Evening Shade is an American sitcom television series that aired on CBS from 1990 to 1994. The series stars Burt Reynolds as Wood Newton, an ex-professional football player for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who returns to rural Evening Shade, Arkansas to coach a high school football team with a long losing streak. Reynolds personally requested to use the Steelers as his former team because he is a fan. The general theme of the show is the appeal of small town life. Episodes ended with a closing narration by Ossie Davis summing up the events of the episode, always closing with "... in a place called Evening Shade." The show's final episode saw the guest appearances of Willie Nelson and Buzz Aldrin as escaped convicts on the run from authorities, the final scene being a spectacular shoot-out reminiscent of the final scene of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The opening segment included clips from around Arkansas, including the famous McClard's Bar-be-que, which is situated on Albert Pike Blvd. and South Patterson St. in Hot Springs National Park.
Producer: Linda Bloodworth-Thomason
Wood Newton
Ava Evans Newton
Evan Evans
Harlan Elldridge
Merleen Elldridge
Herman Stiles
Taylor Newton
Ponder Blue
No overview available.
24 episodes
On his birthday/wedding anniversary, an innocent Wood is photographed with a stripper; and Prosecuting Attorney candidate Ava discovers she's pregnant despite Wood's vasectomy.
Runtime: 30 minFrieda babysits, and fills in for Evan on poker night when he has a date with Miss Beausoleil.
Runtime: 30 minOn seeing an old game film, Wood discovers his most celebrated high school touchdown catch was actually out of bounds.
Runtime: 30 minDuring Sadie Hawkins week, the football team begins a seven-day series of pranks on Coach Newton.
Runtime: 30 minAva asks Wood to talk with both their son, Taylor, and her father about their choice in dates.
Runtime: 30 minAva's high-school flame visits; Will shaves off half of Wood's moustache.
Runtime: 30 minHoping to win Wood's favour, Herman, at a fundraiser, bids for and wins a weekend with Wood and his family.
Runtime: 30 minWood and the rest of town tutor the football players in algebra so they won't fail their classes and be barred from a big game.
Runtime: 30 minWith Ava's prosecutorial work taking her away from her household duties, a miserable Wood has to take up the slack.
Runtime: 30 minWood gets a bit part when a movie company and its temperamental star arrive to shoot a Civil War mini-series.
Runtime: 30 minTired of his kids' materialism, Wood gives their presents to a needy family.
Runtime: 30 minWood and Ava are asked to dinner by a married couple—who turn out to be swingers into spouse-swapping.
Runtime: 30 minAt his 30-year high school reunion, Wood hooks up with two old pals and one old flame.
Runtime: 30 minWood and Ava recall how friends rallied to help her get elected Prosceuting Attorney over her opponent Jim Guy Puckett.
Runtime: 30 minHerman's big, blustery father comes to visit, but talks football with Wood and chases after Frieda more than he sees his son.
Runtime: 30 minWood must testify against Evan, who's being defended by his daughter Ava.
Runtime: 30 minOn Wood's annual deer-hunting trip, a local legend deer drops dead in front of his cabin—outside official hunting grounds.
Runtime: 30 minA convict who'd threatened prosecutor Ava when she had him put away escapes and heads toward town.
Runtime: 30 minWood tries to keep secret the presence of his guest: old acquaintance country-music singer Kenny Rogers.
Runtime: 30 minAn in-over-his-head Herman substitute teaches a class in sex education, and calls in ""expert"" Wood.
Runtime: 30 minTwo female students attempt to join the football team.
Runtime: 30 minHerman's relationship with Margaret hits a snag when she refuses to be seen with Herman on a formal ""date"".
Runtime: 30 minAva goes into labor the night of the Booster Club Sports banquest, to which Wood has invited his football archrival Terry Bradshaw.
Runtime: 30 minAva rides in the back of Ponder's catering truck on a chaotic ride to the hospital.
Runtime: 30 minNo overview available.
25 episodes
War breaks out between the women and the men on a segregated camping expedition after Wood scares the girls with his bear costume and gets whacked with a shovel—and culminates with the women abandoning the men during their ritual skinny-dipping. (Part 1 of 2)
Runtime: 30 minThe women begin to feel guilty about having abandoned the men naked in the woods. (Part 2 of 2)
Runtime: 30 minMolly caves in under pressure from her boyfriend and agrees to take part in a beauty contest.
Runtime: 30 minWood accompanies Will to the hospital when the boy needs a tonsillectomy—and decides that while he's there he might as well have a vasectomy.
Runtime: 30 minThe fate of the Evening Shade football program rests on the shoulder pads of Wood's new quarterback. Buddy: Buddy Reynolds. Harlan: Charles Durning. Wood: Burt Reynolds. Herman: Michael Jeter.
Runtime: 30 minTaylor and Aimee decide to marry.
Runtime: 30 minWood gets stuck in the bathroom window.
Runtime: 30 minWood and Ava leave Herman alone with the kids.
Runtime: 30 minAva feels displaced by the Newstons' talented au pair girl.
Runtime: 30 minWood must express the family's concern over Evan's wedding. (Part 1 of 3)
Runtime: 30 minFontana calls off the wedding. (Part 2 of 3)
Runtime: 30 minFontana decides to proceed with the wedding; Merleen meets her daughter. (Part 3 of 3)
Runtime: 30 minHerman takes humiliating work after losing his teaching job due to budget cuts.
Runtime: 30 minWood learns his bully cousin plans to visit.
Runtime: 30 minNo overview available.
25 episodes
Taylor returns, transformed by his three months in Amsterdam; Wood's late father's store is slated to be demolished.
Runtime: 30 minWood is having trouble dealing with Molly's growing womanhood— even before he discovers her erotic diary. And he totally overreacts to her first ""date"" (slides at the church followed by ice cream). Meanwhile, Harlan's visiting inlaws are putting a damper on his sex life.
Runtime: 30 minAva sends Wood to investigate when Harlan rents property to a massage parlor.
Runtime: 30 minDumped by his girlfriend, Taylor quits the football team.
Runtime: 30 minWood cajoles Will into a father/son camping trip.
Runtime: 30 minEvents get out of hand when a hole in a bedroom wall resembles Abraham Lincoln.
Runtime: 30 minHarlan fibs about his weight loss to Richard Simmons, then persuades Herman to impersonate him.
Runtime: 30 minAva is voted ""Arkansas Prosecuting Attorney of the Year.""
Runtime: 30 minWood forgets his anniversary when he gets a chance to be on ""The NFL Today.""
Runtime: 30 minHerman moves in with Freida when his building goes condominium.
Runtime: 30 minA frustrated Wood resigns as team coach, and is replaced by Herman.
Runtime: 30 min...but Wood and Herman may not be, as they are stranded when their car breaks down on the way home from being Will an elusive gift available only out of town.
Runtime: 30 minFreida falls for a man at the ice cream parlour, only to discover that he is the new preacher.
Runtime: 30 minThe Oakwood Academy, an exclusive private school Molly wants to attend, scrutinizes Wood and Ava, who discover they must pass an exam before Molly can be admitted. Meanwhile, Nab goes on a date with Amanda.
Runtime: 30 minAva hosts Fontana's baby shower, and wants Herman, who has joined Reba McEntire's security team, to get her to entertain.
Runtime: 30 minRebuffed by Reba McEntire, Ava still persists in planning the baby shower all by herself.
Runtime: 30 minAva invites sixties civil rights leader Aurelia Danforth to a Martin Luther King commemoration, then discovers that the guest has a past involving Ponder. (First of two parts)
Runtime: 30 minTaylor's girlfriend elopes with the school hunk.
Runtime: 30 minFontana goes into labour, but Evan can't be reached.
Runtime: 30 minFontana despairs of her mothering abilities when only Evan can quiet baby Scout.
Runtime: 30 minHerman is ashamed to tell his mentor that he has lost his teaching job.
Runtime: 30 minWood thinks a college footbal coach is interested in Taylor.
Runtime: 30 minHerman books John Denver for Taylor's graduation but gets Bob Denver instead.
Runtime: 30 minNo overview available.
26 episodes
After the women play a joke on them, the guys get even by locking them out of Fontana's house—while they're clad in Fontana's stripper costumes.
Runtime: 30 minAva has a hard time adjusting when Taylor moves out ioto his own apartment.
Runtime: 30 minWood and Frieda get locked inside a sauna while everyone else in Evening Shade sweats out the football team's first game of the season.
Runtime: 30 minAva and Harlan go head to head in court when he is a witness for an insurance company.
Runtime: 30 minHerman has some bad news for the returning Margaret (who has some for him in return). Herman confesses that he cheated on Margaret by kissing the ice cream woman—but only after Margaret confesses to kissing a man during her trip to Greece.
Runtime: 30 minWood tries to allay Emily's fear of scary costumes by letting her pick out his Hallowe'en attire.
Runtime: 30 minWood is more than a wee bit upset when he has to deal with Molly dating boys; meanwhile, Herman discovers that he's Scottish.
Runtime: 30 minWith Nub out sick, Wood and Evan takes over his newspaper route as the ladies run his other errands.
Runtime: 30 minA Hollywood movie star takes a liking to Evening Shade—and decides to buy the whole town and turn it into a tourist attraction.
Runtime: 30 minFreida returns from her health farm jaunt determined to stop smoking, with Herman's help.
Runtime: 30 minA new restaurant threatens Ponder's business, so the gang agree to participate in a serious of bizarre commercials.
Runtime: 30 minAva and Wood accompany a nervous Herman to a singles bar.
Runtime: 30 minAva is upset when she is forced to imprison her own father for refusing to divulge a journalistic source.
Runtime: 30 minDisaster is on the ballot when Harlan and Ima both run for mayor.
Runtime: 30 minWhen Wood's delinquent cousin Calvin returns to Evening Shade, he decides to stay at the Newtons' until he earns his high school diploma.
Runtime: 30 minThe town gets an eyeful when Merleen takes up painting nudes—using Harland and Wood as her first subjects.
Runtime: 30 minWood must humiliate himself in order to inherit $1 million.
Runtime: 30 minMerleen's sisters ask her to join their singing act.
Runtime: 30 minOn their anniversary, Ava and Wood plan to reaffirm their vows—a plan that includes bachelor and bachelorette parties.
Runtime: 30 minThe town is bankrupt and it's up to Mayor Wood to fix the problem; and he starts by attending a mayors conference in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Runtime: 30 minWood fields an offer from an old football chum who wants him as the new quarterback coach for the Atlanta Falcons.
Runtime: 30 minA suitor professes his love for Molly on the town's water tower.
Runtime: 30 minMutual attraction develops between Ava's college pal and Taylor.
Runtime: 30 minTo avoid becoming infected with chicken pox, Wood moves in with Taylor.
Runtime: 30 minNub becomes a chimney sweep. Meanwhile, Frieda's ex-husband returns with an unusual proposal: he wants to get married again, and wants Frieda to return his grandmother's ring so he can give it to his new spouse.
Runtime: 30 min