Tim Conway Joe Flynn Tim Conway Show 1970

''The Tim Conway Show'' – the first of two television series of the name – is a 1970 American

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...

starring

Tim Conway Thomas Daniel "Tim" Conway (December 15, 1933 – May 14, 2019) was an American actor, comedian, writer, and director. From 1966 to 2012 he appeared in more than 100 TV shows, TV series and films. Among his more notable roles, he portrayed the ...

and Joe Flynn which centers on a single-plane

charter airline Air charter is the business of renting an entire aircraft (i.e., chartering) as opposed to individual aircraft seats (i.e., purchasing a ticket through a traditional airline). Regulation Charter – also called air taxi or ad hoc – flights ...

. The show aired during periods between January 30, 1970, and June 12, 1970.Brooks, Tim, and Earle Marsh, ''The Complete Directory to Prime-Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present, Sixth Edition'', New York: Ballantine Books, 1995, , p. 1042.McNeil, Alex, ''Total Television: The Comprehensive Guide to Programming From 1948 to the Present'', New York: Penguin Books, 1996, p. 839.

Cast

....Tim "Spud" Barrett * Joe Flynn....Herbert T. Kenworth * Anne Seymour....Mrs. K. J. Crawford *Johnnie Collins III....Ronnie Crawford *Emily Banks....Becky Parks *Fabian Dean....Harry Wetzel *Dennis Robertson....Sherman Bell

Synopsis

Tim "Spud" Barrett is the well-meaning but bumbling chief pilot – in fact, the only pilot – and part-owner of Triple A Airlines, a

based at Crawford Airfield in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

. His business partner, the inept co-owner and president of Triple A, is Herb Kenworth, who is cranky, terrified of flying, and prone to

airsickness Airsickness is a specific form of motion sickness which is induced by air travel and is considered a normal response in healthy individuals. Airsickness occurs when the central nervous system receives conflicting messages from the body (including ...

. Triple A – which stands for "Anywhere Anytime Airlines" – owns only one plane, a decrepit

Beechcraft Model 18 The Beechcraft Model 18 (or "Twin Beech", as it is also known) is a 6- to 11-seat, twin-engined, low-wing, tailwheel light aircraft manufactured by the Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas. Continuously produced from 1937 to Novem ...

named ''Lucky Linda'', and is always on the verge of bankruptcy. Mrs. K. J. Crawford, a tough businesswoman, owns both Crawford Airfield and Crawford Airlines, a larger and more successful charter airline that is in direct competition with Triple A and based at the same

airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surfa ...

; she also holds a

mortgage A mortgage loan or simply mortgage (), in civil law jurisdicions known also as a hypothec loan, is a loan used either by purchasers of real property to raise funds to buy real estate, or by existing property owners to raise funds for any ...

on ''Lucky Linda''. Her sycophantic son, Ronnie Crawford, helps her run the airport and her airline and is always trying to put Triple A out of business. Spud has a romantic interest in a Crawford Airlines employee, Becky Parks, who is friendly toward Triple A and helps Spud and Herb whenever she can. Spud and Herb often eat at the airport terminals

diner A diner is a small, inexpensive restaurant found across the United States, as well as in Canada and parts of Western Europe. Diners offer a wide range of foods, mostly American cuisine, a casual atmosphere, and, characteristically, a co ...

, the Chez Skyway, run by Harry Wetzel. Sherman Bell is the

control tower Air traffic control (ATC) is a service provided by ground-based air traffic controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and through a given section of controlled airspace, and can provide advisory services to aircraft in non-controlled air ...

operator.Anonymous, "Good Deed Backfires For Spud," ''Schenectedy Gazette'' TV Section, January 31, 1970, p. 3.
/ref>

Production notes

Kenny Solms and Gail Parent created ''The Tim Conway Show'', which paired Tim Conway and Joe Flynn in a

situation comedy A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use new ...

for the second time; they previously had starred together in ''

McHale's Navy ''McHale's Navy'' is an American sitcom starring Ernest Borgnine that aired 138 half-hour episodes over four seasons, from October 11, 1962, to April 12, 1966, on the ABC television network. The series was filmed in black and white and originate ...

'' from 1962 to 1966 and in two theatrical films spun off from the series, ''

'' in 1964 and '' McHale's Navy Joins the Air Force'' in 1965. It was the second attempt at giving Conway a starring role in a situation comedy of his own after the unsuccessful '' Rango'' of 1967. Burt Nodella produced the show. Episode directors included Harry Falk and

Alan Rafkin Alan Rafkin (born Alfred Irwin Rafkin; July 23, 1928 – August 6, 2001) was an American director, producer, and actor for television. Biography Rafkin was born in New York City to Til and Victor Rafin. He attended Admiral Farragut Acade ...

, and writers included Frank Gill, Jr.,

Rudy De Luca Rudy De Luca is an American screenwriter and actor best known for his work with filmmaker Mel Brooks. In April 1972 he opened The Comedy Store with Sammy Shore. Filmography As writer *''The Carol Burnett Show'' (1967) (TV) *'' The Tim Conway S ...

Barry Levinson Barry Lee Levinson (born April 6, 1942) is an American filmmaker, comedian and actor. Levinson's best-known works are mid-budget comedy drama and drama films such as '' Diner'' (1982); ''The Natural'' (1984); '' Good Morning, Vietnam'' (1987); ...

, Craig T. Nelson, Gene Perret, William Raynor, and Myles Wilder. Jerry Fielding composed and conducted the theme music,cctva.com The Tim Conway Show (1970)
/ref> and Dan and Lois Dalton wrote the title song.

Broadcast history and cancellation

''The Tim Conway Show'' aired on CBS at 8:00 p.m.

Eastern Time The Eastern Time Zone (ET) is a time zone encompassing part or all of 23 states in the eastern part of the United States, parts of eastern Canada, the state of Quintana Roo in Mexico, Panama, Colombia, mainland Ecuador, Peru, and a small ...

on Fridays throughout its run. The show replaced '' The Good Guys''. It had a five-episode run in January and February 1970, then left the air until late April 1970, when it returned for another eight episodes that ran through mid-June 1970. The show drew low ratings and was cancelled after only 13 episodes.

Rerun A rerun or repeat is a rebroadcast of an episode of a radio or television program. There are two types of reruns – those that occur during a hiatus, and those that occur when a program is syndicated. Variations In the United Kingdom, the word ...

s of ''

He & She ''He & She'' is an American sitcom that aired on the CBS television network as part of its 1967–1968 lineup, originally sponsored by General Foods and Lever Brothers. ''He & She'' is widely considered by broadcast historians to have bee ...

'' replaced it on the CBS schedule. Almost simultaneously with the cancellation of ''The Tim Conway Show'', Tim Conway accepted an offer to host a new comedy-

variety show Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical performances, sketch comedy, magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is normally introduced by a co ...

, ''

The Tim Conway Comedy Hour ''The Tim Conway Comedy Hour'' is a variety/ sketch comedy television show broadcast in the United States by CBS as part of its 1970 fall lineup on Sundays at 10:00 pm. Background ''The Tim Conway Comedy Hour'' was one of several attempts to d ...

''. It aired during the fall of 1970, but was equally unsuccessful.

Episodes

''The Tim Conway Show'' ran for 13 episodes:''Schenectady Gazette'', June 6, 1970, p. 18.
/ref>Website of Composer Jerry Fielding: TV Credits
/ref>

Notes

External links

*
''The Tim Conway Show'' opening credits on YouTube''The Tim Conway Show'' "Mail Contract" Part One (black-and-white version) on YouTube''The Tim Conway Show'' "Mail Contract" Part Two (black-and-white version) on YouTube''The Tim Conway Show'' "All of Our Aircraft is Missing" Part One (black-and-white version) on YouTube''The Tim Conway Show'' "All of Our Aircraft is Missing" Part Two (black-and-white version) on YouTube
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tim Conway Show (1970) CBS original programming 1970 American television series debuts 1970 American television series endings 1970s American sitcoms English-language television shows Television shows set in Los Angeles Aviation television series