Movin' On
Movin' On
TV-PG | 08 May 1974 (USA)
SEASON & EPISODES
  • 2
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  • Reviews
    Bruce Baskin

    I watched a couple of episodes of "Movin' On" as a teen in the mid-70's and started watching it again on Roku via Hulu and PRO. If you've read this far, you already know it's a dramedy about two interstate truckers hauling loads and running into trouble all across America, so I'll leave the premise explanation at that.Claude Akins was PERFECT as Sonny Pruitt, the veteran trucker who was struggling to keep making payments on the rig doing the hauling. Claude was an in-demand actor whose distinctive, rugged facial features and burly body made him a perfect villain or cop in a number of roles. In this role, he was still a rugged guy who could go to Fist City with the best of them, but he showed a softer, comic side in what may have been his best role on TV (apologies to Sheriff Lobo fans). Akins died in 1994 at age 67.Frank Converse played Will Chandler, Sonny's younger, college-grad driving partner. Will was the methodical thinker as likely to talk his way out of a jam as duke his way out, i.e., the "brains" of the team. Converse appeared in the 1967 movie "Hurry Sundown" and in the late-60's TV series "Coronet Blue" and "N.Y.P.D." "Movin' On" was his last network primetime show, although he continued acting well past 2000 (appearing five times over 18 years on "Law & Order").The series itself was interesting and fun, if not outstanding. America's CB radio craze was well underway when it began, personified by the C.W. McCall trucker tune "Convoy," which reached #1 on the pop charts in 1975. NBC's attempt to cash in was this series and while "Movin' On" had promise, if not a lot of polish or believable, but the network pulled the plug after two seasons and 44 episodes. Too bad. The writing was so-so and nothing about this show was ever going to win an Emmy, but it was good escapism due to the creativity within the plots and a good on-screen chemistry between Akins and Converse, and even though it's been over 40 years since "Movin On" aired, there's a kind of timeless quality to it. I have no idea if the shows are available on DVD or Blu-Ray, but they've made for good binge-watching on Roku. It's better than I remember it being. Not "must-see" TV, but worth watching.

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    nvrblonde

    I was the ripe old age of 10 when this show came on, but I never missed it. My mother and I used to make time every week to sit down with a bottle of Coca-Cola and watch it. The very first 45 (yes! a vinyl record!!) I bought was the theme song to this show--I thought! I ended up with "Movin' On" by Bad Company! I was very upset. Looking back I don't know why I thought I'd be able to find the theme song to a television show about truckers in the "Top 20" section. Anyway, I would love to watch this again on TVLand, or someplace. It's one of the sadly forgotten 70s shows that were very entertaining, even if they weren't the most popular or well-known.

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    David C. Bohn

    I never missed this show. Tuesday nights, at 8 p.m. CST, I was there, waiting for 'Movin' On'. I even took off work one night, to catch it.With dependable old Claude Akins in the lead, and a catchy theme song by Merle Haggard, I figured this show couldn't miss. And I was quite disappointed when it got cancelled in '76.Some of the plots were pretty silly - Most notably, the one where Sonny (Akins) makes a statement about truckers being 'The toughest men in America', which gets picked up by the press, and leads to a slug from a Logger, and a stint in Marine Corps boot camp - But there was that certain 'something' that kept me watching.Akins - Perfect casting, if there ever was any - Fit the role of a gypsy trucker to a tee, and became one of my TV favorites (Though, oddly enough, I never watched 'Sheriff Lobo'). Converse - A heckuva fine Actor - Makes a great sidekick (Too bad he hasn't gone on to bigger and better things), and occasional appearances by Art Metrano and Rosey Grier add comedy relief.It's not available on tape or DVD, and, judging from it's low popularity, it probably never will be. I can only hope that TV Land, Hallmark, or Trio will show the series, someday.

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    Wolf (alphaspace)

    This was a series about the trials and tribulations of being a long haul over the roads independent trucker. The core role was played convincingly by a rather cummudeonly but still emminately likable Cluade Atkins. The set of Movin On was effectively the open road and all the interesting people and places connected by it.I think this show was lavishly produced and tried to be very authentic to the world it tried to depict. This show might not have been the ER of its day but even now Moving On is still a charming deversion on a day where you just want a bit of enjoyable wholesome chewing gum for the eyes.I did rather like the series as it did show a slice of life and I like / needed such shows to aid in my evolving understanding of society. Moving On did follow the formula of a series where the main character was placed in all the predictable scapes a trucker could get into and you watched as he got out of them without being a ripe stinker. The plot lines were exactly as you expected and this show contained few plot surprises. I must admit I was a severely disabled kid who looked forward to seeing this show every week. Thanks to Moving On I came as close as I could to seeing what it was really like to really drive a huge 18 wheel truck over the open roads. I guess for me Movin On will always be a blast in my books! Thanks for the time behind the wheel dude!

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