Series Description

The B.J. and the Bear TV show was a 60 minute comedy series on NBC about a trucker and his pet monkey who travelled around the United States from their base in the countryside of Georgia. Whether at home or on the road, the duo managed to find excitement (and usually trouble)! The local Georgia Sheriffs and their deputies were all corrupt (three different Sheriffs during the series run) and, in fact, the only honest crime official was "The Fox" who was always trying to catch the dishonest ones in their escapades.

B.J. and the Bear Cast

Greg Evigan .... Billie Joe (B.J.) McKay
Claude Akins .... Sheriff Lobo (1979)
Richard Deacon .... Sheriff Masters (1979-1980)
Otto Felix .... Deputy Higgins (1979-1980)
Conchata Ferrell .... Wilhemina "The Fox" Johnson (1979-1980)
Janet Julian .... Tommy (1979-1980)
Ed Lauter .... Sheriff Cain (1979-1980)
Slim Pickens .... Sergeant Beauregard Wiley (1979-1980)
Joshua Shelley .... Bullets (1979-1980)
Mills Watson .... Deputy Perkins (1979)
Candi Brough .... Teri Garrison (1981)
Murray Hamilton .... Captain Rutherford T. Grat (1981)
Linda McCullough .... Callie (1981)
Barbara Horan .... Samantha (1981)
Randi Brough .... Geri Garrison (1981)
Judy Landers .... Stacks (1981)
Sheila DeWindt .... Angie Cartwright (1981)
Eric Server .... Lieutenant Jim Steiger (1981)
Sherilyn Wolter .... Cindy Grant (1981)

Theme Song

Title: "B.J. and the Bear"

By: "Glen A Larson"

Hey there where ya goin',
Not exactly knowin'
Who says you have to call just one place home.
He's goin' everywhere,
B.J. McKay and his best friend Bear.

He just keeps on movin',
Ladies keep improvin'
Every day is better than the last.
New dreams and better scenes,
And best of all I don't pay property tax.

Rollin' down to Dallas,
Who's providin' my palace,
Off to New Orleans or who knows where.
Places new and ladies, too,
I'm B.J. McKay and this is my best friend Bear.

B.J. and the Bear Trivia

B.J. and the Bear had a "spin-off" series based on Claude Akins' character titled, "The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo".

Claude Akins appeared on 5 episodes of B.J. and the Bear as Sheriff Lobo. They were episode #1 - "Odyssey of the Shady Truth", episode #6 - "Lobo's Revenge", episode #10 - "Lobo", episode #16 - "Run for the Money", and episode #20 - "BJ's Sweethearts" (Flashback footage only).

Randy Hickey (played by actor Ethan Suplee) on the series, "My Name is Earl" has mentioned B.J. and the Bear on several occasions.

B.J.'s truck was a red and white Kenworth K-100 cab over semi.

B.J.'s pet chimpanzee was named Bear after famed football coach Bear Bryant who is best known for his days at the University of Alabama. Bear nearly always wore a hat on the show just like those worn by coach Bryant.

If you never watched B.J. and the Bear, you might still remember Greg Evigan from another starring role as "Joey Harris" on the series, "My Two Dads". Greg began his career in show "Jesus Christ Superstar" just one short month after he graduated from high school!

Claude Akins got his first big role on screen in the 1953 movie, "From Here to Eternity". Soon afterwards he landed guest-starring roles on several TV series including, "Dragnet", "Gunsmoke", "My Friend Flicka", and "Zane Grey Theater". He then moved back to the big screen in hit movies including "The Defiant Ones, "Rio Bravo", "Merrill's Marauders", and "The Killers". You may have seen him in the 1973 movie, "Battle for the Planet of the Apes" and never known it because he wore an ape costume for his role as the evil General Aldo.