Series Description:

The B.L. Stryker TV show was a 120 minute action series on ABC starring Burt Reynolds as a detective working out of Miami, Florida. He lived on a boat and often got help on his cases from a couple of friends and his irritating neighbor.

B.L. Stryker Cast:

B.L. Stryker Trivia:

Bert Reynolds made more than his share of bad decisions (and he admits it) during his career. He turned down the role of James Bond in the 1970s, the lead role in the "Die Hard" movies which made Bruce Willis' career and refused the role that eventually went to Jack Nicolson in "Terms of Endearment" and won Jack an Oscar!

Bert graduated from Florida State University in 1958 where he had received a football scholarship. He was a running back for two seasons until suffering a knee injury. He was actually drafted by the Baltimore Colts! He was the first actor to guest-host the Tonight Show, opening the door for other non-comedians. He also appeared mostly nude in 1972 in Cosmopolitan magazine.

The "B.L." in the main character's name stood for "Buddy Lee".

Ossie Davis' birth name was Raiford Chatman Davis. His mother called him "R.C.". Her accent made the nickname sound like "Ossie" and that's how he picked his stage name! Ossie was a highlight speaker at the funerals of both Martin Luther King and Malcolm X! He and his wife Ruby Dee were both named to the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame in 1989!

The reason why there were three weeks between episodes of B.L. Stryker is that it was actually one of several series that rotated on ABC's Mystery Movie. Other series that took their turns were "Columbo", "McMillan & Wife", "Gideon Oliver", "Kojak", and "Christine Cromwell".

Episodes List With Original Air Dates

The First Season

1. The Dancer's Touch (2/13/1989)
2. Carol Ann (3/6/1989)
3. Blind Chess (3/27/1989)
4. Auntie Sue (4/17/1989)
5. Blues For Buder (5/15/1989)

The Second Season

6. The King of Jazz (11/18/1989)
7. Die Laughing (12/16/1989)
8. Winner Takes All (1/13/1990)
9. Grand Theft Hotel (2/24/1990)
10. High Rise (3/10/1990)
11. Plates (4/14/1990)
12. Night Train (5/5/1990)