
Evening Shade
Evening Shade is an American sitcom television series that aired on CBS from 1990 to 1994. The series stars Burt Reynolds as Wood Newton, an ex-professional football player for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who returns to rural Evening Shade, Arkansas to coach a high school football team with a long losing streak. Reynolds personally requested to use the Steelers as his former team because he is a fan.
The general theme of the show is the appeal of small town life. Episodes ended with a closing narration by Ossie Davis summing up the events of the episode, always closing with "... in a place called Evening Shade." The show's final episode saw the guest appearances of Willie Nelson and Buzz Aldrin as escaped convicts on the run from authorities, the final scene being a spectacular shoot-out reminiscent of the final scene of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
The opening segment included clips from around Arkansas, including the famous McClard's Bar-be-que, which is situated on Albert Pike Blvd. and South Patterson St. in Hot Springs National Park.
Last Episode Date: 1994-05-23
Comedy
★★★★★★★★★★ (12 votes)
Casts

Burt Reynolds
as Wood Newton

Marilu Henner
as Ava Evans Newton

Hal Holbrook
as Evan Evans

Charles Durning
as Harlan Elldridge

Ann Wedgeworth
as Merleen Elldridge

Michael Jeter
as Herman Stiles

Jay R. Ferguson
as Taylor Newton

Ossie Davis
as Ponder Blue

Candace Hutson
as Molly Newton

Elizabeth Ashley
as Freida Evans