Geena Davis Made Her TV Acting Debut On A Short-Lived Dabney Coleman Sitcom
Before Geena Davis became a film star, she made her TV acting debut opposite the late Dabney Coleman on the short-lived sitcom "Buffalo Bill."
Just one year after making her professional acting debut in the 1982 film "Tootsie" — in which Coleman also appeared — Davis landed a series-regular role on the NBC show. "Buffalo Bill" starred Coleman as pompous and hotheaded TV talk show host Bill Bittinger, who frequently clashed with staff members and guests on set in Buffalo, New York. Davis played production assistant Wendy Killian at the fictional WBFL TV station.
"Buffalo Bill" received positive reviews from critics and racked up 11 Emmy nominations across its two seasons in 1983 and 1984, but the acclaim didn't prevent the show's cancellation due to low viewership. After "Buffalo Bill" ended, Davis guest-starred in several other series over the next year, including "Fantasy Island," "Riptide," and "Family Ties," before landing the lead role in NBC's workplace sitcom "Sara," which premiered in 1985 and aired for just one season.
Geena Davis was more than an actor on Buffalo Bill
Even though Geena Davis was still in the early stages of her career on "Buffalo Bill," she didn't pass up the opportunity to try her hand at TV writing. Davis penned Season 2, Episode 7, titled "Miss WBFL," which focuses on a beauty contest Wendy and other staffers attempt to organize for the TV station. Conflict ensues when the crew can't find anyone willing to direct the segment.
During a conversation on Dax Shepard's "Armchair Expert" podcast, Davis shared that Dabney Coleman advocated for her to play Wendy on "Buffalo Bill" after the two worked together on "Tootsie." While on the show, Davis came up with a storyline for her character and was encouraged to make it a reality. "I told one of the producers about it, and he said, 'Well, okay, write that.' And I was like, 'No, I don't know how to write.' 'Well, write it. Just try it,'" Davis recalled. "So I started writing it, and I thought, 'Maybe this is good.' And I wanted to show him, and he said, 'No, I'm not reading it till it's done.' So that forced me to finish it."
With Davis set to play Dorothea Puente in an upcoming HBO drama, it's worth remembering that "Buffalo Bill" was one of several early projects that helped build her career before her movie stardom took off.