The Slap Maxwell Story

The Slap Maxwell Story is a situation comedy broadcast in the United States by ABC as part of its 1987-88 lineup. It stars Dabney Coleman as "Slap" Maxwell, an egocentric sportswriter for a newspaper called The Ledger, somewhere in the American Southwest. The Ledger was a very old-fashioned newspaper -- Slap still composed his column, "Slap Shots," on a typewriter -- and Slap was a very old-fashioned guy. Despite the newly litigious environment of journalism, Slap insisted on filling his column with rumor and innuendo, drawing lawsuits and Slap's frequent termination, to be followed by a groveling apology and his rehiring. He had an on-again, off-again relationship with girlfriend Judy, one of the paper's secretaries, due primarily to his off-putting personality. Annie was Slap's ex-wife, who nonetheless retained a soft spot for him. A recurring event throughout the series' run is that at some point in each episode, someone would hit Slap, with a nun even doing the honors in one episode. The show was created by Jay Tarses, who in 1983 was co-creator of Buffalo Bill, an NBC sitcom in which Coleman starred as a similarly off-putting character, the host of a TV talk show.

Directed by Jay Tarses, The Slap Maxwell Story leans on a strong ensemble — Dabney Coleman, Jeff Doucette, Megan Gallagher — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The series landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about comedy titles of 1987.