I've been looking for a show (or possibly movie)  that I can only vaguely recall from the early-to-mid Eighties. 

It about a kid facing off with a bully-- I can kind of remember the bully as a big kid with red/brown curly hair.  Part of me thinks he may have had brass knuckles at some point (again, all vague memories). 

In any case, at the end when the bully squares off against the main character, all the kids that had gathered to watch the fight pile-on and attack the bully when he's down. Seemed kind of excessive to me even at the time. 

I THINK this may have been an episode of something on PBS--however the possibility exists that it was a movie...

Sounds like you're describing "3 o'Clock High", starring Casey Sziemascko.

This was a movie about a boy being picked on by a bully who just came to the school, and he spends most of the movie trying to figure out how to get out of a fight, scheduled to happen @ 3 O'Clock.

The lead character, Jerry Mitchell, robs the student store to bribe the bully- which doesn't work, gets sent to the VP's office (who bears a remarkable resemblence to wrestler Baron Von Raschke), and kisses his English teacher, who later develops the hots for him.

He also has a female friend who wants him, and later punks out, when she has the chance.
His male best friend tries to help him out, but is of little help.

Jerry eventually gets to the fight, in which the Principal and VP both get punched out, and Jerry ends up using the bully's own brass knuckles against him.

This film is very good, and I recommend it.

'My Bodyguard' maybe?

'My Bodyguard' maybe?


No, "My Bodyguard" was about the kid getting picked on in the school system, so he hired a "bodyguard" who eventually got beat up. (The curly-headed kid was Adam Baldwin, and the bully was Matt Dillon.)

The lead character, Clifford Peache (Chris Makepeace), ends up beating up the bully on his own, and everyone else got into it by flipping the bully off.

Note- no mention in that film about brass knuckles.

Funny you should mention "My Bodyguard" and "Three O'Clock High." In doing a google search I came upon that possibility and decided to watch both movies. Sadly, they weren't what I was looking for. Good pictures, nonetheless.


The thing I most distinctly remember is the gathered kids all ganging up on the bully at the end-- taking to the ground and holding him down. Far different from the typical "bully episode" ending where the bully and main character reach an understanding.

For the longest time, I thought this was an episode of "The Bloodhound Gang" on 3-2-1 Contact, but from episode guides I've looked at no episodes seem to fit.

Possibly an after-school special...?

In any case, thanks for the help.