View source for Herbie, the Love Bug (TV series)

{{Short description|1982 American television sitcom}}
{{Infobox television
| image = HerbieLoveBugTV1982 titlescreen.jpg
| caption =
| runtime = 48 minutes
| based_on = {{Based on|Characters|Gordon Buford}}
| creator =
| writer = Arthur Alsberg<br />[[Don Nelson (screenwriter)|Don Nelson]]<br />Don Tait
| director = [[Charles S. Dubin]]<br />[[Vincent McEveety]]<br />[[Bill Bixby]]
| starring = [[Dean Jones (actor)|Dean Jones]]<br />[[Patricia Harty (actress)|Patricia Harty]]<br />[[Richard Paul (actor)|Richard Paul]]<br />[[Claudia Wells]]<br />[[Douglas Emerson]]<br />[[Nicky Katt]]<br />[[Larry Linville]]
| opentheme = "Herbie, My Best Friend" sung by [[Dean Jones (actor)|Dean Jones]]
| music = [[Frank De Vol]]<br />Tom Worrall
| executive_producer = William Robert Yates
| producer = [[Kevin Corcoran]]
| cinematography = Jack A. Whitman Jr.<br />Jack Swain
| editor = Gordon Brenner<br />Marsh Hendry<br />Ron Honthaner
| country = United States
| language = English
| network = [[CBS]]
| company = [[The Walt Disney Company|Walt Disney Productions]]
| first_aired = {{start date|1982|3|17}}
| last_aired = {{end date|1982|4|14}}
| num_episodes = 5
}}
'''''Herbie, the Love Bug''''' is an American television [[sitcom]] that aired on [[CBS]] from March 17 to April 14, 1982. It was produced by [[Walt Disney Pictures|Walt Disney Productions]] and based on a series of films about [[Herbie]], a [[Sentience|sentient]] pearl white 1963 [[Volkswagen Beetle]].
The show was a five-episode [[mid-season replacement]] series.<ref>{{cite book| last = Clute| first = John| title = The Encyclopedia of Fantasy| publisher = St. Martin's Press | date = 1997 | location = [[New York City]], [[New York (state)|New York]] | pages = 463 | url = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Encyclopedia_of_Fantasy | isbn = 978-1-85723-368-1}}</ref> It was the last production to feature the titular automobile until 1997's [[television film]] ''[[The Love Bug (1997 film)|The Love Bug]]''. The show's theme song "Herbie, My Best Friend" was performed by its star, [[Dean Jones (actor)|Dean Jones]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=w8KztFy6QYwC&dq=herbie+the+love+bug%3A+1982&pg=PA603 Brooks, Tom; Marsh, Earle F. ''The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present'' p. 603].</ref>
==Plot==
[[Dean Jones (actor)|Dean Jones]], who had appeared in two of the films (''[[The Love Bug]]'' and ''[[Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo]]''), reprises his role of Jim Douglas, Herbie's original owner, now a retired race car driver who works as an instructor at the Famous Driving School with his partner Bo Phillips ([[Richard Paul (actor)|Richard Paul]]). He and Herbie stumble upon a bank robbery in progress. They manage to thwart the crime and rescue a young divorcée named Susan MacLane ([[Patricia Harty (actress)|Patricia Harty]]), who works at the bank and is a mother of three: Julie ([[Claudia Wells]]), Robbie ([[Douglas Emerson]]) and Matthew ([[Nicky Katt]]). Jim and Susan soon begin to fall in love, much to the consternation of her ex-boyfriend Randy Bigelow ([[Larry Linville]]). Randy's attempts to break them up are in vain; Jim and Susan get married in "Herbie the Best Man" episode that aired on April 7.
==Cast==
*[[Dean Jones (actor)|Dean Jones]] as James "Jim" Douglas
*[[Patricia Harty (actress)|Patricia Harty]] as Susan MacLane
*[[Richard Paul (actor)|Richard Paul]] as Bo Phillips
*[[Claudia Wells]] as Julie MacLane
*[[Douglas Emerson]] as Robbie MacLane
*[[Nicky Katt]] as Matthew MacLane
*Bryan Utman as Jason
*[[Larry Linville]] as Randy Bigelow
*Natalie Core as Mrs. Bigelow
==Episodes==
{| class=wikitable style="background:#FFFFFF"
|- style="color:#FFFFFF"
! style="background:#000070; width:20px"| Nº
! style="background:#000070"| Episode title
! style="background:#000070"| Directed by
! style="background:#000070"| Written by
! style="background:#000070; width:80px"| Airdate
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 1
| Title = Herbie the Matchmaker
| DirectedBy = [[Charles S. Dubin]]
| WrittenBy = Arthur Alsberg, [[Don Nelson (screenwriter)|Don Nelson]]
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1982|3|17}}
| ShortSummary = Herbie and his owner, Jim Douglas, stumble on an attempted bank robbery and rescue a hostage.
| LineColor = 000070
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 2
| Title = Herbie to the Rescue
| DirectedBy = [[Vincent McEveety]]
| WrittenBy = Arthur Alsberg, [[Don Nelson (screenwriter)|Don Nelson]]
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1982|3|24}}
| ShortSummary = Jim's driving school is closed down when Herbie interferes with a motor vehicle inspection.
| LineColor = 000070
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 3
| Title = My House is Your House
| DirectedBy = [[Bill Bixby]]
| WrittenBy = Don Tait
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1982|3|31}}
| ShortSummary = Jim's ex-girlfriend, [[Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo|Diane Darcy]] ([[Andrea Howard]]), surprisingly shows up at his bachelor party.
| LineColor = 000070
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 4
| Title = Herbie the Best Man
| DirectedBy = [[Vincent McEveety]]
| WrittenBy = Arthur Alsberg, [[Don Nelson (screenwriter)|Don Nelson]]
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1982|4|7}}
| ShortSummary =  Randy Bigelow kidnaps Herbie and substitutes a look-alike in a desperate attempt to break up Jim and Susan's wedding.
| LineColor = 000070
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 5
| Title = Calling Dr. Herbie
| DirectedBy = [[Bill Bixby]]
| WrittenBy = Arthur Alsberg, [[Don Nelson (screenwriter)|Don Nelson]]
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1982|4|14}}
| ShortSummary = Jim and Susan decide to sell her car to buy a family station wagon.
| LineColor = 000070
}}
|}
==Home media==
The series has not become available on [[DVD]], [[Blu-ray]], or [[Disney+]].{{citation needed|date= February 2023}}
==Premiere in Brazil==
The series premiered on Brazilian television on January 10, 1993, on [[TV Globo]], on Sunday mornings and then at various times, being the only country to broadcast the program on a Latin American open TV network.
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
*{{IMDb title|0083428|Herbie, the Love Bug}}
*{{epguides|id=HerbietheLoveBug}}
{{Herbie}}
[[Category:1982 American television series debuts]]
[[Category:1982 American television series endings]]
[[Category:1980s American sitcoms]]
[[Category:1980s American children's comedy television series]]
[[Category:American children's television sitcoms]]
[[Category:Herbie (franchise)]]
[[Category:Television series by Disney]]
[[Category:Television series based on Disney films]]
[[Category:Television series based on adaptations]]
[[Category:Television shows set in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Live action television shows based on films]]
[[Category:CBS sitcoms]]