Where was Bubba?

[Eidolon]

The last year or two of Heat of the Night I noticed Bubba (Alan Autry) disappeared from the majoity of the episodes even though he was still very visual in the opening credits..Gillespie became Sheriff, Forbes was the new Chief and Autry just seemed to phase out.. I know Autry went from Heat of the Night to several episodes of Grace Under Fire but was curious as of the last year or so on Heat.

[Psychster]

Various theories have floated around about this for a long time. Many think he was following Anne Marie Johnson's lead and trying to use his success on HOTN to climb the ladder a bit.

Myself? Considering the time he left the show was around the time he met his later-to-be wife, I think the new girlfriend didn't care for him being so far away.

Rumor has it, she wouldn't let him be on the set of Grace Under Fire without her being there. That just gives me the jealous vibe and I can't imagine her letting him be across the country if that's the case.

And let's face it. The moment a man gets a serious girlfriend, the typical girlfriend wants the man to get "family oriented". Mainly - make more money!

The failure of the potential heat spinoff for him somewhat backs up my theory. He'd have had first billing on that show and more pay, no doubt. He left soon after that idea fell through. Plus, being set in "Atlanta" they could have filmed it in Calif. probably and he'd have been closer to home... and his girlfriend.

[Eidolon]

Thanks for the info.. Never heard there was a spin-off in the air and wonder what it would have been about.. I know he was a fairly main character in Sons of Thunder (Walker Texas Ranger spin-off) which was very short lived right after Heat. His movie, "The Legend of Jake Kincaid", which he wrote, directed, acted in (plus his wife, daughter and son acted in also) turned out to be not so good..I do not visualize him back in the acting field since he has entered the world of politics and is now in his second term as Mayor of Fresno, Calif... As for his wife being on the set of "Grace Under Fire", can't say as I blame her much.....From what I have read, I would have been here too........

[Psychster]

I think the show was going to carry on with the plot of the ep. "One Man's Family". I think that's what it was called. The characters introduced there would carry over into the spinoff. It's a shame it never took.

I saw one ep. of SOT and I just couldn't take anymore. I'm not a WTR fan at all! I think I taped it and fastforwarded through it, it was so bad.

As for his wife being on the set of Grace, the moment I can't trust my man to go to work, it's time to get rid of him. Even if some woman is flashing him with her boobs all the time. haha

[kickinit]

Interesting theories.But they don't exactly match the facts.He met Kimberlee at a gym in Fresno in 1990, long before he temporarily left the show.The most important thing is Autry never really left the show.He was absent toward the end of the 92-93 season, because he needed to have his shoulder fixed.He also was in the process of setting up a production company and writing some screenplays.Though he thorougly enjoyed the role of Bubba, he looked forward to stretching himself as an actor.It was his wish, to have a spinoff. It was also Carroll O'Connor's wish.Given that point, why would the missus need to push for something both Autry and O'Connor had wanted from day one ? O'Connor had tried previously to set Autry up with a spinoff in the earlier episodes Just a Country Boy and Unfinished Business.This was important enough to O'Connor that he personally directed both episodes himself, something he rarely did.It isn't likely the spinoff would have given Autry "a lot more money" as he was already quite well paid.O'Connor was very aware of his younger costar's popularity and treated him accordingly.Carroll O'Connor would have made quite a return if it had been picked up, as he would have been the executive producer and story editor. Autry returned to the series in late 93.The spinoff was shown early in the season.CBS initially declined to pick up the pilot because their schedule was full.When In the Heat of the Night declined in the ratings it wrecked any chance of a spinoff.However Autry did not leave the series.He remained until the final episode, appearing in about half the episodes (roughly every other episode.)The other side of the country assumption is not in line with the facts either.He owned homes in Georgia and Fresno, from what I understand both quite nice.Why would you assume they were on opposite sides of the country?
Fresno is (near) his hometown. She was living in Fresno, but she is originally from Arkansas.If anything she would have been closer to her home if they had stayed in the south.In any event, if the series had been picked up it would have meant staying in Georgia.The spinoff would have been filmed entirely on location in Atlanta, not Los Angeles.It would have been possible to film it in Los Angeles, but that wasn't going to happen.It would have made use of the same production facilities and talent pool that Heat used.Atlanta based actors Afemo Omilami and Deborah Hobart would have costarred.In any event there would have been more In the Heat of the Night movies, if Hugh O'Connor had not killed himself.Autry went on Grace Under Fire in 95.It is very doubtful that Kimberlee would have considered Brett Butler a threat.Alan Autry disliked Brett Butler (or at least her behavior)so intently that he asked to be released from his two year contract a year early.He acknowledged this somewhat in the Fresno Bee a few years later.If reports seen on E Television are true Ms. Butler, who had started out on the series with such promise and talent, was greeting her costars and crew every day with an angry barrage of insults and foul language. This right in front of the studio audience.It is also important to understand that the show was taped on a stage in front of a live audience.It wouldn't have been difficult for Kimberlee Autry to accompany her husband on the set, as it was apparently quite common for GUF cast member's family to be present.It's rather hard to believe that Brett cursing and insulting a man in front of an audience would be much of a turn on, even if Ms. Butler did bare her breasts publicly.This brings up another issue.Neither of the Autry's ever accused Brett Butler of breast baring.It was 12 year old Jon Paul Steur who accused Brett of breast flashing, manhandling him and hiking up her skirt (this was verified by the people in the control room who were apparently looking down on the stage when she did it.) Kimberlee Autry was in the final stages of pregnancy with their son Austin.And it is only natural that she wanted to be with her husband at that time.He appeared on Style and Substance in 97-98 and Sons of Thunder in 99.Sons of Thunder was filmed entirely on location in Dallas.The Autry's had to relocate for that one also.Hope this helps

[Eidolon]

Thanks for the very detailed info but have one fact to question... As a fan of Autrys, I have read as much as I could find and according to his Bio his oldest child (Lauren) was born in 1981, second child (Heather) was born in 1986 and his son Austin was born in 1996..As there was never a mention anywhere in the Bios I read that either he or his wife were married before, your 1990 date of their meeting doesn't match up.... Thinking maybe it was typo ? Other than that, thanks again----very interesting......

[kickinit]

Lauren is Autry's child by his first wife, they broke up when Lauren was a toddler.He had custody of her and raised her by himself until he met Kimberlee.Heather is Kimberlee's daughter by her first marriage which ended sometime in the 80's.He gave the Fresno Bee a very detailed biography of his life while he was running for mayor, it used to be on the Autry for Mayor website, but he let the website go after he won.Austin is theirs together.They generally refer to the girls as "our" daughter's rather than "his" daughter or "her" daughter.Heather does go by his name as well.This is a Christmas play that Heather appeared in.
http://www.thefeather.com/index.php?...icles&id=51494

[Psychster]

The 1990 date of his meeting Kimberlee is not what I've heard from various sources, including a couple of printed interviews. It's mentioned as later than that.

As for the rest, chill. I'm sensing a bit of hostility and there's really no need for it.

[Eidolon]

AHHHHHH, thank you....Got a bit confused especially with the 1990.. In the credit trivia on Heat of the Night, "Every Man's Family", episode 127 (Nov '93), Lauren Brown was credited and in parenthesis, Alan Autry's daughter...Obviously being afew years before he changed his name back to Autry...Well, my confusion is over... ALSO: If I have given any impression of hostility--I apologize. That certainly wasn't the impression I meant to convey....

[Psychster]

That wasn't a reference to you, Eidolon. No apology necessary.

[Eidolon]

Thank you Psychster