"The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh" Tonight on TV One's Throwback Theater

The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh - Tonight at 8pm EDT on TV One.

TV One Synopsis:
In this spectacular sports comedy, a struggling Pittsburgh basketball team relies on the astrological sign Pisces (hence the name "fish") to guide its game plan and cure its losing streak.

But will the help of astrology turn this team of unlikely champions into winners?

Watch and find out as basketball superstars Julius "Dr. J" Erving, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Meadowlark Lemon star with Flip Wilson and Debbie Allen in this 1979 comedy that combines fantasy, sports and disco in an action-packed, all-star event.

I saw this movie in theaters in 1979 when I was 9 with my Dad. It was originally released on January 1st, 1979. A comedy that received mostly poor reviews but I really got a kick out of this movie as a kid. The scene I remember the most is when "Dr. J" goes up for that beautiful layup on the street basketball court. I think just about every boy wanted to be "Dr. J" at that time. He was so cool and smooth on and off the court. We had to have the Dr. J basketball cards, lunchboxes, T-shirts, you name it. The man was cool! Dr. J was one of the first basketball players to endorse products and to have a shoe marketed under his name.

This movie also starred Stockard Channing, The 1978-1978 Los Angeles Lakers, and a performance by one of the most exciting groups at that time that I loved, The Sylvers. It was directed by Gilbert Moses who was the co-founders of the Free Southern Theater company, an important pioneer of African-American theatre. His 1971 Broadway debut, "Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death" won him a Tony nomination.

I also remember the great music in this movie. The soundtrack was very memorable.

The track list was:
1. A Theme for L.A.'s Team - Doc Severinsen
2. Magic Mona - Phyllis Hyman
3. Mighty Mighty Pisces - The Sylvers
4. (Do It, Do It) No One Does It Better - The Spinners
5. The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh - Bell & James
6. Moses Theme - Frankie Bleu
7. Chance of a Lifetime - The Four Tops
8. Follow Every Dream - William Hart
9. Ragtime - Thom Bell, Eubie Blake
10. Is It Love, Must Be Love - Loretta Lynn, Frankie Bleu