Thunder Alley

Infobox_television
show_name = Thunder Alley


caption =
format = Sitcom
runtime = 30 minutes
creator =
starring = Edward Asner, Diane Venora, Robin Riker, Jim Beaver, Kelly Vint, Lindsay Felton, Haley Joel Osment, Andrew Keegan
country = USA
rating =
network = flag|United States: ABC
first_aired =9 March 1994
last_aired = 4 July 1995
num_episodes =
list_episodes =
imdb_id = 0108957
tv_com_id =

"Thunder Alley" was an American television program, a situation comedy which ran for a season and a half (from 9 March 1994 until 4 July 1995) on the ABC Television Network. The show starred Edward Asner as retired race-car driver Gil Jones, with Felicity Huffman, Diane Venora, and Robin Riker at various times playing his daughter Bobbi Turner. The story involved Bobbi returning after a divorce to live with her father and bringing with her her three children, Claudine, Jenny, and Harry (played by Kelly Vint, Lindsay Felton, and Haley Joel Osment, respectively). The combined family lived in Gil's home above Thunder Alley, the specialty racing garage Gil operated. Rounding out the cast was Gil's dim-witted mechanic sidekick, Leland DuParte, played by Jim Beaver. In the show's second season, Andrew Keegan joined the cast as Jack Kelly, a local boy who helped around the garage.

"Thunder Alley" was produced by Matt Williams, Carmen Finestra, and David McFadzean for Wind Dancer Productions and Touchstone Television. The director of a majority of episodes was Robby Benson.

A pilot was filmed in November, 1993, with Felicity Huffman in the role of Bobbi. ABC picked up the series, but replaced Huffman with Diane Venora. Venora played the role for eight episodes before she too was replaced, by Robin Riker, who played Bobbi for the remainder of the series.

Future Academy Award-nominee Haley Joel Osment, who was five when production started, had his first starring role in this series, immediately on the heels of his small role as Forrest Gump Jr. in "Forrest Gump".

The show had significantly good ratings, helped in part by its being paired with the hit "Home Improvement" from the same producers. Nonetheless, in the spring of 1995, ABC dropped almost all of its family-oriented programming in a move toward edgier material. As part of ABC's family programming, " Thunder Alley", despite its recent status as the thirteenth highest-rated show in the country, was canceled.