WHITE SHADOW, THE: PREGNANT PAUSE (TV)
Summary
One in this series of dramas about Ken Reeves, a former professional basketball player who begins a new life as the basketball coach of Carver High, an inner-city high school in Los Angeles. The Carver basketball team wins a close game and feels proud of themselves. Coach Reeves announces that a scout will be in the bleachers during next week's game, prompting excitement from the players. However, Reese finds himself confronted with some startling news: his girlfriend, a cheerleader named Darlene Robinson, tells him that she is pregnant with his child. She insists that they get married and that Reese needs to quit school so he can get a job. Reese is concerned that leaving school and the basketball team will prevent him from achieving his goal of getting a basketball scholarship to college, but can't bring himself to leave Darlene. Reese confides in Thorpe about Darlene's pregnancy, but Thorpe violates his trust by telling the entire basketball team, infuriating Reese. Coach Reeves talks to Reese in private about his situation; he can offer little advice but says that if he were in Reese's position he would marry Darlene. Later Jim and Sybil call Coach Reeves in for a meeting: Reese has decided to leave school and they blame Coach Reeves for putting the idea in his head. Sybil and Coach Reeves argue about his responsibility towards his students; she points out that Reese isn't ready for the kind of responsibility this decision entails. Later, Reese visits Coach Reeves and says he's planning to marry Darlene. However, Coach Reeves proposes an alternate plan: finish the school year and wait to see if he can obtain a scholarship, and then marry Darlene once his college future is secure. Reese approves of this plan, but Darlene will not cooperate, unwilling to bear the shame of being pregnant and unmarried for that long. During Carver High's next game, the team plays poorly, particularly Reese, who in light of recent events feels no motivation to put effort into the game. Coach Reeves holds off on putting Thorpe into the game as punishment for violating Reese's trust. The team loses, and afterwards Sybil talks to Darlene alone, although Coach Reeves ends up overhearing their conversation. She points out that taking Reese out of school at this point would be detrimental to both of them, and that Reese might leave her if the responsibility proves too much for him. Darlene feels she doesn't have the same opportunities as Reese and wants other people to stay out of her private life. She leaves and Coach Reeves talks to Sybil, who apologizes for her earlier accusations in Jim's office. They go out for coffee together and discuss the situation further. Coach Reeves learns that Darlene is the eldest of nine children, and has had to care for her siblings since her mother is single and constantly working. Reese tells Coach Reeves that he and Darlene have compromised: she will allow him to finish the semester and possibly apply for a scholarship, but they must get married right away. However, Coach Reeves soon begins to notice several clues which seem to contradict Darlene's assertion that she is pregnant: she has signed up for next semester's cheerleading squad, there are no records of her exhibiting morning sickness, and her attendance is perfect. However, Sybil notes that none of this evidence is conclusive. To prove his point, Coach Reeves takes Reese and Darlene out for coffee, where he asserts his belief that Darlene is not actually pregnant, much to their anger and confusion. He believes Darlene fabricated her pregnancy because she was scared that she would lose Reese if he went away to college. Reese doesn't believe Coach Reeves at first, but soon Darlene reveals the truth when she refuses to take a pregnancy test to confirm Coach Reeves's suspicions. She says that caring for her many siblings was a terrible strain on her life, and that Reese was the only good thing to happen to her. Coach Reeves leaves the two of them alone. Later, Jim visits Coach Reeves and tells him that, despite the recklessness of his actions, both Reese and Darlene are back in school. Reese shows up to the next practice and seems to be overcoming his ill will towards Coach Reeves. Thorpe apologizes to Reese for breaking his trust, and the two of them reclaim their friendship. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: January 1, 1979 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:48:24
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:16796
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama; African-American Collection - Drama
- SERIES RUN: CBS - TV series, 1978-1981
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Bruce Paltrow … Executive Producer, Created by
- Mark Tinker … Producer
- Scott Brazil … Associate Producer
- Jackie Cooper … Director
- Steven Bochco … Writer
- Mike Post … Music by
- Peter Carpenter … Music by
- Frank Denson … Music by
- Ken Howard … Cast, Ken Reeves
- Joan Pringle … Cast, Sybil Buchanan
- Ed Bernard … Cast, Jim Willis
- Thomas Carter … Cast, James Hayward
- Kevin Hooks … Cast, Morris Thorpe
- Eric Kilpatrick … Cast, Curtis Jackson
- Byron Stewart … Cast, Warren Coolidge
- Nathan Cook … Cast, Milton Reese
- Timothy Van Patten … Cast, Mario "Salami" Pettrino
- Ken Michelman … Cast, Abner Goldstein
- Ira Angustain … Cast, Ricky Gomez
- Ren Woods … Cast, Darlene Robinson
- Gail Cameron … Cast, Miss Tyler
- Naomi Caryl … Cast, Nurse Haskell
- Russell Philip Robinson … Cast, Team Manager