The Fastest Women Around

The Fastest Women Around

January 13, 1981

Story: Sy Salkowitz

Teleplay: Bill Dial

Director: Nicholas Colasanto

New producer Bill Dial, who had previously worked on WKRP IN CINCINNATI, wrote the teleplay for LOBO’s third episode of its second season. Keeping with the series’ formula of involving as many gorgeous women as possible, “The Fastest Women Around” is about a gang of sexy car thieves menacing Atlanta. As usual, Chief of Detectives Carson (Nicolas Coster) cuts Lobo (Claude Akins), Perkins (Mills Watson), and Birdie (Brian Kerwin) out of the investigation, so the trio of Orly transplants pokes around on its own.

Doing not so much investigating as loitering, Perkins and Birdie catch one of the girls (a fetching Jeannie Wilson, soon a regular on SIMON & SIMON, in boots and hot pants) and steal her stolen car. The idea is to upset the girls’ bosses and push them into doing something stupid. Of course, it works, and Perkins and Birdie are working on the inside with Lobo (in an awesome disguise as a Mafioso named Big Sal), Peaches (Tara Buckman), and Brandy (Amy Botwinick) providing support.

“The Fastest Women Around” appears to be part of an effort to make Perkins less of a cartoon figure. He’s still something of a clod—and still played by Watson to perfection—but he isn’t the clumsy, idiotic boob of the first season. Veteran Peter Mark Richman (CAIN’S HUNDRED) checks in as head of the car theft ring. Director Colasanto worked steadily in television both before and behind the camera, and is best known as the beloved Coach on CHEERS.