Jake and the Fatman: Season One, Volume Two – DVD Review

DVD Reviews, Reviews



I’ll say this about the Fatman: he’s proof that you can make it in showbiz without being a pretty face. William Conrad (Cannon) had a great gig for an actor that didn’t want to pay the high cost of glamour. He’s supposed to the be the District Attorney for Los Angeles, but he can’t solve the case of the missing razor. Even on trial days, he’s got more stubble than Don Johnson on Miami Vice. Max, the bulldog, spent more time in the makeup trailer than Conrad. It was Conrad’s gruff that made Joe Penny look so slick as Jake, his main investigator. Penny’s the legs while Conrad relaxes in his cushy desk chair. Jake and the Fatman: Season One, Volume Two gives us 11 more cases of Law and Odd Couple.

“After You’ve Gone” has Jake bump into a mob hitman at the airport. Instead of catching his flight, he tails the killer. Things get messy in the parking lot and Jake shoots the hired gun. In the operating room, he does his best to get the name of the killer’s victim and client. But the guy takes those identities to his grave. He’s a true pro. Jake does the next best thing and poses as the killer to make contact. Penny really turns on the stone cold attitude when he assumes the hitman role. The episode wins bonus points for having Joseph Ruskin playing a mobster. Ruskin is one of the great creepy character actors of the 20th Century. He guest starred on every TV show including all the Star Treks. He, Geoffrey Lewis and Sid Haig were the go to guys whenever a TV show needed a scary looking villain with a bad complexion.

“Lady Be Good” has a buddy of the Fatman attempting to fake his own death so he can collect millions from the insurance company. He’s got everything set up to look like his Mercedes went flying off a cliff and into the ocean. However his great plan is foiled when someone kills him. Who could be the killer? It’s Nana Vistor (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) with a sinister platinum blond hairdo. And she’s got the perfect alibi to keep from being a suspect. But can she cover her tracks good enough to keep the Fatman from beaming her down? “Blues in the Night” has twin sisters embarking on a crime spree. Isn’t Hef dating these women now?

“What Is This Thing Called Love?” puts Jake and the Fatman in the middle of courtroom hostage siege. How long can the Fatman survive without his six meals a day? He might have resorted to cannibalism. Freeze frame the end and see how many jurors are left in the box. “How Long Has This Been Going On?” puts David Soul (Starsky and Hutch) on the wrong side of the law. He discovers that his wife has been having an affair. Except instead of being with her tennis instructor, she’s boffing a priest. Soul takes matters in his own hands by choking is wife to death and framing the priest. How could the man who sang “Don’t Give Up On Us” squeeze the life out of his wife? Things get personal since Jake is pals with the priest. He’s not buying the official story.

As far as law and order shows go, Jake and the Fatman doesn’t hit us with super serious mysteries. The perpetrator is exposed at the scene of the crime. Nothing is too scary or over the top as far as action scenes go. It’s calm crime fighting. The main mystery is seeing if Jake or the Fatman uncovers them first. The biggest shock comes whenever Conrad appears clean shaven. Jake and the Fatman: Season One, Volume Two wraps up a first year with cases that entertain without startling the weak of heart.

The Episodes
“After You’ve Gone,” “It Had to Be You,” “But Not for Me,” “What Is This Thing Called Love?,” “Lady, Be Good,” “I’ll Be Seeing You,” “Babyface,” “Blues in the Night,” “How Long Has This Thing Been Going On?,” “I Guess I’ll Have to Change My Plans” and “Rhapsody in Blue.”

The video is 1.33:1 full frame. Like many other shows from this era, the series was shot on film, but all the editing was done on video. The details aren’t nearly as sharp as expected. This is a good thing since it means they softened William Conrad’s face. The audio is Dolby Digital mono. You get a big earful of the cheesy synth score. This is Miami Vice Lite. The episodes are Closed Captioned.

Episodic Promos (0:30) introduce most of the episodes. This is good for remembering if you watched this series back in ’88.

Jake and the Fatman: Season One, Volume Two shows the lighter side of a District Attorney’s office. As rough as the Fatman gets with Jake, there never seems to be any real jeopardy of either reaching the breaking point. This is prime escapist mystery-solving for Conrad and Penny. The plot twists won’t knot up your mind.

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CBS DVD presents Jake and the Fatman: Season One, Volume Two. Starring William Conrad, Joe Penny and Alan Campbell. Boxset Contents: 11 episodes on 3 DVDs. Released on DVD: December 2, 2008. Available at Amazon.

Joe Corey is the writer and director of "Danger! Health Films" currently streaming on Night Flight and Amazon Prime. He's the author of "The Seven Secrets of Great Walmart People Greeters." This is the last how to get a job book you'll ever need. He was Associate Producer of the documentary "Moving Midway." He's worked as local crew on several reality shows including Candid Camera, American's Most Wanted, Extreme Makeover Home Edition and ESPN's Gaters. He's been featured on The Today Show and CBS's 48 Hours. Dom DeLuise once said, "Joe, you look like an axe murderer." He was in charge of research and programming at the Moving Image Archive.