Top of the Hill

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Top of the Hill
GenrePolitical drama
Written byStephen J. Cannell
Morgan Gendel
Art Monterastelli
Directed byBill Corcoran
Peter Ellis
Alan Metzger
Mario Van Peebles
Brad Silberling
StarringWilliam Katt
Jordan Baker
Tony Edwards
Dick O'Neill
Robbie Weaver
ComposerMike Post
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13 (3 unaired) (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producerStephen J. Cannell
ProducersHenry Colman
Mark Lisson
Jo Swerling, Jr.
Running time60 minutes (approx)
Original release
NetworkCBS
ReleaseSeptember 21 (1989-09-21) –
November 30, 1989 (1989-11-30)

Top of the Hill is an American political drama television series aired by CBS from September 21 to November 30, 1989 as part of its 1989 fall lineup.

Synopsis

Top of the Hill starred William Katt as U.S. Representative Thomas Bell, Jr., son of a long-time Congressman who had been forced to resign his seat due to health issues but who remained on "The Hill" to help his son in an advisory role, which sometimes led to conflicts. Bell, Jr., had, despite his father's position, never followed politics closely or ardently prior to being chosen as his father's successor, which was sometimes a liability but also gave him the ability to look at issues, even long-running ones, through a fresh set of eyes. Young Bell also had a hard time fitting into the political party structure as he desired to do what his conscience told him would be the best thing for the country and the voters in his district. In the less than three months that the program ran, the Congressman became involved in some fairly contentious issues, including adoptee rights, labor union corruption, pollution, and military procurement.

Top of the Hill failed to find a large enough audience to last more than a season; the show had to compete with the Top 10 hit Cheers and the Top 20 hit Dear John, both on NBC in the same time slot.

Cast

  • William Katt as Thomas Bell, Jr.
  • Jordan Baker as Susan Pengilly
  • Tony Edwards as Link Winslow
  • Dick O'Neill as Thomas "Pat" Bell, Sr.
  • Robbie Weaver as Mickey Stewart

Episodes

Title Original air date
1"Top of the Hill"September 21, 1989 (1989-09-21)
2"You Were Always on My Mind"September 28, 1989 (1989-09-28)
3"The Noble Roman"October 5, 1989 (1989-10-05)
4"At Risk"October 12, 1989 (1989-10-12)
5"Taking the Heat"October 26, 1989 (1989-10-26)
6"Not in My Backyard"November 2, 1989 (1989-11-02)
7"Running Shoes"November 9, 1989 (1989-11-09)
8"Above Suspicion"November 16, 1989 (1989-11-16)
9"Accurate But Not True"November 30, 1989 (1989-11-30)
10"Letter from a Dead Man"December 7, 1989 (1989-12-07)
11"A House Divided"N/A
12"Always Faithful"N/A
13"Without a Trace"N/A

References

External links