I-40 Paradise

Last updated
I-40 Paradise
Theme music composer Lionel Cartwright [1]
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
ProducerRoss Bagwell
Running time30 minutes
Original release
Network The Nashville Network
ReleaseMarch 1983 (1983-03) –
April 1986 (1986-04)

I-40 Paradise is a 30-minute daily cable TV sitcom broadcast on The Nashville Network from March 1983, [2] when the network was first launched, [3] and lasted until at least April 1986. [4]

Contents

The series was so popular that a weekly 30 minute spinoff, Pickin’ at the Paradise, began in December 1983. [5]

Premise

"The havoc and hi-jinks involved in running a restaurant and entertainment spot just outside Nashville are explored with hilarious results" was how early television listings described the series. [6] [7]

The series was set in the small town of Crab Orchard, Tennessee, and most scenes took place in the roadside diner, I-40 Paradise, that had a separate-room tavern where country artists often stopped to perform. [8] There was a house-band, The Mighty Notes, headed by singer Buck Taylor. Buck's younger brother, Randy, was also in the band. [5]

Local residents frequented I-40 Paradise, and they were part of the episode storylines. Stories included: Sonny, Buck, Orvis and Calvin join a group that helps fatherless boys, but have to share Crab Orchard's only orphan; [9] Will Georgia quit her job to pursue a career in art?; [10] Lathrop is kidnapped and held for ransom; [11] and Velma and Calvin consider marriage. [12]

Cast

Guest stars

Country music performers would drop in on their way to Nashville and sing a couple of songs on each episode. One of the first guest stars to tape segments for the show was Helen Cornelius, [15] and Ty Herndon was on several episodes before he became well known. [16] Reba McEntire was on two episodes. In one she just sang, but the other had her take part in a conversation about video games, which was one of her first opportunities to act. [17]

Production

The series was produced by Cinetel Productions in Knoxville, Tennessee. Producer Ross Bagwell rented a warehouse to use as a studio, and hired mostly local dinner-theater actors as regulars. [8] Outside shots of the I-40 Paradise building were of the nearby Mount Olive Trading Post, a grocery store that closed in 1987. [18]

Lionel Cartwright, who'd been working at the Wheeling Jamboree , wrote the series theme song, and acted as one of the house-band singers. [19]

Spin off series

On December 25, 1983 Pickin’ at the Paradise began a six-week pilot run as a 30-minute Sunday series, advertised as a weekly visit to the Paradise's music room, where Crab Orchard residents would stop by to hear the house-band sing. Regulars included Lionel Cartwright as Randy, Jack Crook as Buck, and Kelli Warren as Melody Dawn. [5] Lionel Cartwright wrote the series theme song. [19]

The Cineteo Productions [5] series was popular enough that additional episodes were made, and the series aired until at least March 1986. [20]

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References

  1. ↑ Erlewine, Michael, All Music Guide to Country, page 78, Miller-Freedman, 1997
  2. ↑ Daily Listings, The Times Recorder, March 18, 1983, page 15
  3. ↑ Coming Soon! - TNN ad, The Germantown News (Germantown, TN), March 3, 1983, page 5
  4. ↑ Television and Radio, The Boston Globe, April 25, 1986, page 23
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 New special is paradise, The Daily News-Journal (Murfreesboro, TN), December 11, 1983, page 80
  6. ↑ TV listing, Longview News-Journal, March 27, 1983, page 126
  7. ↑ Cable Tonight, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, April 13, 1983, page 46
  8. 1 2 Wolfe, Charles K, & Akenson, James E., Country Music Annual 2001 (ebook), University Press of Kentucky, page 16-17
  9. ↑ Weekday TV, New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung (New Braunfels, TX) December 14, 1984, page 34
  10. ↑ Weekday TV, New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung (New Braunfels, TX), November 4, 1984, page 55
  11. ↑ Weekday TV, New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung (New Braunfels, TX) March 31, 1985, page 49]
  12. ↑ Weekday TV, New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung (New Braunfels, Texas), December 23, 1984, page 43]
  13. ↑ Otto, Becky, Actor wants to contribute to new theater movement, Kingsport Times-News (Kingsport, TN), January 1, 1988, page 90
  14. ↑ Hull, Christopher, Actress learns to fly on television series, The Morning Star (Vernon, BC, Canada ), December 21, 1989, page 45
  15. ↑ Davis, Doug, Country Happenings, The Times Recorder (Zanesville, Ohio), March 11, 1983, page 31
  16. ↑ Oermann, Robert K., Herndon goes from 'pretty boy' to hit maker. The Tennessean, May 13, 1995, page 30
  17. ↑ Sandvold, Jon, Softball to benefit from McEntire show, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, May 13, 1983, page 33
  18. ↑ For Decades, Store Sold Beer On One Side, But Not On Other, The Herald-Sun (Durham, NC), May 17, 1987, page 41
  19. 1 2 'Chance' carries singer to top, The Tennessean, October 28, 1989, page 57
  20. ↑ Pay Television, The Province, March 27, 1986, page 158
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