Saturday, June 20, 2026

An odd label for foster kids: The Pinballs (ABC Afterschool Special, 1977)

 "The Pinballs" is based on a novel by Betsy Byars, the latest one to be adapted for the ABC Afterschool Special. Kristy McNichol (Family) top-lines with Sparky Marcus (2 years before Bad News Bears) and Walter Brooke (ex-The Green Hornet) co-starring.


I guess Byars named her novel that way to illustrate how foster children are moved from one home to another until they finally find a family they're comfortable with. By this point, Martin Tahse was becoming an exclusive producer, sort of, for the Afterschool Special and would also produce a few Weekend Special entries as well.

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