PITTSBURGH -- 'The Stockers,' a pilot television series starring Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw, will not be on the NBC television network's fall schedule, according to a report broadcast locally Tuesday.
During its 6 p.m. edition of Eyewitness News, KDKA-TV, a CBS affiliate, quoted a 'reliable source' at NBC as saying 'The Stockers,' co-starring Mel Tillis, was not planned for the fall lineup and that a formal announcement to that effect was expected to be made Thursday by the network's press department.
Since it was learned last winter that Bradshaw was involved in a potential TV series, there had been speculation he would retire from football to pursue an acting career if the series were picked up by a network. The failure of 'The Stockers' should increase the likelihood of Bradshaw playing football this season.
The pilot episode of the half-hour comedy series about a stock-car racer and his mechanic was telecast by NBC last Friday night. According to KDKA's report, the episode gathered only a 23 share of the audience nationwide. Generally, a 30 share is the cutoff point on making a network lineup.
KDKA quoted NBC Entertainment as saying there was still a possibility that 'The Stockers' could be picked up later in the 1981 or 1982 seasons.
