Top Of The Hill (serial drama, starring Wayne Rogers, Elke Sommer
and Adrienne Barbeau)
(ABC Primetime, 1980)
[This series had a lot of money and muscle behind it, but
had not a lot going for it other than interesting casting
a lot of whoopla promotion, so it never got off the ground
after an ambitious two-part debut.
It had begun as a conception of ABC-Paramount television
called "Operation Prime Time"; Based upon an Irwin Shaw
book, and produced by a number of competent producers who
assembled a competent cast and production crew.
It was in the mold of other serial dramas wherein a jaded
executive gave up his big-city life for a dream life running
a ski lodge. Not even the presence of veteran TV actors and
other characters like Adrenne Barbeau, Sonny Bono, Peter
Brown, Paula Prentiss, Mel Ferrer, Gary Lockwood and
Macdonald Carey could save the lack of credible premise.
And despite lead actor Wayne Rogers -- who had played
a doctor in "M*A*S*H", the audience wasn't ready for this
operation of "Operation Primetime"...Even the presence of
the shapely Mz. Sommer and Mz. Barbeau weren't enough to
keep audiences interested. So after the debut of the 2-part
made-for-TV pilot (a total of three hours over two evenings),
it laid a big "ho-hum" ratings egg, and was instantly
cancelled as a series -- despite a theme written by George
W. Duning and Stanley Styne, two veteran composers of the
big and small screens.
This is not to be confused with the 1989 CBS Political Drama
of the same name which starred William Katt as an idealistic
young congressman in Washington.]
Theme: "Theme from the Paramount television program
'Top Of The Hill'"
[above is the title as originally filed for copyright;
aka: "Top Of The Hill Theme";
vocal title: "Top Of The Hill"]
Composers: music by George W. Duning (ASCAP)
with lyric added by Stanley Herbert Styne (ASCAP)
1979 Publisher: Addax Music Company, Inc. (ASCAP)
c/o Paramount T.V. Productions
2002 Publisher: Addax Music Company, Inc. (ASCAP)
c/o Famous Music Corporation
of New York, NY
Instrumental Copyright Date: Dec. 17, 1979; PAu-162-389.
Instrumental Renewal Date:
Vocal Copyright Date: Feb. 5, 1980; PAu-174-875.
Vocal Renewal Date:
Recordings:
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