Peter Boyle as "Joe Bash" (1986)

In the spring of 1986, ABC was finishing up a punishing season. Old favorites like "Benson" "The Fall Guy," "The Love Boat," "Hardcastle and McCormick" and "Ripley's Believe It Or Not" were about to end their runs in the ratings cellar. "Webster" would follow a year later. Series attempts by Redd Foxx, Robert Wagner ("Lime Street"), and Jeffrey Tambor ("Mr. Sunshine") tanked, as did the prestigious ensemble crime dramas "Lady Blue" and "Our Family Honor." The "alphabet network" had just six shows in the Top 30: "Dynasty" (#7), "Who's the Boss" (#10), "Monday Night Football" (#15), "Growing Pains" (#17), "Hotel" (#22), and "Moonlighting" (#24). After a decade of success, ABC (and CBS) were suddenly getting trounced by programmer Brandon Tartikoff and a resurgent NBC.

What did America want? PETER BOYLE!

"Joe Bash" was created by Danny Arnold and co-developed by Chris Hayward... the pair most recently known for "Barney Miller." The other "developer" was Philip Jayson Lasker; the trio wrote all six episodes of "Joe Bash." Arnold directed all but one episode.

The show debuted at 9:30 p.m. on Friday, March 28, against the second half of ratings powerhouse "Dallas." That didn't help, nor, in my opinion, did the show's title (meant to sound "aggressive" according to Arnold).

Still, the series was critically acclaimed. Boyle's partner was played by Andrew Rubin, best known as George Martin in the first "Police Academy" film. Guest/recurring roles included a lot of familiar faces: Jack Gilford, Larry Hankin, Val Bisoglio, Lawanda Page, Delane Matthews, Reni Santoni, Dino Natali, Rosanna DeSoto, Marilyn Sokol, and Pat Corley. Sadly, the 1980s were full of stylish single cam dramedies that never caught on but would be all over Netflix today... the only successful one I can think of was "The Wonder Years."

ABC probably didn’t market the show very well, as their audience wasn’t interested: in 1986, they were all about lame multi-camera sitcoms geared towards teenagers and shot on bright, flat looking videotape. “Joe Bash” was none of those things.

Incidentally, the music was by Jack Elliot, who wrote the themes to "Barney Miller" and also "Night Court."

The only "Joe Bash" video that seems to be online is episode 4 (“Janowitz”), in two parts below. An episode guide follows.

EPISODES

#1: "Pilot" (March 28, 1986) with Michael Cavanaugh, Robert Trebor, Hubert B. Kelly, Lisa Dunsheath

#2: "Cash" (April 4, 1986) with Michael Cavanaugh, Dino Natali (Angelo), Larry Jenkins (Mugger), LaWanda Page, Robert Trebor, Jack Bernardi, Darrow Igus, Vincent Guastaferro, Ruth Jaroslow

#3: "Feinbaum" (April 11, 1986) with Sam Scarber (Sam), Jack Gilford (Feinbaum)

#4: "Janowitz" (April 25, 1986) with Pat Corley, Sully Boyar, Sy Kramer

#5: "Joe's First Partner" (May 2, 1986) with Joseph Mascolo (Capt. Charles Taylor), Pierrino Mascarino (Irv), Marilyn Sokol (Betty), Dean Dittman, Tom Rosqui... directed by John Florea

#6: "Romance" (May 10, 1986) with Reni Santoni (Carlos), Rosanna DeSoto (Maria)