‘Coach’ Star Takes a Sideline View

Shelley Fabares of ABC’s “Coach” takes the long view about TV series:

“The first couple of years of the show, everybody’s finding their way, the writers are finding their way with each individual character. It seems to me, over the years, some shows fall together, but most shows evolve. Unfortunately, some aren’t around long enough to do that.”

Whether “Coach” will survive the programmers’ ax and get the time to evolve, only ABC can say.

“Coach,” which airs Tuesdays, gets bumped the next two weeks for “The Women of Brewster Place” and is due to return May 15.

Fabares’ career numbers six television series, including ABC’s long-running “Donna Reed Show” and later, CBS’ “One Day at a Time.”

So as “Coach” wound down, and not knowing whether it would be picked up for next season, she was reflective.

The title character, Hayden Fox (Craig T. Nelson), is a denizen of the world of men’s college athletics. Helping coach the Minnesota State Screaming Eagles are his longtime assistant, Luther Van Dam (Jerry Van Dyke), and his student-coach, Dauber Dybinski (Bill Fagerbakke).

“The show is about the coach and the relationships in his life,” Fabares said. “There’s been more of a focus this year on Hayden’s and Christine’s relationship. Obviously, I enjoy that. . . . I like how they have our relationship developing.

“I think Hayden and Christine are at an interesting point in their relationship where they are moving forward, but both are frightened.

“It’s a difficult problem in life to find your balance. We’re all going through the same things. I have a wonderful relationship with my husband (actor-producer Mike Farrell), but I’m still a career woman.”

Fabares’ personal and work lives came together April 17, when Farrell appeared as her former beau. Previously, Fabares and Farrell had appeared in a TV movie called “Memorial Day.”