B.J. and the Bear - wikipedia B.J. and the Bear This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( December 2012 ) B.J. and the Bear Genre Comedy Created by Glen A. Larson Christopher Crowe Written by Glen A. Larson Michael Sloan Frank Lupo Tom Sawyer Christopher Crowe Sidney Ellis Rick Kelbaugh Directed by Gil Bettman Bruce Bilson Daniel Haller Bruce Kessler Christian I. Nyby II Michael Preece Charles R. Rondeau Starring Greg Evigan Claude Akins Theme music composer Glen A. Larson Opening theme B.J. and the Bear Composer ( s ) William Broughton Stu Phillips Country of origin United States Original language ( s ) English No. of seasons No. of episodes 48 Production Executive producer ( s ) Glen A. Larson Michael Sloan Producer ( s ) Lester Wm. Berke Joe Boston Richard Lindheim Robert F. O'Neill Cinematography Frank Beascoechea Charles Mills Frank Thackery Running time 45 -- 48 minutes Production company ( s ) Universal Television Glen A. Larson Productions Distributor NBCUniversal Television Distribution Release Original network NBC Audio format Monaural Original release February 10, 1979 ( 1979 - 02 - 10 ) -- August 11, 1981 ( 1981 - 08 - 11 ) Chronology Related shows The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo B.J. and the Bear is an American comedy series which aired on NBC from 1979 to 1981. Created by Glen A. Larson and Christopher Crowe, the series stars Greg Evigan. The series was produced when the CB Radio / trucking craze had peaked in the United States, following the 1974 - 1976 television series Movin ' On, the number one song `` Convoy '' ( 1975 ) by C.W. McCall, as well as the films White Line Fever ( 1975 ), Smokey and the Bandit ( 1977 ), Convoy ( 1978 ), and Every Which Way but Loose ( 1978 ). The theme song, also titled `` B.J. and the Bear '', was written by Glen Larson and performed by Greg Evigan. Contents 1 Premise and storylines 2 Episodes 2.1 Pilot : 1978 2.2 Season 1 : 1979 2.3 Season 2 : 1979 -- 80 2.4 Season 3 : 1981 3 In popular culture 4 References 5 External links Premise and storylines Greg Evigan stars as Billie Joe `` B.J. '' McKay, a professional freelance itinerant trucker who travels the country 's highways in a red and white Kenworth K - 100 Aerodyne ( a COE semi truck ) with his pet chimpanzee Bear ( named after Bear Bryant, the famed football coach for the University of Alabama ). In the pilot movie, it is stated that he had spent two years in Vietnam as a medical helicopter pilot, had been a captain and earned a distinguished service cross. He was a prisoner of war in North Vietnam at the Hanoi Hilton for four months in 1973 after his helicopter went down over the DMZ. Episodes typically deal with B.J. uncovering or getting mixed up with crime in the area he 's traveling through, and a local resident -- usually, a young, beautiful woman -- appealing to him for help. A frequent guest star in the first season is Sheriff Elroy P. Lobo ( Claude Akins, who had previously starred in the trucking series Movin ' On ), whose character eventually spun off onto his own show The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo along with guest character `` Waverly '' Ben Cooper ). Two episodes in season two, `` Eyes Of Texas '' ( 1979 ) and `` The Girls On The Hollywood High '' ( 1980 ), were designed as prospective pilots for a series about a pair of private detectives called Heather Fern ( Rebecca Reynolds ) and Caroline Capoty ( Lorrie McCaffrey in the first one, Heather Thomas in the second ). The latter episode has cameo appearances from John S. Ragin and Robert Ito as their characters from Quincy, M.E. ( also a Glen A. Larson series ). In 1981, when the show returned for its third season with the two - part episode `` B.J. And The Seven Lady Truckers '' ( not to be confused with the season two opener `` Snow White And The Seven Lady Truckers, '' also a two - parter ), B.J. has settled down to run Bear Enterprises, a trucking company based in Los Angeles. His nemesis is Rutherford T. Grant ( Murray Hamilton ), the corrupt head of the state 's Special Crimes Action Team, who is a secret partner in a competing trucking company. Because of Grant 's harassment, B.J. is unable to hire experienced truckers, and is forced to hire seven beautiful young female truckers, consisting of Grant 's daughter Cindy ( Sherilyn Wolter ), twins Teri and Geri ( Candi and Randi Brough ), no - nonsense Angie ( Sheila Wills ), Samantha ( Amanda Horan Kennedy ), Callie ( Linda McCullough ), and a busty blonde nicknamed `` Stacks '' ( Judy Landers ). Episodes Pilot : 1978 `` The Foundlings '' / October 4, 1978 ( 1978 - 10 - 04 ) Directed by Bruce Bilson ; written by Christopher Crowe and Glen A. Larson. Season 1 : 1979 No Ep Title Air date `` Odyssey of the Shady Truth '' February 10, 1979 ( 1979 - 02 - 10 ) `` Shine On '' February 24, 1979 ( 1979 - 02 - 24 ) `` A Coffin with a View '' March 10, 1979 ( 1979 - 03 - 10 ) `` Deadly Cargo '' March 17, 1979 ( 1979 - 03 - 17 ) 5 5 `` Never Give a Trucker an Even Break '' March 24, 1979 ( 1979 - 03 - 24 ) 6 6 `` Lobo 's Revenge '' April 7, 1979 ( 1979 - 04 - 07 ) 7 7 `` The Murphy Contingent '' April 14, 1979 ( 1979 - 04 - 14 ) 8 8 `` Wheels of Fortune '' April 21, 1979 ( 1979 - 04 - 21 ) 9 9 `` Crackers '' April 28, 1979 ( 1979 - 04 - 28 ) 10 10 `` Lobo '' May 5, 1979 ( 1979 - 05 - 05 ) Season 2 : 1979 -- 80 No Ep Title Air date 11 `` Snow White and the Seven Lady Truckers : Part 1 '' September 29, 1979 ( 1979 - 09 - 29 ) 12 `` Snow White and the Seven Lady Truckers : Part 2 '' October 6, 1979 ( 1979 - 10 - 06 ) 13 `` Cain 's Cruiser '' October 13, 1979 ( 1979 - 10 - 13 ) 14 `` Pogo Lil '' October 20, 1979 ( 1979 - 10 - 20 ) 15 5 `` Cain 's Son - in - Law '' October 27, 1979 ( 1979 - 10 - 27 ) 16 6 `` Run for the Money '' November 3, 1979 ( 1979 - 11 - 03 ) 17 7 `` The Eyes of Texas '' November 10, 1979 ( 1979 - 11 - 10 ) 18 8 `` Mary Ellen '' November 17, 1979 ( 1979 - 11 - 17 ) 19 9 `` Gasohol '' November 24, 1979 ( 1979 - 11 - 24 ) 20 10 `` B.J. 's Sweethearts '' December 1, 1979 ( 1979 - 12 - 01 ) 21 11 `` Fly a Wild Horse '' December 8, 1979 ( 1979 - 12 - 08 ) 22 12 `` Silent Night, Unholy Night '' December 15, 1979 ( 1979 - 12 - 15 ) 23 13 `` Fire in the Hole '' January 12, 1980 ( 1980 - 01 - 12 ) 24 14 `` Siege '' January 19, 1980 ( 1980 - 01 - 19 ) 25 15 `` Through the Past, Darkly '' January 26, 1980 ( 1980 - 01 - 26 ) 26 16 `` Bear Bondage '' February 2, 1980 ( 1980 - 02 - 02 ) 27 17 `` B.J. and the Witch '' February 9, 1980 ( 1980 - 02 - 09 ) 28 18 `` The Good, the Bad and the Beautiful '' February 16, 1980 ( 1980 - 02 - 16 ) 29 19 `` The Girls of Hollywood High '' February 23, 1980 ( 1980 - 02 - 23 ) 30 20 `` The 18 - Wheel Rip - Off '' March 22, 1980 ( 1980 - 03 - 22 ) 31 21 `` The Friendly Double Cross '' March 29, 1980 ( 1980 - 03 - 29 ) Season 3 : 1981 No Ep Title Air date 32 `` B.J. and the Seven Lady Truckers : Part 1 '' January 13, 1981 ( 1981 - 01 - 13 ) 33 `` B.J. and the Seven Lady Truckers : Part 2 '' January 13, 1981 ( 1981 - 01 - 13 ) 34 `` The Fast and the Furious : Part 1 '' January 20, 1981 ( 1981 - 01 - 20 ) 35 `` The Fast and the Furious : Part 2 '' January 27, 1981 ( 1981 - 01 - 27 ) 36 5 `` Intercepted Pass '' February 3, 1981 ( 1981 - 02 - 03 ) 37 6 `` Down & Dirty '' February 10, 1981 ( 1981 - 02 - 10 ) 38 7 `` Beauties and the Beasts '' February 17, 1981 ( 1981 - 02 - 17 ) 39 8 `` Blond in a Gilded Cell '' March 3, 1981 ( 1981 - 03 - 03 ) 40 9 `` For Adults Only '' March 10, 1981 ( 1981 - 03 - 10 ) 41 10 `` A Bear in the Hand '' March 17, 1981 ( 1981 - 03 - 17 ) 42 11 `` Seven Lady Captives '' March 24, 1981 ( 1981 - 03 - 24 ) 43 12 `` S.T.U.N.T. '' March 31, 1981 ( 1981 - 03 - 31 ) 44 13 `` Who Is B.J. ? '' April 25, 1981 ( 1981 - 04 - 25 ) 45 14 `` Detective Finger, I Presume '' May 2, 1981 ( 1981 - 05 - 02 ) 46 15 `` The Two Million Dollar Hustle '' May 9, 1981 ( 1981 - 05 - 09 ) In popular culture In Season 4, Episode 7 of the popular Canadian sitcom Trailer Park Boys Bubbles is about to get his big rig license, he says to Julian `` I 'm gon na be just like that fuckin ' B.J. and the Bear cock - sucker, ' cept I 'm gon na have kitties in my truck instead of a dirty assed stinky little monkey. '' In the 1995 movie Mallrats, Jason Lee 's character Brodie makes a reference to the show with : `` Why do n't they ever bring back or remake good shows, like B.J. and the Bear. Now there 's a concept I ca n't get enough of, a man and his monkey ''. The line foreshadows the film 's close in which Jay and Silent Bob leave with an orangutan, a plot device fleshed out six years later in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. In episode 302, `` Peanut Butter, Eggs, and Dice '' of Mr. Show with Bob and David, during a sketch entitled `` The Bob Lamonta Story, '' Bob Lamonta 's father, played by Bob Odenkirk, tells the Bob Lamonta character, played by David Cross, during an out - of - body experience to wake him and his mother when B.J. and the Bear comes on. In an episode of My Name Is Earl, Earl 's brother Randy asks Joy why a chimp was named `` Bear ''. She obligingly explains that B.J. McKay was a fan of the University of Alabama 's football team, hence the moniker. In yet another episode, while Randy is going to sleep, he asks what Bear 's name is, even though he just said it in the title of the show. In the series Breaking Bad, a replica of the red and white Kenworth appears in the episode `` One Minute ''. In the Breaking Bad Original Mini Episode `` Just Married '', character Hank Schrader makes a pun with the show 's title as `` B.J. and the Bear, minus the bear ''. In the comedy series 30 Rock, Kenneth Parcell refers to the show as You - Know - What and the Bear. Seattle - based indie rock group Minus the Bear derives their name from a joke referencing B.J. and the Bear. `` A friend of the band had gone on a date, '' explains singer - guitarist Jake Snider, `` and one of us asked him afterwards how the date went. Our friend said, ' You know that TV show from the ' 70s, B.J. and the Bear ? It was like that... minus the Bear. ' That 's the straight truth. '' In the South Park episode `` The Ring '', Cartman quotes the theme song, referencing `` B.J. McKay and his best friend Bear. '' In the 2007 Quentin Tarantino 's Movie Death Proof, Kurt Russell 's character introduces himself as Stuntman Mike McKay and is mocked by two other characters ( Dov and Omar ) by making a reference to B.J. and the Bear due to his last name. British radio host Jon Holmes frequently makes reference to B.J. and the Bear on his radio show, notably that the Bear is n't actually a bear, but a chimpanzee called Bear. This has become a running joke due to Jon 's on - air colleague Cornelius not grasping how a chimpanzee can be called Bear. References Jump up ^ Robinson, Mark ( 2011 ). Encyclopedia of Television Theme Songs. McFarland. p. 26. ISBN 9780786465170. Jump up ^ Witbeck, Charles ( June 24, 1979 ). `` ' BJ and the Bear ' : a silent interview with Sam the chimp ''. Chicago Tribune : J3. access - date = requires url = ( help ) Jump up ^ `` Claude Akins ; actor in classic movies ''. St. Louis Post - Dispatch : 4. 1994 - 01 - 28. Jump up ^ Lee Goldberg, Unsold Television Pilots : 1955 through 1989, 1990, pp. 352 - 353, McFarland, ISBN 0 - 89950 - 373 - X Jump up ^ `` Minus the Bear '' Spin Magazine. Retrieved 2010 - 03 - 16. Jump up ^ `` The Quentin Tarantino Archives '' Wiki. Retrieved 2014 - 01 - 08. External links B.J. and the Bear on IMDb ( Pilot ) B.J. and the Bear on IMDb B.J. and the Bear at TV.com B.J. and the Bear at epguides.com Trucking industry in the United States Regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Economy of the United States Regulations Commercial driver 's license Hours of service Federal Bridge Gross Weight Formula Electronic on - board recorder Motor carrier safety rating Motor Carrier Act of 1980 International Registration Plan National Network Manufacturers Truck manufacturers AM General American LaFrance Autocar Bering Bremach Brockway Chevrolet CCC Caterpillar CNH Industrial Diamond Reo Dina F650 Pickups Freightliner Ford GMC Hayes Hino Isuzu Marmon - Herrington Mercedes - Benz International Kenworth Mack Mitsubishi Fuso Nissan Oshkosh Peterbilt Ram Trucks Sterling Smith Tesla Spartan Tiger Truck Toyota UD Trucks VIA Volvo Ward LaFrance Western Star White Workhorse Group Engine manufacturers Caterpillar Cummins Detroit Diesel Mack MaxxForce Mercedes - Benz Paccar Volvo Trailer manufacturers Fontaine Fruehauf Trailer Corporation Great Dane Hyundai Translead Lufkin Trailers Utility Trailer Manufacturing Company Vanguard Wabash National Wilson Motor carriers Truckload carriers Celadon Covenant England CRST FFE Transportation J.B. Hunt Knight Landstar System PAM Transport Patriot Transportation Roehl Transport Schneider Swift USA Truck Werner WTI Transport, Inc. Less than truckload ( LTL ) ABF Estes Express Lines FedEx Freight New England Motor Freight Old Dominion Freight Line Pitt Ohio Express R + L Carriers Saia Southeastern UPS Freight XPO Logistics YRCW Third - party logistics providers Access America Transport C.H. Robinson Worldwide CaseStack Freightquote Ryder Total Quality Logistics XPO Logistics National parcel carriers DHL Express FedEx UPS United States Postal Service Regional parcel carriers LaserShip OnTrac Moving companies Allied Atlas Bekins Gentle Giant Moving Company Global Interstate Mayflower National North American PODS Shleppers Moving & Storage Two Men and a Truck United Wheaton Truck stops Bowlin Travel Centers Dixie Travel Plaza Iowa 80 Love 's Pilot Flying J Road Ranger Roady 's T / A & Petro Town Pump People Reginald Denny Jimmy Hoffa Fred Smith John B. Hunt Kelly Reno Iyman Faris Larry Walters Keith Jesperson Organizations International Brotherhood of Teamsters Owner -- Operator Independent Drivers Association DAT Solutions ( Dial - A-Truck ) American Trucking Associations National Motor Freight Traffic Association National Private Truck Council FJ Management SmartWay Transport Partnership American Moving & Storage Association Glossary Glossary of the American trucking industry Popular culture Film Black Dog Breakdown Convoy Duel F.I.S.T. The Gang 's All Here Joy Ride Maximum Overdrive Over The Top Smokey and the Bandit ( series ) They Drive by Night White Line Fever Trucker Television B.J. and the Bear Ice Road Truckers Movin ' On Trick My Truck American Loggers American Trucker Music `` Convoy '' `` Papa Loved Mama '' `` Six Days on the Road '' `` Teddy Bear '' `` Phantom 309 '' `` Giddyup Go '' `` The White Knight '' `` East Bound and Down '' `` Roll On ( Eighteen Wheeler ) '' `` Drivin ' My Life Away '' `` Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses '' `` Girl on the Billboard '' `` A Tombstone Every Mile '' `` Roll On Big Mama '' `` Movin ' On '' `` Big Wheels in the Moonlight '' `` Sweet Home Alabama '' Radio Road Dog Trucking ( Dave Nemo ) Red Eye ( Bill Mack ) Dale Sommers Other The Rolling Memorial Citizens band radio Note : Defunct companies are shown in italics Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=B._J._and_the_Bear&oldid=821160543 '' Categories : 1979 American television series debuts 1981 American television series endings 1970s American comedy television series 1980s American comedy television series English - language television programs Fictional chimpanzees NBC network shows Television series by Universal Television Television shows set in Los Angeles Trucking industry in the United States Television series created by Glen A. Larson Hidden categories : Pages using citations with accessdate and no URL Articles needing additional references from December 2012 All articles needing additional references Talk Contents About Wikipedia Español Français Italiano 日本 語 Edit links This page was last edited on 18 January 2018, at 19 : 39. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: who sings bj and the bear theme song
Answer: Greg Evigan