Carter Country

Carter Country
Victor French and Kene Holliday.
Genre	Sitcom
Written by	Douglas Arango Phil Doran David Garber Kevin Hartigan Barry Meadow
Directed by	Peter Baldwin Bud Yorkin
Starring	Victor French Kene Holliday Richard Paul Harvey Vernon Barbara Cason Vernee Watson
Composer(s)	Pete Rugolo
Country of origin	USA
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	44
Production
Executive producer(s)	Austin Kalish Irma Kalish Bernie Orenstein Saul Turteltaub Bud Yorkin
Producer(s)	Douglas Arango
Running time	30 mins.
Production company(s)	Turteltaub-Orenstein-Yorkin Productions (TOY)
Distributor	Sony Pictures Television
Release
Original network	ABC
Audio format	Monaural
Original release	September 15, 1977 – August 23, 1979

Carter Country is an American sitcom that aired on ABC from September 15, 1977 to August 23, 1979.

Carter Country is set in the fictional small town of Clinton Corners in Georgia (presumably near the part of the state from which U.S. President Jimmy Carter hailed, thus the title) and features Victor French as police chief Roy Mobey and Kene Holliday as city-bred, college-educated, black Sergeant Curtis Baker.

It also features Richard Paul as Mayor Teddy Burnside, Harvey Vernon as racist officer Jasper DeWitt, and Barbara Cason as town employee Cloris Phebus. DeWitt was shown to be a member of the local branch of the Ku Klux Klan and he often made disparaging comments against minorities, but was still a loyal and honest law enforcement officer. In several episodes it is hinted that his racist attitude is an act and that he joined the KKK in order to keep an eye on their activities. Additional comic support was provided by Texas-born actor Guich Koock who played the part of goofy deputy Harley. Vernee Watson rounded out the cast as the mayor's educated secretary and a love interest for Baker. The plot centered around the stereotypical racism of the Deep South, and was often characterized as being an irreverent, comedic version of the movie In the Heat of the Night, especially with the aspect of an educated, African American man coming to the small town South to work as a police officer.

The character of Mayor Burnside coined a minor catchphrase with his manic "Handle it, Roy, handle it!", used when delegating various details to Chief Mobey such as fixing a parking ticket. If Mobey protested or asked any further questions, Burnside would stifle further discussion with a dismissive hand gesture and a further "Handle it, handle it, handle it!"

Burnside often introduced himself to members of the public as "Teddy Burnside, your mayor by a landslide."