When Diane Barrow (Delta Burke) catches her husband, Roger (Clayton Landley), having an affair (with another man), she sues for divorce. As part of the settlement, she receives the California Bulls – a rowdy pro football team that Roger owns.
Stories in the HBO comedy focused on Diane’s efforts to manage the unruly team and lead them to the championship.
Bob Dorsey (Geoffrey Scott) was the Bulls’ quarterback. Other players included Mace Pettey (Marshall Teague), Carl Witherspoon (Sam Scarber), Bryce Smith (Jeff East), Ray “Mad Dog” Smears (Tony Longo), Bubba Kincaid (Prince Hughes), Otis (Tom “Tiny” Lister Jr.) and Jethro Snell (Cliff Frazier).
Ernie Dinardo (Reid Shelton) was their coach. Fred Grier (Stan Kamber) was the assistant coach.
Other regular characters included Diane’s friend, Rona (Ruta Lee); mobster Sal Arcola (Michael Gazzo), who wanted to own the team; and newspaper sportswriter Red Griswald (J.C. Quinn). Sports anchorman Fran Tarkenton appeared as himself.
The series continued as Training Camp: The Bulls are Back, First and Ten: Going for Broke, and First and Ten: The Championships.
New players who joined along the way included T.D. Parker (OJ Simpson), Tom Yinessa (Jason Beghe), Jamie Waldren (Jeff Kaake), Johnny Valentine (Sam Jones), Rick Lambert (Marcus Allen), Dr Death (Donald Gibb), John Manzak (John Matuszak) and Zagreb Shkenusky (John Kassir). Agent Max Green (Mark Lonow) was also introduced.
The star, Delta Burke, left the series mid-way through the third season (to devote herself to Designing Women). The storyline had Diane losing the Bulls to her manipulative former lover, Teddy Schrader (Roy Thinnes), until legal issues forced him to flee the country.
Gail (Shanna Reed) briefly became the Bulls’ new president, representing the new owners, the Dodds Corporation. Shannon Tweed replaced her in the fifth season as Kristy Fullbright (Shannon Tweed), and remained through to the end.
The in-game footage of the Bulls was actually from the Los Angeles Express of the now-defunct United States Football League.
Diane Barrow
Delta Burke Rona
Ruta Lee Ernie Dinardo
Reid Shelton Kristy Fullbright
Shannon Tweed Bob Dorsey
Geoffrey Scott Mace Pettey
Marshall Teague Carl Witherspoon
Sam Scarber Bryce Smith
Jeff East Ray “Mad Dog” Smears
Tony Longo Bubba Kincaid
Prince Hughes Jethro Snell Cliff Frazier Otis
Tom “Tiny” Lister Jr. Sal Arcola
Michael Gazzo Vincenzo Arcola
Robert Miranda Fran Tarkenton
Himself Red Griswald
J.C. Quinn Betty Ann Smith
Cathy Silvers Fred Grier
Stan Kamber Max Green
Mark Lonow T.D. Parker
OJ Simpson Tom Yinessa
Jason Beghe Jamie Waldron
Jeff Kaake Rick Lambert
Marcus Allen Dr Death (Leslie Crunchner)
Donald Gibb John Manzak
John Matuszak Zagreb Shkenusky
John Kassir Johnny Valentine
Sam Jones Teddy Schrader
Roy Thinnes Gail
Shanna Reed Roger Barrow
Clayton Landley
You May Also Like
Hardball 1 9 9 4 (USA) 9 x 30 minute episodes Struggling baseball team, The Pioneers - a…
Bob Dorsey (Geoffrey Scott) was the Bulls’ quarterback. Other players included Mace Pettey (Marshall Teague), Carl Witherspoon (Sam Scarber), Bryce Smith (Jeff East), Ray “Mad Dog” Smears (Tony Longo), Bubba Kincaid (Prince Hughes), Otis (Tom “Tiny” Lister Jr.) and Jethro Snell (Cliff Frazier).
