240-Robert

240-Robert is an American drama series that ran on ABC from August 28, 1979 to March 21, 1981. 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
GenreDrama
Created byRick Rosner
Written byCharlene Bralver
Lew Hunter
Simon Muntner
James Schmerer
Anthony Yerkovich
Directed byRichard Benedict
Phil Bondelli
John Florea
Bruce Kessler
Sigmund Neufeld, Jr.
Christian I. Nyby II
Sutton Roley
Ric Rondell
StarringJohn Bennett Perry
Mark Harmon
Joanna Cassidy
Stephan Burns
Pamela Hensley
Theme music composerPete Carpenter
Mike Post
Composer(s)Mike Post (1.1, 1.3)
Pete Carpenter (1.1, 1.3)
Ken Heller
J. A. C. Redford (1.6, co-composer)
Murray MacLeod (1.6)
Harry Betts (1.10, 1.13)
Mark Snow (2.1, 2.2, 2.3)
Country of originUnited States
Original language(s)English
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes16
Production
Executive producer(s)Rick Rosner
Producer(s)Richard M. Rosenbloom
Editor(s)Dann Cahn
Mike Renaud
Randy Roberts
Jack Tucker
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time4548 minutes
Production company(s)Rosner Television
Filmways
DistributorOrion Television Distribution
Release
Original networkABC
Audio formatMonaural
Original releaseAugust 28, 1979 (1979-08-28) 
March 21, 1981 (1981-03-21)

Synopsis

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.

Cast

  • John Bennett Perry . . . Deputy Theodore Roosevelt "Trap" Applegate III
  • Mark Harmon . . . Deputy Dwayne "Thib" Thibideaux (episodes 1-13)
  • Joanna Cassidy . . . Deputy Morgan Wainwright (episodes 1-13), the unit's helicopter pilot
  • Stephen W. Burns . . . Deputy Brett Cueva (episodes 14-16), who replaced Thib
  • Pamela Hensley . . . 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.

Cancellation

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.

Episode list

Season 1: 1979

Ep Title Directed by Written by Original Air date
11"The Apology"Paul KrasnyTeleplay by: John Furia Jr.
Story by: Rick Rosner
August 28, 1979 (1979-08-28)
22"Stuntman"Ric RondellTeleplay by: Lew Hunter
Story by: Rudy Dochtermann & Lew Hunter
September 3, 1979 (1979-09-03)
33"Bathysphere"Phil BondelliJames SchmererSeptember 10, 1979 (1979-09-10)
44"Models"Phil BondelliL. Ford Neale & John HuffSeptember 17, 1979 (1979-09-17)
55"Acting Sergeant"Sutton RoleyTeleplay by: Simon Muntner
Story by: Rudy Dochtermann & Simon Muntner
September 24, 1979 (1979-09-24)
66"Bank Job"Sigmund Neufeld, Jr.Rudy DochtermannOctober 1, 1979 (1979-10-01)
77"Out of Sight"Christian I. Nyby IIJames SchmererOctober 15, 1979 (1979-10-15)
88"Time Bomb"Christian I. Nyby IIPatrick MathewsOctober 22, 1979 (1979-10-22)
99"Double Trouble"John FloreaSimon MuntnerOctober 29, 1979 (1979-10-29)
1010"Poison Air"Sigmund Neufeld, Jr.Teleplay by: Anthony Yerkovich
Story by: Peter Dixon & Anthony Yerkovich
November 5, 1979 (1979-11-05)
1111"Earthquake"Christian I. Nyby IICharlene BralverNovember 19, 1979 (1979-11-19)
1212"The Applicant"Phil BondelliRobert SpechtNovember 26, 1979 (1979-11-26)
1313"Oil and Water"Bruce KesslerTeleplay by: Glen Olson & Rod Baker
Story by: Rudy Dochtermann & Glen Olson & Rod Baker
December 3, 1979 (1979-12-03)

Season 2: 1981

Ep Title Air date
141"A Cool Welcome"March 14, 1981 (1981-03-14)
152"First Loss"March 21, 1981 (1981-03-21)
163"Hostages"March 28, 1981 (1981-03-28)
gollark: I assume it's to avoid being blamed in case some stupid person explodes things.
gollark: I don't think the *FCC* does that, at least not very directly.
gollark: What does the FCC have to do with this?
gollark: Just because you can describe some steps involved in doing something in not much detail doesn't mean you *can do* it.
gollark: I don't think you can *enrich* uranium yourself, at least not in usable quantities.
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