Baretta

Baretta
Baretta title screen
Genre Detective fiction
Created by Stephen J. Cannell
Starring
Theme music composer
Opening theme
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 4
No. of episodes 82 (list of episodes)
Production company(s)
Distributor MCA TV
(1980-1981)
NBCUniversal Television Distribution
Release
Original network ABC
Original release January 17, 1975 (1975-01-17) – May 18, 1978 (1978-05-18)
Chronology
Preceded by Toma

Baretta is an American detective television series which ran on ABC from 1975–78.[1]

The show was a revised and milder version of a 1973–74 ABC series, Toma, starring Tony Musante as chameleon-like, real-life New Jersey police officer David Toma. When Musante left the series after a single season, the concept was retooled as Baretta, with Robert Blake in the title role.[2][3]

"Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow," the show's theme music was composed by Dave Grusin and Morgan Ames[4] and sung by Sammy Davis Jr.[5]

Overview

Anthony Vincenzo "Tony" Baretta is an unorthodox plainclothes police detective (Badge #609) with the 53rd Precinct in an unnamed, fictional city. He resides in Apartment 2C of the run-down King Edward Hotel with Fred, his Triton sulphur-crested cockatoo. A master of disguise, Baretta wore many while performing his duties. When not working he usually wore a short-sleeve sweatshirt, casual slacks, a brown suede jacket and a newsboy cap.

Baretta was often seen with an unlit cigarette in his lips or behind his ear. His catchphrases included "Don't do the crime if you can't do the time", "You can take dat to da bank" and "And dat‘s the name of dat tune." When exasperated he would occasionally speak in asides to his late father, Louie Baretta. He drove a rusted-out Mist Blue 1966 Chevrolet Impala four-door sport sedan nicknamed "The Blue Ghost" (license plate 532 BEM). He frequented Ross’s Billiard Academy and referred to his numerous girlfriends as his "cousins".

Supporting cast

  • Billy Truman (Tom Ewell), retired cop who used to work with Baretta's father Louie at the 53rd Precinct.
  • Rooster (Michael D. Roberts), a streetwise pimp and Baretta's favorite informant.
  • Inspector Shiller (Dana Elcar) and Lieutenant Hal Brubaker (Edward Grover), Baretta's supervisors.
  • Detective Foley (John Ward), police detective.
  • Fats (Chino 'Fats' Williams), a gravelly-voiced, older detective.
  • Detective Nopke (Ron Thompson), a rookie detective.[6]
  • Little Moe (Angelo Rossitto), a shoeshine man and informant.
  • Mr. Nicholas (Titos Vandis), a mob boss.
  • Mr. Muncie (Paul Lichtman), the owner of a liquor store at 52nd and Main.

Episodes

Season Episodes First aired Last aired
1 12 January 17, 1975 (1975-01-17) April 30, 1975 (1975-04-30)
2 22 September 10, 1975 (1975-09-10) April 28, 1976 (1976-04-28)
3 24 September 22, 1976 (1976-09-22) May 4, 1977 (1977-05-04)
4 24 September 28, 1977 (1977-09-28) May 18, 1978 (1978-05-18)

Production notes

Baretta with Fred.

The theme song, "Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow", was written by Dave Grusin and Morgan Ames; initially an instrumental, lyrics were added in later seasons that were sung by Sammy Davis, Jr. Every episode of Baretta began with the song, which contained the motto, "Don't do the crime if you can't do the time."

The song was released as a single in Europe in 1976, reaching number one in the Dutch Top 40 as "Baretta's Theme". The music for the theme song was performed by Los Angeles-based Latin influenced Rock band El Chicano from Los Angeles, California. El Chicano also released the song as a 45 and also as a track on one of their albums. The "Baretta" theme song by El Chicano was a huge hit in many countries including Turkey, Malaysia, Singapore, France and The Philippines.

The song was released as a single in the US, but only charted as high as #42 on the Adult Contemporary Chart, while it "bubbled under the Hot 100" at #101.

Syndication

After its initial run in syndication beginning in 1979, the series later re-appeared on TV Land in 1999 as part of a package of series licensed from Universal. Me-TV aired reruns of Baretta on Saturday afternoons in 2007.

Home media

On October 29, 2002, Universal Studios Home Entertainment released the first season of Baretta on Region 1 DVD in the United States.

DVD Name Ep # Release Date
Season 1 12 October 29, 2002

Cultural references

Mad magazine spoofed the series as "Barfetta".

References

  1. ↑ "Baretta". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved March 13, 2012.
  2. ↑ McMurran, Kristin (1980-07-07). "With Stunning Intensity, David Toma, Ex-Cop, Ex-Addict and Model for TV's 'Baretta', Harangues Kids Against Drugs". People. Time Inc.
  3. ↑ Armstrong, Lois (1975-04-28). "A Time Bomb Named Robert Blake Re-Explodes as 'Baretta'". People. Time Inc.
  4. ↑ "Dave Grusin & Morgan Ames: Baretta ('Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow')". Dave Tomkins: Musica Database. University of British Columbia. Retrieved August 22, 2018 – via cs.ubc.ca.
  5. ↑ "Sammy Davis Jr. added lyrics to so many instrumental TV theme songs". MeTV.com. October 29, 2016. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  6. ↑ Maçek III, J.C. (August 2, 2012). "'American Pop'... Matters: Ron Thompson, the Illustrated Man Unsung". PopMatters.
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