Herbie, the Love Bug (TV series) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Herbie, the Love Bug |
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| Written by | Arthur Alsberg Don Nelson Don Tait |
| Directed by | Charles S. Dubin Vincent McEveety Bill Bixby |
| Starring | Dean Jones Patricia Harty Richard Paul Claudia Wells Douglas Emerson Nicky Katt Larry Linville |
| Music by | Frank De Vol Tom Worrall |
| Opening theme | "Herbie, My Best Friend" sung by Dean Jones |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of episodes | 5 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | William Robert Yates |
| Producer(s) | Kevin Corcoran |
| Cinematography | Jack A. Whitman Jr. Jack Swain |
| Editor(s) | Gordon Brenner Marsh Hendry Ron Honthaner |
| Running time | 48 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Walt Disney Productions |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Original release | March 17 – April 14, 1982 |
Herbie, the Love Bug was a fun American TV show. It was a sitcom, which means it was a funny show with a regular cast. It aired on the CBS network from March 17 to April 14, 1982. Walt Disney Productions made the show.
The series was based on a popular group of films. These movies were all about Herbie, a special white 1963 Volkswagen racing Beetle. What made Herbie so special? He had a mind of his own!
This TV show had only five episodes. It was the last time Herbie appeared on screen for a while. He returned in a TV movie called The Love Bug in 1997. The show's catchy theme song was "Herbie, My Best Friend." The star of the show, Dean Jones, sang the song himself.
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What's the Story?
The show follows the adventures of Jim Douglas, played by Dean Jones. Jim was Herbie's first owner in the movies. He was also a race car driver. In the TV show, Jim is retired from racing. He now works as an instructor at the Famous Driving School. His partner there is Bo Phillips, played by Richard Paul.
One day, Jim and Herbie find themselves in the middle of a bank robbery! They manage to stop the bad guys. They also rescue a young woman named Susan MacLane, played by Patricia Harty. Susan works at the bank. She is also a mom to three kids: Julie (Claudia Wells), Robbie (Douglas Emerson), and Matthew (Nicky Katt).
Jim and Susan quickly start to like each other. They even fall in love! But Susan's ex-boyfriend, Randy Bigelow (Larry Linville), isn't happy about this. Randy tries to break them up, but his plans don't work. Jim and Susan get married in an episode called "Herbie the Best Man." This episode aired on April 7.
Meet the Characters
Here are the main actors and the characters they played in the show:
- Dean Jones as Jim Douglas
- Patricia Harty as Susan MacLane
- Richard Paul as Bo Phillips
- Claudia Wells as Julie MacLane
- Douglas Emerson as Robbie MacLane
- Nicky Katt as Matthew MacLane
- Bryan Utman as Jason
- Larry Linville as Randy Bigelow
- Natalie Core as Mrs. Bigelow
Episode Guide
The Herbie, the Love Bug TV series had five exciting episodes. Each one featured Herbie and his friends in new adventures.
| Episode No. | Episode Title | Director | Writer | Air Date | |
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| 1 | "Herbie the Matchmaker" | Charles S. Dubin | Arthur Alsberg, Don Nelson | March 17, 1982 | |
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Herbie and Jim stop a bank robbery and save a hostage.
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| 2 | "Herbie to the Rescue" | Vincent McEveety | Arthur Alsberg, Don Nelson | March 24, 1982 | |
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Jim's driving school faces closure when Herbie causes trouble during an inspection.
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| 3 | "My House is Your House" | Bill Bixby | Don Tait | March 31, 1982 | |
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Jim's old girlfriend, Diane Darcy (Andrea Howard), shows up at his bachelor party.
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| 4 | "Herbie the Best Man" | Vincent McEveety | Arthur Alsberg, Don Nelson | April 7, 1982 | |
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Randy Bigelow tries to stop Jim and Susan's wedding by kidnapping Herbie.
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| 5 | "Calling Dr. Herbie" | Bill Bixby | Arthur Alsberg, Don Nelson | April 14, 1982 | |
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Jim and Susan think about selling Herbie to buy a family car.
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Where to Watch It Now
As of now, you can't find Herbie, the Love Bug on DVD, Blu-ray, or Disney+.
International Broadcasts
This series first aired in Brazil on January 10, 1993. It was shown on the TV Globo network. Brazil was the only country in Latin America to broadcast the show on a free-to-air TV channel.
