Lucas Tanner

American television series

David Hartman
Rosemary Murphy
Robbie Rist

ComposerDavid ShireCountry of originUnited StatesOriginal languageEnglishNo. of seasons1No. of episodes22 (list of episodes)ProductionExecutive producerDavid VictorProducers

Jay Benson
Jerry McNeely

CinematographyHarry L. WolfEditors

Tony Martinelli
Robert Watts
John J. Dumas
Edward Haire
Richard Bracken

Running time60 minProduction companies

Groverton Productions
R.B. Productions
Universal Television

Original releaseNetworkNBCReleaseSeptember 11, 1974 (1974-09-11) –
April 9, 1975 (1975-04-09)

Lucas Tanner is an American drama series that aired on NBC during the 1974–75 season. The title character, played by David Hartman, was a former baseball player and sportswriter who becomes an English teacher at the fictional Harry S Truman Memorial High School in Webster Groves, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. He changed professions following the death of his wife and child.^[1] Episodes often deal with the resistance of traditional teachers to Tanner's unorthodox teaching style.

Regular co-stars included Rosemary Murphy, Kimberly Beck, John Randolph, and ten-year-old Robbie Rist. Unusually, the show was actually filmed in Webster Groves, rather than on a Hollywood backlot. That gave it a somewhat unusual "look" for a prime-time TV series.

A 90-minute pilot film of the series aired on NBC the week of May 4, 1974; the pilot also starred Kathleen Quinlan and Joe Garagiola.^[2]

This series was Hartman's last work as an actor. In November 1975, he began as co-host of ABC's Good Morning America. To date, he has not returned to acting.

Episodes

Nº	Title	Directed by	Written by	Air date
0	"Lucas Tanner"	Richard Donner	Jerry McNeely	May 8, 1974 (1974-05-08)
90-minute pilot.
1	"A Matter of Love"	Gordon Hessler	John McGreevey	September 11, 1974 (1974-09-11)
2	"Instant Replay"	Gordon Hessler	Robert Van Scoyk	September 18, 1974 (1974-09-18)
3	"Thirteen Going on Twenty"	Walter Doniger	Jerry McNeely	October 2, 1974 (1974-10-02)
4	"Winners and Losers"	Leo Penn	Eugene Price	October 9, 1974 (1974-10-09)
5	"A Question of Privacy"	Jerry McNeely	Jerry McNeely	October 16, 1974 (1974-10-16)
6	"Three Letter Word"	Walter Doniger	Leonard & Arlene Stadd	October 23, 1974 (1974-10-23)
7	"By the Numbers"	William Asher	Sue Milburn	November 6, 1974 (1974-11-06)
8	"Echoes"	Walter Doniger	Arthur Heinemann	November 13, 1974 (1974-11-13)
9	"Look the Other Way"	Jerry London	Story by : Arthur Heinemann & Gene Thompson Teleplay by : Arthur Heinemann	November 20, 1974 (1974-11-20)
10	"Cheers"	Paul Kransky	William Froug	December 4, 1974 (1974-12-04)
11	"Merry Gentlemen"	Walter Doniger	Robert Van Scoyk	December 25, 1974 (1974-12-25)
12	"Bonus Baby"	Randal Kleiser	Bruce Shelly & David Ketchum	January 8, 1975 (1975-01-08)
13	"Pay the Two Dollars"	Allen Baron	Robert Van Scoyk	January 15, 1975 (1975-01-15)
14	"Those Who Cannot, Teach"	Robert Scheerer	Story by : Lila Garrett Teleplay by : Judy Burns & Robert Van Scoyk	January 22, 1975 (1975-01-22)
15	"What's Wrong with Bobbie?"	Walter Doniger	Booker T. Bradshaw & David P. Lewis	January 29, 1975 (1975-01-29)
16	"Collision"	Alexander Singer	Story by : Max Hodge Teleplay by : Robert Van Scoyk & Max Hodge	February 5, 1975 (1975-02-05)
17	"Why Not a Happy Ending?"	Charles S. Dubin	Story by : Claire Whitaker Teleplay by : Claire Whitaker & Judy Burns	February 12, 1975 (1975-02-12)
18	"Shattered"	Richard Bennett	Story by : Ann Beckett Teleplay by : Ann Beckett & Robert Van Scoyk	February 19, 1975 (1975-02-19)
19	"The Noise of a Quiet Weekend"	Leo Penn	Story by : Joel Clark Teleplay by : Robert Van Scoyk	February 26, 1975 (1975-02-26)
20	"Requiem for a Son"	Robert Scheerer	David P. Lewis & Booker T. Bradshaw	March 12, 1975 (1975-03-12)
21	"A Touch of Bribery"	Paul Kransky	Eugene Price	April 2, 1975 (1975-04-02)
22	"One to One"	Charles S. Dubin	Story by : Norman Hudis Teleplay by : Norman Hudis & Robert Van Scoyk	April 9, 1975 (1975-04-09)

References

^ Morrison, Bill. "Bland Television Menu Could Give You Ulcers," The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC), Sunday, September 22, 1974. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
^ NBC TV Guide ad for week of May 4, 1974, at Vintage Toledo TV.