ARLI$$ {ARLISS}: HIS NAME IS ARLISS MICHAELS {THIRD SEASON FINALE} (TV)
Summary
One in this comedy series about sports agent Arliss Michaels and his associates.
"Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel" does a story on Arliss, focusing mainly on a lawsuit between him and his first client, baseball player Donny Thurman. The "Real Sports" story is interspersed with flashbacks concerning the events in question. Arliss and his staff are interviewed, usually lying to them. The flashbacks tell the real story: Arliss met Donny in the 70's when he prevented a marijuana dealer from overcharging them. While sharing a joint, Arliss convinces Donny to sign with him as his first African-American client, promising Donny that he will open up his agency to more African-Americans. Arliss and Donny form an effective duo and become best friends, but soon Arliss starts taking advantage of Donny to meet and sign more African-American athletes; Donny claims that Arliss took advantage of him in this regard.
As Donny ages, baseball teams refuse to sign him and he blames Arliss, who claims he is doing everything he can for him. In actuality, the team that Arliss was trying to get Donny signed to expressed interest in an up-and-coming star player and offered a lucrative deal to acquire him. Arliss omitted that fact when he told Donny that the team wouldn't sign him. Donny retires from baseball and soon thereafter discovers the truth, prompting him to sue Arliss for ten million dollars. Arliss tries to get his other clients to testify on his behalf, but to no avail. Desperate, Arliss devises an alternate solution: he secretly maneuvers Donny into settling out of court by making him a partner in his new film production company and giving his wife Brenda a starring role in one of his movies.
Details
- NETWORK: HBO
- DATE: August 30, 1998 9:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:26:38
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:74978
- GENRE: Comedy
- SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy; Sports; Athletes; Asian American Pacific Islanders Collection
- SERIES RUN: HBO - TV series, 1996-2002
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Mike Tollin … Executive Producer
- Brian Robbins … Executive Producer
- Robert Wuhl … Executive Producer, Created by
- Timothy Marks … Supervising Producer
- Kevin Falls … Supervising Producer
- Joan Ackerman … Producer
- Allan Stephan … Producer
- Jonathan Fink … Producer
- Dan Kaplow … Co-Producer
- John Murray … Co-Producer
- Ann Holm … Associate Producer
- Stephen Confer … Director
- Barry Gold … Writer
- Ed Smart … Music by
- Robert Wuhl … Cast, Arliss Michaels
- Jim Turner … Cast, Kirby Carlisle
- Sandra Oh … Cast, Rita Wu
- Michael Boatman … Cast, Stanley Babson
- Johnnie L. Cochran Jr. … Cast, Himself
- Earvin Johnson (See also: Magic Johnson) … Cast, Himself
- Armen Keteyian … Cast, Himself
- Gary Payton … Cast, Himself
- Andre Rison … Cast, Himself
- Ron Shelton … Cast, Himself
- Ozzie Smith … Cast, Himself
- Van Earl Wright … Cast, Himself
- Robert Wisdom … Cast, Donny Thurman
- Tangi Miller … Cast, Brenda Thurman
- Reg E. Cathey … Cast
- Keri Crawford … Cast
- Maria Ford … Cast
- Giuseppe Franco … Cast
- Courtney Gains … Cast
- Joe Nivens … Cast
- Shaheed Qaasim … Cast
- Roger Rose … Cast