Saturday, February 10, 2024

Personal Foul 17

screen captures from the Jack and Mike
episode "Personal Foul," 1986

Shelley's third foray into series TV was Jack and Mike. It was about a married yuppie couple living in Chicago, trying to find time for each other in their busy schedules. Shelley played Jackie Shea, a star columnist at The Mirror, a widely-circulated Chicago paper. Her column was awaited by everyone every week. Her husband was Mike Brennan (played by Tom Mason), a successful restaurateur. Other cast members were: Nora Adler (Jacqueline Brookes), Jackie’s editor;  Anthony Kubecek (Kevin Dunn), Jackie's assistant; Carol (Holly Fulger), the head waitress at Mike's restaurant, Brennan's Grill; and Rick Scotti (Vincent Baggetta), an attorney who appears occasionally. In the episode "Personal Foul," a college professor is suspended for trying to flunk the school's star basketball player, and Mike is upset that Jackie's covering the story, since it's his alma mater and he's the team's No. 1 supporter. The episode was originally aired in September 30, 1986.

screen captures from the Jack and Mike
episode "Personal Foul," 1986

To continue, Jackie goes to Lincoln University to see Prof. Powell at her office. It seems the professor is having a change of heart. Prof. Powell says it has all been a big mistake and wants to forget about the whole "college sports article series" they've been planning to continue. Jackie is shocked and asks her why she has changed her mind; she thought they had a commitment to each other. The professor tells her that the school board has raised the stakes... which left her with no choice but to drop the whole thing. Jackie assures her that she's going to back her up, but the professor says it won't help. She tells Jackie about an affair she had with a former student, which happened after he had graduated. The board is threatening to twist the story and make it look like the affair happened when he was still her student. Prof. Powell is afraid that it would ruin her teaching career for good, that she could lose her tenure and her job. Jackie reasons with her, saying that her students need her to care about their getting a good and proper education. Prof. Powell counters her by saying what good would she be to them if she loses her job and reputation. She apologizes and says she needs to retract her statement. Jackie is disappointed.

screen captures from the Jack and Mike
episode "Personal Foul," 1986