The Slap Maxwell Story

The Slap Maxwell Story
Created byJay Tarses
Developed byBob Brush
StarringDabney Coleman
Megan Gallagher
ComposerPatrick Williams[1]
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes22
Production
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time30 minutes
Production companySlap Happy Productions
Original release
NetworkABC
ReleaseSeptember 23, 1987 (1987-09-23) –
June 8, 1988 (1988-06-08)
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

The Slap Maxwell Story (sometimes seen in print as The "Slap" Maxwell Story) is an American sitcom broadcast by ABC as part of its 1987–88 lineup.[2]

It starred Dabney Coleman as "Slap" Maxwell, an egocentric sportswriter for a newspaper called The Ledger, somewhere in the American Southwest. The Ledger is an old-fashioned newspaper, and Slap is an old-fashioned man, who composes his "Slap Shots" column on a typewriter. Despite the newly litigious environment of journalism, Slap insists on filling his column with rumor and innuendo, which draws lawsuits and frequently results in Slap's termination. After each termination, Slap makes groveling apologies and is rehired.

The title character's nickname comes from the fact that someone else always ends up hitting him in every episode.

Slap has an on-again, off-again relationship with Judy (Megan Gallagher), one of the paper's secretaries. The series also featured Annie (Susan Anspach) as Slap's ex-wife, who retains a soft spot for him.

The show was created by Jay Tarses, who in 1983 was co-creator of Buffalo Bill, an NBC sitcom in which Coleman starred as an off-putting talk show host.[3]

  1. ^ Bone, Jan; Johnson, Ron (1991). Understanding the Film: An Introduction to Film Appreciation. National Textbook Company p. 203. ISBN 978-0-8442-5694-8.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ Haithman, Diane (June 3, 1988). "Stoddard Says 'Slap' Demise Not ABC's Fault". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
  3. ^ McCallum, Jack (November 16, 1987). "Slap Crackles and Pops". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 29, 2020.