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240-Robert is an American drama television series that ran on ABC from August 28, 1979, to March 21, 1981.[1] The series title is a reference to the call-sign designation for the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department's search and rescue/paramedic teams.
| 240-Robert | |
|---|---|
 John Bennett Perry, Joanna Cassidy and Mark Harmon | |
| Genre | Drama |
| Created by | Rick Rosner |
| Written by |
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| Directed by |
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| Starring | |
| Theme music composer | |
| Composers |
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| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 16 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Rick Rosner |
| Producer | Richard M. Rosenbloom |
| Editors |
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| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 45–48 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | ABC |
| Release | August 28, 1979 – March 21, 1981 |
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The series chronicles the missions of "240-Robert", a specialized unit of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD), that utilized four wheel drive vehicles and a helicopter. Most of the assignments were sea/air/land search and rescue operations in the extensive (over 4,000 sq mi (10,000 km2)) jurisdiction. The show's creator was Rick Rosner (himself an LASD reserve deputy), who created the hit series CHiPs two years earlier for NBC.
The vehicles used at that time were 1979 Ford Broncos, while the helicopter was a Hughes HA-500C (similar in design to the current MD 500).
The series was based on real life cases encountered by the LASD's Emergency Services Detail. The real life ESD is actually headquartered in East Los Angeles. Rick Rosner took artistic liberty and portrayed the headquarters as a beach-side station. The actual filming location was at a State of California ranger station located at Sycamore Cove in Ventura County, California. The series was inspired, in part, on the experiences of Officer Charles Thibaudeau of the Hermosa Beach Police Department.
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- John Bennett Perry as Deputy Theodore Roosevelt "Trap" Applegate III
- Mark Harmon as Deputy Dwayne "Thib" Thibideaux (episodes 1–13)
- Joanna Cassidy as Deputy Morgan Wainwright (episodes 1–13), the unit's helicopter pilot
- Stephan W. Burns as Deputy Brett Cueva (episodes 14–16), who replaced Thib
- Pamela Hensley as Deputy Sandy Harper (episodes 14–16), the new pilot of the unit
Cassidy and Hensley both had an expert helicopter pilot take over for them in the actual helicopter flight sequences; this regular stunt pilot was Charles 'Chuck' Tamburro who wore a wig to give the appearance of a female pilot.
Matthew Perry's first credited role was a small part in the show, where he played a child actor in a 1979 episode.[2]
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Harmon and Cassidy left the series when their contracts expired after the first season. Burns and Hensley were brought in to replace them, but the second season (returning mid-season in early 1981 due to an actor's strike) only lasted three episodes before ABC cancelled it due to poor ratings.
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Season 1 (1979)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "The Apology" | Paul Krasny | Story by : Rick Rosner Teleplay by : John Furia Jr. | August 28, 1979 |
| 2 | 2 | "Stuntman" | Ric Rondell | Story by : Rudy Dochtermann & Lew Hunter Teleplay by : Lew Hunter | September 3, 1979 |
| 3 | 3 | "Bathysphere" | Phil Bondelli | James Schmerer | September 10, 1979 |
| 4 | 4 | "Models" | Phil Bondelli | L. Ford Neale & John Huff | September 17, 1979 |
| 5 | 5 | "Acting Sergeant" | Sutton Roley | Story by : Rudy Dochtermann & Simon Muntner Teleplay by : Simon Muntner | September 24, 1979 |
| 6 | 6 | "Bank Job" | Sigmund Neufeld, Jr. | Rudy Dochtermann | October 1, 1979 |
| 7 | 7 | "Out of Sight" | Christian I. Nyby II | James Schmerer | October 15, 1979 |
| 8 | 8 | "Time Bomb" | Christian I. Nyby II | Patrick Mathews | October 22, 1979 |
| 9 | 9 | "Double Trouble" | John Florea | Simon Muntner | October 29, 1979 |
| 10 | 10 | "Poison Air" | Sigmund Neufeld, Jr. | Story by : Peter Dixon & Anthony Yerkovich Teleplay by : Anthony Yerkovich | November 5, 1979 |
| 11 | 11 | "Earthquake" | Christian I. Nyby II | Charlene Bralver | November 19, 1979 |
| 12 | 12 | "The Applicant" | Phil Bondelli | Robert Specht | November 26, 1979 |
| 13 | 13 | "Oil and Water" | Bruce Kessler | Story by : Rudy Dochtermann & Glen Olson & Rod Baker Teleplay by : Glen Olson & Rod Baker | December 3, 1979 |
Season 2 (1981)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 1 | "A Cool Welcome" | Reza Badiyi | Story by : Rudy Dochtermann Teleplay by : E. Nick Alexander and Alan Godfrey | March 14, 1981 |
| 15 | 2 | "First Loss" | John Peyser | William F. Nolan | March 21, 1981 |
| 16 | 3 | "Hostages" | James Sheldon | Herman Groves | March 28, 1981 |
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