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*The Great American Traffic Jam*
The Great American Traffic Jam
	Cover of one version of VHS release of movie
Genre	Comedy
Written by	Dave Hackel; Steve Hattman
Directed by	James Frawley
Music by	Arthur B. Rubinstein
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
Production
Executive producers	Greg Strangis; Sam Strangis
Running time	96 minutes
Production company	Ten-Four Productions
Original release
Network	NBC
Release	October 2, 1980

The Great American Traffic Jam (alternate title Gridlock) is a 1980 American made-for-television movie which first aired on NBC on October 2, 1980. The comedy revolves around a large "all-star" cast getting stuck in a massive Los Angeles area traffic jam, with multiple interweaving story lines among those stuck.^[1]

Background and reception

The movie debuted on NBC on Thursday October 2, 1980.^[2] The TV Guide summary of the week's TV movies described it as a film that "provides stale characters in staler situations,"^[3] but another promotional blurb in the same issue stated "what sets this 1980 TV-movie apart are its flashes of wit, delivered in a running commentary by a glib disc jockey (Howard Hesseman) and its satirically staged sequences--such as a helicopter's convoy's delivering portable toilets."^[4]

Though Ed McMahon refers to the movie as a "semiclassic" in his biography,^[5] Rue McClanahan (who plays his wife) admits she did it just to fill a contractual obligation with NBC and said "it was about as funny as Mom and Me, MD", a reference to another television movie she did in 1979.^[6]^[7]

On its debut, the movie was the 14th most watched primetime show of the week with a 17.8/30 rating. The serious Holocaust drama Playing for Time, which won a number of Emmys, was the most watched program that week.^[8]^[9]

Writers Steve Hattman and Dave Hackel dreamed up the idea for the movie when they were stuck in an L.A. traffic jam.^[1] It appears the original title of the film was "Gridlock", but there is no evidence of it ever being released under that title.^[10] It was released on VHS in the United States in December 1987.^[10]^[11]

Primary cast

Though the cast is large, the opening credits billed cast are listed in alphabetical order as follows:

Desi Arnaz Jr. - Robbie Reinhardt
John Beck - Buzz Gregory
Noah Beery - Barney
René Enríquez - Mayor Julio Escontrerez
Shelley Fabares - Louise Gregory
Phil Foster - Koppleman
James Gregory - General Caruthers
Lisa Hartman - Nikki
Michael Lerner - Marv
Rue McClanahan - Adele
James McEachin - Speed-O
Ed McMahon - Henry
Al Molinaro - Sightseer
Charles Napier - Sonny
Christopher Norris - Linda Reinhardt (pregnant woman)
Alan Sues - Dudley
Vic Tayback - Floyd 'Snake' Kraslowski

Other actors appearing in the film include Lyle Waggoner, Abe Vigoda, Marcia Wallace, and Paul Willson; game show hosts Wink Martindale, Jack Clark, Art James, and Jim Perry; and Howard Hesseman (who was playing a DJ role on WKRP in Cincinnati at this time) as the voice of the radio announcer.

References

^ ^a ^b (26 September 1980) History's Worst Traffic Jam, Suffolk News-Herald
^ (28 September 1980). We Interrupt to Bring A Traffic Bulletin, San Bernardino Sun
^ (Sept 27-Oct 3, 1980). This Week's Movies, TV Guide, p. A-6, A-23
^ (Sept 27-Oct 3, 1980). Up: The Great American Traffic Jam, TV Guide, p. A-88
^ McMahon, Ed with David Fisher. For Laughing Out Loud: My Life and Good Times, p. 194 ("I've acted in several movies made for television.... A lot of people don't remember that I was in the semiclassic Great American Traffic Jam...") (1998)
^ McClanahan, Rue. My first five husbands-- and the ones who got away, p. 234 (2007)
^ (29 May 2008). Un Atasco Guay (review), Fotogramas
^ (10 October 1980). Playing for Time, Top-rated TV Program, Desert Sun, p. C5 (Associated Press story)
^ (13 October 1980). Specials Come Through for CBS, Broadcasting, p. 56
^ ^a ^b Variety's Complete Home Video Directory, p. 170 (1988) ("Original/Alternative Title: Gridlock")
^ (26 December 1987). New releases, Courier Journal ("a less-than-hilarious made-for-TV comedy about traffic")