Delvecchio
Created byJoseph Polizzi
Sam Rolfe
StarringJudd Hirsch
ComposerBilly Goldenberg
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes21 (2 unaired)
Production
Executive producerWilliam Sackheim
Running time60 minutes
Production companiesCrescendo Productions
Universal Television
Original release
NetworkCBS
ReleaseSeptember 9, 1976 (1976-09-09) –
March 13, 1977 (1977-03-13)

Delvecchio is an American drama television series that aired Sundays at 10:00 pm (EST) on CBS from September 9, 1976, to March 13, 1977. It starred Judd Hirsch as the title character, Dominick Delvecchio, an Italian-American detective who worked for the LAPD and also studied to become a lawyer.[1]

Premise

The title character, a "tough, independent big-city police detective",[2] had graduated from law school[3] but failed the bar examination.[4] His father, a barber, could not understand why Delvecchio chose a career that had him investigating crimes that included auto thefts, murders, and narcotics.[2]

Cast

Recurring

Schedule

Delvecchio debuted on September 9, 1976, at 9 p.m. Its competition was The Streets of San Francisco on ABC and films on NBC. When it moved to 10 p.m. on September 26, 1976, films formed the competition on both networks.[5] The change in time and date was planned by Bud Grant, vice president for programming at CBS to "whet people's appetites" by launching the show when the competing programming was weaker.[6]

Production

William Sackheim was the executive producer, and Michael Rhodes was the producer. Directors were Lou Antonio, Walter Doniger, and Ivan Nagy.[5] Steven Bochco wrote for Delvecchio.[7] The series was filmed on location in Los Angeles.[2]

Episodes

No. Title Directed by Written by Original air date
1"The Avenger"Jerry LondonJoseph PolizziSeptember 26, 1976 (1976-09-26) [8]
Delvecchio finds the tough narcotics cop investigating an informer's murder with him unethical.
2"Contract for Harry"Walter DonigerJoseph PolizziOctober 3, 1976 (1976-10-03)
A police informant begs Delvecchio (Judd Hirsch) to help him escape the underworld.
3"Good Cop"Richard MichaelsPeter S. FischerOctober 10, 1976 (1976-10-10)
Delvecchio (Judd Hirsch) blames himself when his temporary partner is wounded while going after a murder suspect.
4"Board of Rights"Robert MarkowitzGregory K. ScottOctober 17, 1976 (1976-10-17)
A stakeout assignment hampers Delvecchio (Judd Hirsch) in his defense of an officer charged with making obscene phone calls.
5"Wax Job"Richard MichaelsStory by : Bernard Rollins & Leroy Robinson
Teleplay by : Steven Bochco		October 24, 1976 (1976-10-24)
A clever auto thief blunders when he kills an owner during a theft.
6"The Silent Prey"Lou AntonioStory by : Nicholas E. Baehr
Teleplay by : Nicholas E. Baehr & Steven Bochco		October 31, 1976 (1976-10-31)
A housewife traumatized by a rape attempt appears unable or unwilling to identify her attacker.
7"Thicker Than Water"John PeyserStory by : William Sackheim & Michael Rhodes & Steven Bochco
Teleplay by : Steven Bochco		November 7, 1976 (1976-11-07)
Delvecchio's search for a loan shark whose bodyguards killed a gambler is complicated by the victim's revenge-seeking brother.
8"Hot Spell"Arnold LavenMichael KozollNovember 14, 1976 (1976-11-14)
Delvecchio (Judd Hirsch) investigates a suspicious death despite the authorities' belief that it was accidental.
9"Numbers"Richard MichaelsLeo GarenDecember 5, 1976 (1976-12-05)
Suspected of being on the take after his raid on a numbers bank fails, Del (Judd Hirsch) is after the racketeer who can clear his name.
10"Red is the Color of My True Love's Hair"Walter DonigerStory by : Gy Waldron
Teleplay by : Steven Bochco & Michael Kozoll & Gy Waldron		December 12, 1976 (1976-12-12)
Delvecchio (Judd Hirsch) has conflicting evidence about a truck driver suspected of a series of murders.
11"APB: Santa Claus"Arnold LavenSteven PritzkerDecember 26, 1976 (1976-12-26)
Delvecchio (Judd Hirsch) trails a bail-jumping Santa Claus, arrested for stealing presents to give to his fellow residents in a rest home.
12"Dying Can Be a Pleasure"Walter DonigerStory by : William Sackheim
Teleplay by : Steven Bochco		January 23, 1977 (1977-01-23)
Harassed by a paroled murderer, Delvecchio (Judd Hirsch) takes action that may discredit him as a witness in an important case.
13"One Little Indian"Robert MarkowitzSteven BochcoJanuary 30, 1977 (1977-01-30)
In Arizona to pick up an Indian youth who escaped from prison, Delvecchio (Judd Hirsch) and Shonski (Charles Haid) lock horns with a brutal, bigoted cop.
14"Bad Shoot"Ivan DixonMichael KozollFebruary 6, 1977 (1977-02-06)
A bigoted detective is a suspect in the cold-blooded shooting of a black student.
15"Licensed to Kill"Arnold LavenStory by : William Sackheim & John D.F. Black
Teleplay by : Lane Slate & Michael Kozoll		February 13, 1977 (1977-02-13)
Delvecchio attempts to prove that responsibility for his goddaughter's suicide lies with a medical charlatan who led her to believe that she had cancer.
16"The Madness Within: Part 1"Richard MichaelsStory by : William Sackheim & Steven Bochco & Michael Rhodes
Teleplay by : Steven Bochco		February 20, 1977 (1977-02-20)
Delvecchio (Judd Hirsch) is asked by an old flame (Tricia O'Neil) for protection the state prosecutor cannot guarantee for her testimony against a syndicate kingpin. First of two parts.
17"The Madness Within: Part 2"Richard MichaelsStory by : William Sackheim & Steven Bochco & Michael Rhodes
Teleplay by : Steven Bochco		February 27, 1977 (1977-02-27)
Conclusion. The witness who Delvecchio (Judd Hirsch) illegally removed from protective custody disappears, sparking a search by people on both sides of the law.
18"Requiem for a Loser"Ivan NagyStory by : Lou Comici & Burton Armus
Teleplay by : Burton Armus & Michael Kozoll		March 6, 1977 (1977-03-06)
A church is burglarized and a priest murdered after a parishioner in debt to a hood reveals the location of fund-raising proceeds.
19"Cancelled Contract"Arnold LavenStory by : Elliot West
Teleplay by : Elliot West & Michael Kozoll		March 13, 1977 (1977-03-13)
A former leader of a street-gang reassembles his old crew to battle a syndicate lieutenant.
20"My Brother's Keeper"TBDTBDUnaired
Delvecchio's search for a loan shark whose bodyguards have killed a gambler is complicated by the victim's revenge-seeking brother.
21"The High Price of Justice"TBDTBDUnaired
Using the threat of reimprisonment, Delvecchio persuades a parolee to inform on his old gang.

Home media

One episode of the Delvecchio series (the Feb. 13, 1977 installment, "Licensed to Kill") was made available on the 2006 DVD release Brilliant But Cancelled TV Dramas, along with an episode each of Gideon Oliver, Johnny Staccato, and Touching Evil.

References

  1. ^ The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. Ballantine Books. 2003. p. 296. ISBN 0-345-45542-8.
  2. ^ a b c Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (2009). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. Random House Publishing Group. p. 344. ISBN 978-0-307-48320-1. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  3. ^ Terrace, Vincent (2014). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010, 2d ed. McFarland. p. 251. ISBN 978-0-7864-8641-0. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  4. ^ McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 211. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
  5. ^ a b Hyatt, Wesley (2015). Short-Lived Television Series, 1948-1978: Thirty Years of More Than 1,000 Flops. McFarland. p. 251. ISBN 978-1-4766-0515-9. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  6. ^ "(no title)" (PDF). Broadcasting. August 23, 1976. p. 80. Retrieved February 22, 2022. ((cite news)): Cite uses generic title (help)
  7. ^ Hyatt, Wesley (2015). Emmy Award Winning Nighttime Television Shows, 1948-2004. McFarland. p. 305. ISBN 978-1-4766-0874-7. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  8. ^ "Delvecchio Season 1 Episodes". TV Guide. Retrieved 21 September 2022.

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