YOU CAN ALWAYS FIND LAUGHTER... IN A PLACE CALLED EVENING SHADE!
Original title
Evening Shade
Released
9/21/1990
Origin country
US
Genre
Comedy
Production companies
Mozark Productions, MTM Enterprises, Burt Reynolds Productions
Status
Ended
Number of seasons
4
Number of episodes
100
Evening Shade is an American sitcom television series that aired on CBS from 1990 to 1994. The series stars Burt Reynolds as Wood Newton, an ex-professional football player for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who returns to rural Evening Shade, Arkansas to coach a high school football team with a long losing streak. Reynolds personally requested to use the Steelers as his former team because he is a fan. The general theme of the show is the appeal of small town life. Episodes ended with a closing narration by Ossie Davis summing up the events of the episode, always closing with "... in a place called Evening Shade." The show's final episode saw the guest appearances of Willie Nelson and Buzz Aldrin as escaped convicts on the run from authorities, the final scene being a spectacular shoot-out reminiscent of the final scene of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The opening segment included clips from around Arkansas, including the famous McClard's Bar-be-que, which is situated on Albert Pike Blvd. and South Patterson St. in Hot Springs National Park.
On his birthday/wedding anniversary, an innocent Wood is photographed with a stripper; and Prosecuting Attorney candidate Ava discovers she's pregnant despite Wood's vasectomy.
Frieda babysits, and fills in for Evan on poker night when he has a date with Miss Beausoleil.
On seeing an old game film, Wood discovers his most celebrated high school touchdown catch was actually out of bounds.
During Sadie Hawkins week, the football team begins a seven-day series of pranks on Coach Newton.
Ava asks Wood to talk with both their son, Taylor, and her father about their choice in dates.
Ava's high-school flame visits; Will shaves off half of Wood's moustache.
Hoping to win Wood's favour, Herman, at a fundraiser, bids for and wins a weekend with Wood and his family.
Wood and the rest of town tutor the football players in algebra so they won't fail their classes and be barred from a big game.
With Ava's prosecutorial work taking her away from her household duties, a miserable Wood has to take up the slack.
Wood gets a bit part when a movie company and its temperamental star arrive to shoot a Civil War mini-series.
Tired of his kids' materialism, Wood gives their presents to a needy family.
Wood and Ava are asked to dinner by a married couple—who turn out to be swingers into spouse-swapping.
At his 30-year high school reunion, Wood hooks up with two old pals and one old flame.
Wood and Ava recall how friends rallied to help her get elected Prosceuting Attorney over her opponent Jim Guy Puckett.
Herman's big, blustery father comes to visit, but talks football with Wood and chases after Frieda more than he sees his son.
Wood must testify against Evan, who's being defended by his daughter Ava.
On Wood's annual deer-hunting trip, a local legend deer drops dead in front of his cabin—outside official hunting grounds.
A convict who'd threatened prosecutor Ava when she had him put away escapes and heads toward town.
Wood tries to keep secret the presence of his guest: old acquaintance country-music singer Kenny Rogers.
An in-over-his-head Herman substitute teaches a class in sex education, and calls in ""expert"" Wood.
Two female students attempt to join the football team.
Herman's relationship with Margaret hits a snag when she refuses to be seen with Herman on a formal ""date"".
Ava goes into labor the night of the Booster Club Sports banquest, to which Wood has invited his football archrival Terry Bradshaw.
Ava rides in the back of Ponder's catering truck on a chaotic ride to the hospital.
War breaks out between the women and the men on a segregated camping expedition after Wood scares the girls with his bear costume and gets whacked with a shovel—and culminates with the women abandoning the men during their ritual skinny-dipping. (Part 1 of 2)
The women begin to feel guilty about having abandoned the men naked in the woods. (Part 2 of 2)
Molly caves in under pressure from her boyfriend and agrees to take part in a beauty contest.
Wood accompanies Will to the hospital when the boy needs a tonsillectomy—and decides that while he's there he might as well have a vasectomy.
The fate of the Evening Shade football program rests on the shoulder pads of Wood's new quarterback. Buddy: Buddy Reynolds. Harlan: Charles Durning. Wood: Burt Reynolds. Herman: Michael Jeter.
Taylor and Aimee decide to marry.
Wood gets stuck in the bathroom window.
Wood and Ava leave Herman alone with the kids.
Ava feels displaced by the Newstons' talented au pair girl.
Wood must express the family's concern over Evan's wedding. (Part 1 of 3)
Fontana calls off the wedding. (Part 2 of 3)
Fontana decides to proceed with the wedding; Merleen meets her daughter. (Part 3 of 3)
Herman takes humiliating work after losing his teaching job due to budget cuts.
Wood learns his bully cousin plans to visit.
Taylor returns, transformed by his three months in Amsterdam; Wood's late father's store is slated to be demolished.
Wood is having trouble dealing with Molly's growing womanhood— even before he discovers her erotic diary. And he totally overreacts to her first ""date"" (slides at the church followed by ice cream). Meanwhile, Harlan's visiting inlaws are putting a damper on his sex life.
Ava sends Wood to investigate when Harlan rents property to a massage parlor.
Dumped by his girlfriend, Taylor quits the football team.
Wood cajoles Will into a father/son camping trip.
Events get out of hand when a hole in a bedroom wall resembles Abraham Lincoln.
Harlan fibs about his weight loss to Richard Simmons, then persuades Herman to impersonate him.
Ava is voted ""Arkansas Prosecuting Attorney of the Year.""
Wood forgets his anniversary when he gets a chance to be on ""The NFL Today.""
Herman moves in with Freida when his building goes condominium.
A frustrated Wood resigns as team coach, and is replaced by Herman.
...but Wood and Herman may not be, as they are stranded when their car breaks down on the way home from being Will an elusive gift available only out of town.
Freida falls for a man at the ice cream parlour, only to discover that he is the new preacher.
The Oakwood Academy, an exclusive private school Molly wants to attend, scrutinizes Wood and Ava, who discover they must pass an exam before Molly can be admitted. Meanwhile, Nab goes on a date with Amanda.
Ava hosts Fontana's baby shower, and wants Herman, who has joined Reba McEntire's security team, to get her to entertain.
Rebuffed by Reba McEntire, Ava still persists in planning the baby shower all by herself.
Ava invites sixties civil rights leader Aurelia Danforth to a Martin Luther King commemoration, then discovers that the guest has a past involving Ponder. (First of two parts)
Taylor's girlfriend elopes with the school hunk.
Fontana goes into labour, but Evan can't be reached.
Fontana despairs of her mothering abilities when only Evan can quiet baby Scout.
Herman is ashamed to tell his mentor that he has lost his teaching job.
Wood thinks a college footbal coach is interested in Taylor.
Herman books John Denver for Taylor's graduation but gets Bob Denver instead.
After the women play a joke on them, the guys get even by locking them out of Fontana's house—while they're clad in Fontana's stripper costumes.
Ava has a hard time adjusting when Taylor moves out ioto his own apartment.
Wood and Frieda get locked inside a sauna while everyone else in Evening Shade sweats out the football team's first game of the season.
Ava and Harlan go head to head in court when he is a witness for an insurance company.
Herman has some bad news for the returning Margaret (who has some for him in return). Herman confesses that he cheated on Margaret by kissing the ice cream woman—but only after Margaret confesses to kissing a man during her trip to Greece.
Wood tries to allay Emily's fear of scary costumes by letting her pick out his Hallowe'en attire.
Wood is more than a wee bit upset when he has to deal with Molly dating boys; meanwhile, Herman discovers that he's Scottish.
With Nub out sick, Wood and Evan takes over his newspaper route as the ladies run his other errands.
A Hollywood movie star takes a liking to Evening Shade—and decides to buy the whole town and turn it into a tourist attraction.
Freida returns from her health farm jaunt determined to stop smoking, with Herman's help.
A new restaurant threatens Ponder's business, so the gang agree to participate in a serious of bizarre commercials.
Ava and Wood accompany a nervous Herman to a singles bar.
Ava is upset when she is forced to imprison her own father for refusing to divulge a journalistic source.
Disaster is on the ballot when Harlan and Ima both run for mayor.
When Wood's delinquent cousin Calvin returns to Evening Shade, he decides to stay at the Newtons' until he earns his high school diploma.
The town gets an eyeful when Merleen takes up painting nudes—using Harland and Wood as her first subjects.
Wood must humiliate himself in order to inherit $1 million.
Merleen's sisters ask her to join their singing act.
On their anniversary, Ava and Wood plan to reaffirm their vows—a plan that includes bachelor and bachelorette parties.
The town is bankrupt and it's up to Mayor Wood to fix the problem; and he starts by attending a mayors conference in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Wood fields an offer from an old football chum who wants him as the new quarterback coach for the Atlanta Falcons.
A suitor professes his love for Molly on the town's water tower.
Mutual attraction develops between Ava's college pal and Taylor.
To avoid becoming infected with chicken pox, Wood moves in with Taylor.
Nub becomes a chimney sweep. Meanwhile, Frieda's ex-husband returns with an unusual proposal: he wants to get married again, and wants Frieda to return his grandmother's ring so he can give it to his new spouse.
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