Shelley with Alec Baldwin and Jim Metzler
in a promo pic for their 1983 TV series
Cutter To Houston
Series Overview:
October 2023 marks the 40th Anniversary of Shelley's second TV series, 1983's Cutter to Houston. The show was about three young doctors recruited to run a small hospital in the fictional rural town of Cutter, Texas. Shelley played Dr. Beth Gilbert, an ambitious surgeon on temporary assignment in Cutter. Beth aspired to become a heart surgeon in Houston. Jim Metzler played idealistic GP Dr. Andy Fenton, who grew up in Cutter and was glad to be back in the town that financed his medical education. Alec Baldwin played internist/ladies man Dr. Hal Wexler, who was getting through his probation, having been relegated to Cutter for being a little too fast and free with his prescriptions.
screen captures of the opening credits
of Cutter To Houston, 1983
Other regular cast members included K Callan as Nurse Connie Buford, Susan Styles as Nurse Patty Alvarez and Noble Willingham as Mayor Warren Jarvis. Cast members in smaller roles were Elizabeth Hoffman as Thelma Frobisher, Gina Alvarado as Kate and G. Buck Flower as Jesse. Recurring characters were Kelbe Nugent as Sally Tollhouse, Hugh Gillin as Alton Tollhouse, David Graf as Carl Tollhouse, Cyril O’Reilly as Frank Bickum and Jenny Parsons as Ginny Bickum. Recurring as well were Jorge Cervera Jr. as Lupe Hernandez, Bill Cross as Hank Kraus, Marcie Fitz Maurice as Nurse Bailey... plus, Dennis Haskins and David McKnight as workmen.
screen captures of the opening credits
of Cutter To Houston, 1983
Original Series Run:
Cutter to Houston was a short-lived TV series that began airing in the fall of 1983. Although it received mixed reviews, it had great promise; plus, the cast had an easy rapport and had enough talent to carry an hour-long drama. Prior to the series, former Charlie's Angel Shelley Hack had already proven that she had acting chops, having received great reviews for her work on stage as well as on the big and small screens. Jim Metzler had a Golden Globe Award nomination under his belt for his supporting role in the 1982 feature film Tex. Alec Baldwin had come from his 1980-1982 stint in the NBC daytime soap opera The Doctors. Cutter To Houston, which was aired Saturday nights, had a difficult time finding an audience. Aside from a bad time slot, it seemed to have lost network confidence early on... "sleeper hits" were still unheard of at the time. It was first aired on October 1, 1983; and after 4 original episodes, it was announced cancelled by October 29, 1983. Replays and three more original episodes were aired until December 31, 1983. There were two more completed episodes; but they weren't aired during the show's initial 1983 run.
Series Episodes:
(and air dates)
1. Pilot Episode/Welcome to Cutter
(aired October 01,1983)
screen captures from the pilot episode,
"Welcome to Cutter"
guests:
Kelbe Nugent as Sally Tollhouse
Hugh Gillin as Alton Tollhouse
David Graf as Carl Tollhouse
Cyril O’Reilly as Frank Bickum
Jenny Parsons as Ginny Bickum
Percy Rodrigues as Dr. Easley
plot:
Dr. Beth Gilbert, Dr. Andy Fenton and Dr. Hal Wexler put into practice their medical skills at the newly opened Cutter Community Hospital, located in the small town of Cutter, Texas. Beth is a gifted surgeon and has ambitions to move to a big city hospital in Houston. Andy comes from Cutter and his education was financed by the town. He’s happy to be home. Hal is getting through his probation (for being a little too fast and free with his prescriptions) and has been relegated to Cutter.
Beth is forced to make a difficult decision regarding accident victim Frank Bickum and would later need to face the result of that decision when it comes to his pregnant wife, Ginny. She is also forced to face a professional disappointment when she meets Dr. Easley, the hospital director of the Texas Medical Center in Houston. Meanwhile, Andy warns Hal about him seeming to return to his old ways. He warns him that he is being watched at all times. Hal, on the other hand, meets Sally Tollhouse and is very much interested, even after receiving threats from her brother Carl.
2. In the Eye of the Hurricane
(aired October 08,1983)
screen captures from episode 2,
"In the Eye of the Hurricane"
guests:
Jay Baker as Andy Fenton’s brother Billy Dean
Philece Sampler as Corky Crockett
Rhonda Aldrich as Ursula
Mary Alan Hokanson as Edna
Gene Ross as Mr. Baxter
Jim Boeke as truck driver Carl
Robert Kino as Japanese man
plot:
As Andy’s birthday is fast approaching, his younger brother Billy Dean makes a surprise visit to Cutter. Billy has put all his money into his racing motorcycles and asks Andy for his share of their inheritance. Meanwhile, Hurricane Beth is ravaging southwest Texas. Beth isn’t flattered by the name. The storm creates a problem for the Cutter Community Hospital. The delivery of a very rare blood type urgently needed by a patient is delayed because of the storm. Andy decides to drive to Houston to get the blood himself and faces imminent danger.
3. From the Smallest Crystal, From the Smallest Stone
(aired October 15,1983)
screen captures from episode 3,
"From the Smallest Crystal, From the Smallest Stone "
guests:
Scott Paulin as Earl Macklin
Carol Jones as Elizabeth Beechum
Richard Lineback as Lonny Beechum
Dehl Berti as Joshua Fox
Joanelle Nadine Romero as Starr
plot:
Andy and Beth are having a problem with Joshua Fox, an elderly Native American Indian healer. He doesn’t want them to operate on his sick little grandson because he has stopped trusting white doctors ever since his son died in the hands of one at a different hospital. In order to change Joshua's mind, Beth must undergo an unusual ritual. Meanwhile, Lonny Beechum has lost his will to live ever since he became paralyzed as a result of a vehicular accident. Hal tries to convince him that his paralysis might be reversible.
4. Race for Life
(aired October 22,1983)
a promo pic for episode 4, "Race for Life"
(Alec Baldwin, Arliss Howard and Shelley Hack)
guests:
Georgann Johnson as Mayor Warren’s wife Dorothy Jarvis
Beau Billingslea as Royster
Arliss Howard as Q.T. Stoneham
Wiley Harker as Mr. Dearheart
Patricia Allison as Mabel Sue
Ron Feinberg as Sgt. Festinger
Miriam Byrd-Nethery as Barbara Joe Buckminster
Jane Alden as Irma Wells
Christopher Michael Moore as Bernie
Ron Recasner as Dr. Harcroft
Will Nye as Clayton Pershing
Mike Muscat as street race competitor
plot:
Hal and the highway patrol pursue cross-country race driver Q.T. Stoneham who has put his life on the line by competing in a wild road race. He is seriously ill and may not live to reach the finish line. Meanwhile, the 30th wedding anniversary of Mayor Warren Jarvis and his wife Dorothy is overshadowed by her refusal to face her medical problem. She learns she has a tumor and ignores the diagnosis. Afraid to face the disease her mother eventually died of; she initially resists any surgery.
5. It Ain't Bragging If You Done It
(aired November 5,1983)
screen captures from episode 5,
"It Ain't Bragging If You Done It"
guests:
Clu Gulager as Coach Chug Phillips
John Walcutt as Howie Yardley
John Ashton as Hawk Easton
Dave Shelley as Woody
Mia Kelly as Carol Ann Weems
Tommy Bush as Leamer coach
Jim Hudson as Phil Jenkins
Andrea Kaldwell as Penny
Keely Seems as Ronnie
plot:
Football fever has captured Cutter. As it has been every year, the match between the Cutter Wildcats and the Leamer Lions promises to be the sporting event of the high-school football season. But Wildcats star kicker, Howie Yardley, is sidelined with a foot infection just before the big game. Andy and Beth discover that Howie is a diabetic and are strongly against letting him participate in the football match… which considerably reduces the chances of a Wildcats victory. This puts Beth on a collision course with Coach Chug Phillips. Meanwhile, Hal and Sally go on a picnic where Sally is bitten by a poisonous snake and is in mortal danger.
6. Tell Me a Riddle, Daddy
(aired November 12,1983)
screen captures from episode 6,
"Tell Me a Riddle, Daddy"
guests:
Robert Viharo as Ambrose Cullens Becker
Mayf Nutter as Country Singer Smokey McCallister Bussinger
Cori Wellins as Sarah Rose Cullens
Judy Jean Berns as Aldair
Lynn Herring as Red
Loius Plante as Kellner
Jim Ishida as Van Nguyen
Lang Yun as Mrs. Van Nguyen
Dana Lee as Sinh Yung Tao
Russ McCubbin as Billy Bob
plot:
Young Sarah Rose Cullens has to go to the hospital three times a week for dialysis. She has been waiting for a kidney donor for three years. When the parents of a young Vietnamese boy agree to an organ donation after his death, a transplant is finally possible. But Ambrose Cullens Becker, Sarah Rose's father, doesn't want his daughter to receive a Vietnamese kidney due to an ongoing feud between Texas and some Vietnamese fishermen. Meanwhile, successful country singer Smokey McCallister resists a change of lifestyle to improve his health so he can live longer.
7. The Life You Save
(aired December 31,1983)
screen captures from episode 7,
"The Life You Save"
guests:
Kathleen Wilhoite as Kit McGuire
Billy Drago as the rapist
Percy Rodrigues as Dr. Easley
Martin Speer as Dr. Medlow
Jim Antonio as Sheriff Jeff
Ron Jarvis as cowboy #1
Dennis Haskins as cowboy #2
John D. Nicholson as switchboard operator
Duane Campbell as injured man
Timothy C. Riley as man in bandage
plot:
Beth is attacked by a rapist late at night at the Cutter Community Hospital parking lot. Responding to her cries for help, Andy rushes to help her, but the attacker manages to escape. Later, a seriously injured man is brought into the hospital. Beth is shocked when she recognizes him as her attacker in the parking lot. Initially, she refuses to operate on him. Meanwhile, Hal goes on a vacation to Houston to see Mary whom he talks to on the phone every day while he’s on duty. He is looking forward to finally meeting her face to face. However, his visit to Houston turns into a puzzling medical encounter.
8. Don’t Look for Zebras
(not aired during the original 1983-84 TV season)
a promo pic for episode 8,
"Don’t Look for Zebras"
(Shelley Hack, Jim Mezler and Chad Allen)
guests:
Chad Allen as Billy Tanton
Michael Fairman as Mitchell Tanton
Carolyn Coates as Emma Tate
Eugene Peterson as Dr. Jack Radburn
Gary Lee Davis as Langdon
Lynn Herring as Maxine
Matt Emery as Deputy Mason
Samantha Harper as Tonya
Susan Harney as Rita
plot:
Doctors are taught “when you hear hoofbeats, think horses… don’t look for zebras.” Young Billy Tanton’s condition is a mystery to the doctors at the hospital. He is the only one who has survived the crash of a private plane in the desert, and he needs an operation. But he has fallen into a coma, and the cause of which is unknown. The situation makes Billy's father very unreasonable which further endangers his son's life. Meanwhile, Mrs. Emma Tate, the president of the local Women's Welfare Association, visits the Cutter Community Hospital. The association is looking into donating medical equipment to further equip the small-town hospital. But during her tour of the facility, she is displeased with the fact that two women from the charity sector are also being treated there. It gravely affects the association’s willingness to donate anything.
9. The Very Best of Friends
(not aired during the original 1983-84 TV season)
screen captures from episode 9,
"The Very Best of Friends"
guests:
Jim McMullan as Matt Randolph
Anne E. Curry as Revina Scott
William Russ as Hank Scott
Perla Walter as Yolanda Veloz
plot:
Matt Randolph shows up in Cutter to see Hal. The two were best friends in college and haven't seen each other since. Beth meets Matt and the two seem to hit it off. Meanwhile, Revina Scott, the wife of Andy’s childhood friend Hank, is hospitalized with severe bruises. She says that she had fallen down a flight of stairs. Hank says that Revina is an alcoholic and has been more accident-prone lately. During her treatment, Andy discovers that she has a ruptured spleen and that Revina lied about falling down the stairs in order to protect her husband, Hank. Andy finds out that Hank beats his wife.
a closeup of Shelley from a promo pic
for Cutter to Houston, 1983
