"Baretta" (1975) TV series 1975-1978

Creator:

Stephen J. Cannell
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Release Date:

17 January 1975 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Plot:

The cases of maverick undercover New York detective Tony Baretta.

Plot Keywords:

Undercover | Cockatoo | Detective | Police | Police Detective

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 2 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Robert Blake	...	Det. Tony Baretta (82 episodes, 1975-1978)
Tom Ewell	...	Billy Truman (35 episodes, 1975-1978)

Series Directed by
Don Medford		(19 episodes, 1975-1978)
Bernard L. Kowalski		(10 episodes, 1975-1978)
Robert Douglas		(9 episodes, 1975-1978)
Reza Badiyi		(8 episodes, 1976-1978)
Burt Brinckerhoff		(4 episodes, 1975-1977)
Jeannot Szwarc		(4 episodes, 1975-1977)
Paul Stanley		(4 episodes, 1976-1978)
Vincent Sherman		(4 episodes, 1976)
Bruce Kessler		(3 episodes, 1975-1977)
Curtis Harrington		(2 episodes, 1975-1976)

Series Writing credits
Stephen J. Cannell		(82 episodes, 1975-1978)
Roy Huggins		(7 episodes, 1975)
Michael Butler		(6 episodes, 1975)
Paul A. Magistretti		(6 episodes, 1975)
Richard M. Bluel		(6 episodes, 1977-1978)
Pat Fielder		(6 episodes, 1977-1978)
S.S. Schweitzer		(4 episodes, 1976)
E. Nick Alexander		(4 episodes, 1977-1978)
Sidney Ellis		(4 episodes, 1977-1978)
Robert I. Holt		(3 episodes, 1975-1976)
Philip DeGuere		(3 episodes, 1975)
Les Carter		(3 episodes, 1977-1978)
Robert Crais		(3 episodes, 1977-1978)
Ed Waters		(3 episodes, 1977-1978)
Christopher Crowe		(3 episodes, 1977)
Robert Janes		(2 episodes, 1975)
Michael Simpson		(2 episodes, 1975)
Jeff Spielman		(2 episodes, 1975)
Gregory Teifer		(2 episodes, 1975)
Cornelius Ballard		(2 episodes, 1976-1977)
Larry Alexander		(2 episodes, 1976)
Edward J. Lakso		(2 episodes, 1976)
Robert Lewin		(2 episodes, 1976)
Alan Godfrey		(2 episodes, 1977-1978)
Ray Hutcherson		(2 episodes, 1977-1978)
Rick Kelbaugh		(2 episodes, 1977-1978)
Miguel Pinero		(2 episodes, 1977-1978)
Don Medford		(2 episodes, 1977)

Series Produced by
Charles Dismukes	....	producer (25 episodes, 1975-1977)
Alan Godfrey	....	producer (24 episodes, 1977-1978)
William F. Phillips	....	associate producer (12 episodes, 1975)
Jo Swerling Jr.	....	producer (11 episodes, 1975)
Bernard L. Kowalski	....	executive producer / producer (10 episodes, 1975)
Howie Horwitz	....	producer (1 episode, 1975-1976)
Robert Harris	....	producer (unknown episodes, 1975-1976)
Robert Levin	....	producer (unknown episodes, 1975-1976)
Roy Huggins	....	executive producer (unknown episodes)
Robert Lewis	....	producer (unknown episodes)
Anthony Spinner	....	executive producer (unknown episodes)
Leigh Vance	....	executive producer (unknown episodes)
Ed Waters	....	producer (unknown episodes)

Series Original Music by
Tom Scott		(9 episodes, 1975)
Dave Grusin		(2 episodes, 1975)

Series Cinematography by
Harry L. Wolf		(9 episodes, 1975)
William Cronjager		(2 episodes, 1975)
Sherman Kunkel		(unknown episodes)

Series Film Editing by
Gloryette Clark		(5 episodes, 1975)
Buford F. Hayes		(4 episodes, 1975)
John Kaufman		(2 episodes, 1975)
John Elias		(unknown episodes)

Series Art Direction by
Robert Luthardt		(11 episodes, 1975)

Series Set Decoration by
Ed Baer		(12 episodes, 1975)
Chuck Rutherford		(unknown episodes)

Series Production Management
Charles Dismukes	....	unit manager (9 episodes, 1975)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
John Gaudioso	....	assistant director (11 episodes, 1975-1976)
Larry Powell	....	assistant director (6 episodes, 1975)
Carl Beringer	....	assistant director (5 episodes, 1975)

Series Art Department
Brian P. Brophy	....	set dresser (unknown episodes)
Richard M. Kristy	....	set dresser (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Don Sharpless	....	sound (12 episodes, 1975)

Series Stunts
Jesse Wayne	....	stunt double (1 episode, 1976)
Denny Arnold	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Carol Daniels	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Don Pike	....	stunts (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Joe Kelly	....	grip (1 episode, 1975)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Charles Waldo	....	costumes (8 episodes, 1975)

Series Editorial Department
Richard Belding	....	editorial supervisor (12 episodes, 1975)

Series Music Department
Dave Grusin	....	composer: theme music (80 episodes, 1975-1978)
Morgan Ames	....	composer: theme music (70 episodes, 1975-1978)
Hal Mooney	....	music supervisor (12 episodes, 1975)

Series Transportation Department
Chris Haynes	....	driver (12 episodes, 1975-1977)
Frank Khoury	....	driver (3 episodes, 1975)

Series Other crew
Philip DeGuere	....	creative consultant (10 episodes, 1975)
Larry Brody	....	executive story consultant (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• Roy Huggins-Public Arts Productions
• Universal TV (in association with)

Distributors

• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1975-1978) (USA) (TV)
• Universal Studios Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD) (season 1)
• MCA/Universal Pictures
• Studios USA Television
• Televisie Radio Omroep Stichting (TROS) (1975-1978) (Netherlands) (TV)
• Universal TV

Other Companies

• Universal Title  titles and opticals

Also Known As:

Runtime:

USA:60 min (80 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:PG

Filming Locations:

King Edward Hotel - 121 E. 5th St, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Roy Huggins-Public Arts Productions

Trivia:

Baretta's car was a 1966 Chevy Impala.

Quotes:

Baretta:Don't do the crime if you can't do the time.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of 'Mork & Mindy' (2005) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow

Baretta

As with most police dramas that were on television during the 1970's,this was one of those shows they threw the overall police procedure out the window and the main character was a maverick detective who was working for the police department who went by his own set of rules. Most of the time he wore disguises on the job either by dressing up as a nun,an old lady or some lowlife who used unorthodox methods to capture the baddies and bring them to justice. "Baretta" was that show.

"Baretta" was the brainchild of producers Stephen J. Cannell and Roy Huggins,the same ones who were behind the critically acclaim short-lived police drama "Toma",which ran for one season when "Baretta" came in as the mid-season replacement in January of 1975. "Baretta" was the milder version of "Toma" with much of the violent content tone down for good measure. And just like "Toma",the reviews that "Baretta" got during its first season were minimum. But the public loved it and this is why the series ran for three seasons on ABC-TV,producing 82 episodes from January 17,1975 until May 18,1978,under Roy Huggins' production company Public Arts Productions in association with Universal Television. Say what you want about this upbeat crime drama/police story series with Robert Blake in the title role as Tony Baretta.

Baretta was an police detective/unorthodox plainclothes cop who lives with Fred,his pet cockatoo in a rundown apartment on the mean streets of New York. Like his model David Toma,Baretta wore many disguises on the job,but the way he used those methods to catch the lowlifes and scums of the city were impressive,and without the violent content. And just like Toma,Baretta had a gun he used for measure when necessary,but never fired it. Each episode followed the same formula,and it became quite the format that went with the standard basic cop show routine that dominated much of the 1970's.

With a great supporting cast that included Tom Ewell,along with Michael D. Roberts, Dana Elcar, Edward Glover, John Ward, Chino Williams, and Ron Thompson,"Baretta" became one of the most popular cop shows of its day. The episodes were interesting as well as creative and the plots interesting to watch to see what Robert Blake's character would come up with next. Not to mention one of the greatest cop theme song ever made sung by the great Sammy Davis,Jr. One of the best from that era.