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WHITE SHADOW, THE: IF YOUR NUMBER'S UP, GET IT DOWN (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.

Coach Reeves attends a faculty meeting where the idea of raising funds for a mobile healthcare unit is raised and approved. The purpose of this unit would be to provide regular blood pressure checks for the community, as high blood pressure is a widespread disease in the county, especially amongst the African-American population. Sybil informs him that he has been elected to lead the fundraising efforts due to his semi-celebrity status as a former NBA player. Coach Reeves reluctantly agrees and asks his team for their support. Nick recommends throwing a party to attract interest, and Coach Reeves likes the idea; he sweet-talks Sybil into organizing it while he tries to elicit funds from his old NBA contacts.

However, Coach Reeves has little success with his efforts. To compound his problems, his apartment is going co-op and he must either purchase it, which he cannot afford, or move out. Mr. Davis enthusiastically supports the fundraising effort and raises several hundred dollars himself. While taking Coach Reeves out for a drive on the school's new driver's education vehicle, Mr. Davis reveals that the reason for his interest in the fundraiser is that he himself suffers from high blood pressure. He talks about how high blood pressure has affected his life, and how it may have caused his father's premature death. Later, Salami, Coolidge, Thorpe, and Nick try to head out to the pinball arcade but Salami's car won't start. They get the idea to hotwire the driver's education vehicle. However, Coolidge steps on the instructor's brake and sends the car swerving into a fence, damaging it.

The four students are brought into Sybil's office, where she disciplines them for their actions. She, Coach Reeves, and Mr. Davis decide that they can pay off the cost of the damages by working for the fundraiser. They go door-to-door collecting donations, but their efforts yield no success. They decide to get in touch with Coach Reeves's old NBA contacts, and to that end steal his rolodex out of his office. However, they decide that high blood pressure is not a worthy enough cause to attract the attention of Reeves's old friends, and thus decide to make it seem as though Coach Reeves has passed away, calling the fundraising party the "Ken Reeves Memorial Blood Pressure Party."

Their plan works and soon condolences and donations arrive from across the country. Coach Reeves is angry that his death has been faked, although Sybil is rather bemused. Coach Reeves scolds Salami, Nick, Thorpe, and Coolidge over their deception, but they point out that news of Reeves's death has raised a great deal of money, and so he cooperates for the time being. However, they plan to reveal that Coach Reeves is still alive during the party. The party begins and a number of celebrities, sports and otherwise, attend to pay their respects to Reeves. However, they are none too pleased to see him alive; Reeves suspects that they had hoped he was actually dead. Coach Reeves reluctantly makes a speech, and the assembled celebrities make their donations. The episode ends as Coach Reeves manages to find a new apartment. Commercials deleted.

Details

  • NETWORK: CBS
  • DATE: December 16, 1980 8:00 PM
  • RUNNING TIME: 0:49:06
  • COLOR/B&W: Color
  • CATALOG ID: B:16790
  • GENRE: Drama
  • SUBJECT HEADING: Drama; African-American Collection - Drama
  • SERIES RUN: CBS - TV series, 1978-1981
  • COMMERCIALS: N/A

CREDITS

  • Bruce Paltrow … Executive Producer, Created by
  • John Masius … Coordinating Producer
  • Mark Tinker … Producer, Director
  • Scott Brazil … Associate Producer
  • Joshua Brand … Writer
  • Mike Post … Theme Music by
  • Pete Carpenter (See also: Peter Carpenter) … Theme Music by
  • Ken Howard … Cast, Ken Reeves
  • Joan Pringle … Cast, Sybil Buchanan
  • Kevin Hooks … Cast, Morris Thorpe
  • Byron Stewart … Cast, Warren Coolidge
  • Timothy Van Patten … Cast, Mario "Salami" Pettrino
  • Larry Flash Jenkins … Cast, Wardell Stone
  • John Mengatti … Cast, Nick Vitaglia
  • Wolfe Perry … Cast, Teddy Rutherford
  • Stoney Jackson … Cast, Jesse B. Mitchell
  • John Laughlin … Cast, Paddy Falahey
  • Art Holliday … Cast, Eddie Franklin
  • Rosey Grier … Cast, Ezra Davis
  • Elgin Baylor … Cast, Himself
  • Sparky Anderson … Cast, Himself
  • Red Auerbach … Cast, Himself
  • Willie Tyler … Cast, Himself
  • Chet Walker … Cast, Himself
  • Jimmie Walker … Cast, Himself
  • Sandra Will … Cast, Marlene Sandler
  • Edmund Stoiber … Cast, Mr. Wexler
  • Helen Martin … Cast, Old Woman
  • Carl Byrd … Cast, Dr. Sanders
  • Robin Braxton … Cast, Miss March
  • Patricia Conklin … Cast, Lila
  • Ken Hill … Cast, Tony
  • Mary-Margaret Lewis … Cast, Teacher
  • Jagene Simmons … Cast, L. A. Rams Cheerleader
  • Dawn Gilliam … Cast, L. A. Rams Cheerleader
  • Jackie Thorp … Cast, L. A. Rams Cheerleader
  • Mary Gehr … Cast, L. A. Rams Cheerleader