Evening Shade
Seen it?1990 | 4 seasons | 30 min | Comedy
Sunday Safe Betearly ratingWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
It won 2 Emmys, though it had a short run with a modest audience. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for anyone who wants a laugh.
- The mood
- Light and funny.
- The pace
- 4 seasons, but most episodes stand on their own, so you can dip in anywhere (about 30 minutes each).
- What might put you off
- Nothing much for most grown-ups.
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.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsNot counted
Not enough reviews on record yet
- AudiencesNot counted
Not measured yet: not enough ratings
- AwardsStrong
Won 2 Emmys: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. Also nominated for 2 more Emmys and 1 Golden Globe.
- Reach & staying powerBelow par
Ran for 4 seasons and reached a small audience so far
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 70K people sought it out in the past year
Season by season
The show overall is a Sunday Safe Bet. Here's how each season stacks up; Season 2 is the high point.
- Season 11990 · 24 episodes · 7.0 out of 10Sunday
Season 21991 · 25 episodes · 8.0 out of 10Saturday- Season 31992 · 25 episodesNot rated yet
- Season 41993 · 26 episodesNot rated yet
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Cast & crew
Created by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason
- Burt ReynoldsWood Newton
- Marilu HennerAva Evans Newton
- Hal HolbrookEvan Evans
- Charles DurningHarlan Elldridge
- Ann WedgeworthMerleen Elldridge
- Michael JeterHerman Stiles
- Jay R. FergusonTaylor Newton
- Ossie DavisPonder Blue
- Candace HutsonMolly Newton
- Elizabeth AshleyFreida Evans