''Carter Country'' is an American

sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...

that aired on ABC from September 15, 1977 to August 23, 1979. It starred Victor French and Kene Holliday. A young

Melanie Griffith Melanie Richards Griffith (born August 9, 1957) is an American actress. Born in Manhattan to actress Tippi Hedren, she was raised mainly in Los Angeles, where she graduated from the Hollywood Professional School at age 16. In 1975, 17-year-old ...

appeared in two episodes.

Synopsis

''Carter Country'' is set in the fictional small town of Clinton Corners in

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

(presumably near

Plains, Georgia Plains is a city in Sumter County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 573. It is well-known as the home of Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn, who were the 39th president and first lady of the Un ...

, the town from which U.S. President

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...

hailed, thus the title) and features French as police chief Roy Mobey and Holliday as city-bred, college-educated Sergeant Curtis Baker. Richard Paul as Mayor Teddy Burnside,

Harvey Vernon Harvey Vernon (June 30, 1927 – October 9, 1996) was an American actor from Flint, Michigan. His birth name was Chet Smith. Perhaps his most famous role was Jasper DeWitt in the television series ''Carter Country''. He also appeared in motion ...

as racist officer Jasper DeWitt, and Barbara Cason as town employee Cloris Phebus round out the cast. DeWitt is shown to be a member of the local branch of the

Ku Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to KKK or Klan, is an American Protestant-led Christian terrorism, Christian extremist, white supremacist, Right-wing terrorism, far-right hate group. It was founded in 1865 during Reconstruction era, ...

and he often makes disparaging comments against minorities, but is still a loyal and honest law enforcement officer. In several episodes, it is hinted that his racist attitude is an act and that he joined the KKK in order to keep an eye on their activities. Separate from his racism, DeWitt resents Baker for taking the sergeant's position, to which DeWitt felt entitled due to his tenure. Additional comic support is provided by Texas-born actor Guich Koock, who plays the part of goofy deputy Harley Puckett. Vernee Watson plays the mayor's educated secretary and Baker's love interest. The plot centers around the stereotypical racism of the

Deep South The Deep South or the Lower South is a cultural and geographic subregion of the Southern United States. The term is used to describe the states which were most economically dependent on Plantation complexes in the Southern United States, plant ...

, and has often been characterized as being an irreverent, comedic version of the movie '' In the Heat of the Night'', especially with the aspect of an educated, African American man coming to a small, southern town to work as a police officer. The character of Mayor Burnside coined a minor catchphrase with his manic "Handle it, Roy, handle it!", used when delegating various details to Chief Mobey such as fixing a parking ticket. If Mobey protests or asks any further questions, Burnside stifles further discussion with a dismissive hand gesture and a further "Handle it, handle it, handle it!" Burnside often introduces himself to members of the public as "Teddy Burnside, your mayor by a landslide."

Ratings

The first season ranked 32nd out of 104 shows, and averaged a 19.6 rating. The second season ranked 70th out of 114 shows, with an average 15.6/27 rating/share.

Episodes

Season 1: 1977–78

Season 2: 1978–79

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, id=0075489, title=Carter Country 1977 American television series debuts 1979 American television series endings Television series by Sony Pictures Television Television shows set in Georgia (U.S. state) 1970s American sitcoms 1970s American workplace comedy television series American English-language television shows American Broadcasting Company sitcoms