Video Corporation, and later as 20th Century Fox Video, CBS/Fox Video and FoxVideo, Inc....
released the first season of The Fall Guy on DVD in Region 1. As with a number of other TV shows of the era released on DVD, the 6-disc set contains extensive music substitutions due to copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
reasons (as well as completely editing out the sequences with actor / singer Paul Williams
Paul Williams (songwriter)
Paul Hamilton Williams, Jr. is an Academy Award-winning American composer, musician, songwriter, and actor. He is perhaps best known for popular songs performed by a number of acts in the 1970s including Three Dog Night's "An Old Fashioned Love Song", Helen Reddy's "You and Me Against the World",...
, in the Pilot). Due to poor sales it is unknown if the remaining seasons will be released.
Region 2
Season 1 was released on DVD in Region 2 in Germany and the UK. Season 2 has also been released in Region 2, in Germany on November 28, 2008 and in the UK on February 16, 2009.
| DVD Name | |Release dates | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region 1 | Region 2 (UK) | Region 2 (Germany) | ||
| The Complete First Season | 23 | June 5, 2007 | June 25, 2007 | January 14, 2008 |
| The Complete Second Season | 23 | N/A | February 16, 2009 | November 28, 2008 |
Movie
In July 2010, it was revealed that a film based on the series was in production. DreamWorksDreamWorks
DreamWorks Pictures, also known as DreamWorks, LLC, DreamWorks SKG, DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC, DreamWorks Studios or DW Studios, LLC, is an American film studio which develops, produces, and distributes films, video games and television programming...
have teamed up with producer Walter F. Parkes
Walter F. Parkes
Walter F. Parkes is an American film producer, writer and former studio head.- Biography :Parkes has been associated with DreamWorks Pictures, which he ran from its inception in 1994 until 2005...
to work on the film. Martin Campbell
Martin Campbell
-Life and career:Campbell was born in Hastings, New Zealand. He directed two James Bond films, 1995's GoldenEye, starring Pierce Brosnan, and 2006's Casino Royale, starring Daniel Craig, and was the first Bond director since John Glen to direct more than one film, as well as the oldest director in...
is in talks to direct the film.