Jake and the Fatman
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| Jake and the Fatman | |
|---|---|
 Jake and the Fatman Title Screen |
|
| Format | Crime, Drama |
| Created by | Dean Hargrove Joel Steiger |
| Developed by | Douglas Stefen Borghi |
| Starring | William Conrad Joe Penny Alan Campbell Lu Leonard Olga Russell Jack Hogan George O'Hanlon Jr Melody Anderson |
| Country of origin |  United States |
| No. of seasons | 5 |
| No. of episodes | 106 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
Dean Hargrove Fred Silverman |
| Producer(s) | The Fred Silverman Company Strathmore Productions (1987-1988) Dean Hargrove Productions (1988-1992) |
| Associate producer(s) |
Viacom Productions |
| Running time | 60 Mins (Including Commercials) |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | CBS |
| Original run | September 26, 1987 – September 12, 1992 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | Diagnosis Murder |
| External links | |
| IMDb profile | |
| TV.com summary | |
Jake and the Fatman was a television crime drama starring William Conrad as prosecutor Jason Lochinvar "Fatman" McCabe and Joe Penny as investigator Jake Styles. The series ran on CBS for five seasons from 1987 to 1992. Diagnosis: Murder is a spin-off of this series.
Contents |
[edit] Origins
Conrad guest starred as an aging prosecutor in a two-part episode of Matlock during its first season on NBC. Producers Dean Hargrove and Fred Silverman 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.
[edit] Cast
- William Conrad as District Attorney Jason Lochinvar "Fatman" McCabe
- Joe Penny as Detective Jake Styles
- Alan Campbell as Assistant District Attorney Derek Mitchell
- Lu Leonard as Gertrude
- Olga Russell as Elisabeth Berkeley-Smythe
- Jack Hogan as Judge Smithwood
- George O'Hanlon Jr as Sergeant Rafferty
- Melody Anderson as Sergeant Neely Capshaw
[edit] Episodes
Jake and the Fatman had a total of five seasons and 106 episodes which were broadcast on CBS between 1987 and 1992.
[edit] Background
[edit] Characters
Jason "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 consistent companion Max, his pet bulldog. The term 'jake,' which is commonly used in Hip Hop music as a police officer[citation needed], refers to the character of Jake Styles.[citation needed]
[edit] 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.
[edit] Controversy
Joe Penny lost a large amount of weight after the show moved to Hawaii, which lead to many rumors. Most were about his health. It was suspected that he had AIDS. Actually, he had a gastro-intestinal virus and had a difficult time 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. The move was CBS's decision[1].
[edit] DVD Release
On July 8, 2008, CBS Home Entertainment will release Season 1, Volume 1 of Jake and the Fatman on DVD in Region 1 for the very first time.[2]
| Title | Ep # | Region 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Season 1, Volume 1 | 11 | July 8, 2008 |
