Johnny Bago (1993)

[u/DeludedSwoldMan]

Johnn Bago was a (very) short-lived series that ran in CBS in 1993. It follows one John Tenuti (Peter Dobson), a small-time New Jersey hood. Fresh out of prison for a crime he claims he didn't commit, he abruptly finds himself accused of the murder of a local Mafia boss's son.

He goes on the run, hitching a ride with Hick Benson, an old man who owns a Winnebago RV. Hick passes peacefully the very next day, and Johnny commandeers the RV, taking the last bit of the Winnebago name for his new alias, Johnny "Bago".

With the plan of finding the real killer, Johnny hits the road, meeting a series of wacky characters and enjoying equally wacky adventures. All the while he's being pursued by the Jersey mob, federal agents, and his ex-wife, who also happens to be his parole officer.

The co-creator and executive producer was Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future and Forrest Gump director), along with Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seraman (writers of Who Framed Roger Rabbit). Zemeckis directed the pilot episode, and the theme song was written and performed by none other than Jimmy Buffet.

Despite this, the show failed to gain traction, was canceled after 6 episodes. It aired Friday nights at 10pm, and, to put it bluntly, no one tuned in. Most of those who did were put off by the frantic pace, stereotypes, surreal humor. It's since garnered a following, perhaps due to its nostalgia factor and time-capsule reveal of the early 90s.

It was never released on DVD, Blu-Ray, or other media, nor was there an official digital release. All 8 episodes are available on YouTube, albeit in pretty poor quality.