There was this TV show I watched as a kid. It was about this Texas
billionaire who went around with this young kid, solving crime. I
remember he had this big car, like a Cadillac or something, and it had
a pair of horns mounted at the front.

What was the show, and where can I see it again?

---

Request for Question Clarification by mother-ga on 09 Jul 2002 19:45 PDT

I'm hoping that some researcher with a better memory than mine will
know this right away. In case that doesn't happen, in what year do you
remember watching this show? Are you sure it was a series, and not a
movie?

Good luck!
-- mother-ga

---

Clarification of Question by markabe-ga on 10 Jul 2002 21:18 PDT

I went to the TV guide for Matt Houston at:

http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/ShowMainServlet/showid-979/

and that show is not the one I'm after.

The lead Texan was in his fifties, with a white moustache, kinda like
Colonel Sanders. When I say he went around with a young kid, it's
really relative to the Texan, because the kid is in his twenties.

I remember in one episode the Texan buys a dog for his sidekick. The
sidekick thinks they're going to a fancy place to buy a pedigree, but
instead they go to an animal shelter. The sidekick is disappointed,
but the Texan explains how abandoned dogs make the most loving pets.

I remember the big car because it featured in the opening credits, and
the Texan sometimes used it to ram the car of the bad guys at the end
of a car chase.

Also the Texan is not a professional investigator, but someone who
solves crime in his spare time.

Hope this clarification helps.

---

Clarification of Question by markabe-ga on 22 Jul 2002 19:02 PDT

I checked out pinkfreud-ga's answer, and J.J. Starbuck is the one. Well done!

Any idea where I can get a copy of the show?

I'm assuming you are NOT talking about Boss Hawg's caddy (which
sported a very large pair of longhorns) on the "Dukes of Hazard" show.
I don't think he much of anything, especially not solve any crimes.
Not even the sheriff did that! :)

-- mother-ga

Matlock was the show. Lee Horsley was the star.

I suspect that the show you're looking for is indeed Matlock - but Lee
Horsley was not Matlock.  Andy Griffith was.

Here's the cast:

http://www.angelfire.com/biz2/benmatlock/images/cast.jpg

If that's your guy, you can find a show schedule here:

http://tbssuperstation.com/Shows/Listings/0,10391,17|50,00.html

I don't think it is Matlock. He was an attorney in Atlanta, not Texas.
I cannot recall him being a billionaire, but I imagine he was
relatively rich. From what I can remember, he did not drive a big car
with mounted horns. And I definitely do not recall any young kid who
hung around with him. Matlock often solved his crimes with
30-somethings who either worked with him or were his friends.

I'm not sure what the show could be, but I suspect it may be from the
era of single-named crime-fighters like Columbo, Quincy, McMillan,
Banacek, etc., but none of them fit the bill.

I believe the show was "Matt Houston," starring Lee Horsley. The title
character's first name was "Matlock" (nicknamed "Matt,") hence
lstein0-ga's comment.

Here are the cars from Matt Houston (top right image in the article):

http://toycars.whaticollect.com/index-articles-subtab_17-ArticleID_2208

The show was in reruns on TNN a couple of years ago, but the station
changed and the 80's reruns are gone. The series is not on video,
either.

-- mother-ga

markabe-ga, 

If I was correct in identifying "Matt Houston" as your show, you may
interested in a recent newsgroup posting in which an individual
indicates that he has the series on VHS tape. He is specifically
asking to trade for episodes of the "Young Indiana Jones" series, but
perhaps you can negotiate a deal.

http://groups.google.com/groups?q=matt+houston+tape&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&newwindow=1&safe=off&scoring=d&selm=20020705112326.27180.00002002%40mb-cr.news.cs.com&rnum=1

If that lengthy link is somehow truncated, I have placed an
abbreviated version here that will redirect you to the same newsgroup
post:

http://makeashorterlink.com/?Q51552B31

Yee-haw from pinkfreud-ga :-)

A typo correction in my comment above: make that "you may BE
interested in a recent newsgroup posting..."

It's odd how such things are embarrassingly obvious only after one has
hit "enter" and exposed one's predilection for hasty proofreading to
the world. ;-)

Yep, Matt Houston was what I meant. At least I got us all started in
the proper direction. :o)

It's not Matlock, it's not Matt Houston -- it's an older show -- from
the late 70s maybe. The guy has a massive library, I can picture the
actor (one of a few actors who have always had a big moustache?
possibly?) but damn, I can't bring it up. A&E showed reruns a few
years ago as part of their detective afternoon series.

Are you certain you're not remembering the last few seasons of Barnaby
Jones? It didn't take place in Texas -- but in 1976 Barnaby's (Buddy
Ebsen) young 20-ish cousin Jedediah (Mark Shera) joined the firm and
the two of them did go around in Barnaby's big car which I think was a
LIncoln.
--  brotine-ga

Are you certain you're not remembering the last few seasons of Barnaby
Jones? It didn't take place in Texas -- but in 1976 Barnaby's (Buddy
Ebsen) young 20-ish cousin Jedediah (Mark Shera) joined the firm and
the two of them did go around in Barnaby's big car which I think was a
LIncoln.
--  brotine-ga

Or was it "Judd For The Defense" -- late 60s where Carl Betz was a
Houston defense attorney with a young assistant who traveled all over
the US taking on cases?
-- brotine-ga

Yee-haw. While watching a TV news story about Starbucks coffee, it hit
me. I am dang near certain that the show markabe-ga wants is "J.J.
Starbuck."

http://www.magicdragon.com/UltimateMystery/tv.html#tvJ

Quote:

J.J. Starbuck 1987-1988 (NBC); 
     6  50-minute episodes; 
     Jerome Jeremiah "J.J." Starbuck is a billionnaire from Texas who
     cruises America in a 1961 Lincoln convertible with steer horns
mounted
     on the hood.  Sometime assisted by ex-con-man E. L. "Tenspeed"
Turner,
     he solves cases free of charge, sweet-talking local police to get
     them out of the way, jurisdictionally speaking.
     Creators:
     Executive Producer: Stephen J. Cannell;
     Production Manager: Brent-Karl Clackson (the new Outer Limits);
     Starring: DALE ROBERTSON as Jerome Jeremiah "J.J." Starbuck;
     BEN VEREEN as E. L. "Tenspeed" Turner (1988);
     JIMMY DEAN as Charlie Bullets;
     SHAWN WEATHERLY as Jill Starbuck.

pinkfreud-ga is correct.  It is JJ Starbucks.

Tan-ga

markabe-ga,

Glad to have been able to nail this one. It's funny how these things
can keep a person up at night.

Regarding the matter of where to obtain copies of old J.J. Starbuck
shows, you may want to post an inquiry in the alt.video.tape-trading
newsgroup (I suggest using a throwaway email address so that you won't
attract spammage.) I found a couple of old posts in the
alt.video.tape-trading group which offered VHS tapes of the program.
Since these posts date back a while, it is possible that the email
addresses may be defunct, but it's worth a shot.

http://groups.google.com/groups?q=%22jj+starbuck%22&hl=en&lr=lang_en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&newwindow=1&safe=off&scoring=d&selm=20001004131053.27011.00000356%40ng-cg1.aol.com&rnum=4

http://groups.google.com/groups?q=%22jj+starbuck%22&hl=en&lr=lang_en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&newwindow=1&safe=off&selm=brevelleDsF0uI.GDI%40netcom.com&rnum=30