Customer Reviews

Jake and the Fatman: Season One, Vol. 1

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This used to be one of my all time favourite tv shows and I can't wait to see it again. Jake Styles was so 'smooth' as an investigator working for J.L McCabe who was the District Attorney. The show started off in LA and later down the track it moves to Hawaii.
McCabe was a cigar smoking 'tough' guy who had his dog follow him everywhere (or sit still and do nothing) and Jake was a 'suave' (back then) guy who almost always got the girl. Each episode was usually a new story and by todays standards, it's very old school but to me, that is some of the appeal. I loved the chemistry between McCabe and Jake - almost like a father and son relationship. There was also Derek Mitchell who always tried his best to impress McCabe, but never seemed to do so. He was a little goofy, especially in Jake's shadow.
It's definately worth checking out. It's much better than Riptide which Joe Penny (Jake) also starred in. I recommend it if you like the old style of getting the bad guys.

Unfortunately, once again DVD consumers get only half the product while paying full price. In case you hadn't noticed, this is only HALF of the first season. List price is $36.98. If you were to purchase the complete first season at list price (assuming the second half even gets released) that would come to $73.96 for a single season. How does that grab you? Even with the Amazon pre-order discount you'll still end up paying over $50 for a single season, not to mention having to wait for the next volume!

Please note that my rating is a reflection of the HORRIBLE decision to release only half a season with a pathetic "rip-off" price tag.

This is a very entertaining late 80's, early 90's crime drama. It deserves to be released as a reasonably priced FULL SEASON. If a production company is going to offer only half season releases, they need to price them CORRECTLY ($17.99 to $19.99 per half season).

Should you decide to purchase this set, you'll be treated to episodes featuring some great guest stars, such as; Robert Culp (I Spy, Greatest American Hero), Dwight Schultz (The A-Team), Joe Regalbuto (Murphy Brown), Mark Goddard (Lost in Space), and many more. While season five is a long way off, I really enjoyed the addition of Melody Anderson to the cast (Flash Gordon - 1980).

Great to see this series arrive on DVD. A shame that consumers once again get the shaft!

JM

I became hooked on this show during the 5th and final season so I am soooo thrilled that I can finally catch up on the other seasons. I am a huge Joe Penny fan, and this show was perfect for him. I'm kind of bummed out that only 1/2 a season will be on the DVD but it's a good start!

Though, initially, I was a bit dismayed that only half of Season 1 was released, since I never expected to see the show again, let alone on DVD, I'm just THRILLED to own it, even half of a season! I've been a fan of the wonderfully talented Joe Penny for at least 23 years & this is my favorite of his many roles. Word is that this partial release is supposed to be to test the sales market, so if Viacom/Paramount/CBS feel that sales are good enough, they'll release the rest of Season 1 & the rest of the 5 years, which will be BLISS for us fans! I so enjoy the give-and-take between JL (McCabe) & Jake. True, I watched the show because of Joe Penny, but I was also a fan of the late William Conrad and enjoyed watching him as "Canon" years before he played JL McCabe. (I also loved him as the narrator of the Rocky & Bullwinkle show, plus his other voice-overs.)

Personally, I don't consider people who bought this DVD as stupid or mislead or "puppets of the industry." We're just fans, fans who hope that sales are good & we get the rest of Jake and the Fatman on DVD!

Jake and the Fatman: Season One, Vol. 1

It was a joy to revisit this show again. William Conrad and Joe Penney are great together. Also, who could forget Gertrude and her interaction with the Fatman!! I look forward to them releasing more of this series because I will definitely make it part of my classic television DVD collection!!

It all started during "Matlock's" first season (1986). The sixth episode of that series featured William Conrad as District Attorney James "Fatman" McShane. The next year the producers took this character, changed his name slightly to Jason Lochinvar 'Fatman' McCabe, and with Conrad created the long-running series "Jake and the Fatman". Conrad's deep voice gave him quite a radio/television career, much of it unseen as he played Matt Dillon on the radio version of "Gunsmoke" and did voiceover commentary for "The Fugitive" and "Rocky and Bullwinkle". But he was the featured on-camera guy for this series.

The 106 hour-long episodes of this police drama were originally broadcast on CBS from 1987 to 1992. This DVD contains the first half of the 23 episodes from the first season, 21 regular episodes and a two-part pilot, which actually ran "after" the show had premiered. Season One was set in Los Angeles, then the series moved to Hawaii. All 23 episode titles and their original air-dates are detailed below.


The interaction of the two title characters in the series will remind you of "Hardcastle and McCormick " (1983) and it is reasonable to believe that the producers copied that show to get the same dynamic. But the two title characters in the first season of "Jake and the Fatman" could be considered the most authentic looking of any police drama. While Conrad's character on "Cannon" was dubbed "Cannonball" by Mad Magazine, lampooning was unnecessary with the "Fatman" character. Like "Cannon" he groans and complains but manages to get his man by the end of each episode. But while "Cannon" at least looked presentable, the "Fatman's" grooming makes him look he's been staying in a homeless shelter and staining his tie in soup kitchens.

Of course this was supposed to contrast with his suave police associate Jake Styles (Joe. E. Penny), who cruises for babes in a silver Porsche speedster. But this guy isn't like the squeaky clean detectives on "Hawaiian Eye". As Harry and Wally said: "Jake is some young, oily hotshot who works undercover to do the legwork....Jake looks like the kind of guy who would proposition your fourteen-year-old sister". He did seem slightly more wholesome once the two moved to the Islands but for DVD buyers that won't be until Season Two.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

26 Sep 87: Happy Days Are Here Again, 29 Sep 87: Fatal Attraction (1), 29 Sep 87: Fatal Attraction (2), 6 Oct 87: Laura, 13 Oct 87: The Man That Got Away, 20 Oct 87: Love for Sale, 27 Oct 87: Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?, 3 Nov 87: Body and Soul, 10 Nov 87: The Man I Love, 17 Nov 87: Love Me Or Leave Me, 1 Dec 87: Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, 8 Dec 87: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, 5 Jan 88: After You've Gone, 12 Jan 88: It Had to Be You, 19 Jan 88: But Not for Me, 26 Jan 88: What Is This Thing Called Love?, 2 Feb 88: Lady, Be Good, 16 Feb 88: I'll Be Seeing You, 23 Feb 88: Babyface, 16 Mar 88: Blues in the Night, 23 Mar 88: How Long Has This Thing Been Going On?, 30 Mar 88: I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plans, 6 Apr 88: Rhapsody in Blue

I like Amazon it is really fast on the product I had bought. I ordered a dvd on July 8th, it was shipped on July10th and I recieved it on July12th. That was fast and I will do business with them again.And everything came ok, nothing was damage. Also the DVD's were all good and nothing wrong with them. Wanda

I watched this series when it was on tv, I loved it then and I love it now, I could watch Joe Penny everyday. He was hot!!! And they always get their guy or girl.

This is just plain arrogance by CBS/Paramount. They take a show that was only moderately popular in the late 80s and almost obscure right now and try to rip off the few loyal fans of the show by splitting up the seasons while charging almost full price. Why in the world they split up the first season when it only aired 22 episodes!!! This is absurd. It is nothing but greed by CBS/Paramount. They realize that this the only chance for fans of the show to see it again and really want to make them pay for it. I mean, if the consumer bought both volumes, it amounts to over $70 for 22 episodes of a mediocre-at-best show. I'm also guessing that music has been altered and there are no special features. This is just another pathetic attempt by CBS/Paramount to squeeze every last penny out of the consumer in a brutal economy. Shame on you, CBS/Paramount! I will be skipping this release!

Grade of the Show: 3 stars. Grade of CBS/Paramount's release strategy: 1 star.

I love this show! I have rented / bought many TV series & this is one of the best. It seems to "age" well. The pairing of William & Joe works very well. A+