Jake and the Fatman

1987

Jake and the Fatman

6.4 | NR | en | Drama

Jake and the Fatman is a television crime drama starring William Conrad as prosecutor J. L. "Fatman" McCabe and Joe Penny as investigator Jake Styles. The series ran on CBS for five seasons from 1987 to 1992. Diagnosis: Murder was a spin-off of this series.

Watch similar movies

Seasons & Episodes

EP1 Where or When (1)

Sep. 18,1991

PI Ed Delaney sees a man die and calls the police, but when they come for the body it is gone. He identifies the man as millionaire Richard Rose, who as it turns out, is still alive...

EP2 Where or When (2)

Sep. 25,1991

Jake goes undercover as a middle man between Rose and a rebel army wanting to buy Rose's hi-tech rifles, while Delaney finds proof that Rose isn't who he claims to be.

EP3 Street of Dreams

Oct. 30,1991

A young graffiti painter witnesses a murder and takes the victim's wallet. Jake finds him, but he refuses to talk, figuring that if he could solve the case himself he'd get a reward.

EP4 I'll Never Be the Same

Nov. 06,1991

Jake kills a 14-year-old boy. He claims the boy had a gun and fired upon him, but no gun is found and the neighbors didn't hear anything.

EP5 I Could Write a Book

Nov. 13,1991

A writer is just about to publish an incriminating book about his ex-wife, when he is found dead in his bathtub.

EP6 Two Different Worlds

Nov. 20,1991

A woman follows a client of her sister's law firm, and sees him rob a store and kill the attendants. She confronts the man, and threatens to tell the police unless he kills her sister.

EP7 Every Time We Say Goodbye

Dec. 11,1991

A friend of Neely's is killed by a heroin overdose, just as she was about to quit modeling. Neely goes undercover as a model to find out why.

EP8 Come Along with Me

Dec. 18,1991

Neely and Jake investigates a case where dead bodies are found with their livers surgically removed.

EP9 Last Dance

Jan. 01,1992

McCabe is prosecuting Mitchell Lazarus for murder and has just placed him at the scene, when another man steps forward claiming to be the murderer.

EP10 Come Closer to Me

Jan. 08,1992

A trio of high-class pickpockets gets in trouble when they pick a mafia hitman's pocket and get a piece of paper with his next target on it.

EP11 Since I Fell for You

Jan. 15,1992

Derek is shocked when he finds out that a woman he loved didn't die in a plane crash 6 years ago.

EP12 Just You, Just Me

Jan. 22,1992

Jake helps out a shop owner who refuses to obey a local gang's order to close 3 hours early.

EP13 Stormy Weather (1)

Jan. 29,1992

A porn producer is killed in a way quite similar to a murder 5 years ago for witch McCabe got a young boxer convicted. Jake investigates, and gets involved with a reporter who seems to know things before the police do.

EP14 Stormy Weather (2)

Feb. 05,1992

Jake continues investigating the murders of Strobach and Blore, and evidence starts to point at Warren's old corner man Doug McKeown. But whom is he working for?

EP15 You'll Never Know

Feb. 26,1992

A doctor is murdered, and is discovered to have been making child pornography. The prime suspect is Elliot Edwards, a city council member with a spotless record.

EP16 There'll Be Some Changes Made

Mar. 11,1992

A singer is planing to make a comeback after a year in drug rehab, when a stalker tries to kill her.

EP17 Pennies from Heaven

Mar. 18,1992

Someone is giving out money to poor people or those who have done good deeds, using the name ""the good fairy"". But it turns out the faire's money is from a bank robbery.

EP18 I Can't Believe I'm Losing You

Mar. 25,1992

Jake's girlfriend Sherry is badly hurt by a car bomb, after Jake received a letter threatening to kill her for revenge against him. Devastated, he looks trough previous cases to see who the bomber could be.

EP19 All Through the Night

Apr. 01,1992

A psychiatrist who Neely helped put away 5 years ago stars harassing her after getting out of prison.

EP20 Ain't Misbehavin'

Apr. 08,1992

Bondswoman Ethel Mae Haven has to track down a client who she posted a $1 million bail for.

EP21 Nightmare

Apr. 22,1992

Jake teams up with top homicide cop Hank Goldman to catch a serial killer who strangles women from escort services.

EP22 Beautiful Dreamer (a.k.a. Mickey Daytona)

May. 06,1992

Notorious New York cop Mickey Daytona pursues the legal counsel Thomas Chetwin suspecting him of rape. Jake, who is a friend of Mickey and his old father, reluctantly teams up with Mickey. Chetwin is trapped and commits suicide.

6.4 | NR | en | Drama , Crime , Action & Adventure | More Info

Released: 1987-09-26 | Released Producted By: Viacom Productions , Dean Hargrove Productions Country: United States of America Budget: 0 Revenue: 0 Official Website:

info

Genre

Drama , Crime , Action & Adventure

Watch Online

Jake and the Fatman (1987) is currently not available on any services.

Cast

William Conrad , Joe Penny , Alan Campbell

Director

David Angell

Producted By

Viacom Productions , Dean Hargrove Productions

Jake and the Fatman Videos and Images

View All

Top Credited Cast
|
Crew

William Conrad

as Jason McCabe

The Conqueror: Hollywood Fallout Jake and the Fatman Vengeance: The Story of Tony Cimo Killing Cars Blitz In Like Flynn The Mikado Police Squad! Shock-Trauma Nero Wolfe

Joe Penny

as Jake Styles

Betrayed at 17 Jane Doe: Eye of the Beholder Jane Doe: How to Fire Your Boss Jane Doe: Ties That Bind Reign of the Gargoyles Jane Doe: The Harder They Fall Jane Doe: Yes, I Remember It Well Jane Doe: Til Death Do Us Part Jane Doe: The Wrong Face Jane Doe: Now You See It, Now You Don't

Alan Campbell

as Derek Mitchell

Oh, Canada Contact A Simple Wish Rose Against the Odds Jake and the Fatman Weekend Warriors Three's a Crowd Red Flag: The Ultimate Game

David Angell

Producer

Fred Silverman

Producer

Dean Hargrove

Producer

Jeri Taylor

Producer

Bernard L. Kowalski

Producer

Joel Steiger

Producer

Jake and the Fatman Audience Reviews

Boobirt Stylish but barely mediocre overall

Peereddi I was totally surprised at how great this film.You could feel your paranoia rise as the film went on and as you gradually learned the details of the real situation.

SeeQuant Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

filippaberry84 I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

aimless-46 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 voice-over commentary for "The Fugitive" and "Rocky and Bullwinkle". The 106 hour-long episodes of this police drama were originally broadcast on CBS from 1987 to 1992. This pending DVD set 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. In some ways 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 and Conrad actually seemed to gain weight with each passing episode during the first season. For the second season he slimmed down a bit for their move from Los Angeles to Hawaii, everything is relative. 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.

thebumswillalwayslose Hailing from the UK i am not that familiar with niche 80's US detective shows, so imagine my surprise whilst flicking through the various cable channels at 4am (dont ask) that i came across Jake and the Fatman.although other people might disagree i found myself hooked on this show which for an 80's programme (reaganite politics aside) is extremely groundbreaking in a cheesy sort of way. episodes that dealt with vigilante husbands punishing random muggers due to his wife being gang-raped (something he was made to watch)years previously to an avenging cops wife shooting her husband and his partner for the miscarriage he rather violently inflicted on her in the past.i am aware of the censorship issues that are in operation in network American TV so it is all the more refreshing and intelligent that such a programme could have dealt with these issues in (i am assuming) its prime-time slot.if you happen to read my rather general review on Jake and the Fatman and i have piqued your interest you would not be wasting your time if you were to give it a go, so search the stations on those cold dark nights and be entertained.

NashBridges I agree to my previous speaker: "Jake And The Fatman" was one of the best TV crime dramas, and surely on top of the list during the late 1980's. I would say it lines up nicely with the great TV crime series like The Streets of San Francisco, Cannon, Petrocelli, Vega$, and Miami Vice - all quite different and individual, but all classic. By the way, I had the impression that William Conrad had his good days and less good days during the Jake And The Fatman series, especially in later episodes filmed on Hawaii. Does anyone know if William Conrad suffered from (a beginning) Parkinson's disease?

dnwalker Why was this series cancelled? With the exception of Hunter, it was probably the best detective show since William Conrad starred in Cannon. Conrad played the eccentric district attorney, J. L. McCabe, with his ever-present dog Max to the hilt, and Joe Penny played detective Jake Styles just as well. The interplay of McCabe's and Styles's personalities added much to the mix.