WHITE SHADOW, THE: SUDDEN DEATH (TV)
Summary
One in this series of dramas about Ken Reeves, a former professional basketball player, who begins a new life as the basketball coach of Carver High, an inner-city high school in Los Angeles. In this episode, a talented freshman, Randy Judd, tries out for the team and impresses Reeves. Randy is ecstatic about joining the team but needs permission from his parents first. Reeves is upset when Randy tells him that his mother doesn't want him to play high school sports for fear of injury and the possibily of his grades slipping. Reeves goes to talk to Mr. and Mrs. Judd about their decision, which he feels is unfair to Randy, and he works out a deal with the Judds that will let Randy play. At his first practice, Randy becomes exhausted and the team tells him to get used to it because that's the way Reeves runs things. Randy doesn't get to participate in a close game, which Carver wins, but he realizes that he is only a freshman and will get his shot sometime. Later in the locker room his hand goes numb, but Randy thinks nothing of it. At a fairly rigorous practice the next day, Randy collapses while running laps and is taken to the hospital. Reeves goes with Randy and the doctor tells him that Randy has suffered a severe brain hemorrhage and has slipped into a coma. Reeves is guilt ridden over what has happened to Randy despite the belief of his friends and most of his players that it is not his fault. When he arrives at the hospital for a visit, Reeves learns of Randy's fate and must face Mrs. Judd's blame for what has happened to her son. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: October 8, 1979 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:49:02
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T82:0066
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Basketball; Drama; High school teachers; School sports; African-American Collection - Drama
- SERIES RUN: CBS - TV series, 1978-1981
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Bruce Paltrow … Executive Producer, Created by
- Mark Tinker … Producer
- Scott Brazil … Associate Producer
- Victor Lobl … Director
- Joshua Brand … Writer
- Tom Chehak … Writer
- Mike Post … Music by
- Pete Carpenter … Music by
- Ken Howard … Cast, Ken Reeves
- Joan Pringle … Cast, Sybil Buchanan
- Ed Bernard … Cast, Jim Willis
- Thomas Carter … Cast, James Hayward
- Haywood Nelson … Cast, Randy
- Kevin Hooks … Cast, Morris Thorpe
- Nathan Cook … Cast, Milton Reese
- Eric Kilpatrick … Cast, Curtis Jackson
- Byron Stewart … Cast, Warren Coolidge
- Ken Michelman … Cast, Abner Goldstein
- Van Patten, Timothy … Cast, Mario "Salami" Pettrino
- Ira Angustain … Cast, Ricky Gomez
- Jennifer Harmon … Cast, the Nurse
- Hal Williams … Cast, Henry Judd
- Madge Sinclair … Cast, Louella Judd
- David Ankrum … Cast, Dr. Lauria
- Phil Rubenstein … Cast, the School Doctor
- Russell Phillip Robinson … Cast, the Team Manager
- Jason Ross … Cast, the Minister
- John Mengatti … Cast, the Student
- Jeff Bannister … Cast, the Referee
- Jeanine Michaels … Cast, the Nurse