I-40 Paradise

I-40 Paradise is a 30-minute daily cable TV sitcom broadcast on The Nashville Network from March 1983,^[2] when the network was first launched,^[3] until at least April 1986.^[4]

I-40 Paradise
Theme music composer	Lionel Cartwright[1]
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
Production
Producer	Ross Bagwell
Running time	30 minutes
Original release
Network	The Nashville Network
Release	March 1983 (1983-03) – April 1986 (1986-04)

A weekly 30 minute spinoff, Pickin’ at the Paradise, began in December 1983.^[5]

Premise

"The havoc and hi-jinks involved in running a restaurant and entertainment spot just outside Nashville are explored with hilarious results" was how early television listings described the series.^[6][7]

The series was set in the small town of Crab Orchard, Tennessee, and most scenes took place in the roadside diner, I-40 Paradise, that had a separate-room tavern where country artists often stopped to perform.^[8] There was a house-band, The Mighty Notes, headed by singer Buck Taylor. Buck's younger brother, Randy, was also in the band.^[5]

Local residents frequented I-40 Paradise, and they were part of the episode storylines. Stories included: Sonny, Buck, Orvis and Calvin join a group that helps fatherless boys, but have to share Crab Orchard's only orphan;^[9] Will Georgia quit her job to pursue a career in art?;^[10] Lathrop is kidnapped and held for ransom;^[11] and Velma and Calvin consider marriage.^[12]

Cast

• Barbara George as Paradise owner LuAnn Bledsoe
• Bruce Camahan as mechanic Sonny Rollins
• John Ribble as bartender Stogie
• Trish Dougherty as waitress Georgia
• Jack Crook as singer Buck Taylor^[5]
• Lionel Cartwright as singer Randy Taylor^[5]
• Kelli Warren as singer Melody Dawn Rainey^[5]
• Bruce Borin as shoe factory worker Calvin^[13]
• Mike McElroy as pool hall owner Lathrop
• Park Overall as banker's daughter Tina Fudball (occasional role)^[14]
• Jack Victor Miller as 12-year-old boy-next-door Little Jake (FULL SHOW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZQ8GQrR8fo)

Guest stars

Country music performers would drop in on their way to Nashville and sing a couple of songs on each episode. One of the first guest stars to tape segments for the show was Helen Cornelius,^[15] and Ty Herndon was on several episodes before he became well known.^[16] Reba McEntire was on two episodes. In one she just sang, but the other had her take part in a conversation about video games, which was one of her first opportunities to act.^[17]

Production

The series was produced by Cinetel Productions in Knoxville, Tennessee. Producer Ross Bagwell rented a warehouse to use as a studio, and hired mostly local dinner-theater actors as regulars.^[8] Outside shots of the I-40 Paradise building were of the nearby Mount Olive Trading Post, a grocery store that closed in 1987.^[18]

Lionel Cartwright, who'd been working at the Wheeling Jamboree, wrote the series theme song, and acted as one of the house-band singers.^[19]

Spin off series

On December 25, 1983 Pickin’ at the Paradise began a six-week pilot run as a 30-minute Sunday series, advertised as a weekly visit to the Paradise's music room, where Crab Orchard residents would stop by to hear the house-band sing. Regulars included Lionel Cartwright as Randy, Jack Crook as Buck, and Kelli Warren as Melody Dawn.^[5] Lionel Cartwright wrote the series theme song.^[19] The series aired until at least March 1986.^[20]