Petrocelli

Last updated
Petrocelli
Barry Newman Petrocelli 1974.JPG
Barry Newman as Tony Petrocelli
Created by Harold Buchman
Sidney J. Furie
Developed byE. Jack Neuman
Directed by Irving J. Moore
Starring Barry Newman
Susan Howard
Albert Salmi
David Huddleston
Composers Lalo Schifrin (pilot, 2.2)
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes45 (4 unaired) (and one pilot movie) (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersEdward K. Milkis
Thomas L. Miller
Producer Leonard Katzman
Camera setup Single-camera
Running time48 minutes
Production companies Miller-Milkis Productions
Paramount Network Television
Original release
Network NBC
ReleaseSeptember 11, 1974 (1974-09-11) 
March 3, 1976 (1976-03-03)

Petrocelli is an American legal drama that ran for two seasons on NBC from September 11, 1974 to March 31, 1976. [1]

Contents

Plot

Tony Petrocelli is an Italian-American, Harvard-educated lawyer, who grew up in South Boston and gave up the big money and frenetic pace of major-metropolitan life to practice in a sleepy city in Arizona named San Remo (filmed in Tucson, Arizona). His wife Maggie and he live in a house trailer in the country while waiting for their new home to be built (it never was completed over the course of the series). Tony drives an old pickup truck, always a little too fast. Petrocelli hired Pete Ritter, a local cowboy and ex-cop, as his investigator.

Format

Petrocelli works as a defense lawyer, and each episode follows a similar format, with the clients apparently certain to be convicted of a crime of which they were innocent until a late-emerging piece of evidence allows the protagonist to suggest to the jury an alternative possibility. These alternatives never were established as absolute fact, and the trial of the persons onto whom Petrocelli turned the accusation never occurred, but the doubt raised was sufficient to secure the release of his clients.

A technique used in the TV series was showing the actual crime in flashbacks from the perspective of various people involved. The flashbacks differed depending on whose recollections were being shown. To maximize the drama, the prosecution's version was always the first flashback shown (i.e. what supposedly happened), then the client's version was presented (what the client remembered happening), then, finally, after finishing his investigation, Petrocelli presented his version (generally meant to be what, in fact, occurred). This final flashback always contained elements of the prosecution's and his client's versions, but with his newfound evidence; it showed both the client's innocence and an explanation as to how and why the prosecution and client's versions differed. In other words, neither side was meant to be corrupt or lying, rather, without Petrocelli's information, both previous versions appeared to be accurate from their respective points of view.

Adaptation

Newman created the role of Petrocelli in the 1970 movie The Lawyer , loosely based on the Sam Sheppard murder case. Petrocelli was produced by Leonard Katzman.

Cast

ActorRole
Barry Newman Anthony J. Petrocelli
Susan Howard Maggie Petrocelli
Albert Salmi Pete Ritter
David Huddleston Lt. John Ponce

Episodes

Pilot (1974)

A 90-minute TV movie aired as a pilot on March 16, 1974. [2] [3]

TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
"Night Games"Don TaylorE. Jack NeumanMarch 16, 1974 (March 16, 1974)

Season 1 (1974–75)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
11"The Golden Cage"Joseph PevneyStory by: Eric Bercovici
Teleplay by: Dan Ullman
September 11, 1974 (1974-09-11)
22"Music to Die By" Paul Stanley Oliver CrawfordSeptember 18, 1974 (1974-09-18)
33"By Reason of Madness" James Sheldon William KelleySeptember 25, 1974 (1974-09-25)
44"Edge of Evil" Irving J. Moore Story by: Mel Goldberg
Teleplay by: Dan Ullman
October 2, 1974 (1974-10-02)
55"A Life for a Life"Allen ReisnerWilliam D. Gordon & James DohertyOctober 9, 1974 (1974-10-09)
66"Death in High Places"Richard DonnerLeo PipkinOctober 23, 1974 (1974-10-23)
77"The Double Negative"Herb WallersteinRobert C. DennisOctober 30, 1974 (1974-10-30)
88"Mirror, Mirror on the Wall..."Irving J. MooreLeonard KatzmanNovember 6, 1974 (1974-11-06)
99"An Act of Love"Paul StanleyLeonard KatzmanNovember 13, 1974 (1974-11-13)
1010"A Very Lonely Lady"Vincent McEveetyRobert StullNovember 27, 1974 (1974-11-27)
1111"Counterploy"James SheldonEdward J. LaksoDecember 4, 1974 (1974-12-04)
1212"A Covenant with Evil"James SheldonStory by: Bob Green & Bill Harley
Teleplay by: Bob Green & Bill Harley & William Kelley
December 18, 1974 (1974-12-18)
1313"The Sleep of Reason"Irving J. MooreWilliam KelleyJanuary 15, 1975 (1975-01-15)
1414"A Fallen Idol"Herb WallersteinLeonard KatzmanJanuary 22, 1975 (1975-01-22)
1515"Once Upon a Victim"Herschel DaughertyStory by: Stanley Roberts
Teleplay by: Leonard Katzman & Stanley Roberts
January 29, 1975 (1975-01-29)
1616"The Kidnapping"Gunnar HellstromRobert C. DennisFebruary 5, 1975 (1975-02-05)
1717"A Lonely Victim"Irving J. MooreLeonard KatzmanFebruary 19, 1975 (1975-02-19)
1818"The Outsiders"Irving J. MooreLeonard Katzman & Thomas L. MillerFebruary 26, 1975 (1975-02-26)
1919"Vengeance in White"Leonard KatzmanRobert StullMarch 5, 1975 (1975-03-05)
2020"Four the Hard Way"Joseph PevneyWilliam KelleyMarch 13, 1975 (1975-03-13)
2121"Death in Small Doses"Don TaylorAl Reynolds & John DawsonMarch 27, 1975 (1975-03-27)
2222"A Night of Terror"Bernard McEveetyWilliam KelleyApril 2, 1975 (1975-04-02)

Season 2 (1975–76)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
231"Death Ride"Irving J. MooreLeonard KatzmanSeptember 10, 1975 (1975-09-10)
242"The Mark of Cain"Leonard KatzmanLeonard KatzmanSeptember 17, 1975 (1975-09-17)
253"Five Yards of Trouble"Joseph PevneyWilliam KeysSeptember 24, 1975 (1975-09-24)
264"Shadow of Fear"Irving J. MooreLeonard KatzmanOctober 1, 1975 (1975-10-01)
275"Chain of Command"Herb WallersteinKatharyn & Michael MichaelianOctober 8, 1975 (1975-10-08)
286"To See No Evil"Irving J. MooreLeonard Katzman & Thomas L. MillerOctober 29, 1975 (1975-10-29)
297"Terror on Wheels"Herb WallersteinStory by: Peter Lefcourt
Teleplay by: Peter Lefcourt & Leonard Katzman
November 5, 1975 (1975-11-05)
308"The Gamblers"Herb WallersteinJohn HudockNovember 12, 1975 (1975-11-12)
319"Shadow of Doubt"Irving J. MooreStory by: Deena Silver-Kramer
Teleplay by: Jeff Myrow
November 19, 1975 (1975-11-19)
3210"Terror by Book"Irving J. MooreThomas L. MillerDecember 10, 1975 (1975-12-10)
3311"Face of Evil"Herb WallersteinFred FreibergerDecember 17, 1975 (1975-12-17)
3412"Too Many Alibis"Irving J. MooreLeonard KatzmanDecember 24, 1975 (1975-12-24)
3513"A Deadly Vow"Russ MayberryLeonard KatzmanDecember 31, 1975 (1975-12-31)
3614"Jubilee Jones"Art FisherLeonard KatzmanJanuary 14, 1976 (1976-01-14)
3715"The Falling Star"Robert ScheererLeonard KatzmanJanuary 21, 1976 (1976-01-21)
3816"Survival"Irving J. MooreStory by: Norman Lessing
Teleplay by: Leonard Katzman
January 28, 1976 (1976-01-28)
3917"The Night Visitor"Leonard KatzmanJeff Myrow & Leonard KatzmanFebruary 4, 1976 (1976-02-04)
4018"Blood Money"Don WeisJohn HudockFebruary 11, 1976 (1976-02-11)
4119"Any Number Can Die"Paul LynchKathy Donnell & Madeline DiMaggioFebruary 18, 1976 (1976-02-18)
4220"Six Strings of Guilt"Joseph PevneyMann RubinFebruary 25, 1976 (1976-02-25)[ failed verification ]
4321"Deadly Journey"Jerry LondonSean ForestalMarch 3, 1976 (1976-03-03)[ failed verification ]
4422"The Pay Off"Victor FrenchJohn HudockApril 4, 1976 (1976-04-04)[ failed verification ]

Guest stars

Home media

Visual Entertainment released the complete series on DVD in Region 1 on December 16, 2016. [4]

Books about the series

Related Research Articles

<i>Ally McBeal</i> American legal comedy-drama television series (1997–2002)

Ally McBeal is an American legal comedy drama television series, originally aired on Fox from September 8, 1997, to May 20, 2002. Created by David E. Kelley, the series stars Calista Flockhart in the title role as a lawyer working in the Boston law firm Cage and Fish, with other lawyers whose lives and loves are eccentric, humorous, and dramatic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legal drama</span> Subgenre of dramatic fiction

Legal drama is a genre of film and television that generally focuses on narratives regarding legal practice and the justice system. The American Film Institute (AFI) defines "courtroom drama" as a genre of film in which a system of justice plays a critical role in the film's narrative. Legal dramas have also followed the lives of the fictional attorneys, defendants, plaintiffs, or other persons related to the practice of law present in television show or film. Legal drama is distinct from police crime drama or detective fiction, which typically focus on police officers or detectives investigating and solving crimes. The focal point of legal dramas, more often, are events occurring within a courtroom, but may include any phases of legal procedure, such as jury deliberations or work done at law firms. Some legal dramas fictionalize real cases that have been litigated, such as the play-turned-movie, Inherit the Wind, which fictionalized the Scopes Monkey Trial. As a genre, the term "legal drama" is typically applied to television shows and films, whereas legal thrillers typically refer to novels and plays.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perry Mason</span> Fictional attorney

Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a client being charged with murder, usually involving a preliminary hearing or jury trial. Typically, Mason establishes his client's innocence by finding the real murderer. The character was inspired by famed Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Earl Rogers.

<i>Matlock</i> (TV series) American mystery legal drama television series

Matlock is an American mystery legal drama television series created by Dean Hargrove, starring Andy Griffith in the title role of criminal defense attorney Ben Matlock. The show, produced by Intermedia Entertainment Company, The Fred Silverman Company, Dean Hargrove Productions and Viacom Productions, originally aired from March 3, 1986, to May 8, 1992, on NBC, and from November 5, 1992, to May 7, 1995, on ABC.

Joan of Arcadia is an American fantasy family drama television series telling the story of teenager Joan Girardi, who sees and speaks with God and performs tasks she is given. The series originally aired on Fridays on CBS for two seasons, from September 26, 2003, to April 22, 2005.

Grounded for Life is an American television sitcom that debuted on January 10, 2001, as a mid-season replacement on Fox. Created by Mike Schiff and Bill Martin, it ran for two seasons on the network until being canceled only two episodes into its third season. It was immediately picked up for the rest of the third season by The WB, where it aired for two additional seasons until the series ended on January 28, 2005.

<i>Rumpole of the Bailey</i> British television drama series (1978–1992)

Rumpole of the Bailey is a British television series created and written by the British writer and barrister John Mortimer. It starred Leo McKern as Horace Rumpole, a middle-aged London barrister who defended a broad variety of clients, often underdogs. The popularity of the TV series led to the stories being presented in other media, including books and radio.

<i>Alice</i> (American TV series) American sitcom television series

Alice is an American sitcom television series that aired on CBS from August 31, 1976, to March 19, 1985. The series is based on the 1974 film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. The show stars Linda Lavin in the title role, a widow who moves with her young son to start life over again, and finds a job working at a roadside diner in Phoenix, Arizona. Most of the episodes revolve around events at Mel's Diner, where Alice is employed.

<i>Picket Fences</i> Television series

Picket Fences is an American family drama television series about the residents of the town of Rome, Wisconsin, created and produced by David E. Kelley. The show ran from September 18, 1992, to June 26, 1996, on the CBS television network in the United States. It sometimes struggled to maintain a stable primetime audience and had fluctuating ratings, due in part to its Friday night death slot. In its first season on the air it placed 63rd in the prime-time Nielsen ratings and in its second season it moved to 61st. Nonetheless, the show won critical acclaim and was a major awards winner, winning 14 Primetime Emmy Awards during its run and now regarded as a cult classic. The show's exteriors were shot in the L.A. suburb of Monrovia, California.

<i>Kojak</i> American action crime drama television series starring Telly Savalas

Kojak is an American action crime drama television series starring Telly Savalas as the title character, New York City Police Department Detective Lieutenant Theodopolus "Theo" Kojak. Taking the time slot of the popular Cannon series, it aired on CBS from 1973 to 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barry Newman</span> American actor (1930–2023)

Barry Foster Newman was an American actor of stage, screen and television known for his portrayal of Kowalski in Vanishing Point, and for his title role in the 1970s television series Petrocelli. He was nominated for Golden Globe and Emmy awards.

<i>Twice in a Lifetime</i> (TV series) Canadian TV series or program

Twice in a Lifetime is a Canadian mystery/drama series that originally aired from 1999 to 2001. Created by Steve Sohmer, the series aired on CTV in Canada and PAX in the United States.

Bearcats! is an American Western television series broadcast on the CBS television network during the fall 1971 television season. It starred Rod Taylor and Dennis Cole as troubleshooters in the period before the American entry into World War I (1917).

<i>Monster</i> (Myers novel) 1999 novel by Walter Dean Myers

Monster, published April 21, 1999 by HarperCollins, is a young adult drama novel by American author Walter Dean Myers. It was nominated for the 1999 National Book Award for Young People's Literature, won the Michael L. Printz Award in 2000, and was named a Coretta Scott King Award Honor the same year.

<i>Iron Horse</i> (TV series) 1960s American Western series

Iron Horse is an American Western television series that appeared on ABC from 1966 to 1968 and starred Dale Robertson as fictional gambler-turned-railroad baron Ben Calhoun. Costars included Gary Collins, Robert Random and Ellen Burstyn. The series pilot was released as the film Scalplock.

The first series of Australian crime television drama series Underbelly originally aired from 13 February 2008 to 7 May 2008 on the Nine Network and is loosely based on the real events of the 1995–2004 gangland war in Melbourne. It depicts the key players in Melbourne's criminal underworld, including the Carlton Crew and their rival, Carl Williams. The series is based on the book Leadbelly: Inside Australia's Underworld, by journalists John Silvester and Andrew Rule, and borrows its name from the successful Underbelly true crime anthology book series also authored by Silvester and Rule. An alternative and significantly updated tie-in novel, Underbelly: The Gangland War, was released as their 13th book in the series. The series is produced by the Australian Film Finance Corporation, in association with Film Victoria. The executive producers are Des Monaghan and Jo Horsburgh.

<i>Toma</i> (TV series) Television series

Toma is an American crime drama television series that ran on ABC from March 21, 1973, to May 10, 1974. The series stars Tony Musante as the real-life detective Dave Toma, who was a master of disguise and undercover work. Susan Strasberg and Simon Oakland also star in supporting roles as his wife and his boss, respectively.

The Manhunter is an American crime drama that was part of CBS' lineup for the 1974–1975 television season. The series was produced by Quinn Martin and starred Ken Howard as Dave Barret, a 1930s-era private investigator from Idaho.

<i>The Boys</i> (1962 British film) 1962 film Sidney J. Furie

The Boys is a 1962 British courtroom drama film, directed by Sidney J. Furie and starring Richard Todd, Robert Morley and Felix Aylmer.The screenplay was by Stuart Douglass.

<i>The Lawyer</i> (film) 1970 film by Sidney J. Furie

The Lawyer is a 1970 American courtroom drama film loosely based on the Sam Sheppard murder case in which a physician is charged with killing his wife following a highly publicized and sloppy investigation. The film was directed by Sidney J. Furie and stars Barry Newman as the energetic, opportunistic defense attorney Tony Petrocelli and Diana Muldaur as his wife Ruth Petrocelli.,

References