Buck James
GenreMedical drama
Created byPaul F. Edwards
Starring
ComposerBarry Goldberg
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes19 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Robert E. Fuisz
  • Bill Storke
Producers
  • David Abramowitz
  • Robert Birnbaum
  • Paul F. Edwards

GarnerSimmons

Running time60 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkABC
ReleaseSeptember 27, 1987 (1987-09-27) –
May 5, 1988 (1988-05-05)

Buck James is an American medical drama television series created by Paul F. Edwards that aired on ABC from September 27, 1987 until May 5, 1988.

Premise

Buck James is a middle-aged[1] surgeon at a hospital in Texas who also has a passion for ranching.[2] James, a "hard-driving, daredevil, brilliant sort of fellow", is chief surgeon[1] at Holloman University Hospital[3] and head of one of its trauma units.[4] In addition to his challenges at work, at home he has a son "who is going through all the usual painful gyrations of growing up" and a two-months-pregnant daughter who has separated from her husband[4] and he had to deal with "a divorced wife who wouldn't let go."[1]

The title character was based on real-life physician Red Duke. Star Dennis Weaver shadowed Duke at work (including being present during surgeries that Duke performed) to prepare for playing James, and Duke was a consultant on scripts for the show.[5] Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, where Duke practiced, was the location for filming of the show's pilot.[6]

Buck James was broadcast from 10 to 11 p.m. Eastern Time on Sundays on ABC[7] from September 27, 1987, until January 10, 1988.[8] and from 10 to 11 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursdays[3] on ABC from March 10, 1988, until May 5, 1988.[8] It was produced by Entertainment Partners in association with Tri-Star Television.[9]

Cast

Episodes

No. Title Directed by Written by Original air date
1"Pilot (a.k.a. Heart of Texas)"Rick WallacePaul F. EdwardsSeptember 27, 1987 (1987-09-27)
Buck's unmarried daughter returns, and he has to deal with hospital politics.
2"Sins of the Father"Rick WallaceDavid AbramowitzOctober 4, 1987 (1987-10-04)
A dying boy has parents whose religious beliefs prohibits transfusions.
3"Too Close to Home"Rick WallaceDavid AbramowitzOctober 11, 1987 (1987-10-11)
Jenny's mother has a stroke. An argument between a group of ranchers and a bank turns into a hit-and-run.
4"Absalom, Absalom"Don WeisPaul F. EdwardsNovember 1, 1987 (1987-11-01)
Kyle finds out that an old girlfriend has AIDS.
5"A Question of Loyalty"Win PhelpsArt MonterastelliNovember 8, 1987 (1987-11-08)
Rebecca and a trauma surgeon has a standoff at the hospital.
6"And Keep Them From Harm"Mimi LederPaul F. EdwardsNovember 15, 1987 (1987-11-15)
Rebecca performs an elective hysterectomy and is criticized. Torio is discriminated against because of his race.
7"Silent Partners"Jan EliasbergGarner SimmonsNovember 22, 1987 (1987-11-22)
Buck has to persuade a man, who has a daughter with down syndrome, to undergo a risky operation.
8"The Last Ride"Don WeisSyrie Astrahan JamesDecember 13, 1987 (1987-12-13)
Clint's best friend is almost killed in a rodeo accident. Rebecca gets offered a job at a hospital in New York.
9"Let Nothing You Dismay"Michael FrescoPaul F. Edwards & Garner SimmonsDecember 20, 1987 (1987-12-20)
Dinah and Clint are both depressed during the holidays. A little girl brings Christmas joy to the hospital.
10"The Good Samatarian"Jerry JamesonGarner SimmonsJanuary 3, 1988 (1988-01-03)
Buck has to operate on a woman in difficult labor. Dinah's ex-boyfriend returns to try and win her heart.
11"Almost Perfect"Mimi LederDavid AbramovitzJanuary 10, 1988 (1988-01-10)
It is revealed that Dinah's unborn baby has a deformity. Rebecca's grandparents has problems with her new boyfriend who isn't jewish.
12"Lives in the Balance"Sigmund Neufeld, Jr.Garner SimmonsMarch 10, 1988 (1988-03-10)
Buck finds out that a dying boy is the perfect heart donor for a sick child.
13"The Bottom Line"Don WeisDavid AbramovitzMarch 17, 1988 (1988-03-17)
Buck is in a collision with a drunken driver on a highway.
14"Act of Aggression"David JacksonDavid JacksonMarch 24, 1988 (1988-03-24)
Clint is sent to jail because of a practical joke. Buck is called in to save the life of a prisoner who is scheduled for execution.
15"Quality of Life"Michael FrescoArt MonterastelliMarch 31, 1988 (1988-03-31)
A friend of Buck decides to forgo technology that could save his life. Rebecca has doubts about her chief-residency post.
16"Top Secret"Joel RosenzweigJosef AndersonApril 7, 1988 (1988-04-07)
A cover-up by an airplane manufacturer is behind a poorly designed plane.
17"To Everything a Season"Mimi LederPaul F. EdwardsApril 14, 1988 (1988-04-14)
Buck has an argument with a burn specialist. Clint wants to take a job in the oil industry instead of going to college.
18"Heal Thyself"Don WeisDavid AbramowitzApril 28, 1988 (1988-04-28)
An mysterious illness affects Buck's performance.
19"The Requiem"Win PhelpsUnknownMay 5, 1988 (1988-05-05)
Buck and Les Grant argue over the hospital's budget, but before they reach an agreement, Grant is shot.

References

  1. ^ a b c Turow, Joseph (2010). Playing Doctor: Television, Storytelling, and Medical Power. University of Michigan Press. p. 328. ISBN 978-0-472-03427-7. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  2. ^ TV Guide. "Buck James Cast and Details". TV Guide. Retrieved 2012-10-26.
  3. ^ a b Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (1999). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present (7th ed.). New York: The Ballentine Publishing Group. pp. 136–137. ISBN 0-345-42923-0.
  4. ^ a b O'Connor, John J. (September 26, 1987). "TV: Dolly Parton's Variety Show". The New York Times. p. 54. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  5. ^ Boutwell, Bryant (2018). I'm Dr. Red Duke. Texas A&M University Press. p. 173. ISBN 978-1-62349-694-4. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  6. ^ Ostherr, Kirsten (2013). Medical Visions: Producing the Patient Through Film, Television, and Imaging Technologies. Oxford University Press. p. 183. ISBN 978-0-19-987623-5. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  7. ^ "Lisa Bonet Spins off, Vietnam comes home, as do the women of Brewster Place. Peter Jennings explains the Constitution". New York Magazine. September 21, 1987. p. 62. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  8. ^ a b McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 123. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
  9. ^ "(untitled brief)" (PDF). Broadcasting. March 23, 1987. p. 146. Retrieved March 9, 2022.

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