Lost Episode
But Is It Art?
Unproduced
This episode is the first unproduced title I've located in a producer's notebook on "Supertrain." An NBC memo from April
4, 1979 includes airdates for "Pirouette" (4/7/1979) and "The Green Girl" (4/28/1979) and shows the next new Supertrain episode
to air was to be, "But Is It Art?" This episode would have landed between "The Green Girl" and "Where Have You Been
Billy Boy?" in early May of 1979 had it been made.
The episode notes include reference to an earlier title that was "The Little Girl Who Wasn't" and the story is credited to
Nick Baehr, Larry Alexander, and Jeff Wilhem. Wilhem was to hand in a re-write on April 4, 1979 of what is assumed to
be the story outline and a script would begin next for this episode.
Lost Episode
Patsy's Private
Eye
Unproduced
Among notes from a "Supertrain" producer's files was reference to an episode titled, "Patsy's Private Eye." The story
is credited to Lew Davidson. A script draft was to be done by April 6, 1979.
The notes include a story line synopsis: Buller, a Texas billionaire is hosting a private jet-set type party on board
Supertrain in his own private car. Patsy Furness, whose father was killed by Buller, decides to crash the party and
seek her revenge. While at the party, she witnesses the killing of a Mr. Peabody and becomes intent on finding the body.
She harnesses the aid of the dashing young man, Richard Asher, dressed up as Hercule Peirot, in her quest.
Richard is not sure if he believes Patsy's story about a dead guest until he and Patsy do indeed stumble on the body.
Their dander is up now and they go after Buller and his cohorts with zeal, determined to bring this bunch of no-goods to justice.
An NBC memo from January 31, 1979 includes "Patsy's Private Eye" as following "Hail To The Chief" and would have aired in
early March of 1979 and is originally listed as the 5th episode for the series. This episode
is listed to begin shooting February 14, which is assumed to be 1979. An NBC memo dated April 4, 1979 includes an update
on the proposed episode airdates. "Patsy's Private Eye" is listed as running after "Where Have You Been Billy Boy?"
This would have put this episode in mid-May of 1979 had it been produced.
The notes on "Patsy's Private Eye" include a list of actors for the role of the Texas billionaire Big Jim Buller. The
actors under consideration included M. Emmet Walsh, Burl Ives, Slim Pickens, Jim Davis, Claude Akins, Eddie Albert, Gene Barry,
Ernest Borgnine, William Conrad, Andy Griffith, George Kennedy, Alex Karras, Ed McMahon, Forrest Tucker, Dennis Weaver, Ned
Beatty, David Huddleston, Vic Tayback, Lorne Greene, David Doyle, Simon Oakland, Stephen McNally, Denver Pyle, Buddy Ebsen,
and Robert Manden.
Lost Episode
Trains Are
Not For Sleeping
Unproduced
This episode is listed as following "Patsy's Private Eye" in production/proposed airdate order. The story was by Brad
Radnitz. An outline was expected to be done by April 3, 1979 and a script would begin after the story's approval/revisions.
Lost Episode
Heartbreak
Kit
Unproduced
This episode is listed as following "Trains Are Not For Sleeping" in production/proposed airdate order. The story was
by Sam Merrill. Jeff Wilhelm was to pen the script after finishing work on another never-produced Supertrain episode
titled, "But Is It Art?"
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