Attempting to turn a corner in his declining career, Ashby stopped using drugs, trimmed his hair and beard, and began to frequently attend Hollywood parties wearing a navy blue blazer so as to suggest that he was once again employable. Despite these efforts, he could only find work as a television director, helming one of three pilots for "Beverly Hills Buntz", an unsuccessful "Hill Street Blues" spinoff starring Dennis Franz. He also directed "Jake's Journey", a sword and sorcery fantasy conceived by Graham Chapman.