Evening Shade (1990–1994) User Reviews

Breath of fresh air

[drystyx · 7/10 · 24 August 2012]

This show wasn't on long enough to make a huge impression, and that's bizarre, because it had more than its share of ingredients for success.

It was a comedy that tended to go between "situational" and "outright humor". It was just a bit short of the boisterousness of "Coach", for example, and perhaps a bit more eccentric than "All In the Family".

It's hard to say what the show was about, because it was basically about the "good feeling" of the people. The show was an exercise in "positive reinforcement", but it wasn't dull.

Indeed, the comedy found it's way into the story with one major clown figure and one liner wit from several others.

The one liner wit of Holbrook and Reynolds just reached the right level. One step up would have been annoying. The actors and writers knew just how far to go. With two huge superstars, and a cast of other stars, along with the cleverness, one would have expected the show to continue. It probably was a case of not being able to decide where to go from there in time for the next season. The last episodes gave an ambiguous feeling, like they were searching for a new direction.

This gentle sitcom has apparently been forgotten by most people

[fee_tambo · 5 January 2006]

....which is such a shame because it really was very well acted and the writing was excellent, very witty and sharp and it will be difficult to repeat that kind of standard these days. I notice that there was a recent show out called 'A minute with Stan Hooper' which tried to emulate 'Evening Shade', and it did the job very well...but still didn't match up in my opinion.

Burt Reynolds was surrounded by a wonderful cast but he barely had to speak, because they did the work for him! Still,it wouldn't have been the same without him - he was perfect in the role and Marilu Henner was perfect as his wife.

The much missed Michael Jeter was the highlight of the show for me. He was so funny...a classic character actor with so much talent. But he wasn't alone, this show was full of fantastic actors; Ossie Davis, Charles Durning, Marilu Henner & Hal Holbrook are the actors that I remember...but I was just looking at the IMDb list of actors I see that Hilary Swank and Leah Rimini were in the show too - its fabulous to see that such quality stars started offin this great little, much respected show.

I really wish they'd repeat it on one of the comedy channels, it would be such a waste if it wasn't shown again.

No show this good has come around in a long time.

[sdo56 · 9/10 · 5 December 2006]

This show was so well done. It was a wonderful time watching the cast perform on each show. I would like to ask if anyone knows if this show will be or has been put on DVD for the general public to purchase. The one episode that stands out in my mind is a two-part episode where Burt R., Charles D. and Michael J. lose their clothes and the fun that entails. I just happened to tape both parts of this episode. I have played them for my 6 year old daughter and my 11 year old son. They actually sit there and LOVE them. They have asked to see this over and over again. Oh why didn't I record all of them? The acting and humor are first class. It was a visual humor. Even the music adds to the whole package of the show. The setting really makes you want to be there with them. An Evening Shade Reunion would be a big hit if it was advertised with clips from original shows. If they really pushed, it might work. If it worked, then maybe we would see reruns on the tube. Come on, put it on DVD!! Let's get this show on disk.

Evening Shade still lives

[vernac · 9/10 · 11 January 2020]

7 years since the last review. Sadly this has slipped into the unconscious of TV land but as long as it had some viewers, It will live one.

I found the entire series recently on Amazon. I ordered it and will be thrilled to fill a half hour or 1 episodes of my time on Mondays when I watched it back in the day. (I don't binge watch anything) It has a great cast and a great story line.

Forever a losing high school football coach that doesn't give up. The supporting cast makes this town and story line that much better. Edgy humor but nothing like today's sitcoms.

It is a breath of fresh air again in year 2020 from what seems not so long ago but yet long since visited.

A Great Show!

[Sylviastel · 10/10 · 13 October 2006]

There are few shows that have such a talented cast. Beginning with Burt Reynolds, Charles Durning, Ossie Davis, Hal Holbrook, Marilu Henner, Michael Jeter, Elizabeth Ashley, etc. The show was aimed for success. It lasted for at least one hundred episodes. Maybe Burt's high profile divorce from Loni Anderson did not help matters much. Anyway, the show was well-written by President Clinton's friends, the Thomasons. That couple proved that southern humor can be mainstream to a wide audience from the city to the smallest of towns. Evening Shade was the kind of place that you yearned to call home. People were friendly and cordial with one another. They may have had their problems but they always managed to get along. Burt played a coach and Marilu was his wife. Holbrook was his father-in-law. Evening Shade was the kind of town that people who were born there lived for their entire lives.

Exceptional series.

[14-2 · 18 April 2002]

One look at the cast of this show and it's clear that the level of professionalism is second to none. Forget the fact that the show had excellent writing and a wealth of talent to draw from; just to watch the likes of Hal Holbrook, Ossie Davis, Elizabeth Ashley, Charles Durning, Ann Wedgeworth, Michael Jeter, Burt Reynolds and Marilu Henner breath life into these wonderful characters was a joy to watch. These are actors at the top of their game. And let's give credit where it's due. This is a cast and crew who are friends and colleagues of Burt Reynolds. This series places at the top of my list of shows I miss the most. Here we are, some ten years later, and TV time is dominated by trashy daytime talk/theme shows and reality-based garbage on prime time. It's discouraging, to say the least.

Being there, meeting Burt at a live recording 1992

[talentvine · 10/10 · 2 March 2020]

I met Burt Reynolds when I worked on the Princess Cruise cruise ships, based in LA. Before joining my ship I had a couple of days and went to visit some Hollywood studios. I was so pleased to get to see an episode of Evening Shade being filmed as part of the studio audience. I was a Burt Reynolds fan and was honoured to get to meet him by a fluke. Burt was genuinely a lovely man. I'd lost my wallet under the audience's bleacher seating as we were ushered out between recording shows and I had to go back an hour later after I realised this getting on the bus. The few floor crew were packing up for the night and I found a script that Marilu Henner said I could keep and then Burt came out to collect his copy which was the one I had! He signed it and hugged me! 1992 so no ready camera available to get a photo 😞 . I saw the show I had been in the audience for a year or two later when it was screened on UK TV. The kismet meeting came a close second to me sitting next to Harrison Ford on a plane.

Better than 90% of the garbage on tv these days!!

[kbullard-08913 · 9/10 · 24 May 2021]

This show was so engaging. It had great acting and writing and didn't take itself too seriously. A real gem!!

The vanishing sitcom

[selffamily · 10/10 · 21 July 2004]

I really enjoyed this programme, I couldn't believe it when it suddenly vanished from our screens. The whole product, the acting, the story lines and the scripts - faultless. Well they won an award or two so it must be good - so hey, let's take it off, lest the public decide to reach for higher standards in programmes. One of the most appealing things about the series was the way that the 'minor' (and I realize that this may not be the correct term for them) cast members were drawn and as alive as the main characters, if not more so at times. Who could forget Hermann for example? I wish this programme was available on VHS or DVD, if anyone knows something I don't here, let me know! Thank you.

14 years later and we still only have season one on dvd - lots of pirated stuff available - hint, hint!

Evening Shade Shines

[david-1301 · 10 April 2006]

I admired many of Burt Reynolds performances... he never seemed to take himself seriously but would take on any kind of role. Comedy to drama, to action and playing a lovable character to a despicable jerk. That is acting. He has done well at that and has the box office and numerous awards to back it up, but when he surrounded himself with a bunch of close friends who also happened to be first rate actors... the magic of Evening Shade happened. Well scripted first rate story lines all fluidly performed by this stellar cast. I often surf the net looking for information on a DVD box set release. Shows of much less stature, and certainly much less quality are already out so I keep on hoping to spend some more quality TV viewing evenings... in the town of Evening Shade!

Our prayers have finally been answered...

[michael_murphy76 · 10/10 · 27 May 2008]

Amazon.com has announced that the first season of this wonderful TV show will be released on DVD on June 24. You can pre-order it at Amazon's website.

It's funny that so many people have forgotten about this show, because it helped to revitalize Burt Reynolds' career in the early 90s. He won both an Emmy and a Golden Globe for his performance. And I honestly believe that Marilu Henner never looked better...in any role. The cast is terrific, maybe the best ever for an American sitcom. The writing is sublime. The only show that has such strong writing today is the Canadian sitcom "Corner Gas", which moves at a faster, more surreal clip than "Evening Shade".

They just don't make them like this anymore.

One of the best sitcoms ever!!

[dansearles0 · 10/10 · 30 June 2023]

With an all star cast including Burt Reynolds, Elizabeth, Ashley, Charles Durning, Ossie Davis Ann Wedgeworth, and Marilou Henner the show never failed to entertain.

For me, it ranks up there with the Andy Griffith show,I love Lucy Seinfeld , Friends and Mary Tyler Moore. In spirit It most resembles the Andy Griffith Show and the second Bob Newhart series in that it's great ensemble cast makes you love and care for each and every character and it's laugh out loud funny.

. It just makes you feel good from start to finish and even the theme song, written, and sung by Bobby Goldsboro keeps the vibe intact.

The Story of an ex Pittsburgh Steeler quarterback, stuck in a losing high school as a head coach is always warm, friendly and heartfelt.

When I mentioned the cast, I failed to note the great Michael Jeter and Gabriel Dell. They are also outstanding. Evening Shade is now streaming on Amazon or at least most of the episodes are ......check it out and let's get this show seen by more people. It absolutely deserves it.

Everyone Dreams of Living in Evening Shade

[sandbee · 10/10 · 19 July 2021]

I fell in love with this show about 5 minutes into the first season! I watched each and every show with delight and nostalgia. Even though I didn't grow up with my family life living in Evening Shade, it was still a safer, quieter, slower time. The actors in this show were cast perfectly - there was no one I'd have changed out. The lines were written and delivered with such ease and great timing it was as if they did live those parts. Yes, you could sometimes see and know what was coming but that was part of the charm. About 3 or 4 years ago I decided that for Christmas each year one of my requested items would be a dvd series of shows no longer on but that I missed - and Evening Shade was the first one. It was.one of the best Christmas presents ever!

Great show. Great cast.

[justyourhalf · 26 April 2005]

They just don't make shows like this anymore. It had such a laid back feeling and one of the few truly flawless casts in the history of sitcoms. I can't imagine we will ever have a series that could attract actors like Elizabeth Ashley and Hal Hollbrook. I never though I could like Burt Reynolds half as much as I did and Marilu Henner is still a favorite of mine. Of course Alice Ghostley Always stole every scene she was in. I was just a kid when it was on and I wish one of the many rerun over-ridden cable channels would pick it up. Reruns could perhaps provide a fitting tribute to the many actors that are no longer with us. Along with shows like Newhart and Designing Women, this show is what sitcoms should really be about.

Good show

[Catherine_Grace_Zeh · 9/10 · 4 May 2006]

I used to watch this show when I was a little girl. Although I don't remember much about it, I must say that it was a pretty good show. Also, I don't think I've seen every episode. However, if you ask me, it was still a good show. Still, I don't remember the theme song. Everyone was ideally cast, the costume design was great. The performances were top-grade, too. I just hope some network brings this series back one day so that I'll be able to see every episode. Before I wrap this up, I'd like to say that I'll always remember this show in my memory forever, even though I don't think I've seen every episode. Now, in conclusion, when and if this show is ever brought back on the air, I hope that you catch it one day before it goes off the air for good.

Lovely show

[jodeslfun · 10/10 · 24 August 2023]

Lovely and funny show. I watch it on Prime Time. I sit by myself and laugh and cry all alone. I remember when it was on TV. It is full of excellent charactes and I wish more shows were like it. Truly funny and tasteful. The episodes about teaching sex education is a prime point. So funny. I highly recommend this show. I wish there were more shows like this. I find myself wanting to start over again from the first episode. It's sweetly southern but could be set in any small town. When it first came out on TV in 1990, I was obsessed with it. I watched it every week and hated that it ended after only four years. I started the series again on Prime Time now that I'm in my 70's. I rediscovered it. So much better than so called comedies on TV now.

Superb sitcom to start the 90s

[safenoe · 9/10 · 9 April 2024]

I remember Evening Shade, starring screen legend Burt Reynolds and also Hal Holbrook, Ossie Davis, Marilu Henner, and it's a show that pretty much defined the start of a 90s sitcom. Anyway, three years after Evening Shade wrapped up, Reynolds became a mega-star again with his role in Boogie Nights which revived his career big time, so definitely a far cry from the charm of Evening Shade. It's a shame Evening Shade was axed in 1994, but one reason could be that the high salary costs was a drain, especially with big name established stars. Anyway, it's hard to believe Evening Shade debuted over 30 years ago, and it lives on.

Holbrook opening credits photo

[caterg · 19 December 2004]

During the opening credits to Evening Shade, they showed photos of the principal actors "growing up" and it was obvious that they had used real childhood photos of the real actors. I always wondered about the Hal Holbrook photo in a West Point style military uniform. I figured it was not just an idle thought, but had some significance. It wasn't until I came to work at Culver Military Academy, Culver, IN, that I discovered that Harold Rowe Holbrook, Jr. was a graduate of the class of '42. It was there he discovered his love for acting, though by his own admission, he was not the best cadet. He was recently enshrined in Culver's Arts & Entertainment Hall of Fame.

Good Show Hurt by Low Ratings

[eibon09 · 21 August 2001]

A low key Sitcom/drama that never found the right audience the show deserved. Its one of the good shows I used to watched on CBS that I wished was still on. Good performances were given by acting veterans like Burt Reynolds and Marilu Henner. "Evening Shade"(1990) had some interesting episodes that dealt with fascinating themes. Ossie Davis brought class to a television show which deserved better than what it got.

Fabulous TV Show with some Good actors

[eibon04 · 26 January 2002]

An underrated television program from the early years of the last decade which featured good stories, interesting subplots, and brilliant mixture of comedy and drama. Was Burt Reynolds's last time that he gave a good and consistent performance as an actor. Evening Shade(1990) is definitely better than any of the shows on NBC today which passes for quality television. Also contributing to the good acting was Charles Durning and Ossie Davis. One of my favorite shows from that time period that derserved to stay on air longer.

One Lucky Night

[stashie101 · 2 March 2006]

I was up late one night last week and channel surfing when I heard an old familiar favorite theme song. " got my front porch swing, a glass of lemonade". I thought I had died and went to heaven. Is it possible ? Yes, Evening Shade was actually on CMT. I loved this show when it originally aired on CBS in the early 90's. I found the warmth and humor so refreshing and was a loyal viewer until the end. Burt and his cast were close in real life and that brought a wonderful humanity to the screen. The talent alone on that show was enough to make it believable. But knowing that these actors, Micheal Jeter, Charles Durning, Hal Holbrook, Ozzie Davis, Marilu Henner, and of course Burt Reynolds had not only worked together in the past, but actually were friends made the chemistry on the show so enjoyable to watch. I have spent the last week hoping to see Evening Shade on the CMT line-up, but I have been disappointed. If anyone knows anything about any DVD sales or any station listing it, please post. THANK YOU. HAPPY WATCHING.