DANGEROUS MINDS: PILOT {SERIES PREMIERE} (TV)
Summary
The pilot in this dramatic series about an unorthodox English teacher working in an inner-city school in California.
The episode opens with LouAnne Johnson returning to teaching as she shows up for her first day of work. LouAnne meets her co-workers and learns the ropes at the school, but remains curious why her predecessors kept leaving the job in the special academy program. Going to meet her class, she immediately lays down the law to student Gusmaro Lopez after he sasses her. LouAnne reveals that she used to be a U.S. Marine before explaining how she will run the class. At lunchtime, LouAnne speaks with gang counselor Jerome Griffin, who treats her coldly, thinking she will soon lose enthusiasm for the job. The next day, LouAnne brings "Of Mice and Men" to class, wanting her students to read and show enthusiasm for the book. Then, LouAnne makes her students write on the chalkboard the few things that they know about her, using it as an exercise on observing.
Later on, she notices tough student Cornelius Hawkins sleeping and then lipstick kisses him on the cheek, claiming he will remember her for the rest of his life. That afternoon, LouAnne pushes academy program organizer Bud Bartkus to let her keep single mother Callie Timmons in her class. Then, human development counselor Mr. Thomas is invited to LouAnne's class to teach them about safe sex. During the lecture, Cornelius picks a fight with Gusmaro and LouAnne has to quickly calm the situation. At the close of the school day, LouAnne confronts Bud, who is curious why everyone is passing her class. Bud thinks LouAnne is just trying to feel "worthy" with her actions. Later, LouAnne picks up Callie on the way to school and sees her living situation, as well as meeting her mother, Irene, and two-year-old daughter, Tyeisha. Then, Callie's boyfriend Kimboley arrives and gets tough with her.
Later, LouAnne runs into Cornelius on the street and learns that he is a train enthusiast. The next day, LouAnne and Callie get in a dispute when LouAnne calls child services on the girl for leaving Tyeisha alone. The child is taken away from Callie and put in a foster home. However, LouAnne gets child services to allow Callie and Tyeisha to stay with her. The next day, LouAnne explains the use of subtext in plays to her class. LouAnne evokes train analogies to get Cornelius interested in learning. Afterward, LouAnne tracks down Gusmaro at his father's lawnmowing business, telling him he has to start coming back to class, even if it invokes his abusive father's ire. Then, LouAnne searches out Cornelius to give him a train book she bought for him but he refuses to accept it after his homeboys make fun of him. Later, Callie worries that she will lose Tyeisha the following week at her hearing.
The next day, Jerome interrupts LouAnne's class to remove Cornelius. He is arrested on a warrant for robbery. At Callie's trial, Tyeisha is remanded to her custody. Later, Kimboley tracks down Callie at school and LouAnne is forced to defend her student from her boyfriend's threats. Then, Cornelius and Gusmaro show up, by which time Kimboley is menacing LouAnne. They talk Kimboley into taking off. After the incident, LouAnne learns that Cornelius has been placed in a special youth home and that, for the time being, will no longer be in her class. Finally, Callie tells LouAnne that she will have to withdraw from school in order to earn money and watch Tyeisha. However, LouAnne figures out a way to keep Callie in class, drawing raves from the hard-nosed Jerome. Includes commercials.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: September 30, 1999 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:57:59
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:46048
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 1996-1997
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - "That Thing You Do" motion picture
- TV - Commercials - "Twister" home video
- TV - Commercials - America's Dairy Farmers: Cheese to the rescue!
- TV - Commercials - Bengay pain relief cream
- TV - Commercials - Bisquick pancake mix
- TV - Commercials - Carl's Jr. restaurants
- TV - Commercials - DieHard car batteries
- TV - Commercials - Frigidaire refrigerators
- TV - Commercials - Honda automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Kodak photographs
- TV - Commercials - McDonald's restaurants
- TV - Commercials - Payless shoe stores
- TV - Commercials - Pepcid AC heartburn medicine
- TV - Commercials - Perot '96 for president
- TV - Commercials - Snackwell's fudge brownies
- TV - Commercials - Toyota automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Tylenol allergy medication
- TV - Commercials - Vaseline lotion
- TV - Commercials - Yoplait yogurt
- TV - Promos - "Boy Meets World"
- TV - Promos - "Clueless"
- TV - Promos - "Ellen"
- TV - Promos - "Eyewitness News"
- TV - Promos - "Family Matters"
- TV - Promos - "Home Improvement"
- TV - Promos - "Oprah"
- TV - Promos - "Relativity"
- TV - Promos - "Roseanne"
- TV - Promos - "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch"
- TV - Promos - "Spin City"
- TV - Promos - "The Drew Carey Show"
- TV - Promos - "Townies"
CREDITS
- Don Simpson … Executive Producer
- Jerry Bruckheimer … Executive Producer
- Diane Frolov … Executive Producer, Writer
- Andrew Schneider … Executive Producer, Writer
- Ronald Bass … Executive Producer, Writer
- Michael Vittes … Co-Executive Producer
- Jane Rusconi … Supervising Producer, Writer
- James Hayman … Director
- LouAnne Johnson … Based on "My Posse Don't Do Homework" by
- Lee Curreri … Music by
- Annie Potts … Cast, LouAnne Johnson
- Tamala Jones … Cast, Callie Timmons
- Cedrick Terrell … Cast, James Revill
- K. Todd Freeman … Cast, Jerome Griffin
- Jenny Gago … Cast, Amanda Bardales
- Greg Serano … Cast, Gusmaro Lopez
- Maria Costa … Cast, Blanca Guerrero
- LaToya Howlett … Cast, Alvina Edwards
- Stanley Anderson … Cast, Bud Bartkus
- William Converse-Roberts … Cast, Hal Gray
- Coolio … Cast, Mr. Thomas
- Richard T. Jones … Cast, Kimboley Watson
- Jenny O'Hara … Cast, Jean Warner
- Vicellous Reon Shannon … Cast, Cornelius Hawkins
- Donzaleigh Abernathy … Cast, Irene Timmons
- Janet Borrus … Cast, Janet Friedman
- Myriah Darden … Cast, Tyeisha
- Fab Filippo … Cast, Justin
- Marcello Thedford … Cast, Will
- Ella Joyce … Cast, Judge
- Colby French … Cast, Cop