Bakersfield P.D.
Network: Fox
Years Aired: 1993-1994 – One Season – 17 Episodes
Once in a while I find a gem of a show that everyone else has ignored. Sometimes the show turns into a big hit, most of the time it flops. In 1993 I quickly fell in love with a little show called Bakersfield P.D. A few years earlier I jumped on the bandwagon of a little show called The Seinfeld Chronicles. Sadly while Seinfeld found an audience despite NBC’s mishandling of it for the first season Bakersfield got lost in the shuffle.
A cop comedy, does it get any better? I mean everyone loves laughing at inept policemen. From Police Squad to Naked Gun to Reno 911 to Supertroopers, the genre is filled to the brim with quality comedy. Bakersfield P.D. was no different and in many ways bridged the gap to the more recent success of Reno 911 and Super Troopers.
The show centered around Detective Paul Gigante, played by Giancarlo Esposito, who has moved to the small town of Bakersfield, California from Washington D.C. His fellow officers soon become in awe of Gigante as they see him as a “real big city cop.” Oh and did I tell you that Gigante is half-black, half-Italian in a town where every resident is a white as snow? Esposito is brilliant in the role and displays a comedic touch that most audience would never know he had. The irony about the situation is that since this role Esposito has become known for playing law enforcement officers in dramas like Homicide: Life on the Street and The Usual Suspects.
His partner, Detective Wade Preston, is played by Ron Eldard one of the most underrated comedic talents in recent time. Sadly this was not the only sitcom Eldard was a part of that was cancelled well before its time, as just a few years later Men Behaving Badly would face the axe despite being one of the funniest things on TV.
The relationship between the new partners was always fun to watch but it was the random mishaps of the rest of the force and the silly goings on in Bakersfield that gave the show its heart. Like the troopers in Super Troopers the boredom of being in a small town wore on them meaning they had to make their own fun and keep busy when crime was slow. Their follies were my enjoyment. While I love a good cop show like Law & Order or Without a Trace, seeing the lighter side of police work in Bakersfield P.D.
In many ways this show typifies a dilemma in regard to selecting shows to watch and love. Does one just choose popular shows that you know will stick around, even if they may not excite you, or do you try and find a great show despite the fact you will have no one to talk to the show about because you are the only fan?
While I may be one of just a handful of fans who still remember Bakersfield P.D. I feel privileged to have been able to see 17 great episodes. In a time where the sitcom genre is essentially a dying breed Bakersfield P.D. will always be a fond memory of a show that could have been great if given the right opportunities and a little patience.
