Herbie, the Love Bug caught up with Jim Douglas (played by Disney legend ) after his high-octane racing days in The Love Bug (1968) and Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977). Retired from the track, Jim settles down to operate a driving school alongside his partner, Bo Phillips (played by Richard Paul).
The original Love Bug (1969) had a sharp, adult edge. Jim Douglas was a cynical, angry driver who grew to love the car. The TV series sanded off those edges. Randy Bigelow was too nice. Furthermore, the absence of Herbie’s signature horn (which played "La Cucaracha") due to music licensing rights was a fatal blow. The car simply honked generically. herbie the love bug tv series
Titled , the American television sitcom aired on CBS from March 17 to April 14, 1982 . Though it was a short-lived venture, it holds a unique place in Disney history as a bridge between the classic film era and the later reboots. The Plot: A Domestic Turn for Jim Douglas Herbie, the Love Bug caught up with Jim
Furthermore, the racing aspect of the franchise was down Jim Douglas was a cynical, angry driver who
Note: Only three episodes aired in the US before cancellation; the remaining five aired internationally or in syndication.
NBC also wanted a piece of the action. Saturday morning cartoons were declining, but live-action family sitcoms were thriving ( Diff'rent Strokes , The Love Boat ). The logic was simple: Herbie was a proven brand. A television series would cost less than a feature film and could leverage stock footage from the movies. Thus, in March 1982, Disney announced production on Herbie the Love Bug , a half-hour syndicated series.
