Evening Shade

An American sitcom created in 1990 in the United States by director Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, it follows Woodrow "Wood" Newton (Burt Reynolds), a former professional football player for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who returns to his hometown of Evening Shade, Arkansas, after an injury to coach the high school football team with a long losing streak. His wife Ava (Marilu Henner), an ambitious lawyer, becomes the district attorney while expecting their fourth child. The storyline focuses on the Newton family's life, their relationships with friends and neighbors, including Dr. Harlan Eldridge (Charles Durning) and his wife Merleen (Ann Wedgeworth), as well as interactions with other townspeople such as assistant coach Herman Stiles (Michael Jeter) and Ava's father, local newspaper publisher Evan Evans (Hal Holbrook). The series explores themes of family values, friendship, and small-town life, often concluding with a narration by Ponder Blue (Ossie Davis) summarizing the episode's events.