IMDb > "Wiseguy" (1987)
"Wiseguy"
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"Wiseguy" (1987) More at IMDbPro »TV series 1987-1990

Videos (see all 21)
"Wiseguy" (1987): Season 1: Episode 22 -- Roger Lococco in effect signs his own death warrant by testifying to a Senate committee about a cabal within the U.S. intelligence community, but to back him up he needs Vinnie to give a testimony that would end Vinnie's career as an undercover agent.
"Wiseguy" (1987): Season 1: Episode 21 -- With Mel and Susan Profitt undone, McPike begins dismantling their empire, but Vinnie demands to stay on the case to get to the bottom of Roger Lococco's ties to a rogue CIA operation to stage a Caribbean coup d'etat.
"Wiseguy" (1987): Season 1: Episode 20 -- After Susan is arrested for Mel's murder, Vinnie refuses McPike's order to pull out of the Profitt case, because Susan, who has seemingly lost her grip on reality, has told him she is pregnant with his child.
"Wiseguy" (1987): Season 1: Episode 19 -- After rejecting an offer to finance a coup d'etat in the Caribbean, Mel Profitt becomes obsessed with a supposed voodoo death curse, and Vinnie, horrified, can only watch as Mel's personality begins to disintegrate.
"Wiseguy" (1987): Season 1: Episode 17 -- Small-time hood Aldo Baglia notices a photo of Vinnie in a newspaper, and tracks him down and shoots him for revenge.

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Overview

User Rating:
7.6/10   334 votes
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Contact:
View company contact information for Wiseguy on IMDbPro.
Seasons:
Release Date:
16 September 1987 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
His first wrong move will be his last.
Plot:
Vinnie Terranova does time in a New Jersey penitentiary to set up his undercover role as an agent for... more
Awards:
Won Golden Globe. Another 3 wins & 14 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(5 articles)
Jessica Biel Finds The A-Team
 (From HollywoodNorthReport.com. 16 September 2009, 1:14 AM, PDT)

New on DVD This Week
 (From The Flickcast. 25 August 2009, 5:11 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
Wonderful... most of the time, anyway. more (15 total)

Cast

 (Series Cast Summary - 3 of 179)
Jim Byrnes ... Daniel Benjamin 'Lifeguard' Burroughs (75 episodes, 1987-1990)
Jonathan Banks ... Frank McPike (74 episodes, 1987-1990)
Ken Wahl ... Vincent Michael 'Vinnie' Terranova / ... (63 episodes, 1987-1990)
more

Additional Details

Runtime:
60 min | Israel:45 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Iceland:16 | Australia:PG (some episodes) | Iceland:L (some epiosodes) | Australia:M (some episodes)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
In the episode "New Blood", Sonny unintentionally causes an explosion, and then says, "Did I do that?" - Steve Urkle's line from "Family Matters" (1989) every time he breaks something. more
Quotes:
Mike 'Mooch' Cacciatore: You got no cause for arrest.
Frank McPike: What are you, greaseball, a lawyer?
Mike 'Mooch' Cacciatore: Yeah, well, as a matter of fact, I am. Y'know, you grow over 6'4" and everybody automatically assumes you're brain dead. Now, I think you're too short and wimpy-looking to be a Fed, but there you are.
[grabs McPike's arm as he tries to leave]
Mike 'Mooch' Cacciatore: You arrest my client, and I'll make you wish you were a farmer rather than a Fed.
Frank McPike: You know you have your hand on me?
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Jeopardy!: (#26.34)" (2009) more
Soundtrack:
Nights In White Satin more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
14 out of 14 people found the following comment useful.
Wonderful... most of the time, anyway., 27 February 2003
Author: Victor Field from London, England

An absolute cracker of a cop series, "Wiseguy" only occasionally had stand-alone episodes, for the most part telling its stories in arcs that could run for up to 10 episodes; it's not every show that ends its first season with the hero being arrested by his partner! (Obviously they were just doing their jobs, but still...)

With the great triple act of Ken Wahl as Vinnie, Jonathan Banks as his friend and partner McPike, and Jim Byrnes (pre-"Highlander") as liasion Lifeguard - a rare television role for the handicapped in that his affliction was never even mentioned - the best arc by far was the first one with Sonny Steelgrave (the late Ray Sharkey), which occupied practically the entire first season; then the incestuous Proffitts - my first exposure to Kevin Spacey as the mad Mel ("Only the toes knows...") and the staggeringly sexy Joan Severance (pre-Black Scorpion) as his equally disturbed sister Susan; the enigmatic Roger Lococco (William Russ, better here than on "Boy Meets World"); even the venture into the music world was effective.

Stephen J. Cannell and his team of writers and directors spun gripping and tense tales of the battles between good and evil, bringing you so close into the world of Vinnie Terranova that you found yourself sympathising with the heavies without ever turning against the people who were, after all, the good guys - kudos to them all, but especially David J. Burke and Stephen Kronish. The show also boasted one of Mike Post's greatest ever themes; heavy brass and strings instead of rock'n'roll or synths set the tone perfectly.

So effective was this series that I can even forgive the degeneration of the show in its third year, when Ken Wahl's squabbles with the producers began to affect the end result; as far as I'm concerned, the episodes with Steven Bauer don't exist. (As for the TV movie, the less said about that sorry affair the better.) "CSI"'s Carol Mendelsohn used to write for this show; she hasn't lost her touch.

The series is airing in repeats, it seems; not to be missed.

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Finally on DVD but.... lakerkiss
The Dead Dog Records arc shanfan_14
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Attention Aussies: 'Wiseguy' available at Big W + JB HiFi pinkclouds
Wiseguy available for download at Amazon.com Racktorn
Props from the show? Any crew members on here have any?? Crow331
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