B.J. and the Bear was a comedy/adventure television series which aired on NBC from 1979 to 1981. It starred Greg Evigan as B. J. (Billie Joe) McCay, a trucker who traveled the country's highways with his pet chimpanzee, Bear. He was constantly harassed by sheriff Elroy P. Lobo (Claude Akins, who eventually spun off onto his own show, Lobo).

In 1981, when the show returned from hiatus, B.J. had settled down to run Bear Enterprises, a trucking company based in Los Angeles. His opponent was Rutherford T. Grant (Murray Hamilton), the corrupt head of the state's Special Crimes Action Team, who was a silent partner in a competing trucking company. Because of Grant's harassment, B.J. was unable to hire experienced truckers, and he was forced to hire seven beautiful young female truckers, including Grant's daughter Cindy (Sherilyn Wolter).