Hey Dude

Hey Dude is an American Western comedy series that aired from July 14, 1989, to August 30, 1991, with a total of 65 half-hour episodes produced over five seasons. The show was originally broadcast on Nickelodeon.

Hey Dude
Genre	Teen sitcom Western
Created by	Dee LaDuke
Directed by	Ross K. Bagwell, Jr. Frederick King Keller
Starring	David Brisbin Kelly Brown Geoffrey Coy Jonathan Galkin Debra Kalman David Lascher Christine Taylor Joe Torres Josh Tygiel
Theme music composer	Dale Jarvis
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	5
No. of episodes	65 (list of episodes)
Production
Camera setup	Single-camera
Running time	22–24 minutes
Production company(s)	Jupiter Entertainment RIVR Media Cinetel Productions
Distributor	Viacom Media Networks
Release
Original network	Nickelodeon
Original release	July 14, 1989 (1989-07-14) – August 30, 1991 (1991-08-30)

The series is set on the fictional "Bar None Dude Ranch" near the city of Tucson, Arizona. It portrays the lives of the ranch's owner, his son, a female ranch hand, and four teenage summer employees. Hey Dude is a comedy that was aimed towards a teenage audience.

Premise

Ben Ernst, a divorced, good-natured, somewhat bumbling father from New Jersey, has bought the Bar None Dude Ranch seeking escape from his high-pressure job as a New York City accountant. His son, Buddy, is displeased with the change of locale, primarily because he is unable to use his skateboard on the desert sand. Buddy's dog Cassie was featured in Season 1, but was absent in Season 2.

For Season 1, the teenage staff consisted of two boys and two girls: Ted, an enterprising troublemaker; Danny, an easy-going Hopi Indian; girl-next-door Melody; and Brad, a rich girl from Grosse Pointe, Michigan. Brad, though she often wears dressy designer outfits at work, is a competent horse rider. Her love-hate relationship with Ted is a plot thread during the first half of the series.

When David Lascher left the show during Season 3 in 1990, Ted was replaced by Ernst's nephew Jake, an eccentric slacker who likes to play the drums. Not long after, Kyle, a somewhat dim but handsome cowboy type, joined the ranch. When Ted returned to the show, he and Kyle become romantic rivals for Brad. The show's only other featured adult is Lucy, a tough, authoritative ranch hand. She is sometimes looked upon as a mother figure and the teens often ask her advice.

Each episode begins with a cold open that usually ends with a lame pun. After that, the show's logo appears over the end of the cold open, and then, each character is introduced as a horseshoe flips, followed by the show's logo again, and then, the opening sequence fades out. Each episode ends with an instrumental version of the show's theme song while the credits roll over stills from the episode.

Characters

A skeptical Buddy (Josh Tygiel, left) tries to ignore Ted (David Lascher) and his scheming

• David Brisbin as Benjamin Ernst, Sr., ranch owner
• Kelly Brown as Bradley "Brad" Taylor, a riding instructor from a rich Grosse Pointe, Michigan, family
• Debra Kalman as Lucy, ranch hand
• David Lascher as Ted McGriff, senior staff
• Christine Taylor as Melody Hanson, lifeguard and dance instructor from Allentown, Pennsylvania
• Joe Torres as Danny Lightfoot, a Hopi Indian. Torres was cast after auditioning in Tucson for the role.[1]
• Geoffrey Coy as Kyle Chandler, Lucy's ex-boyfriend's son
• Jonathan Galkin as Jake Decker, Mr. Ernst's nephew from Los Angeles, California
• Josh Tygiel as Benjamin "Buddy" Ernst, Jr., Mr. Ernst's son. Tygiel was one of 120 Tucson-area boys who auditioned for the series.[1]

David Lascher and Joe Torres were nominated for a 1991 Young Artist Award in the Best Youth Variety or Game Show category for their roles on Hey Dude.[2]

Production

Hey Dude was videotaped on location at the Tanque Verde Guest Ranch near Tucson, Arizona.[1] The show was produced by Cinetel Productions. Casting began in 1988 with local auditions held in Tucson.[1]

While most of the show was technically shot on the property of the Tanque Verde Guest Ranch, the familiar "ranch" that was known to television viewers was actually built from scratch, roughly a mile away from the main public areas. This was done so ranch guests would not be bothered by the production and to create buildings with a more "western" look, which was not offered by the relatively modern and luxurious Tanque Verde. The main lodge, boys/girls bunks, guest lodge (which doubled as cast dressing rooms) and the stable were all built specifically for the production.

After the show ended production, the buildings were abandoned and several are still standing to this day, albeit in much disrepair.[3] The swimming pool that was frequently used on the show is the main pool for the Tanque Verde Guest Ranch and is still in use by guests. The set is located at 32°14′26″N 110°41′24″W, about fifteen and a half miles east of Tucson, Arizona.

Episodes

The series ran for 65 30-minute episodes over three years from 1989–1991. The episodes take place over the course of several consecutive summers, with cast members often recalling pranks and staff members from previous summers.

Series overview

Season		Episodes	Originally aired
			First aired	Last aired
	1	13	July 14, 1989	October 6, 1989
	2	13	October 13, 1989	January 26, 1990
	3	13	April 6, 1990	June 29, 1990
	4	13	September 7, 1990	December 14, 1990
	5	13	June 7, 1991	August 30, 1991

Season 1 (1989)

• Season 1 of Hey Dude consisted of 13 episodes.
• The only season, in which Buddy (Josh Tygiel) had a dog named Cassie.

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	"Day One at the Bar None"	Ross K. Bagwell, Jr.	Alan Goodman	July 14, 1989 (1989-07-14)
The series premiere of Hey Dude introduced us to the show's characters: Ted, Danny, Brad, Lucy, Melody, Mr. Ernst, and his accident-prone son Buddy.
2	"Battle of the Sexes"	Ross K. Bagwell, Jr.	Michael B. Kaplan	July 21, 1989 (1989-07-21)
It's Ted and Danny vs. Melody and Brad in a battle of boys against girls. Who will win? Who will play dirty? Also, Danny is upset because no one remembers his birthday.
3	"Goldilocks"	Ross K. Bagwell, Jr.	Alan Goodman	July 28, 1989 (1989-07-28)
Buddy becomes fond of a horse at the ranch and is angry when his father decides to sell it.
4	"Ted's Saddle"	Frederick King Keller	Judy Spencer	August 4, 1989 (1989-08-04)
Ted wants to buy a saddle that was owned by John Wayne, so he starts doing odd jobs for guests. The problem is he neglects his normal duties leaving the rest of the staff to pick up the slack.
5	"The Competition"	Ross K. Bagwell, Jr.	Graham Yost	August 11, 1989 (1989-08-11)
Brad and Melody compete for a chance to lead overnight camping trips. Unfortunately for them Ted is put in charge of seeing who is the most qualified.
6	"Rehearsal for Romance"	Frederick King Keller	Michael B. Kaplan	August 18, 1989 (1989-08-18)
Melody wants a date with a cute guy she sees at the lodge so she enrolls in "The Ted School of Romance". Mr. Ernst tries to market official Bar None merchandise.
7	"Perfect Father"	Frederick King Keller	Graham Yost	August 25, 1989 (1989-08-25)
Two crooks visit the Bar None with intentions to rob the place.
8	"The Good, the Bad, the Obnoxious"	Frederick King Keller	Clifford Fagin	September 1, 1989 (1989-09-01)
Brad's snobby friend visits the ranch and gives the staff a hard time. Meanwhile, Mr. Ernst tries to make a promotional video for the Bar None.
9	"Rainmen"	Ross K. Bagwell, Jr.	Mark Cerulli	September 8, 1989 (1989-09-08)
Danny must choose between his friends and his Native American heritage when a drought hits the Bar None threatening the water supply.
10	"Ted and Brad Get Handcuffed"	Ross K. Bagwell, Jr.	Graham Yost	September 15, 1989 (1989-09-15)
Buddy pretends to be a magician. To teach Brad a lesson, Ted decides to use Buddy's handcuffs to attach himself to Brad. As it turns out, they aren't "trick cuffs" like he thought... they belong to a real-life prisoner!
11	"Suspicion"	Frederick King Keller	Clifford Fagin	September 22, 1989 (1989-09-22)
Ted thinks one of the guests is a murder in the mob.
12	"Employee of the Week"	Ross K. Bagwell, Jr.	Alan Goodman	September 29, 1989 (1989-09-29)
The staff competes to win Mr. Ernst's "Employee of the Week" contest.
13	"Pain in the Neck"	Ross K. Bagwell, Jr.	Judy Spencer	October 6, 1989 (1989-10-06)
Mr. Ernst decides it's time for some spring cleaning at the ranch. While Ted and Danny are fixing things, Danny falls off the ladder and injures his neck.

Season 2 (1989–1990)

• Beginning with this season, Cassie no longer appears in the opening credits. So now, the text reads "Buddy JOSH TYGIEL".
• This season consisted of 13 episodes.

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	"Loose Lips"	Ross K. Bagwell, Jr.	Michael B. Kaplan	October 13, 1989 (1989-10-13)
Melody gives away a big secret of Brad's to Ted. This leads to everyone giving away everyone else's secrets to get revenge.
2	"Battle of a Hundred Bucks"	Frederick King Keller	Michael B. Kaplan	October 20, 1989 (1989-10-20)
The kids compete to see who's worthy of a $100 tip left by a guest.
3	"Our Little Champion"	Ross K. Bagwell, Jr.	Judy Spencer	October 27, 1989 (1989-10-27)
Melody decides to start training for the Olympics for swimming. Of course, Mr. Ernst sees a way to make money off this, and begins to exploit Melody to benefit the ranch.
4	"Bunkmate Battles"	Frederick King Keller	Alan Goodman	November 3, 1989 (1989-11-03)
While Danny bets Ted that he can't go a week without using Native American items, Brad moves out of the girls bunk and into the lodge after a fight with Melody.
5	"Crash Landing"	Ross K. Bagwell, Jr.	Graham Yost	November 10, 1989 (1989-11-10)
Ted, Buddy, and Mr. Ernst witness a small Cessna plane crash near the ranch. When they go to find the pilot, they get a little more than they bargained for.
6	"Ghost Stories"	Frederick King Keller	Graham Yost	November 17, 1989 (1989-11-17)
The kids tell ghost stories in attempt to frighten each other. Then Ted challenges the other kids to scare him.
7	"Teacher's Pet"	Ross K. Bagwell, Jr.	Clifford Fagin	December 1, 1989 (1989-12-01)
Ted's English teacher visits the Bar None and falls for Mr. Ernst. Buddy and Ted plot to get them apart. Brad has to decide whether to stay at the ranch or join her parents in France.
8	"Treasure Teens"	Frederick King Keller	Alan Goodman	December 8, 1989 (1989-12-08)
Ted finds a treasure map, and causes a stir on the ranch when the staff tries to find it.
9	"Dan the Man"	Ross K. Bagwell, Jr.	Lisa Melamed	December 15, 1989 (1989-12-15)
Danny feels responsible for the near-death of a horse. Mr. Ernst tries to stay on his diet.
10	"Superstar"	Frederick King Keller	Clifford Fagin	January 5, 1990 (1990-01-05)
Melody falls head over heels for her favorite TV heartthrob who's visiting the ranch.
11	"Bar None Babysitter"	Ross K. Bagwell, Jr.	Judy Spencer	January 12, 1990 (1990-01-12)
It's a nightmare come true when Ted loses the child he is baby-sitting. Mr. Ernst appoints Danny the answer man.
12	"Cowboy Ernst"	Frederick King Keller	Dean Young	January 19, 1990 (1990-01-19)
The kids find out Mr. Ernst is going to sell the ranch. So the kids set out to make Mr. E think he is a real cowboy.
13	"Take Me to Your Leader"	Ross K. Bagwell, Jr.	David A. Litteral	January 26, 1990 (1990-01-26)
Buddy thinks he saw an alien while walking on the ranch's property, but nobody believes him.

Season 3 (1990)

• Starting with the episode "New Kid on the Block", during the opening credits, Ted (David Lascher) is out, and Jake (Jonathan Galkin) is in.
• In the season finale episode "Stick Around", Kyle (Geoffrey Coy) is added to the opening credits, and Ted (David Lascher) returns to the opening credits.

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	"Inmates Run the Asylum"	Ross K. Bagwell, Jr.	Graham Yost	April 6, 1990 (1990-04-06)
Senior staffer Ted is put in charge of the ranch and has a power trip when Mr. Ernst is out of town.
2	"Hey Cinderella"	Ross K. Bagwell, Jr.	Judy Spencer	April 13, 1990 (1990-04-13)
Mr. Ernst wants to impress some important (rich) guests who are coming to the ranch. Melody gets a crush on one of the guests, and pretends to be rich in order to impress him.
3	"Datenite"	Frederick King Keller	Clifford Fagin	April 20, 1990 (1990-04-20)
Ted convinces Brad to go on a date with him before he leaves the ranch to attend summer school.
4	"New Kid on the Block"	Frederick King Keller	Steve Roth Deanne Roth	April 27, 1990 (1990-04-27)
Jake, Mr. Ernst's trouble making nephew, comes to stay at the Bar None.
5	"Sewn at the Hip"	Ross K. Bagwell, Jr.	Lisa Melamed	May 4, 1990 (1990-05-04)
When an old friend of Melody's comes to visit, Melody finds that nothing ever stays the same.
6	"Superstition"	Frederick King Keller	Graham Yost	May 11, 1990 (1990-05-11)
Jake's superstitious nature prevents him from trying out for a TV game show.
7	"Dueling Ranches"	Ross K. Bagwell, Jr.	Mark Cerulli	May 18, 1990 (1990-05-18)
The owner of the Snake Eyes Ranch challenges Mr. Ernst and the Bar None to a baseball game.
8	"Ex-Static"	Frederick King Keller	Lisa Melamed	May 25, 1990 (1990-05-25)
Buddy's mom Sara comes to take him back home to New York after he calls her and tells her how bored he's been. While Sara is there Buddy tries to get her and his dad back together.
9	"No More Mr. Nice Guy"	Frederick King Keller	Judy Spencer	June 1, 1990 (1990-06-01)
When she starts feeling as if everyone takes advantage of her kind, friendly demeanor, Melody decides to go on strike. Buddy tries to hypnotize Jake, but it doesn't go according to plan.
10	"Killer Ernst"	Ross K. Bagwell, Jr.	Mark Cerulli	June 8, 1990 (1990-06-08)
Mr. Ernst puts on a professional wrestling match at the Bar None, but when one of the wrestler's doesn't show Mr. E takes his place.
11	"Melody's Brother"	Frederick King Keller	Judy Spencer	June 15, 1990 (1990-06-15)
Melody helps her brother with a drinking problem.
12	"The Bad Seed"	Frederick King Keller	Graham Yost	June 22, 1990 (1990-06-22)
Buddy is put in charge of a troublemaking guest at the ranch who frames him for her misdeeds. Mr. Ernst teaches the staff that the customer is always right.
13	"Stick Around"	Frederick King Keller	Lisa Melamed	June 29, 1990 (1990-06-29)
After meeting Brad, Kyle decides to stay at the Bar None for the first time. Meanwhile, Lucy is thinking about getting married.

Season 4 (1990)

• Season 4 of Hey Dude consisted of 13 episodes.
• Starting with the episode "Return of Ted", David Lascher came back to Hey Dude.

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	"They're Back"	Ross K. Bagwell, Jr.	Mark Cerulli	September 7, 1990 (1990-09-07)
The Vlecks stay at the Bar None while the Snake Eyes Ranch is being repaired.
2	"Ride, She Said"	Frederick King Keller	Clifford Fagin	September 14, 1990 (1990-09-14)
Brad learns the true meaning of Christmas from her friendship with a disabled boy.
3	"Magnum Ernst"	Frederick King Keller	Clifford Fagin	September 21, 1990 (1990-09-21)
Mr. Ernst poses himself as a sheriff, and Danny and Buddy work on the first living-desert museum.
4	"Dudesbury"	Frederick King Keller	Lisa Melamed	September 28, 1990 (1990-09-28)
Danny becomes a cartoonist for the local paper.
5	"Fear"	Ross K. Bagwell, Jr.	Graham Yost	October 5, 1990 (1990-10-05)
The pool at the Bar None will close unless the staff becomes certified. The problem is Brad is afraid of the water.
6	"Secret Admirer"	Ross K. Bagwell, Jr.	Patrick Maguire	October 12, 1990 (1990-10-12)
Brad and Mel try to cheer up Mr. Ernst when he is down about getting older.
7	"Lost in the Desert"	Ross K. Bagwell, Jr.	Judy Spencer	October 19, 1990 (1990-10-19)
Brad and Kyle are tied up and left in the desert during a camping trip with young buckaroos.
8	"Return of Ted"	Ross K. Bagwell, Jr.	Graham Yost	October 26, 1990 (1990-10-26)
Ted runs away from summer school and returns to the ranch. Mr. E tries to win $10,000 on "Hilarious Home Videos". (This is David Lascher's return appearance to the show)
9	"Do the Right Thing"	Frederick King Keller	Steve Roth, Deanne Roth	November 2, 1990 (1990-11-02)
An archaeologist discovers a sacred Indian burial ground at the Bar None.
10	"Doghouse Blues"	Ross K. Bagwell, Jr.	Mark Cerulli	November 9, 1990 (1990-11-09)
The Vlecks have a fight causing Mrs. Vleck to flee to the Bar None and it is up to Jake to solve their problem.
11	"Some Like It Hot"	Frederick King Keller	Steve Roth, Deanne Roth	November 16, 1990 (1990-11-16)
Danny and Jake's impersonations of visiting travel writers fool Mr. Ernst.
12	"Mr. Moneybags"	Ross K. Bagwell, Jr.	Graham Yost	December 7, 1990 (1990-12-07)
Because of financial difficulties, Mr. Ernst considers selling the Bar None. Ted returns with good news. Foreigners visit the Bar None.
13	"Murder, He Wrote"	Frederick King Keller	Patrick Maguire	December 14, 1990 (1990-12-14)
Mr. Ernst and the staff plan a murder-mystery night to raise money for the ranch. Ted and Melody are away sick and when they return to the ranch they think the kids are planning a real murder.

Season 5 (1991)

• Season 5 of Hey Dude consisted of 13 episodes.

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	"Miss Tucson"	Frederick King Keller	Lisa Melamed	June 7, 1991 (1991-06-07)
Melody becomes obsessed with winning a beauty pageant.
2	"The Legend of Jed"	Ross K. Bagwell, Jr.	Paul Budra	June 14, 1991 (1991-06-14)
To keep Jake from being fired, the staff invents an imaginary worker to blame for his mistakes.
3	"Incredible Shrinking Ted"	Ross K. Bagwell, Jr.	Patrick Maguire	June 21, 1991 (1991-06-21)
The staff plays a joke on Ted by making him think he is shrinking.
4	"Rest in Pieces"	Ross K. Bagwell, Jr.	Laura Innes David Brisbin	June 28, 1991 (1991-06-28)
The kids, under the misconception that Mr. Ernst is dying, try to keep him awake. The kids bet Melody that she go a whole day without being nice.
5	"Baby"	Frederick King Keller	Clifford Fagin	July 5, 1991 (1991-07-05)
The kids try to take care of a baby left behind at the ranch until the mother returns.
6	"Jealous Guy"	Ross K. Bagwell, Jr.	Graham Yost	July 12, 1991 (1991-07-12)
Ted and Kyle must rely on each other to escape the danger of the desert.
7	"Amnesia"	Frederick King Keller	Paul Budra	July 19, 1991 (1991-07-19)
Mr. Ernst develops amnesia and thinks he is a 17-year-old kid again just as the juvenile work inspector shows up.
8	"Presumed Stupid"	Ross K. Bagwell, Jr.	Judy Spencer	July 26, 1991 (1991-07-26)
When Brad's birthday money goes missing it looks like Ted is the prime suspect.
9	"Crush"	Frederick King Keller	Lisa Melamed	August 2, 1991 (1991-08-02)
Buddy falls in love with Melody. Brad and Ted try to go the longest without caring about their appearance.
10	"Low Budget Brad"	Ross K. Bagwell, Jr.	Story by : Grant Dobbins Teleplay by : Lisa Melamed	August 9, 1991 (1991-08-09)
Brad's father loses his job and she is forced to sell some of her items.
11	"Jake's Fight"	Ross K. Bagwell, Jr.	Judy Spencer	August 16, 1991 (1991-08-16)
A guest threatens to beat up Jake.
12	"Double Date"	Frederick King Keller	Stephen Land	August 23, 1991 (1991-08-23)
Ted asks Melody out to make Brad jealous.
13	"War"	Frederick King Keller	Graham Yost	August 30, 1991 (1991-08-30)
It's the new kids vs. the veterans in a game of capture the flag.

Availability

The first season of Hey Dude became available for download from the iTunes Store on July 29, 2008. The second season of Hey Dude became available for download from the iTunes Store in August 2010. The third season of Hey Dude became available for download from the iTunes Store on November 29, 2011 (only containing 12 out of 13 episodes). All five seasons of the series are available for purchase as DVD or streaming episodes through Amazon.com.

On April 11, 2011, it was announced that Shout! Factory had acquired the rights to the series. They subsequently released the entire series on DVD in Region 1.[4][5][6][7] The fourth season was released on DVD as a Shout! Factory Exclusives title, available exclusively through Shout Factory's website and select Amazon sellers.[8] The fifth and final season was released on July 16, 2013, also as a Shout! Factory Exclusives title.[9]

On March 10, 2015, Shout! released Hey Dude- The complete series on DVD as a Walmart exclusive in full screen format.[10] It is also available through Amazon.[11]

On May 9, 2017, the complete series was re-released as a general retail release.[12]

DVD Name	Ep #	Release Date
Season 1	13	July 19, 2011
Season 2	13	January 31, 2012
Season 3	13	June 19, 2012
Season 4	13	April 9, 2013♦
Season 5	13	July 16, 2013♦
Complete Series	65	March 10, 2015 May 9, 2017 (re-release)

♦—Shout! Factory Exclusives title, sold exclusively through Shout's online store

References

1. Raines, Elaine (March 11, 2009). "Local talent was featured in 'Hey Dude'". Tales from the Morgue. Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved 2009-12-29.
2. "Hey Dude Awards". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2017-03-04.
3. Blevins, Joseph (April 14, 2014). "The ranch from Hey Dude is still out in the desert, gathering dust". A.V. Club.
4. Lambert, David (April 11, 2011). "Hey Dude – Are You Sitting Down for This?". TV shows on DVD. Archived from the original on September 14, 2011. Retrieved 2011-10-25.
5. McCutcheon, David (June 8, 2011). "Hey Dude Strolls In – DVD Preview". dvd.ign.com. Retrieved 2011-10-25.
6. Lambert, David. "Hey Dude - 'Season 2' of Nickelodeon's Live-Action Classic Scheduled for DVD". TV shows on DVD. Archived from the original on 2011-10-17. Retrieved 2011-10-25.
7. Lambert, David. "Hey Dude - In-Store Release of 'Season 3' DVDs is Announced by Shout!". TV shows on DVD. Archived from the original on 2012-03-13. Retrieved 2012-03-14.
8. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-09-26. Retrieved 2013-02-23.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
9. "Hey Dude DVD news: Press Release for Hey Dude - Season 5: The Final Season". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on 2016-06-25. Retrieved 2017-03-04.
10. "Hey Dude: The Complete Series (Walmart Exclusive) (Full Frame)". Walmart.com. Retrieved 2017-03-04.
11. "Hey Dude: The Complete Series: HEY DUDE: THE COMPLETE SERIES: Amazon Video". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2017-03-04.
12. A 'Wide' General Release for 'The Complete Series' from Nick/Shout! Archived 2017-06-15 at the Wayback Machine

External links

• Hey Dude on IMDb
• Hey Dude at TV.com