LIFE GOES ON: CORKY WITNESSES A CRIME (TV)
Summary
One in this dramatic series about the challenges facing the Thacher family -- parents Drew and Libby, their daughter Becca, their son Corky, who has Down's Syndrome, and Drew's daughter Paige. In this episode, Corky dreams that he is playing football, with Becca serving as commentator, and he scores the winning touchdown. At breakfast, he tells his family about his dream, wishing he could play in real life. At the same time, Libby is pleased to learn that she won five hundred pounds of free dog food. At school, Tyler gives Rona a necklace and agrees that they are going steady, which frustrates Becca, who likes Tyler but hates football. In gym class, tough coach Delano hassles his students not to be “sissies” as they practice football hits, and a friend of Corky’s suggests that he could be the new equipment manager. A student named Vince stops by to observe practice, and Delano sends him away in frustration. Later, Corky meets with Delano and explains that he cannot play football because of his neck issues, but asks to be the equipment manager. After asking if Corky is a “winner,” Delano agrees. Corky’s parents are happy for him, although Becca dislikes the “nauseous wave of machoness” arriving at the dinner table. The next day, however, Corky is called into the principal’s office and told he cannot participate on the team because he is not maintaining a C-grade average. Corky’s family is disappointed, but Delano refuses to accept it and goes with Corky to the principal again, saying that being on the team is “life education” and promising to help him keep up his marks. The principal relents, much to Corky’s delight.
Libby is stunned when the five hundred pounds of dog food arrive all at once, and the family struggles to store it. Tyler invites Becca to the big game, and she agrees despite her dislike of the sport. In the locker room, Delano berates the team for a bad practice and is further annoyed when Vince shows up again and speaks to him belligerently. Delano ends up hitting the young man and knocking him out, much to the team’s shock. Delano orders them to say that Vince swung at him first, which upsets Corky, who cannot bring himself to tell his parents what happened. When Becca asks, Tyler assures her that Vince is fine, and then asks her to wear his jersey in the stands at the game, and Tanika teases her for her change of heart. Corky is soon made assistant team manager, and though everyone congratulates him, he seems uncomfortable. At home, Libby learns that the free dog food was not so free after all, and is then surprised by a visit from Vince, who says that Corky is the only one who will tell the truth about what happened. He explains that he used to be Delano’s “golden boy” and the best player on the team, but quit after being forced to play injured, thus making Delano hate him. Corky says that he does not remember exactly what happened in the locker room, but then asks his sisters for advice, worrying that he may be kicked off the team if he tells the truth.
At school, the other football players hassle Corky for not supporting Delano’s version of events, calling him a snitch, until the other coach, Morrison, berates them for their dishonest behavior. The school holds a hearing of sorts to deal with the assault accusation, and Delano maintains that Vince attacked him first. Vince stands up for himself and says that Corky saw the whole thing. Corky stands up and offers his testimony, although the panel is condescending to him, believing he does not understand what happened. Delano questions him and tries to make it seem as though he is too slow to be a reliable witness, but he sticks to his story, and soon the other team members agree with him and admit the truth. Delano is suspended, and Corky is thrilled to hear from Morrison that he is still on the team. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: November 26, 1989 7:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:00:00
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:21466
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama; Families; Down's syndrome
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 1989-1993
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Michael Braverman … Executive Producer, Created by
- Rick Rosenthal … Co-Executive Producer
- Ronald Rubin … Supervising Producer
- Paul Wolff … Supervising Producer
- Phillips Wylly, Sr. … Producer
- William O. Cairncross … Co-Producer
- Tom O'Brien … Writer
- Kim Friedman … Director
- Craig Safan … Music by
- Bill Smitrovich … Cast, Andrew 'Drew' Thacher
- Patti LuPone … Cast, Elizabeth 'Libby' Thacher
- Chris Burke … Cast, Charles 'Corky' Thacher
- Kellie Martin … Cast, Rebecca 'Becca' Thacher
- Monique Lanier … Cast, Paige Thacher
- Denis Arndt … Cast, Coach Delano
- Alan Oppenheimer … Cast, Thorpe
- Michael Bays … Cast, Vincent Shenck
- Michele Matheson … Cast, Rona Lieberman
- Gloria Gifford … Cast, Mrs. Kneffer
- Kevin Telles … Cast, Pederson
- Dan Dierdorf … Cast, Himself
- Frank Gifford … Cast, Himself
- Al Michaels … Cast, Himself
- Tommy Puett … Cast, Tyler Benchfield
- Mel Johnson, Jr. … Cast, Coach Morrison
- Eric Welch … Cast, Brian Russo
- Lance Reed … Cast, Jerome
- Mike Marikian … Cast, Brent
- Matthew Ross … Cast, Marty
- Deonca Brown … Cast, Tanika