The Slap Maxwell Story

Synopsis

The Slap Maxwell Story is a situation comedy broadcast in the United States by ABC as part of its 1987-88 lineup. It stars Dabney Coleman as "Slap" Maxwell, an egocentric sportswriter for a newspaper called The Ledger, somewhere in the American Southwest. The Ledger was a very old-fashioned newspaper -- Slap still composed his column, "Slap Shots," on a typewriter -- and Slap was a very old-fashioned guy. Despite the newly litigious environment of journalism, Slap insisted on filling his column with rumor and innuendo, drawing lawsuits and Slap's frequent termination, to be followed by a groveling apology and his rehiring. He had an on-again, off-again relationship with girlfriend Judy, one of the paper's secretaries, due primarily to his off-putting personality. Annie was Slap's ex-wife, who nonetheless retained a soft spot for him. A recurring event throughout the series' run is that at some point in each episode, someone would hit Slap, with a nun even doing the honors in one episode. The show was created by Jay Tarses, who in 1983 was co-creator of Buffalo Bill, an NBC sitcom in which Coleman starred as a similarly off-putting character, the host of a TV talk show.

First Air Date: 1987-09-23

Last Air Date: 1988-05-20

Number of Seasons: 1

Number of Episodes: 22

Created By: Jay Tarses

Networks: ABC

View Technical Specifications on IMDb

Top Cast

Megan Gallagher as N/A
Dabney Coleman as N/A
Jeff Doucette as Eddie
Joseph Brutsman as Eliot Maxwell
Meg Gibson as N/A
Savely Kramarov as Vlad
Maurice LaMarche as TV Reporter
Brian Smiar as Nelson Kruger

Seasons

Season 1 (1987)

No overview available for this season.

Episodes:

Ep. 1: Episode 1 (1987-09-23)

Lawsuits force Nelson to fire Slap from sports.
Ep. 2: Episode 2 (1987-09-30)

A nun, Judy's beau, a dog and his ex-wife plague Slap.
Ep. 3: Episode 3 (1987-10-07)

Nelson hires Slap's old nemesis as sportswriter.
Ep. 4: Episode 4 (1987-10-14)

Slap thinks he has died during a day with son Eliot.
Ep. 5: Episode 5 (1987-10-28)

Slap saves a newspaper carrier who was an Olympian.
Ep. 6: Episode 6 (1987-11-04)

Slap mistakenly thinks he can reconcile with Annie.
Ep. 7: Episode 7 (1987-11-18)

Judy hunts for an apartment; Slap misses a big story.
Ep. 8: Episode 8 (1987-11-25)

Slap recognizes The Ledger's prospective buyer as a con artist.
Ep. 9: Episode 9 (1987-12-02)

Judy fills in as advice columnist; Charlie's dog dies.
Ep. 10: Episode 10 (1987-12-09)

Judy asks Slap to her high-school reunion.
Ep. 11: Episode 11 (1988-01-06)

Slap has difficulty criticizing Eliot's writing.
Ep. 12: Episode 12 (1988-01-13)

Slap wins "Sportswriter of the Year" but loses Judy.
Ep. 13: Episode 13 (1988-01-20)

Auto trouble keeps Slap from his wedding with Annie.
Ep. 14: Episode 14 (1988-01-27)

Slap gives a Marine a ride and winds up back home in Texas.
Ep. 15: Episode 15 (1988-02-03)

Slap rekindles an old flame; Judy and Charlie have regrets.
Ep. 16: Episode 16 (1988-02-10)

Slap visits his ailing father; Nelson replaces Slap with a woman.
Ep. 17: Episode 17 (1988-03-02)

Slap abandons Kitty and Texas to get his job back.
Ep. 18: Episode 18 (1988-03-09)

Slap faces indignities upon returning to The Ledger.
Ep. 19: Episode 19 (1988-03-16)

Slap fights for his job and reconciles with Judy.
Ep. 20: Episode 20 (1988-05-06)

Slap is determined to uncover the truth behind the defection of a "Commie mutant" tennis pro.
Ep. 21: Episode 21 (1988-05-13)

Judy wants commitment; Eliot defends his father.
Ep. 22: Episode 22 (1988-05-20)

Disasters strike Slap and he thinks he is dead.