About this season
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.
Episodes (22)
1. Episode 1
Aired 23 September 1987 • 30 min
Lawsuits force Nelson to fire Slap from sports.
2. Episode 2
Aired 30 September 1987 • 30 min
A nun, Judy's beau, a dog and his ex-wife plague Slap.
3. Episode 3
Aired 7 October 1987 • 30 min
Nelson hires Slap's old nemesis as sportswriter.
4. Episode 4
Aired 14 October 1987 • 30 min
Slap thinks he has died during a day with son Eliot.
5. Episode 5
Aired 28 October 1987 • 30 min
Slap saves a newspaper carrier who was an Olympian.
6. Episode 6
Aired 4 November 1987 • 30 min
Slap mistakenly thinks he can reconcile with Annie.
7. Episode 7
Aired 18 November 1987 • 30 min
Judy hunts for an apartment; Slap misses a big story.
8. Episode 8
Aired 25 November 1987 • 30 min
Slap recognizes The Ledger's prospective buyer as a con artist.
9. Episode 9
Aired 2 December 1987 • 30 min
Judy fills in as advice columnist; Charlie's dog dies.
10. Episode 10
Aired 9 December 1987 • 30 min
Judy asks Slap to her high-school reunion.
11. Episode 11
Aired 6 January 1988 • 30 min
Slap has difficulty criticizing Eliot's writing.
12. Episode 12
Aired 13 January 1988 • 30 min
Slap wins "Sportswriter of the Year" but loses Judy.
13. Episode 13
Aired 20 January 1988 • 30 min
Auto trouble keeps Slap from his wedding with Annie.
14. Episode 14
Aired 27 January 1988 • 30 min
Slap gives a Marine a ride and winds up back home in Texas.
15. Episode 15
Aired 3 February 1988 • 30 min
Slap rekindles an old flame; Judy and Charlie have regrets.
16. Episode 16
Aired 10 February 1988 • 30 min
Slap visits his ailing father; Nelson replaces Slap with a woman.
17. Episode 17
Aired 2 March 1988 • 30 min
Slap abandons Kitty and Texas to get his job back.
18. Episode 18
Aired 9 March 1988 • 30 min
Slap faces indignities upon returning to The Ledger.
19. Episode 19
Aired 16 March 1988 • 30 min
Slap fights for his job and reconciles with Judy.
20. Episode 20
Aired 6 May 1988 • 30 min
Slap is determined to uncover the truth behind the defection of a "Commie mutant" tennis pro.
21. Episode 21
Aired 13 May 1988 • 30 min
Judy wants commitment; Eliot defends his father.
22. Episode 22
Aired 20 May 1988 • 30 min
Disasters strike Slap and he thinks he is dead.