CTVA
The Classic TV Archive - US Adventure series
Bearcats! (1971)
Episode Guide compiled by
The Classic TV Archive
with contributions by:
Anne.Boyle (synopses)
references:
Library of Congress (telnet://locis.loc.gov)
Internet Movie Database (https://us.imdb.com)
UCLA Film and Television Archive
--------
BEARCATS!
--------
Filmways Production
for
CBS (Thursdays 8:00pm EST)
Created by &
Executive Producer
Douglas Hayes
US Adventure series 1971 2 hr pilot + 13 episodes x 60 min color
starring
Rod Taylor as Hank Brackett
Dennis Cole as Johnny Reach
Premise/Background:
'Bearcats' debuted on CBS, September 16, 1971, Thursday nights at
8:00, but lasted only until December 30 1971. Rod Taylor played Hank
Brackett and Dennis Cole portrayed Johnny Reach, two troubleshooters
prowling the Southwest in their Stutz Bearcat car, circa 1914. This
was another series where the car was the star (see Route 66), in
this case a $60,000 Stutz.
In the first episode, our heroes encountered tank-driving bank robbers,
but the real competition was on NBC where the number two show on
television at the time, 'The Flip Wilson Show' was starting its second
season with guest stars Lucille Ball, The Osmonds, and special guest
Ed Sullivan singing 'Strangers in the Night'. Come to think of it, it's
a wonder this show didn't do any better than it did. The series was filmed
in Old Tuscon, so it would probably be fun to watch today.
Both 'Nichols' with James Garner, and 'Bearcats' debuted the same
night - both set in 1914 and both set in Arizona.
I wonder if they shared the wardrobe budget?
The pilot movie for the series was a TV movie called "Powder Keg".
################## Bearcats! #################
################### (pilot) ##################
##############################################
[00] Bearcats!: POWDER KEG
(2hr pilot)
16Apr71
Produced, Directed and Written by Douglas Heyes
cinematography by John M. Stephens
music by John Andrew Tartaglia
Starring:
Rod Taylor (as Hank Brackett) Dennis Cole (as Johnny Reach)
Guest Cast:
Michael Ansara ........... Paco Morales
Fernando Lamas ........... Chcho Morales
John McIntire ........... Cyrus Davenport
Luciana Paluzzi .......... Juanita Sierra-Perez
Tisha Sterling .......... Beth Parkinson
Synopsis:
In the series pilot film TV movie, Brackett and Reach are hired to by a
railroad to rescue 70 hostages being held on a moving train by a bandit
looking to free his imprisoned brother. [AB]
################# Bearcats! #################
############## season fall 1971 ##############
##############################################
CBS Thursdays 8:00pm Eastern
[01] Bearcats!: THE DEVIL WEARS ARMOR
16Sep71 CBS Thur
Starring:
Rod Taylor (as Hank Brackett) Dennis Cole (as Johnny Reach)
Guest Cast:
John Vernon ................... Jason Ryker
Kathy Lloyd ................... Sister Catalina
Paul Koslo .................... Billy Joe
Sherry Bain ................... Rose
Julio Medina .................. Ramirez
Michael Masters ............... Coley Wyatt
Evans Thornton ................ Colonel
Synopsis:
A stolen Army tank is (literally) knocking over banks along the border.
Can a sports car stop a tank? [AB]
[02] Bearcats!: GROUND LOOP AT SPANISH WELLS
23Sep71 CBS Thur
Starring:
Rod Taylor (as Hank Brackett) Dennis Cole (as Johnny Reach)
Guest Cast:
Henry Darrow .................. Raoul Esteban
Sandy Rosenthal ............... John Camber
Tom Simcox .................... Lt Stengler
Allen Pinson .................. Cpl. Hans Schmidt
Lenore Stevens ................ Juanita Perez
Synopsis:
German soldiers – dressed as American troops – are raiding Border towns
to start a war between the U.S. and Mexico. Bracket and Reach call upon
Mexican pilot Raoul Esteban and his “Jenny” (actually a Standard J-1 replica)
for air support. [AB]
[03] Bearcats!: DOS GRINGOS
30Sep71 CBS Thur
Starring:
Rod Taylor (as Hank Brackett) Dennis Cole (as Johnny Reach)
Guest Cast:
Eric Braeden .................. Colonel Reinert
Robert Tafur .................. Ignacio Gomez
Synopsis:
A Mexican Army assassin’s out to kill a revolutionary who’s raising money
in the U.S. [AB]
[04] Bearcats!: THE FEATHERED SERPENT
07Oct71 CBS Thur
Starring:
Rod Taylor (as Hank Brackett) Dennis Cole (as Johnny Reach)
Guest Cast:
Henry Silva ................... Zavala
Rex Holman .................... Pauk
Katherine Justice ............. Hilda
Synopsis:
A group of would-be revolutionaries hold a town hostage. [AB]
[05] Bearcats!: HOSTAGES
14Oct71 CBS Thur
Starring:
Rod Taylor (as Hank Brackett) Dennis Cole (as Johnny Reach)
Guest Cast:
David Canary .................. Joe Bascom
Ed Flanders ................... Ben Tillman
Erin Moran .................... Elisa Tillman
Sam Edwards ................... Charlie Doyle
Gary McLarty .................. Herreta
Synopsis:
As revenge for his father’s hanging five years before, an ex-convict
kidnaps a priest and demands a town hang one of its citizens. [AB]
[06] Bearcats!: CONQUEROR'S GOLD
28Oct71 CBS Thur
Starring:
Rod Taylor (as Hank Brackett) Dennis Cole (as Johnny Reach)
Guest Cast:
Kevin McCarthy ................ Carter Gladstone
Jane Merrow ................... Samantha Burke
Tom Nardini ................... Father Librerto
Pepper Martin ................. Gus Bailey
Rod Cameron ................... Warden Price
Synopsis:
A newspaperwoman hires Hank and Johnny to rescue a priest and Indians
being held at an archeological site by thieves seeking treasure. [AB]
[07] Bearcats!: BLOOD KNOT
04Nov71 CBS Thur
Starring:
Rod Taylor (as Hank Brackett) Dennis Cole (as Johnny Reach)
Guest Cast:
H.M. Wynant ................... Ben Shamrock
Lauren Campbell ............... Jane Webb
X. Brands ..................... Mantano
Lindsay Workman ............... Mayor Cobb
Robert Hoy .................... Pete
Synopsis:
Tensions erupt between Brackett and Reach when oil well sabotage - and
murder – bring them to a town wanting to destroy an Indian village. [AB]
[08] Bearcats!: ASSAULT ON SAN SABA
11Nov71 CBS Thur
Starring:
Rod Taylor (as Hank Brackett) Dennis Cole (as Johnny Reach)
Guest Cast:
Bruce Glover .................. Schiller
Lincoln Kilpatrick ............ Jake
Edward Faulkner ............... Mills
Synopsis:
A German military intelligence officer takes over a Texas prison for
recruiting saboteurs. The question for Brackett and Reach: How to
break into a prison. [AB]
[09] Bearcats!: BITTER FLATS
18Nov71 CBS Thur
Starring:
Rod Taylor (as Hank Brackett) Dennis Cole (as Johnny Reach)
Guest Cast:
Keenan Wynn ................... Mason Latimer
Kathy Cannon .................. Amy Latimer
Rockne Tarkington ............. Lukas
Synopsis:
Brackett and reach take on a ruthless rancher when the son of a friend
disappears on a secret Army mission. [AB]
[10] Bearcats!: MEDICAL MERCENARIES -aka- TIGER! TIGER!
25Nov71 CBS Thur
Starring:
Rod Taylor (as Hank Brackett) Dennis Cole (as Johnny Reach)
Guest Cast:
Morgan Woodward ............... Tiger Thompson
Lawrence Montaigne ............ Koster
Walter Brooke ................. Fairfield
Synopsis:
Hank uses himself as bait to stop a saboteur who’s destroying medical
supply shipments to Europe. [AB]
[11] Bearcats!: THE BIG GUN
02Dec71 CBS Thur
Starring:
Rod Taylor (as Hank Brackett) Dennis Cole (as Johnny Reach)
Guest Cast:
Leslie Nielsen
Morgan Paull
Synopsis:
A renegade Army colonel steals artillery to destroy an convoy of explosives
bound for England. [AB]
[12] Bearcats!: RETURN TO ESTEBAN
23Dec71 CBS Thur
Starring:
Rod Taylor (as Hank Brackett) Dennis Cole (as Johnny Reach)
Guest Cast:
Henry Darrow .................. Raoul Esteban
Kathryn Hays .................. Milly
Brioni Farrell ................ Sally
William Smith ................. Russell
Richard Anders ................ Cadwell
Synopsis:
Pilot Estaban returns to help surprise a gang out to rob and destroy
a mining town. [AB]
[13] Bearcats!: MAN IN A CAGE (final episode of "Bearcats!")
30Dec71 CBS Thur
Starring:
Rod Taylor (as Hank Brackett) Dennis Cole (as Johnny Reach)
Guest Cast:
John Anderson ................. Judge O'Brien
Jeremy Slate .................. Lassiter
Luke Askew .................... Greer
Synopsis:
Johnny must rely on a convict to help him find Hank and a gubernatorial
candidate being held by kidnappers. [AB]
################# Bearcats! ##################
################# the end ##################
##############################################
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