On the Rocks (partially found ABC sitcom; 1975-1976)
On the Rocks was an American sitcom that was centered around the inmates of Alomesa Minimum Security prison. The show was broadcast on ABC from September 11, 1975 to May 17, 1976, and was a remake of the popular British sitcom Porridge.
Plot
The show takes place in the Alomesa Minimum Security Prison and focuses on the various inmates of the prison, and the numerous antics that take place while they are there. The shows main setting was usually the cellblock containing prisoners Hector Fuentes, Lester DeMott, and Nicky Palik, with each of the three usually having some involvement in the plot of the episode.
Cast
- Rick Hurst as Cleaver
- Jose Perez as Hector Fuentes
- Bobby Sandler as Nicky Palik
- Hal Williams as Lester DeMott
- Tom Poston as Mr. Sullivan
- Mel Stewart as Mr. Gibson
- Pat Cranshaw as Gabby
- Jack Grimes as Baxter
- Logan Ramsey as Warden Wilbur Poindexter
- Sorrell Booke as Judge
- Richard Stahl as Doctor
- Geno Silva as Joey
- Joseph Stern as Bernard
- Dee Timberlake as Angie
- Wayne Dvorak as Chuck
- Janie Brandon as Marion
- Ann Noland as Belinda
- Sharon Ullrick as Rose
- Vic Tayback as Big Max
- Ray Sharkey as Opie
- Buddy Arett as Inmate
- Anne Morgan Guilbert as Mrs. Palik
- Maria Grimm as Maria
- Dee Timberlake as Angie
- Ron Feinberg as Moose
- James Gleason as Skinner
- Karen Ciral as Nurse
- Richard Stahl as Doctor
- Rita Moreno
- Yvonne Wilder
- Hamilton Camp
- Jane Dulo
- Britt Leach
- Roy Stuart
- Paul Smith
- Louis Quinn
- Joe Medalis[1]
Availability
Despite 24 episodes being produced and aired over the course of the shows run, no full episodes have resurfaced online since its cancellation. All that has resurfaced are various promos that contain footage of the show, featuring clips from the episodes "To Catch a Thief" and "Peace and Quiet" among others. Two episodes are kept at the Paley and the same two seem to also exist at the UCLA (neither is selling or showing them, but in theory, visitors could go see the episodes on location). However, a website called "rewatch classic tv" claims to be selling 4 episodes.
Episode List
# | Episode | Synopsis | Airdate | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Old Fish, New Fish | Streetwise and wisecracking, Hector Fuentes returns just a little less than triumphant to his minimum-security prison. He begins his latest term by showing the ropes to naive first-time inmates. | September 11th, 1975 | Lost |
2 | To Catch a Thief | Fuentes announces that pineapple chunks are missing. | September 18th, 1975 | Partially Found |
3 | The Wagers of Sin | Warden Poindexter is intent on cracking down on gambling in the prison and takes extreme measures. But the ban has the opposite effect on Fuentes making him want to gamble even more. | September 25th, 1975 | Lost |
4 | The Legacy | Fuentes is sent to the prison hospital where he makes friends with an older inmate Gabby. | October 2nd, 1975 | Lost |
5 | Mr. Lonelyhearts | The men are worried that their mates might be cheating on them, so Fuentes writes a threatening form letter for everyone to send to their loved ones. | October 9th, 1975 | Lost |
6 | Champion | A thug gives novice boxer Palik his first lesson in behind-bars bouts: he must pull his punches and lose whenever he is told to do so. | October 16th, 1975 | Lost |
7 | Peace and Quiet | Fuentes wants some time alone, away from his fellow inmates. | October 23rd, 1975 | Partially Found |
8 | Dear John | Palik's girlfriend breaks off their engagement. | October 30th, 1975 | Lost |
9 | Sullivan's Finest Hour | Sullivan's carelessness gets him a reprimand after a con steals his bike and peddles off to Jamaica. | November 13th, 1975 | Lost |
10 | Homesick Blues | Cleaver becomes homesick. | November 20th, 1975 | Lost |
11 | The Great Escape | Fuentes tries to escape with a trick knee. | November 27th, 1975 | Lost |
12 | The High and the Mighty: Part 1 | Fuentes' new cellmate turns out to be one of the warden's wartime buddies. | December 4th, 1975 | Lost |
13 | The High and the Mighty: Part 2 | Fuentes' cell mate, a dishonorable judge, develops a rapport with his fellow inmates. | December 11th, 1975 | Lost |
14 | Friendly Persuasion | Fuentes and another cellmate devise a plan to improve working conditions. | December 18th, 1975 | Lost |
15 | The Underground Movement: Part 1 | Fuentes and his cellmates foil the escape of a racketeer. | January 8th, 1976 | Lost |
16 | The Underground Movement: Part 2 | Unknown. | January 12th, 1976 | Lost |
17 | A Test of Character | Palik takes his high school equivalency test. | January 19th, 1976 | Lost |
18 | Testing, Testing | Fuentes and Palik fail a psychiatric test. | January 26th, 1976 | Lost |
19 | Free and Clear | An elderly inmate refuses parole unless it's on his terms. | February 9th, 1976 | Lost |
20 | High Noon | Fuentes tries to keep the peace when a fight breaks out between Tommy "Mad Dog" Hollister and Lester DeMott. | February 16th, 1976 | Lost |
21 | The Desperate Hours | Cleaver and Demot are held hostage. | February 23rd, 1976 | Lost |
22 | I'll Never Forget What's Her Name | When a brash acquaintance of Fuentes' shows up at the prison, the men go crazy. | March 29th, 1976 | Lost |
23 | Retrospective: Part 1 | This one-hour episode recalls the antics of the prison inmates.[2] | May 17th, 1976 | Lost |
24 | Retrospective: Part 2 | Unknown. | May 17th, 1976 | Lost |
Gallery
External Links
- Wikipedia article for On the Rocks. Retrieved 02 Jan '19
- IMDB page for On the Rocks. Retrieved 02 Jan '19
Reference
- ↑ Page for the show on The Classic TV Archive. Retrieved 14 Sept '19
- ↑ tv.com article containing plot synopsis for Retrospective: Part 1. Retrieved 17 Mar '19