The New Adventures of Beans Baxter
The New Adventures of Beans Baxter is an adventure/comedy television series that aired 1987 on the Fox television network. It was created by Savage Steve Holland, who also wrote and directed most of the 17 episodes. The title character was portrayed by Jonathan Ward, who won a "Best Young Actor Starring in a New Television Comedy Series" Young Artist Award for the role.
Plot
The show revolved around the spy activities of Benjamin "Beans" Baxter, Jr., a Kansas teenager who had just moved with his parents and younger brother to Washington, D.C., as part of his father's reassignment as an employee of the U.S. Postal Service.After Beans witnessed his father's apparent assassination in the explosion of a bomb planted in Benjamin Sr.'s postal freighter, he was recruited by the mysterious "Number Two". Number Two was an officer of "the Network", a CIA-styled spy agency; Beans thus learned that his father was actually an agent of the Network, and that the older Baxter's Postal Service employment was his cover assignment. The main nemesis of the Network was a terror organization that called itself UGLI, for the Underground Government Liberation Intergroup, which was headed by the professional terrorist called Mr. Sue and his second-in-command. The Network, however, considered Beans himself strictly a "place-holder" agent, and it would only allow him to work in its dangerous service till his father could be found and freed. Viewers were warned, as a result, to expect to see little of Benjamin Sr., since his prime purpose was to stay lost and trapped so the series might continue.
Additional episodes were intended to show Beans's mother Susan, wrongly believing herself to be a widow, re-entering the dating scene. This activity on her part was to have led to complications for Beans, who knew, as she did not, that hers was still a valid, legal marriage to a husband who was still alive, and would thus have had to turn away possible suitors to prevent his mother from accidentally committing bigamy. Moreover, for all Beans or Susan knew, any of those suitors might have been UGLI terrorists planning all manner of nefarious activities, such as possibly assassinating not only Susan, but also Beans. The series was cancelled before any of these developments could be explored.
Beans started a friendship with a classmate nicknamed Woodshop, and he later became attracted to a beautiful student nicknamed "Cake Lace". In one episode, former Miss Universe Shawn Weatherly appeared as herself.
Cast
The supporting cast included Rick Lenz as Beans's father, Benjamin Sr.; Elinor Donahue as his mother, Susan; Scott Bremner as Scott "Scooter" Baxter, Beans's younger brother; and occasional guest appearances by Wendy O. Williams as Beans' part-time friend/enemy in the spy world.The role was originally offered to David Spade, and he regretted turning it down per advice of his agents.
1x01/02 - Derek Shane, Bruce Wagner, Betty Philips, Stephen E. Miller, Douglas Tuck, Tara Vessels
1x03 - Kristin Cumming, David Longworth