Shark Bytes

The cancellation of this show was the jumping of the shark for television in general. This was one of the most intelligent, thoughtful and relevent shows ever, and CBS, despite unprecedented write in protests from a multitude of important people and common folk, and despite its universaal critical acclaim, CBS dumped this wonderful show and replaced it with a piece of garbage called "California Dreaming", a show about beach bums. One disgrace followed another. This proved to the public, that quality, intelligent writing and acting didnt mean a damned thing to the networks. All that mattered was money. Did that embarrasment of a replacement show make any money? No, the people rejected it. So instead of law students and brilliant acting and writing, we got bimbos bouncing around on the beach as its replacement. Perhaps the biggest disgrace in Hollwood history.

"The Paper Chase" was the best primetime offering in the 1978-79 season. It was a well-written program, but unfortunately CBS scheduled it opposite the powerhouse combo of "Happy Days" and "Laverne and Shirley". Furthermore, it was a gritty realistic drama, both a rarity and a poison in TV's vast fantasy landscape. Rememeber George C. Scott's 1963 drama "East Side/West Side" and Karl Malden's 1980s show "Skag"? Like "Chase", these portrayals of hard-edged reality floundered when mixed in with the rest of the programming fare.

I rememeber numerous spots being aired to help save "Chase" during its ill-rated season, including one by then UC law college dean Samuel Wilson. It is indeed a shame when a true quality program meets the dire fate "The Paper Chase" did. John Houseman delivered a strong performance as Prof. Kingsfield
as did a strong portion of the remainder of the cast.

I have not seen the Showtime revival therefore I decline comment on the subsequent "Year Two" program. As I stated above, it was a travesty that this paper chase came to an abrupt end at the end of its freshman year.

What? This show was on in 1978-79? I remember when it was on, but, I keep thinking I remembered it from like '72-'73. The characters I remember looked more like early '70s hippies. I thought it was on for more than one season too. Wow. Apparently, I must not remember it at all.

This was my favorite show in the 1970's! It's too bad it was up against such high quality intellectual shows such as Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley. Let's all hope that even just the first season of this Houseman fan obsessed series makes it to DVD!!!

One of the few series (along with MASH) that was as good as or better than the movie on which it was based.
John Housemann was brilliant!

This show provides what is perhaps the most platonically perfect example of jumping the shark in the entire annals of broadcast television. It occurred sometime late in the show's only season and it involved a relationship between Hart and a female Russian gymnast who just happened to be visiting the law school while on tour. Another thing I remember about the series is that while it was a favorite of the critics, especially early on, it was always in danger of being cancelled due to poor ratings. The story had it at the time that CBS Chairman Wm. Paley had personally intervened to save the show on more than one occasion. But by the time the gymnast episode aired the writing was on the wall for the show and the writers were not above trying any gimmick to try to save the situation. Incidentally, John Housman, who always had very strong opinions regarding the projects in which he was involved, reportedly threatened to quit the show upon seeing the script for this episode. Without doubt, Paper Chase was an interesting television experiment, but its shark jumping credentials are as impeccable as its Ivy League pedigree.

John Houseman. . pseudo-English-New-England haw haw accent. . .how annoying. Observe his whorish post-Paper Chase decline: from Smith Barney (not bad, that's where he earrrned it) to Wesson Oil (quotidian, but not degrading) to McDonalds (please!). The twit stood in front of a Golden Arches and harrumphed as though it were the Four Seasons. One of my law professors (this was in 1989) had quite obviously spent years renting this film learning how to ape Professor Kingsfield. What a pretentious waste of time: "Questions, comments, queries? If not, we turn to the case of Bagglesnot v. Greezix, a venerable old case..." Besides, how could this show have lasted more than three years (the normal period of law study)? Would Hart and his pals be some kind of jurisprudential versions of Rerun on What's Happening!!? Even the biggest dolts usually at least finish law school so they can go on to flunk the bar exam. I suppose that they could have converted the show into an anthology series like The Twilight Zone or Naked City with fresh characters every so often, but there's no evidence (!) of anything of the sort being in the works. The really sad thing about it all--none of that classroom posturing means a thing. It's strictly a question of exam performance, but nobody can face that so they waste time trying to impress the professor at his cat-and-mouse game. The real laugh is, when they get out of law school and into law practice, not one bit of that matters at all. Give me Perry Mason--pure fantasy, yes, but well-done and without any spurious aims to verisimilitude.

I really enjoyed THE PAPER CHASE, the movie as well as the CBS series. I didn't think the show really jumped until it moved to Showtime because those shows were vastly inferior. The year on CBS was quality television though. John Houseman delivered a post graduate acting course on a weekly basis in his role as Professor Kingsfield and James Stephens really grew on me in the role of Hart. I loved Timothy Bottoms in the movie and couldn't imagine anyone else playing it but Stephends eventually won me over. I have to agree with the above poster that the sexual harassment episode was wrapped up a little too quickly and neatly, but I consider that a brief hiccup in one of the best dramas that ever came from CBS and, of course, never found an audience.

I am not sure how many people realize what a significant character John Houseman was in American theatre before "Paper Chase, The." He first came to notice as a cohort of Orson Wells and was significantly involved in Mercury Theatre and Citizen Kane. Anyway, years later he was teaching an acting class when "Paper Chase" (the movie) was filmed. It was shown to his students prior to general theatrical release. After the showing his students were very quiet. Finally when couldn't stand it any longer (he WAS an actor with an appropriate ego) he asked what they thought of it. Their reply was that they couldn't see any acting since he was really the embodiment of Professor Kingsfield and really behaved that way.

This was truly an excellent program. When it was canceled by CBS after one season, my primetime network viewing habit dropped substantially. I remember UC's Law College Dean (Samuel Wilson) making on-air petitions to save it. It just seems whenever a TV series goes for gritty realism (Remember "East Side/West Side"?), it is a bomb for the television audience. A damn shame.

Never jumped! This was a great show, beginning to end. I really liked the episode when Ford's younger, smarter brother was thinking of joining Ford in law school--classic sibling rivalry. I could have watched this show for several more years.

This show was fantastic, but when Showtime picked it up, their episodes just sucked! For all of you idiots who are quoting Kingsfield from the opening of the show- he talks about "SKULLS" full of mush, not 'heads'. I guess you all are full of mush.

Great show. Timothy Bottoms played George W Bush in That's My Bush, for the dude who just posted.

I remember it as a good show, though not as good as the movie. I'm amazed at how well people here remember it, I've never seen repeats since the early 80's. Kingsfield - a classic character - John Houseman was born to play him. The opening scene, quoted above about "head full of mush" was a great line from the movie. Whatever happened to the actor who played Hart? I also wonder what happened to Timothy Bottoms' career.

The only episode I remember which kind of "JTS" was the one (I'm not sure whether it was in the original series or on the Showtime episodes) in which the students all think Kingsfield is going to be named to the Supreme Court. I don't think mere law professors, (no matter HOW prestigious) often get appointed to the High Court. Obviously, in the end Prof. Kingsfield loses out, and everybody is very sad and unhappy about it all.