This Classic Disney Movie Franchise Was Turned Into A Failed '80s TV Sitcom
"Man's best friend" is a term that's typically used to refer to a person's dog, but in the case of this classic Disney movie franchise, it refers to a 1963 Volkswagen Beetle. Disney launched its "Herbie" franchise in 1968 with the theatrical film "The Love Bug." The series centers on Herbie, an anthropomorphic Volkswagen Beetle race car, and his driver, Jim Douglas (Dean Jones). The car has a playful personality and acts on its own, often getting into hijinks. Disney went on to make three more "Herbie" movies before bringing the lively car to the small screen with an '80s sitcom.
In 1982, "Herbie, the Love Bug" premiered on CBS. The Disney series follows Herbie's post-retirement life with Jim. The former racing partners are now working at a driving school, and Jim has a newfound romance. Unfortunately, the sentient race car didn't find additional success, and the movie-based TV show lasted only five episodes before being canceled.
Jones, the (human) star of "Herbie, the Love Bug," also sang the show's theme song, "Herbie, My Best Friend."
Herbie had two revivals after its failed '80s sitcom
Jim Douglas may have retired from competition, but Herbie's retirement doesn't last. The race car returns to the track in the 1997 made-for-TV movie "The Love Bug" starring Bruce Campbell and John Hannah. Despite sharing the same name as the original "Herbie" movie, the 1997 film is a sequel within the "Herbie" franchise. Dean Jones reprised his role as Herbie's former owner and made a cameo in the film, helping tie the movie back to its earlier counterparts.
The most recent installment of the "Herbie" franchise came in 2005 when Disney made "Herbie: Fully Loaded." The theatrical movie starred Lindsay Lohan as aspiring NASCAR driver Maggie Peyton, who comes from a racing family helmed by her father Ray Peyton, Sr. (Michael Keaton). In addition to the movie, Disney released a "Herbie: Fully Loaded" video game inspired by the film. Another video game, "Herbie Rescue Rally," was released in 2007.
In 2017, a "Herbie" TV series was in development for Disney XD. However, the series was reportedly retooled and reworked into a new project altogether — titled "Fast Layne — with no connection to the "Herbie" franchise. "Fast Layne" aired for one season in 2019.