Synopsis
In fictitious Orly County, Georgia, Sheriff Lobo is the lead enforcer of the law, as well as one of its leading offenders. The corrupt, but now reformed, sheriff is assisted in his schemes by Deputy Perkins (Mills Watson) whose buffoonery often upsets and exacerbates the situation. An honest but naive new deputy, Birdwell "Birdie" Hawkins (Brian Kerwin), is unaware of Lobo's schemes. Other characters in the show were Perkins' wife (and Lobo's sister) Rose Lobo Perkins (Cydney Crampton), waitress Margaret Ellen (Janet Lynn Curtis), resort owner Sarah Cumberland (Leann Hunley), and district attorney Alexander Waverly (Ben Cooper).
Like many television con artists, Lobo was a small-time wheeler-dealer, always looking to make a quick buck. But when serious crime threatened Orly County and its people, Lobo would do his job capably and uphold the law. Unlike Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane from The Dukes of Hazzard, Lobo was portrayed as an intelligent man and an able police officer.
The series premise was overhauled completely as the second season began in 1980. The governor of Georgia, visiting Orly County, reassigns Lobo and the deputies to his crime fighting task force, Special Crimes Action Team (SCAT) in Atlanta, reporting to Chief J.C. Carson (Nicolas Coster). Lobo is forced to contend with his new coworkers, Detectives Peaches (Amy Botwinick) and Brandy (Tara Buckman). The new format also included Nell Carter as Sgt. Hildy Jones. In a July 1980 interview with The New York Times, NBC president Fred Silverman said research showed the show performing well in rural areas, but not as well in urban areas. For that reason, it was decided to move the show from rural Orly County to urban Atlanta. But the series was less successful with the new format, and it was cancelled after the end of its second season.
The theme song for the show's first season was sung by Frankie Laine. During the second season, the theme song was a version of "Georgia on My Mind".
Read more about this topic: The Misadventures Of Sheriff Lobo