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Jake and the Fatman

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Not to be confused with Jake and the Phatman.

Jake and the Fatman
Title screen
Created byDean Hargrove
Joel Steiger
Developed byDouglas Stefen Borghi
StarringWilliam Conrad
Joe Penny
Alan Campbell
Country of originUnited States
No. of seasons5
No. of episodes106
105 when "Fatal Attraction" parts are combined (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersDean Hargrove
Fred Silverman
Joel Steiger
ProducersThe Fred Silverman Company
Strathmore Productions (1987–1988)
Dean Hargrove Productions (1988–1992)
Viacom Productions
CBS Television Distribution
Production locationsLos Angeles, California
Oahu, Hawaii
Running timeapprox. 45 minutes
Original release
NetworkCBS
ReleaseSeptember 26, 1987 –
May 6, 1992
Related
Diagnosis: Murder

Jake and the Fatman is a television crime drama starring William Conrad as prosecutor J. L. (Jason Lochinvar) "Fatman" McCabe and Joe Penny as investigator Jake Styles.[1][2][3]

The series ran on CBS for five seasons from 1987 to 1992. Diagnosis: Murder was a spin-off of this series.

Origins

Conrad guest starred as an aging prosecutor in a two-part episode of Matlock during its first season on NBC. Executive producers Fred Silverman and Dean Hargrove decided to use this character as a model for one of the main characters in a new show they were creating for CBS. Penny also guest starred in these episodes, but his character was not on the same side as Conrad's character in the storyline's legal case.

Following the departure of Hargrove, executive producers David Moessinger and Jeri Taylor were brought on to run the series with Silverman. They also hired J. Michael Straczynski as story editor and, later, co-producer. Taylor and Moessinger ran the show for two years before finally leaving in a dispute over control over the show.

Cast

Recurring guest stars

Guest stars on the series included Alex Cord, Robert Culp, Scott Marlowe, Leigh McCloskey, Ed Nelson, Leo Penn, Stephen Quadros, Robert Reed, Mitch Ryan, and David Soul.

Episodes

Main article: List of Jake and the Fatman episodes

Jake and the Fatman had a total of five seasons and 106 episodes that were broadcast on CBS between 1987 and 1992.

Background

Characters

J. L. "Fatman" McCabe is a Hawaii-born, tough former HPD officer turned Los Angeles district attorney. He is teamed with a handsome, happy-go-lucky special investigator named Jake Styles. They often clash due to their different styles and personalities. "Fatman" hardly travels anywhere without his companion Max, his pet bulldog.

Setting

The show was set in Los Angeles during the first season. After the end of Magnum, P.I., the show was moved to Hawaii. The second and third seasons and half of the fourth season were filmed in Honolulu. The show then returned to Los Angeles for the remainder of its run.

Controversy

Joe Penny lost a large amount of weight after the show moved to Hawaii, which led to many rumors about his health, including the possibility that he had AIDS. In actuality he had suffered from a gastrointestinal virus and was having difficulty regaining the weight he lost. When the show moved back to Los Angeles, it was also suspected that it was on Penny's urging. This was also not true, as the move was CBS's decision.[4]

DVD releases

CBS DVD (distributed by Paramount) released the first two seasons of Jake and the Fatman on DVD in Region 1 between 2008/2009. As of June 2015, these releases have been discontinued and are out of print.

DVD Name Ep # Region 1
Season One, Volume One 11 July 8, 2008[5]
Season One, Volume Two 12 December 2, 2008[6]
Season Two 10 May 5, 2009[7]

References

  1. ^ "Jake and the Fatman". The New York Times.
  2. ^ G. S. Bourdain (February 13, 1994). "William Conrad, 73, TV Actor In 'Fatman' and 'Cannon' Series". The New York Times.
  3. ^ John J. O'Connor (September 29, 1987). "TV Review; Crime on CBS and Yuppies on ABC". The New York Times.
  4. ^ "Interviews". Joepenny.com.au.
  5. ^ Jake And The Fatman: Season One - Volume One
  6. ^ Jake And The Fatman: Season One - Volume Two
  7. ^ Jake And The Fatman: Season Two
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