<Ul> <Li> November 12, 1976 (1976 - 11 - 12) </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> <Li> November 12, 1976 (1976 - 11 - 12) </Li> <P> The Boy in the Plastic Bubble is a 1976 American made - for - television drama film inspired by the lives of David Vetter and Ted DeVita, who lacked effective immune systems . It stars John Travolta, Glynnis O'Connor, Diana Hyland, Robert Reed, Ralph Bellamy & P.J. Soles . It was written by Douglas Day Stewart, executive produced by Aaron Spelling and Leonard Goldberg (who, at the time, produced Starsky and Hutch and Charlie's Angels), and directed by Randal Kleiser, who would work with Travolta again in Grease shortly after . The original music score was composed by Mark Snow . The theme song "What Would They Say" was written and sung by Paul Williams . William Howard Taft High School in Woodland Hills was used for filming . </P> <P> The movie first aired on November 12, 1976, on the ABC television network . </P>

The boy in the plastic bubble based on true story