Do You Remember ‘The Outsiders’ TV Show?
If you were young in the early ’80s, you almost definitely have fond memories of The Outsiders — Francis Ford Coppola‘s 1983 drama about friendship, love, and death among a group of teens in 1960s Tulsa. Packed with stars of tomorrow like Tom Cruise, Ralph Macchio, Emilio Estevez, Diane Lane, C. Thomas Howell, Patrick Swayze and Rob Lowe (the film was Lowe’s cinematic debut), as well as already-famous Matt Dillon and Leif Garrett, the film was a modest box office success upon its release — but when VHS technology became more popular in the late ’80s, The Outsiders became an incredibly popular rental, and interest in continuing the story of the Curtis boys began to grow.
When a film is popular, naturally, Hollywood begins to plan the sequel. But given that the careers of almost every Outsiders cast member hit the stratosphere shortly after the film released, a sequel with the original actors was out of the question. S.E. Hinton, who wrote the original hit novel the film was based on, was also adamant that the book would never have a written sequel.
But that’s not enough to stop a popular film — especially one that’s big with teens. In 1989, Coppola was reported to have plans to produce a two-hour made-for-TV sequel on FOX, after several other networks passed on the idea. And then, that TV film mutated into … a series.
Aaron Rapoport/20th Century Fox Film Corp./courtesy Everett Collection
FOX broadcast the pilot for The Outsiders on March 25, 1990, drawing 14.1 million viewers. Anchored by Ponyboy’s narration, each episode tackled classic teen issues from loneliness and longing to unplanned pregnancy, with a 1966 greasers-and-socs spin.
Airing on a youth-oriented network and spinning off a popular film, expectations were that the show would be a hit. “I’m not trying to be like bragging, but I am literally in every teen magazine,” Jay R. Ferguson, who played Ponyboy (the role originated by Howell), told the L.A. Times in 1990.
Despite its promising start, the show — which begins directly after the action of the film, with Dallas’ funeral — only ran for one season, with its final episode airing that July. But even though it only had a short run, the show remains intriguing today — especially because, like the film, it gave a few actors their start.
It Was David Arquette’s First Role
Sheryl Noday/20th Century Fox Film corp./courtesy Everett Collection
Over 2,500 unknown actors were auditioned for the show, and while the cast doesn’t equal the film in star power, a few of those unknowns went on to become fairly bright lights in Hollywood.
Taking over Estevez’s role as “Two Bit” was a 19-year-old David Arquette in his first acting role. Arquette would go on to become a familiar face in ’90s cinema, starring in the Scream franchise and turning up in films like 1999’s Never Been Kissed.
And Billy Bob Thornton’s First Big One
20th Century Fox Film Corp./Courtesy Everett Collection
Billy Bob Thornton was slightly more established than Arquette at the time; he had had a number of brief roles on small films and shows like Matlock. But The Outsiders was the future Oscar winner’s first major role — he appears in 10 of the show’s 13 episodes as Buck Merrill, the role originated by Tom Waits in the film.
Aaron Rapoport/20th Century Fox Film Corp./courtesy Everett Collection
Some other recognizable faces pop up in the show as well. Kim Walker, best known for her turn as the vicious Heather Chandler in 1989’s Heathers, plays the far kinder Cherry Valance, and Jay R. Ferguson, who played Ponyboy, appeared as Ben on The Conners from 2018 to 2025, as well as Stan Rizzo on Mad Men.
Another Future Oscar Winner Shows Up, Too … Sort of
According to an interview Arquette did with Entertainment Weekly in 2018, Leonardo DiCaprio almost got the role of Ponyboy, but producers ultimately decided to go with Ferguson. Watching Leo’s audition, it seems like the future cinematic dynamo, who was 16 at the time but extremely baby-faced, probably just looked too young for the part. He ended up instead with a cameo in the pilot as “Boy Who Fights Scout.”
Despite this early setback, I think that things turned out OK for Leo in the end.
’80s Where Are They Now
March 2023
Who can forget all the great TV shows, movies and music of the ‘80s? See what your favs are up to now!
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