The $36.98 SRP is steep for 11 shows (a boxed set containing both Season One volumes is available for $66.99 - yikes!); I suspect CBS DVD anticipated this not selling well and wanted to get as much return as they could get out of it, but surprisingly they've already announced Season Two. That was a short season - also 11 episodes - owing to a Writer's Guild strike and thankfully CBS is going to offer that in one set.

Slovenly Los Angeles District Attorney J.L. "The Fatman" McCabe (Conrad), a glowering, intimidating presence most of the time but a sentimental pussycat underneath, is like a benign Hank Quinlan - Orson Welles's corrupt character in Touch of Evil - in both personality and physique. Jake Styles (Joe Penny), is a high-living private eye working for McCabe on perpetual retainer. There are a few other characters: Alan Campbell plays neophyte Assistant D.A. Derek Mitchell and Lu Leonard plays Gertrude, McCabe's equally cranky, equally rotund secretary, but neither has much to do, at least in these first season shows.

Episodes mostly alternate between McCabe leading his staff in a criminal investigation while Jake gathers additional evidence, usually undercover, and often as an unsavory character that befriends or goes to work for the chief suspect. Almost always there's a showy scene or two for Conrad, often with wily McCabe confronting the bad guy in an interrogation room or in the witness box in court.

McCabe doesn't trust anyone's opinion other than Jake, and Jake knows how to handle his difficult boss, usually by always having gourmet food at the ready. Conrad and Penny really seemed to like one another as is obvious in the show's opening titles where, almost literally nose-to-nose for one shot, they break into warm laughter together. It doesn't look scripted.

When the writing is there the series is way above-average. "It Had to Be You," written by Paul Robert Coyle (and directed by Ron Satlof), is a good example of this. When a PR friend of McCabe's (Ann Dusenberry) becomes the victim of a serial rapist, evidence suggests an emotionally unstable loner (Richard Marcus) when in fact the rapist is the man's psychiatrist, a respected university professor (James Olson the underrated actor in Rachel, Rachel and The Andromeda Strain). Solidly constructed, Coyle's teleplay balances screen-time between Jake's growing suspicions about Olson's character, McCabe's scenes with Dusenberry, including a good line-up scene, and the big courtroom climax, where McCabe taunts the psychiatrist, a man violent toward women because he feels they threaten his masculinity, by parading his victims into the courtroom and having them glare at him silently from the front row.

Though not 100% logical at the end, "It Had to Be You" gives Conrad and Penny interesting scenes to play, and a juicy, psychologically complex guest star turn for Olson, who's very good in one of his last appearances before apparently retiring.

Another nice touch is the series' occasional references to '40s-style mysteries. The most obvious example of this are the episode titles, which almost always are the names of popular songs from that era: "After You're Gone," "Lady Be Good," "I'll Be Seeing You," "How Long Has This Been Going On?" etc. In tiny tiny font the back cover notes, "Music has been changed for this home entertainment version." I didn't watch Jake and the Fatman when it first aired; it's possible instrumental versions of these songs were heard during the show, but if that's been altered I didn't notice it.

Guest stars in this batch include Joseph Ruskin, James Olson, Barbara Parkins, Jeffrey Combs, Ed Nelson, Nana Visitor, Merrtt Butrick, Bert Remsen, Susan Blakely, David Soul, and Tony Franciosa.

Video & Audio

CBS DVD's release of Jake and the Fatman looks about what you'd expect for a show that was shot on film but finished on tape. Titles and some opticals have that ugly video look but for the most part it pretty good considering this cost-cutting postproduction method. Episodes run about 47 1/2 minutes and don't seem time-compressed. The 11 shows are on three single-sided, dual-layered discs. Audio is mono English only with no subtitle options.

Extra Features

The only supplement are episodic promos on selected episodes.

Parting Thoughts

I confess to liking Jake and the Fatman - Season One, Volume 2 more and more as the series progresses. Though at times it's strictly standard late-'80s mystery fodder, on a good day the show can be quite a lot of fun. Recommended.

　 Film historian Stuart Galbraith IV's latest book, Japanese Cinema, is now available for pre-order.