393 B. J. and the Bear

First  viewed : Uncertain

I  never  watched  this  one  very  regularly. It  was  a  light  comedy / adventure  series  about  an unencumbered  trucker  roaming  the  highways  in  his  massive  vehicle   in  the  company  of  a chimp  called  Bear  who  didn't  talk  but  knew  how  to  make  himself  scarce  when  B  J  wanted to  unload  his  rig  with  a  procession  of  nubile  young  co-stars. The  series  unashamedly  rode  on the  coat-tails  of  the   big  trucking  pictures , most  obviously  Every  Which  Way  But  Loose, but otherwise  it  followed  the  usual  pattern  of  a lone  wolf  outsider  sorting  out  a  local  bad  guy. BJ's  most  regular  adversary  was  played  by  Murray  Hamilton  from   Jaws.

BJ  was  played  by  likable  Greg  Evigan . Many  of  the  female  characters  were  truckers  themselves  giving  the  series  some  thin  cover  from  the  accusations  of  rampant  sexism.

The  only  scene  I  really  remember  and  I  can't  pinpoint  the  episode  , is  a  bomb  scare  at  the  country  club  and  a  young  blonde  lady  in  a  dripping  bikini  running  round  telling  everyone  to  get  out. I  can't  think  why  that's  stayed  in  my  mind.

It  lasted  for  three  series.