Month: March 2022

SUMMARY:                  RUNNING TIME: Approx. 45:00 Min.

Reviving his 1963-66 TV series, star Gene Barry appeared in twenty-seven new episodes over two seasons in 1994-95.  During the opening credits, each episode’s glitzy roster of guest stars appears Love Boat-style off the grill of Burke’s chauffeured Bentley.  Directed by Walter Grauman, CBS first broadcast this second-season installment on July 20, 1995. 

Feuding with several clients, opportunistic psychiatrist Dr. Alex Kenyon departs a group therapy session to catch a flight to Las Vegas.  Lured to a downtown rooftop by a suicide distress call, Kenyon quickly takes a ten-story plunge to his death.  Deducing Kenyon’s demise wasn’t self-inflicted, LAPD Chief of Detectives Amos Burke and his son, Peter, probe the doctor’s clients.  It seems that Kenyon had sunk his unethical hooks into many of them, so somebody sought fatal payback. 

Is the killer: an agoraphobic travel agent? — a glamorous movie star afflicted by a multiple-personality disorder? — an insecure fitness tycoon? — a mystery novelist with an peculiar case of writer’s block? — or possibly a chilly defense attorney, who wields deceit like a weapon?  Burke’s team has its work cut out for them, as Kenyon isn’t the last victim.  Meanwhile, Amos’ friend, Vinny Piatte, offers to help Henry curb his weight problem with amateur hypnosis.

LAPD Chief of Detectives Amos Burke: Gene Barry

LAPD Detective Peter Burke: Peter Barton

LAPD forensics lab technician Lily Morgan: Bever-Leigh Banfield

Henry: Dany Kamekona

Vinny Piatte: Dom DeLuise

Jessica Wallace: Marla Gibbs

Burt Douglas: Jake Steinfeld

Ingrid Rose: Hunter Tylo

Patrick Noyes: Gary Burghoff

Carla Martinet: Paula Prentiss

Dr. Alex Kenyon: Jeff Conaway

Secretary: Teresa Ganzel

Marinet’s Client: Pamela Berrard

Bank Manager: David Bickford

Ramon: Mark Robertson

REVIEW:

From Aaron Spelling’s production factory, there’s no pretenses involved.  Working off formulaic whodunnit schlock for plots, Burke’s Law’s watchability relies upon its all-star guest casts, regardless of how lazy their paycheck acting is.  There’s no mistaking that Burke’s Law is pure TV sleuthing escapism amongst L.A.’s rich-and-famous and nothing more.  Even Diagnosis: Murder plays more realistic than this TV cop show equivalent of The Love Boat. 

Aside from the usual glut of corny Burke’s Law one-liners, this episode provides a fair amount of intentional chuckles.  The only caveat may be that actor Dany Kamekona’s ‘martial arts’ moves play into racial stereotypes.  More so, the scripting for “Headshrinker” short-changes its acting talent by dubiously spoofing real-life mental illness.

For instance, a reliable Marla Gibbs is woefully unconvincing as a struggling novelist, whose writing desk is kept inside a bank vault to somehow spark self-motivation. Other actors fare slightly better — that is, with the exception of Hunter Tylo.  Suffice to say, Tylo’s vampy effort channeling multiple personalities is embarrassingly bad for all involved.  As for the finale’s ‘big reveal,’ a decent idea deteriorates into an utterly implausible rip-off of Agatha Christie.          

When compared to Murder, She Wrote, Matlock, and Diagnosis: Murder, the hammy Burke’s Law lands a distant fourth-place.  Regrettably, “Headshrinker” reiterates why star power alone can’t overcome a weak TV whodunnit.  

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                     3 Stars

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SUMMARY:            RUNNING TIME: Approx. 45:00 Min.

Reviving his 1963-66 TV series, star Gene Barry appeared in twenty-seven new episodes over two seasons in 1994-95.  During the opening credits, each episode’s glitzy roster of guest stars appears Love Boat-style off the grill of Burke’s chauffeured Bentley.  Directed by Dennis Dugan, CBS first broadcast this second-season installment on July 6, 1995. 

Obnoxious playboy Wally King – “King of the Hot Tubs” and his flagrant ‘nouveau rich’ act infuriates several attendees at the exclusive Beverly Glen Country Club.  While King awaits a lover in the club’s private sauna, somebody ensures that King gets fatally steamed.  Millionaire LAPD Chief of Detectives Amos Burke and his son, Peter, soon find that the free-wheeling King had some surprising enemies and allies … on and off the club’s golf course.     

Is the killer: King’s would-be lover, political cartoonist Jensen Farnsworth?  Possibly Jensen’s jilted yet enigmatic fiancé, Hamilton Paine III?  Or maybe Jensen’s ultra-snobbish mother, Frances?  Maybe a clumsy plastic surgeon who previously feuded with King? The blind locker room attendant?  Or even the country club president himself?  Burke’s team recognizes that the killer may elude justice unless the past suggests that evidence has been misinterpreted. 

Meanwhile, hapless Vinny Piatte is ecstatic over a million dollar stash of money he found on the docks.  Despite the Burkes urging reasonable caution, Vinny gleefully plays the big spender … assuming the authorities let him keep the anonymous cash.

LAPD Chief of Detectives Amos Burke: Gene Barry

LAPD Detective Peter Burke: Peter Barton

LAPD forensics lab technician Lily Morgan: Bever-Leigh Banfield

Henry: Dany Kamekona

Vinny Piatte: Dom DeLuise

Archie Cook: Carl Gordon

Jensen Farnsworth: Sheree J. Wilson

Frances Farnsworth: Marion Ross

Dr. John Richmond: Harvey Korman

Hamilton Paine III: Greg Evigan

Conrad Hill: Darren McGavin

Richmond’s Nurse: Tanya Wright

Wally King: Jed Allan

Beverly: Badience Magaziner

Emily: Denice D. Lewis

REVIEW:

From Aaron Spelling’s production factory, there’s no pretenses involved – especially considering this episode’s one-liners and sight gags (i.e. Burke’s hilarious golf cart is a gem).  Working off formulaic whodunnit schlock for plots, Burke’s Law’s watchability relies upon its all-star guest casts, regardless of how lackluster their paycheck acting is.  There’s no mistaking that Burke’s Law is pure TV sleuthing escapism amongst L.A.’s rich-and-famous and nothing more.  Even Diagnosis: Murder plays more realistic than this TV cop show answer to The Love Boat. 

Still, “King” presents a better-than-usual Burke’s Law episode, since the characters aren’t all one-dimensional clichés.  Credit should go to director Dennis Dugan, who ensures that the stars deliver relatively good performances.  More so, the cast appears to be having a fun time selling the script’s plot twists, no matter how implausible they are. 

The sole disappointment is the climatic ‘big reveal’ finish, as the culprit’s heartless motive is really melodramatic farce lifted from movie spoofs like Soapdish.  Had the semi-spoofy script just tried harder, “King” possesses enough of a mystery to potentially give Jessica Fletcher a run for her money, so to speak.

Ultimately, when compared to Murder, She Wrote, Matlock, and Diagnosis: Murder, Burke’s Law lands a distant fourth-place.  “King” offers some undemanding entertainment, as long as one doesn’t try thinking it through.     

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                      4 Stars

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SUMMARY:                 RUNNING TIME: Approx. 45:00 Min.

Reviving his 1963-66 TV series, star Gene Barry appeared in twenty-seven new episodes over two seasons in 1994-95.  During the opening credits, each episode’s glitzy roster of guest stars appears Love Boat-style off the grill of Burke’s chauffeured Bentley.  Directed by Michael Lange, CBS first broadcast this second-season opener on March 21, 1995.  Notably, Barry co-wrote this episode and includes for himself a pair of piano duets with Frankie Avalon for good measure.   

Sleazy celebrity chef Christoph Kohl serves himself a birthday bash at his posh, self-named Los Angeles restaurant.  He is suddenly shot dead in front of dozens of witnesses by a cowgirl-clad employee bursting out of his oversized birthday cake.  Evidently, someone has switched one of two toy pistols with a real one loaded with ammo. 

Contemplating a promotion to police commissioner, millionaire LAPD Chief of Detectives Amos Burke and his son, Peter, survey an array of suspects.  Is the killer: a wacky rival chef? Or a snotty actor who’s the scorned ex-boy toy of Kohl’s wife? Or the embittered piano player? Maybe it’s a shifty film producer also cheating with Kohl’s wife? Or a vengeful kitchen employee?  Or possibly it’s Kohl’s scheming widow?  Burke and his team must work fast before somebody concocts a perfect recipe for murder.

LAPD Chief of Detectives Amos Burke: Gene Barry

LAPD Detective Peter Burke: Peter Barton

LAPD forensics lab technician Lily Morgan: Bever-Leigh Banfield

Henry: Dany Kamekona

Judge Marion Darrow: Barbara Rush

Vinny Piatte: Dom DeLuise

Alexandra Kohl: Melody Anderson

Charlie Stone: Shadoe Stevens

Johnny Fingers: Frankie Avalon

Chase Cobb: Doug Savant

Tracy Byrd: Kathleen Robertson

Christoph Kohl: Marty Ingels

Cobb’s Young Fan: Phillip Van Dyke

REVIEW:

From Aaron Spelling’s production factory, there’s no pretenses involved – especially considering this episode’s arsenal of groan-worthy one-liners.  Working off formulaic whodunnit schlock for plots, Burke’s Law’s watchability relies upon its all-star guest casts, regardless of how lazy their paycheck acting is.  There’s no mistaking that Burke’s Law is pure TV sleuthing escapism amongst L.A.’s rich-and-famous and nothing more.  Even Diagnosis: Murder plays more realistic than this TV cop show equivalent of The Love Boat. 

Among these particular guest stars, Melody Anderson and Doug Savant are at least halfway believable playing genre clichés that weren’t even fresh back in the era of Peter Gunn.  Frankie Avalon and recurring castmate Dom DeLuise imbue “Chef” with tongue-in-cheek charm, for what it’s worth.  Re: Barry’s piano duets with Avalon, it’s fair to say Barry is a decent crooner, but this scene is overindulgent filler.  Worst of all, the episode’s camp value is oddly darkened by reference to an off-screen rape, which, in this context, comes off as a crass plot twist. 

Ultimately, when compared to Murder, She Wrote, Matlock, and Diagnosis: Murder, Burke’s Law lands a distant fourth-place.  “Chef” is undeniable proof that star power alone can’t disguise a mediocre TV whodunnit.  

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                      3½ Stars

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