Why did Wiseguy stop ?
Christoph Steinecke
A few years ago I saw a Series names Wiseguy which I think was the
best 45' Series ever.
Why did it end after just 50 Episodes or so ?
Were the ratings so poor (can't imagine) or did the main character
(what was his name again ?) not want to continue ?
Anybody out there who knows the answers, and also liked the series ?
Bye
Chris
## CrossPoint v2.93 ##
Sally Smith
>Were the ratings so poor (can't imagine) or did the main character
Yes, they were, and the head of the network hated the series so much
that he canceled it abruptly.
Sally
--
Sally Smith (510)790-0608 sal...@netcom.com (I was sa...@tardis.tymnet.com)
I'm unemployed--these opinions *must* be mine!
"Don't investigate this too closely." -- Don Bellisario, re: "Quantum Leap"
Merri L. Dodd
> A few years ago I saw a Series names Wiseguy which I think was the
(stuff deleted)
> Anybody out there who knows the answers, and also liked the series ?
>
> Bye
> Chris
I don't know the answers, but i LOVED the series for
the first 1 maybe 2 seasons. I didn't like the way they
ended the first one though. Being a girl i didn't want
the bad guy (his name won't come to me) to die.
Vinnie (Ken Wahl) was definately too close to this guy,
but even though he was a criminal i had become attached
to him also. (I guess i wanted him to go straight,
which would NOT have been realistic).
I didn't like the episodes with Tim Curry. I thought
they were weird and hard to follow. I may have missed an
episode or so in there, but still didn't like them.
The ones after that in the music industry were pretty good;
(Names are not coming to me this morning.)
Then Ken Wahl left (i don't know why) and they brought this
other guy in as the agent and i didn't like it very much
so i quit watching basically.
-me
--
mind.org 404/659-5720 Public Access Usenet in Atlanta
Robert Williams
My recollection was that the star Ken Wahls (sp?) wanted a bigger contract
or wanted out or something. So they replaced him. his replacement was good
but didn't have the following. Ratings went down the tube and so and and so
on... hows that for a vague answer?
skip
Jonathan Kass
>
>In article <5H_2d...@pegasus.ms.sub.org> jes...@pegasus.ms.sub.org (Christoph Steinecke) writes:
>
>>Were the ratings so poor (can't imagine) or did the main character
>
>Yes, they were, and the head of the network hated the series so much
>that he canceled it abruptly.
>
>Sally
I don't think it helped that they never really recreated the quality of the first "arc"
with Sonny Steelgrave... I was a big fan of that show till Vinnie got so darn
introspective... I lost track before they reformatted the show with a new lead, but
how can a show like that survive with them just replacing the lead character one day??
Jonathan
(who else would want to be responsible for these opinions?)
slashing sandy
>Hallo !
Hi Christoph!
>A few years ago I saw a Series names Wiseguy which I think was the
>best 45' Series ever.
I agree; it was a wonderful cop show: good writing, great characters,
continuing plots, nice attention to continuity, fascinating guest
stars, wonderful actors...
>Why did it end after just 50 Episodes or so ?
There were 72 episodes aired. There is a belief that then next 'arc'
was filmed but did not air--I have never seen anything in print to
confirm this, though apparently the 'first' ep of the next arc was
filmed.
>Were the ratings so poor (can't imagine) or did the main character
>(what was his name again ?) not want to continue ?
The main character, the Wiseguy of the title, was played by Ken Wahl.
At the end of the third season, he left the show. He and Steven Cannell
gave different reasons for him leaving, so we'll leave it at the ever-
reliable 'artistic differences.'
The fourth season, with a new Wiseguy, was *very* different. The new
guy (Michael Santana was the character--can't remember the actor's
name) was Cuban; the entire show went Latin the theme music got a Latin
beat; the first arc was filmed in Miami...
I thought the actor playing Michael was stupid and a bad actor. BUT, I
don't blame the show's demise solely on him.
Two of the best and most prolific writers, David Burke and A. Ruggiero,
left the show when Wahl did. Cannell is a hack writer (though often an
entertaining one), and most of the Miami arc is trite, obvious writing.
Wiseguy survived some bad arcs in the past (White Supremecy and Rag Trade
come to mind) but a bad arc, coupled with a stupid new Wiseguy, spelled
the end.
Obviously lots of this is just my opinion; I know at least a couple of
.tv regulars who loved Santana.
Anyway--glad to hear from another Wiseguy fan; hope I answered your questions!
Sand ______
---------------------------------------------------------------------\ /--
Strong enough for a man, but made for a woman \ /
-----------------------------------------------------------------------\/----
slashing sandy
>In article <5H_2d...@pegasus.ms.sub.org> jes...@pegasus.ms.sub.org (Christoph Steinecke) writes:
>>Were the ratings so poor (can't imagine) or did the main character
>Yes, they were, and the head of the network hated the series so much
>that he canceled it abruptly.
Are you sure you aren't thinking of Alien Nation? (big smiley here...)
Seriously, she's right. The ratings dropped like a rock the 4th season
with the *new* UNimproved Wiseguy, and it was canceled pretty abruptly.
Sandy ______
William December Starr
In article <2iam47$4...@news.u.washington.edu>,
al...@u.washington.edu (slashing sandy) said:
> Wiseguy survived some bad arcs in the past (White Supremecy and Rag
> Trade come to mind) but a bad arc, coupled with a stupid new Wiseguy,
> spelled the end.
Hmmm. I _liked_ the Rag Trade arc, partly because of the novelty of
seeing Jerry Lewis do a straight dramatic turn (and very competently, I
might add), partly because of the rich set of interlocked backgrounds
the various characters were given (remember Eli's non-criminal son and
the head bad guy reminiscing about their college days together>), partly
because of the absence of Vinnie Terranova from most of the story<*> --
<*>For those unfamiliar with the show's history: Ken Wahl, the actor who
played FBI agent (assigned to the Organized Crime Bureau) Vinnie
Terranova, managed to get his foot run over _twice_ (once going each
way) by a camera dolly while shooting early scenes in the storyline.
Crunch. With Ken pretty much unable to work, the show's producers
did some quick rewriting, showing Vinnie getting accidentally hit by
a taxi while chasing a low-level thief, winding up hospitalized, and
from his hospital bed briefing another OCB agent on the mission.
it's not that I disliked Vinnie; I just liked seeing other people
carrying the show for a change, and the fact that Vinnie's replacement
on the job, John Henry Raglin, was very different from Vinnie -- and a
lot because the whole investigation turned out to be such a disaster,
carrying so many echoes of what had happened on Raglin's last undercover
job prior to this one, eight years ago: lots of people died, others'
lives were hopelessly ruined, and the feds never did make any kind of
case against the chief villain... how often do you see a tv crime show
in which the bad guy who thinks he's too smart to ever get caught
really _is_ too smart to ever get caught? (Not that that helped him
very much in the long run, of course.)
-- William December Starr <wds...@world.std.com>
William December Starr
In article <8i4ugc...@mind.ORG>,
> I don't know the answers, but i LOVED the series for the first 1 maybe
> 2 seasons. I didn't like the way they ended the first one though.
> Being a girl i didn't want the bad guy (his name won't come to me) to
> die. Vinnie (Ken Wahl) was definately too close to this guy, but even
> though he was a criminal i had become attached to him also. (I guess i
> wanted him to go straight, which would NOT have been realistic).
Roger Lecoco, played by William Russ.
Merri L. Dodd
> >(stuff deleted)
> >I didn't like the episodes with Tim Curry. I thought
> >they were weird and hard to follow. I may have missed an
> >episode or so in there, but still didn't like them.
> >The ones after that in the music industry were pretty good;
> >-me
>
> Now I'm confused. The episodes with Tim Curry *were* the ones set in the
> music industry. Are you thinking perhaps of the arc which followed the
> Sonny Steelgrave saga...the ones with Kevin Spacey?
> Jeremy
>
I thought Tim Curry was the guy who played the white
supremacy guy...the one who had it going with his sister?
If that wasn't him, was he the white guy in the music trade?
(the bad guy). I can see his face (i think) but i could have
the wrong name attached to the face.
Who was the male singer who worked in the mail room with
Vinnie?
-me -Sonny why did you have to die? *sigh*
Merri L. Dodd
No, i didn't care for him much, he was ok, but the one
I was talking about was Sonny Steelgrave played by Ray?
(I knew before, honest) I thought he was great.
-me
p.s. sounds like you remember alot about it. Do you have it on tape?
I've been thinking about taping it, but the only time i knew
it was on in reruns it came on around 1 am which was too late
at the time. I only want the seasons with Ken.
Jeremy L. Greystoke
In a previous article, m...@mind.ORG (Merri L. Dodd) says:
>jes...@pegasus.ms.sub.org (Christoph Steinecke) writes:
>
>> A few years ago I saw a Series names Wiseguy which I think was the
>
>(stuff deleted)
>
>> Anybody out there who knows the answers, and also liked the series ?
>>
>> Bye
>> Chris
>
>I don't know the answers, but i LOVED the series for
>the first 1 maybe 2 seasons. I didn't like the way they
>ended the first one though. Being a girl i didn't want
>the bad guy (his name won't come to me) to die.
>Vinnie (Ken Wahl) was definately too close to this guy,
>but even though he was a criminal i had become attached
>to him also. (I guess i wanted him to go straight,
>which would NOT have been realistic).
>I didn't like the episodes with Tim Curry. I thought
>they were weird and hard to follow. I may have missed an
>episode or so in there, but still didn't like them.
>The ones after that in the music industry were pretty good;
>(Names are not coming to me this morning.)
>Then Ken Wahl left (i don't know why) and they brought this
>other guy in as the agent and i didn't like it very much
>so i quit watching basically.
>
>-me
>
Now I'm confused. The episodes with Tim Curry *were* the ones set in the
music industry. Are you thinking perhaps of the arc which followed the
Sonny Steelgrave saga...the ones with Kevin Spacey?
Jeremy
--
*************************************************************************
Jeremy Greystoke | "Showgirls *love* card tricks!"
au...@yfn.ysu.edu | -- Penn Gillette, 12/31/93
Sally Smith
>sal...@netcom.com (Sally Smith) writes:
>>Yes, they were, and the head of the network hated the series so much
>>that he canceled it abruptly.
>
>Are you sure you aren't thinking of Alien Nation? (big smiley here...)
>
>Seriously, she's right. The ratings dropped like a rock the 4th season
>with the *new* UNimproved Wiseguy, and it was canceled pretty abruptly.
Actually, the AN reference isn't too far off.
To add to what I said earlier and expand on Sandy's post, one of the
reasons the ratings dropped (even leaving out the change in lead
actor) is that the last season was scheduled on Saturday night,
instead of a weeknight, and a lot of "Wiseguy"'s audience (myself
included) had better things to do than watch TV on Saturday nights.
In addition, the show had been put on the air by an earlier head of
network (Kim LeMasters), and, since it was one of his pet projects,
the new/current head of CBS (Jeff Sagansky) also probably felt
compelled to cancel it for that reason.
At a convention about a year and a half ago, the lovely and talented
Jim Byrnes (Lifeguard) said that Stephen J. Cannell and Ken Wahl went
to CBS with a proposal for a 2-hour movie detailing Whatever Happened
To Vinnie, and were turned down unceremoniously. Sagansky was Not
Interested.
And, as a useless footnote that just shows I spend too much time
reading Variety, LeMasters is, last I heard, working for Cannell...
More than you really wanted to know from,
slashing sandy
>e...@ten-fwd.teltechlabs.com (Earl A. Baker) said:
>> Currently, Terranova is in a small town and he's a deputy. He just
>> faked killing some kid to get close to "the old man", some crook who
>> runs the town. How many more episodes till Wahl leaves?
>Ken/Vinnie is about to make a very abrupt exit,
Although Vinnie makes a very abrupt exit, Ken does NOT do likewise. He is
in every episode till the end of the season (Brump, Bump)
Wahl hurt himself again (or said he did--there were rumors at the
time at the injury was part of a contract negotiation...) and all of his
scenes are carefully filmed to hide the fact he can not walk well without
a limp. Especially the last two eps of the season, (Sanctuary, and Brump, Bump)
they film him standing, then his stand-in walking, then him standing. Very
obvious, if you look for it.
But again, unlike Rag Trade, there is no episode in the Lynchboro arc
that Vinnie is not in.
>freaking out after
>witnessing a suicide that bears a strong resemblance to the death of
>Sonny Steelgrave. He'll be gone for a few episodes, then show up again
>briefly (I'm guessing here that there was a brief reconciliation between
>Wahl and the show's producers before their final parting of the ways)
>and then vanish for good.
See my earlier comments.
>Wait until you see who gets called in to pinch-hit for Vinnie in that
>small town..
.
Sandy
----------------------
"Scary thought -- you know how stupid the average person is?"
"Yeah, what about it?"
"Half the population is dumber than that."
slashing sandy
>My memory of the third season is a bit hazy.
>I know it started with
>a mob plotline (Vinnie's new step-father is a retired Mafia boss), and
I loved the Commission arc, and was amazed by the sex scene between
Vinnie and Amber in the first ep of the Arc. Too bad they've trimmed
it waaaaaaaaaaay down for the reruns.
>Patti D'Arbanville continued her role from the music arc, but I don't
>recall what happened between the conclusion of that arc and the Lynchburg
>story...though I do recall several stand-alone episodes focusing on McPike,
>his relationship with his wife, and one great episode where Vinnie, McPike,
> and Lifeguard go fishing.
Call It Casaba: I loved that one too--who could forget Vinnie and Frank
cuddling on the couch.
The only arc I can think of you missed, is the D.C. arc, a strange but
wonderful follow-up to the end of the Profitt/Loccoco Arc. I loved the
way they brought back so many of the characters for the earlier arc,
even though it was two years earlier.
(And one of my votes for best single episode would be "Meet Mike McPike"
where we, (and Vinnie) meet Frank McPike's dad. That was a great one.
I agree with whoever said that Steelgrave was the best arc, and I also
agree that I was too harsh to the Ragtrade arc. I got out my tapes and
rewatched it--I let my extreme dislike of the character Jerry Lewis played
overly influence me.
Totally thrilled to hear from so many fans of the show!!
Sandy ______
---------------------------------------------------------------------\ /--
Strong enough for a man, but made for a woman \ /
-----------------------------------------------------------------------\/----
122k
>Regards,
Jeremy L. Greystoke
In a previous article, m...@mind.ORG (Merri L. Dodd) says:
>supremacy guy...the one who had it going with his sister?
>If that wasn't him, was he the white guy in the music trade?
>(the bad guy). I can see his face (i think) but i could have
>the wrong name attached to the face.
>
>Who was the male singer who worked in the mail room with
>Vinnie?
>
> -me -Sonny why did you have to die? *sigh*
Hi Merri!
Let's see if we can't straighten this out. The first villain Vinnie faced
(and arguably the best) was Sonny Steelgrave, played by the late Ray
Sharkey. The next arc involved the weird brother/sister combo Mel and
Susan Profitt (Kevin Spacey and Joan Severance). They had, shall we say,
a "loving" relationship...yes, he's the one who had it going with his
sister. That arc also introduced William Russ as Roger Loccocco, who
returns late in the series as a temporary replacement for Ken Wahl during
the Lynchburg arc (which is the odd pseudo-Twin Peaks parody which
featured two actors from the late, lamented series Crime Story...Bill
Smitrovich and Darlanne Fluegel).
The second season of Wiseguy began with the white supremacist arc. Next
was the rag trade arc, guest starring Jerry Lewis in a nice dramatic
turn, and which also featured Anthony Dennison (also of Crime Story) as
Vinnie's temporary replacement, John Henry Raglin. Now we arrive (after
a two-episode dream sequence which featured the return of Sonny Steelgrave...
I think this is the proper point where this happens...) at the music
industry arc. Tim Curry is the villain of the arc, and working with
Vinnie are Deborah Harry and Glen Frey (who is the one you recall from
the mail room, I believe).
My memory of the third season is a bit hazy. I know it started with
a mob plotline (Vinnie's new step-father is a retired Mafia boss), and
Patti D'Arbanville continued her role from the music arc, but I don't
recall what happened between the conclusion of that arc and the Lynchburg
story...though I do recall several stand-alone episodes focusing on McPike,
his relationship with his wife, and one great episode where Vinnie, McPike,
and Lifeguard go fishing.
Damn that was a good show. I liked the Steven Bauer stuff too...what helped
kill the Bauer version was that it was on the same time as Twin Peaks, and
I seem to recall it was on at the deadly hour of 10 PM on Saturday. I finally
saw the whole Bauer arc in syndication and I enjoyed it. He wasn't Vinnie,
but he wasn't supposed to be.
Thanks for bringing back a lot of pleasant memories.
Regards,
Don Kelloway
: A few years ago I saw a Series names Wiseguy which I think was the
: best 45' Series ever.
: Why did it end after just 50 Episodes or so ?
: Were the ratings so poor (can't imagine) or did the main character
: (what was his name again ?) not want to continue ?
: Anybody out there who knows the answers, and also liked the series ?
Wiseguy was and has been always one of my favorite shows.. I had the
pleasure once of meeting Ken Wahl as he and I were leaving a restaurant
with our respective dates. We shared an elevator on the way down, and he
seemed to be a pretty decent person. It's my understanding that he has
some family ties here in Boston. At the end of the ride he climbed into a
limo and took off. This occured back when the show was on the air and my
date didn't recognize him. I gently reminded her when we reached the lobby.
Oh well, I enjoyed the show immensely... Lifeguard played by Jim Barnes
(sp?) now plays on "Highlander".. As for Ken Wahl, he did do one of two
movies for the big screen, but they flopped bigtime..
--
Commodon maintains LCARS access with the ST:TNG Tech Manual, ST:Chronology,
ST:TNG Companion, ST:Worlds of the Federation, ST:Star Fleet Tech Manual,
ST:Trek Encyclopedia, ST:Klingon Dictionary and the Nitpickers Guide...
Christoph Steinecke
zum Thema "Re: Why did Wiseguy stop ?":
>In article <5H_2d...@pegasus.ms.sub.org> jes...@pegasus.ms.sub.org
>(Christoph Steinecke) writes:
>
>>Were the ratings so poor (can't imagine) or did the main character
>
>Yes, they were, and the head of the network hated the series so much
>that he canceled it abruptly.
At least that explains the stupid ending !
I thought it was the best crime-drama series ever !
Over here in Germany it was broadcasted 5 times a week,
so I wouldn't have to wait a full week to get the next episode.
Iain Donald Craik Kirkpatrick
Iain Donald Craik Kirkpatrick
entire series, either in print or on the net? Are any of the episodes
available on video? I thought Wiseguy was one of the best shows on TV...I
wish now that I had taped it.
BTW, did the Steven Bauer arc in the last season have an ending
before the show was cancelled? My local station that carried it scheduled
the show all over the place during the last season, and I missed the last
couple of episodes.
Iain
Christoph Steinecke
zum Thema "Re: Why did Wiseguy stop ?":
>My recollection was that the star Ken Wahls (sp?) wanted a bigger contract
>or wanted out or something. So they replaced him. his replacement was good
>but didn't have the following. Ratings went down the tube and so and and so
>on... hows that for a vague answer?
Now I'm very confused.
Here in Germany we only saw 2 season, the 2nd one ending with Vinnie
beeing in a church praying or something and his partner Jonathan
survived at the hospital.
Does this mean, that was not the last show ?
Were there more seasons to come without Ken Wahl ?
Anybody....
Christoph Steinecke
>the first 1 maybe 2 seasons. I didn't like the way they
How many were there ?
Here in Germany we only got 2 seasons !
What do you mean by season ?
A whole season with the 25 Episodes or the 6-8 Episodes
making up one story ?
>ended the first one though. Being a girl i didn't want
>the bad guy (his name won't come to me) to die.
>Vinnie (Ken Wahl) was definately too close to this guy,
>but even though he was a criminal i had become attached
>to him also. (I guess i wanted him to go straight,
>which would NOT have been realistic).
>I didn't like the episodes with Tim Curry. I thought
>they were weird and hard to follow. I may have missed an
>episode or so in there, but still didn't like them.
>The ones after that in the music industry were pretty good;
>(Names are not coming to me this morning.)
>Then Ken Wahl left (i don't know why) and they brought this
>other guy in as the agent and i didn't like it very much
^^^^^^^^^
Who do you mean ?
Which story came after the music business story ?
I think the last one was in the woods up in Canada but Vinnie
was in that one as I recall it !
>so i quit watching basically.
>
>-me
>
>--
>mind.org 404/659-5720 Public Access Usenet in Atlanta
Christoph Steinecke
zum Thema "Re: Why did Wiseguy stop ?":
>jes...@pegasus.ms.sub.org (Christoph Steinecke) writes:
>
>>Hallo !
>Hi Christoph!
>
>>A few years ago I saw a Series names Wiseguy which I think was the
>>best 45' Series ever.
>I agree; it was a wonderful cop show: good writing, great characters,
>continuing plots, nice attention to continuity, fascinating guest
>stars, wonderful actors...
my thinking exactly !
>>Why did it end after just 50 Episodes or so ?
Well seems like here in Germany we only got the first 2 season,
which made up about 50 episode ending with Vinnie beiing in a
church and Jonathan in the hospital !
>There were 72 episodes aired. There is a belief that then next 'arc'
>was filmed but did not air--I have never seen anything in print to
>confirm this, though apparently the 'first' ep of the next arc was
>filmed.
interesting !
>>Were the ratings so poor (can't imagine) or did the main character
>>(what was his name again ?) not want to continue ?
>The main character, the Wiseguy of the title, was played by Ken Wahl.
>At the end of the third season, he left the show. He and Steven Cannell
>gave different reasons for him leaving, so we'll leave it at the ever-
>reliable 'artistic differences.'
Are you sure it was after the 3rd season ?
If there were only 70 Episodes I think, since one season is about 23
shows, that there were only 3 seasons, or did I miss anything here ?
>The fourth season, with a new Wiseguy, was *very* different. The new
>guy (Michael Santana was the character--can't remember the actor's
>name) was Cuban; the entire show went Latin the theme music got a Latin
>beat; the first arc was filmed in Miami...
never saw that one ?
>Anyway--glad to hear from another Wiseguy fan; hope I answered your
>questions!
What 3 seasons did Ken Wahl play the Wiseguy ?
Here in Germany we only got the 86/87 and 87/88 season as far as I
can recall-
So was there a 88/89 season starring Ken Wahl and a 89/90 season starring
some other guy ?
Merri L. Dodd
> I agree with whoever said that Steelgrave was the best arc, and I also
> agree that I was too harsh to the Ragtrade arc. I got out my tapes and
> rewatched it--I let my extreme dislike of the character Jerry Lewis played
> overly influence me.
> Totally thrilled to hear from so many fans of the show!!
> Sandy ______
what all do you have on tape? how many vcr's do you have?
- B-) me
William December Starr
In article <2ih09p$5...@news.ysu.edu>,
> the Lynchburg arc (which is the odd pseudo-Twin Peaks parody which
> featured two actors from the late, lamented series Crime Story...Bill
> Smitrovich and Darlanne Fluegel).
_Three_ actors from Crime Story: Steve Ryan, who played the delightfully
loony maybe-villain in the Lynchburg sequence, was also a regular on CS.
> Now we arrive (after a two-episode dream sequence which featured the
> return of Sonny Steelgrave... I think this is the proper point where
> this happens...) at the music industry arc.
I believe that "White Noise," the episode in which Vinnie finally comes
to terms with his betrayal of (and, in a non-sexual way, love for) Sonny
Steelgrave, was just a one-part show.
and in article <5I8Zy...@pegasus.ms.sub.org>,
jes...@pegasus.ms.sub.org (Christoph Steinecke) said:
> and also the one which played in NewYork with the Mafia (Garbage
> Business), with the villain who played in the last James Bond Movie !
That was generally referred to as the "The Commission" arc, I think,
that being the unofficial name of the loosely-allied consortium of
organized crime families in New York that Vinnie got involved in via his
step-father, the semi-retired Mafia don. Some folks also refer to this
as the "Garbage Barge" arc, for reasons having to do with a _really_
nifty drug-smuggling scheme pulled off by the organized crime figure
whose name I can't recall (and whom, incidentally, I would hesitate to
call a villain -- he seemed very honorable to me) who was played by the
great Robert Davi (who, of course, played a similarly honorable, but
very nasty, drug cartel kingpin in the vastly underrated James Bond
movie, "License to Kill").
Pelle Hillberg
December Starr) wrote:
> > Now we arrive (after a two-episode dream sequence which featured the
> > return of Sonny Steelgrave... I think this is the proper point where
> > this happens...) at the music industry arc.
>
> I believe that "White Noise," the episode in which Vinnie finally comes
> to terms with his betrayal of (and, in a non-sexual way, love for) Sonny
> Steelgrave, was just a one-part show.
It sure was. He was commited to a mental institution, due to shenanigans of
his
former OCB boss.
> > and also the one which played in NewYork with the Mafia (Garbage
> > Business), with the villain who played in the last James Bond Movie !
>
> That was generally referred to as the "The Commission" arc, I think,
> that being the unofficial name of the loosely-allied consortium of
> organized crime families in New York that Vinnie got involved in via his
> step-father, the semi-retired Mafia don. Some folks also refer to this
> as the "Garbage Barge" arc, for reasons having to do with a _really_
> nifty drug-smuggling scheme pulled off by the organized crime figure
> whose name I can't recall (and whom, incidentally, I would hesitate to
He was called Albert Cerrico...
> call a villain -- he seemed very honorable to me) who was played by the
> great Robert Davi (who, of course, played a similarly honorable, but
> very nasty, drug cartel kingpin in the vastly underrated James Bond
> movie, "License to Kill").
Incidentally, one of the underlings of Ziffo's (the main villain) was
played
by wossname, who now is playing The Commish...
---
"Everything that glitters has a high refractive index..."
Pelle Hillberg, Uppsala, Sweden
George Fergus
CBS, 72 hours total
1st Season 1987
1-10 Sonny Steelgrave arc
11 Last Rites for Lucci (Vinnie's brother the priest)
12-22 Mel Profitt / Isle Pavot arc
2nd Season 1988
23-26 Knox Pooley arc
27 Aria for Don Aiuppo (Vinnie's mother's fiance is to be deported)
28-32 Eli Sternberg arc
33 Stairway to Heaven (McPike's wife needs an operation)
34 White Noise (Vinnie dreams of Sonny Steelgrave)
35-42 Dead Dog Records arc
43-44 Le Lacrime D'Amore (Vinnie & Amber, double length episode)
3rd Season 1989
45-48 Don Aiuppo / Albert Cerrico arc
49 Sleepwalk (camping trip)
50 How Will They Remember Me?
(Ken Wahl portrays Vinnie's father in flashbacks)
51 People Do It All the Time (Lifeguard's daughter needs help)
52 Reunion (high school reunion)
53-56 Washington DC / General Masters arc
57 Meet Mike McPike (McPike's father)
58 To Die in Bettendorf (Sid Royce wants revenge on McPike)
59 Romp (loan shark after friend of Vinnie's)
60-64 Lynchboro / Steven Volchek arc
62-66 Toxic Waste / Kousakis arc (overlaps previous arc)
4th Season 1990
67-68 Fruit of the Poisonous Tree (looking for the missing Vinnie)
69-72 Guzman arc (now starring Steven Bauer as Michael Santana)
NOTE: The series was cancelled after 6 new episodes, although thirteen
had been ordered.
-George Fergus
Christoph Steinecke
zum Thema "WISEGUY: brief episode guide":
>Wiseguy
>CBS, 72 hours total
>
>1st Season 1987
>1-10 Sonny Steelgrave arc
>11 Last Rites for Lucci (Vinnie's brother the priest)
>12-22 Mel Profitt / Isle Pavot arc
>
>4th Season 1990
>67-68 Fruit of the Poisonous Tree (looking for the missing Vinnie)
>69-72 Guzman arc (now starring Steven Bauer as Michael Santana)
>
>NOTE: The series was cancelled after 6 new episodes, although thirteen
>had been ordered.
>
Has someone a more detailed Guide ?
slashing sandy
>> to terms with his betrayal of (and, in a non-sexual way, love for) Sonny
>> Steelgrave, was just a one-part show.
>>
reminding me. Re that non-sexual love thing...there is some very good
fanfic positing a quite definate sexual relationship between them. I
have to agree that it isn't quite supported on-screen though.
>I do believe that Vinnie in the institution was
>shown in two episodes. 97% sure of that.
White Noise is the *2nd* part of a two parter. The first half is
official called 'Stairway to Heaven," but usually refered to as, 'Jenny's
Liver.' SPOILER. Jenny's Liver starts out with Frank coming to
Vinnie's house (remember, Vinnie is still injured from his baseball bat
andstaxi injuries in the Rag Trade arc), and telling Vinnie that Jenny
is going to die of liver disease unless she can get a transplant. It ends
with Frank standing on Vinnie's porch in the rain, (in one of the most
awwwwwwwwwh moments of the series), after Jenny has kicked him out. White
Noice starts the next morning, as Frank realizes that Vinnie's ankle
injury isn't healing the way it should, and uses Beckstaed to get Vinnie
to go get a checkup.
So, White Noise is right between Rag Trade and --ad Dog. (It's funny to
me that even though I LOVE the arc's in Wiseguy; the long narratives--
most of my favorite episodes are actually the tags between arcs.)
Sandy
Doug Krause
Christoph Steinecke <jes...@pegasus.ms.sub.org> wrote:
# Has someone a more detailed Guide ?
Somebody posted this a while back (at least three years ago):
WISEGUY Episode Guide
SEASON 1
STEELGRAVE ARC
9/16/87 ( 1) Wiseguy - Part I (pilot)
After spending 18 months in prison to establish his
cover, OCB agent Vince Terranova (Ken Wahl) gets his
first assignment: infiltrate the Atlantic City crime
empire of Sonny Steelgrave (Ray Sharkey). Frank
McPike: Jonathan Banks. Lifeguard: Jim Byrnes.
Father Pete Terranova: Gerald Anthony.
9/16/87 ( 2) Wiseguy - Part II
Sonny's brother Dave is killed during a deal-gone-sour
with Sykes. Meanwhile, Vinnie moves up the career
ladder - becoming Sonny's right hand man.
9/24/87 ( 3) New Blood
A grandstanding prosecutor announces his plans to bring
down Steelgrave which endangers Vinnie's cover. Mean-
while, Patrice (Joe Dallesandro) and Mahoney install
watchdogs in Sonny's organization. Harry: Eric
Christmas. Syd Royce: Dennis Lipscomb.
10/ 1/87 ( 4) Loose Cannon
Vinnie's new girlfriend, a cop's widow, deduces his
real identity, but his real threat is Sonny's
unbalanced nephew Lorenzo, whose come to learn the
family business.
10/ 8/87 ( 5) Birthday Surprise
Vinnie investigates the drug-related death of his
cousin.
10/15/87 ( 6) One on One
Sonny puts the heat on Vinnie when he suspects a
police plant in his operations.
10/22/87 ( 7) Prodigal Son
After she has been mugged and injured, Vinnie tells
his mother (Elsa Raven) he is working undercover for
the OCB.
10/29/87 ( 8) A Deal's A Deal
Two cops on Sonny's payroll tail Frank and photograph
him talking with Vinnie.
11/ 5/87 ( 9) Marriage of Heaven & Hell
Sonny prepares for his wedding to Theresa Baglia, while
Patrice approaches Vinnie to join his organization.
11/12/87 (10) No One Gets Out of Here Alive
Vinnie and Sonny have their final showdown locked in a
closed-up movie theater.
11/19/87 (11) Last Rites for Lucci
While Vinnie struggles to come to grips with his
involvement in Sonny's takedown, Pete faces a moral
dilemma when he hears the confession of Nick Lucci,
an old friend of Vinnie's who has a contract out on
his life.
PROFITT ARC
1/ 4/88 (12) Independent Operator
Vinnie joins up with hit man Roger Loccoco (William
Russ) who is involved in a world-wide crime ring
headed up by Mel (Kevin Spacey) and Susan Profitt
(Joan Severance).
1/11/88 (13) Fascination for the Flame
Argentine dope runner Paco Bazos declares war on the
Profitts after Mel stops his wedding.
1/18/88 (14) Smokey Mountain Requiem
Mel offers Vinnie the chance to run his cocaine
operation.
1/25/88 (15) Player To Be Named Now
Mel wants to buy a new baseball franchise from an
enemy who won't sell.
2/ 1/88 (16) Merchent of Death
Mel blackmails a French foreign minister to fund a
Third World revolutionary. Meanwhile, Susan begins
to fall for Vinnie, disturbing Mel.
2/ 8/88 (17) Not for Nothing
Aldo Baglia, who was part of the Steelgrave mob,
shoots Vinnie, causing Roger to have growing
suspicions about Terranova. Herb Ketcher: David
Spielberg.
2/15/88 (18) Squeeze
Mel is driven back into the drug trade to regain
his financial power. Roger learns that Vinnie is an
OCB agent.
2/22/88 (19) Blood Dance
Roger spins Mel into a deal to overthrow Isle Pavot.
Meanwhile, Vinnie discovers that Roger is working for
the CIA.
3/14/88 (20) Phantom Pain
After Susan's arrest for Mel's murder, Vinnie finds
himself off one case and facing the possibility of
another - fatherhood.
3/21/88 (21) Dirty Little Wars
Vinnie tracks Roger hoping to uncover CIA links to
the planned overthrow of Isle Pavot.
3/28/88 (22) Date With An Angel
Vinnie and Roger are subpoenaed for the inquest
involving the failed overthrow of Isle Pavot.
SEASON 2
PILGRIMS OF PROMISE ARC
10/26/88 (23) Going Home
After resigning from the OCB, Vinnie returns home only
to face more problems: a white supremecist group is
moving into his old neighborhood and his brother Pete
is killed.
11/ 2/88 (24) School of Hard Knox
Vinnie returns to the OCB to go after the Pilgrims
of Promise and to retreive a misguided friend who
has become a follower. Knox Pooley: Fred Dalton
Thompson. Clavin Hollis: Paul Guilfoyle.
Richie: Tim Guinee.
11/ 9/88 (25) Revenge of the Mud People
Vinnie is arrested for the murder of an off-duty
cop killed by the Pilgrims of Promise. Later, he
finds the man who killed Pete.
11/16/88 (26) Last of the True Believers
Vinnie and the OCB close in on the Pilgrims of
Promise.
12/ 7/88 (27) Aria for Don Aiuppo
Retired mobster Don Aiuppo (George Petrie) makes
Vinnie's mother an offer - a marriage proposal.
RAG TRADE ARC
12/14/88 (28) 7th Avenue Freeze Out
Garment manufacturer Eli Sternberg (Jerry Lewis)
turns to mobster Rick Pinzolo (Stanley Tucci) for help in
bailing out his business, and his son David (Ron
Silver) turns to the OCB.
12/21/88 (29) Next of Kin
The OCB sends in John Raglin (Anthony Denison) to
replace Vinnie who's been hospitalized after being
hit by a car. (Wahl broke his foot in real life
and was unable to work, so Terranova does not
appear in the next 3 episodes).
1/11/89 (30) All or Nothing
As the Sternbergs close a big deal, Pinzolo plots to
use that deal to bury Elrose Fashions.
1/18/89 (31) Where's the Money?
His relationship with Eli destroyed, David plans to
get even with Pinzolo for the fall of Elrose Fashions.
1/25/89 (32) Postcards from Morocco
Raglin links Pinzolo to Carole and tries to make the
charges against him hold up.
2/ 1/89 (33) Stairway to Heaven
Vinnie gives Frank $1.25 million in blood money to
pay for his alcoholic wife's liver transplant.
2/15/89 (34) White Noise
Still in pain from his broken leg, Vinnie is sent to
a clinic, but is mistakenly placed in the psychiatric
ward where, in a drug-induced state, he confronts
Steelgrave.
DEAD DOG ARC
3/ 1/89 (35) Dead Dog Lives
Vinnie becomes the head of Dead Dog Records as part
of an OCB probe into the music business and hires
insider Bobby Travis (Glenn Frey) to get him in the
groove.
3/ 8/89 (36) And It Comes Out Here
Vinnie initiates a bidding war between Winston
Newquay (Tim Curry) and Isaac Twine (Paul Winfield)
for Dead Dog Records. Claudia Newquay: Deidre Hall.
Amber Twine: Patti D'Arbanville.
3/22/89 (37) Rip Off Stick
Newquay wants to bring Diana Price (Deborah Harry)
back under his label now that Vinnie has resurrected
her singing career.
4/ 5/89 (38) High Dollar Bop
Vinnie leans on one of Newquay's new artists, but
Newquay pushes back - hard. Twine looses his company
- and Vinnie - to Newquay in a card game.
4/12/89 (39) Hip Hop on the Gravy Train
Vinnie unearths Newquay's dirty financial operation,
while Isaac considers an offer from the OCB.
5/ 3/89 (40) The One That Got Away
Newquay asks a Washington DC insider to investigate
Vinnie.
5/10/89 (41) Living & Dying In 4/4 Time
The case against Newquay is dismissed in court.
5/17/89 (42) Call It Casaba
On a camping trip, Vinnie and Frank try to help
Lifeguard come to grips with his relationship with
his daughter.
5/24/89 (43) Le Lacrime de L'Amour - Part I
Amber's lawyer wants her to sell her record company,
but Vinnie is suspicious of his intent.
5/24/89 (44) Le Lacrime de L'Amour - Part II
Vinnie and Amber are falling in love, prompting
Vinnie's mother and Don Aiuppo to return from their
trip to meet the woman in his life.
SEASON 3
NY MOB WARS ARC
9/20/89 (45) A Rightful Place
The attempt on Don Aiuppo's life has upset the mob's
balance of power, and Albert Cerrico (Robert Davi)
courts the favor of Vinnie, who has claim to Aiuppo's
seat. Poochy: Tony Romano. Grossett: John Snyder.
9/27/89 (46) Battle of the Barge
Cerrico raises a big stink in Chinatown over control
of garbage collection, while Amber finds that Vinnie's
job is tainting their relationship.
10/ 4/89 (47) Sins of the Father
Gubernatorial candidate Peter Alatorre seeks to
revive his failing campaign by exposing a mobster -
Vinnie.
10/11/89 (48) Heir to the Throne
Aiuppo plans revenge on Cerrico for the death of his
son. Grossett plots a power play against Cerrico and
Aiuppo, while Cerrico plots to seize control of
the commission.
10/25/89 (49) Sleepwalk
Vinnie and Amber attempt to resolve their relationship
during a country retreat.
11/ 1/89 (50) How Will They Remember Me?
Vinnie finds an old notebook of his father's in a box
of Pete's old belongings, and it reveals a dark
episode involving his father and the local mob.
11/ 8/89 (51) People Do It All The Time
Lifeguard has mixed feelings about being a grand-
father, while his son-in-law illegally takes a job
to support his family.
11/15/89 (52) Reunion
Vinnie meets two old friends at his 15 year high
school reunion - Mooch (Tony Ganios), now a mob
lawyer, and Denise (Kathy Moriarty), now a NYPD
detective.
WASHINGTON D.C. ARC
11/29/89 (53) Day One
For preventing the overthrow of Isle Pavot, Gen. Leland
Masters (Norman Lloyd) sets in motion a plan to set up
Vinnie. Katherine Gallagher: Kim Greist.
12/ 6/89 (54) Day Four
Vinnie and Frank try to connect Masters with the
counterfeiting ring.
12/13/89 (55) Day Seven
Vinnie finds evidence of the counterfeiting ring in
Utah, but it seems to have come too easily, so he
heads for the mountains to meet a billionaire recluse
who might hold the key to the case.
12/20/89 (56) Day Nine
Vinnie is arrested when Biggs is discovered aboard
the cargo plan full of counterfeit Japanese currency
and is brought up on charges before a Senate hearing.
1/10/90 (57) Meet Mike McPike
Frank's father moves in after being ejected from a
nursing home.
1/17/90 (58) To Die In Bettendorf
After his wife leaves him, a disturbed Syd Royce, now
in the witness protection program, seeks revenge on
the man who put him there - Frank.
2/ 7/90 (59) Romp
Vinnie and Mooch try to help their soon-to-be-
married friend face money troubles with a loan shark.
LYNCHBORO/SEATTLE ARC
2/14/90 (60) One Horse Town
Vinnie goes undercover as a deputy sherriff in
Lynchboro WA, a vice-ridden town controlled by recluse
Mark Volchek (Steve Ryan).
3/ 7/90 (61) His Master's Voice
A serial killer's trail leads to Lynchboro, and
Volchek assigns the case to Vinnie.
3/14/90 (62) Hello Buckwheat
Roger Loccoco returns to take over after Vinnie
goes AWOL after witnessing Stem's suicide.
3/21/90 (63) Let Them Eat Cake
Frank has a plan to put the clamps on Volchek, but
Roger has his own ideas. Meanwhile, a stressed-out
Vinnie picks up work in Seattle dumping hospital
waste. Kousakis: Vincent Guastaferro.
3/28/90 (64) Meltdown
Frank and Roger finish up in Lynchboro, while, in
Seattle, Kousakis puts out a contract on Vinnie.
4/11/90 (65) Sancturary
With Frank and the Seattle mob after him, Vinnie nearlly
goes over the edge, and seeks sanctuary in a local
church, but is drawn out when Kousakis shoots Frank.
4/18/90 (66) Brrump-Bump!
With Frank near death, Vinnie seeks to heal his
own wounded spirit, while Kousakis plots his next
move on the roof of the church. (Ken Wahl's, and
thus Vinnie's, last episode).
SEASON 4
GUZMAN ARC
11/10/90 (67) Fruit of the Poisonous Tree - Part I
Frank begins a rogue investigation of Vinnie's
disappearance and winds up in Miami to find disbarred
federal prosecutor Michael Santana (Steven Bauer), who
was the last person Vinnie contacted. Hillary Stein:
Cecil Hoffman. Dahlia: Martika.
11/10/90 (67) Fruit of the Poisonous Tree - Part II
The investigation leads to Cuban-American business-
man Amado Guzman (Maximillian Schell).
11/17/90 (69) Black Gold
Guzman promotes Santana, who works with Hillary to
rent a warehouse for Guzman's goods, and Frank and
Santana drift into a new case when they find Haitian
"boat people" in the warehouse.
11/24/90 (70) The Gift
Santana goes undercover as an OCB operative to deal
with a pair of brothers from the underworld who want
a load of Guzman's gold.
12/ 1/90 (71) La Mina
Guzman lets Santana in on his money laundering scheme,
giving the OCB an opportunity to clean out his
operation.
12/ 8/90 (72) Witness Protection for the Archangel Lucifer
Hiding in El Salvador, Guzman asks Santana to bring
him some cash, and Frank and Santana come up with
a plan to bring him down.
RUN HISTORY ON CBS:
Sep 87-Nov 87 Thu 8:00pm- 9:00pm CST
Jan 88-Mar 88 Mon 9:00pm-10:00pm
Jun 88-Apr 90 Wed 9:00pm-10:00pm
Apr 90-Jun 90 Mon-Fri 10:30pm-11:40pm (CBS Late Night)
Jun 90-Jul 90 Thu 8:00pm- 9:00pm
Sep 90 Mon-Fri 10:30pm-11:40pm (CBS Late Night)
Oct 90-Nov 90 Mon-Fri 11:00pm-12:10am (CBS Late Night)
Nov 90-Dec 90 Sat 9:00pm-10:00pm
Mar 91 Mon-Fri 11:00pm-12:10am (CBS Late Night)
* - times for CBS Late Night reflect the actual time CBS
broadcasts the show; many stations delay CBS Late Night
by 30 to 60 minutes.
--
**** Douglas Krause dkr...@uci.edu One yuppie can ruin ****
**** University of California, Irvine your whole day. ****
bonnies...@gmail.com
Rhino
> I heard at the tiime that Ken Wahl complained of too much pressure while making the series. You may recall that he gained a remendous amount of weight and was no longer the “hunk” that he had been. I don’t think I saw in in ANY TV or Movie productions after he ended the series.
>
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0906261/?ref_=nv_sr_1
Wikipedia might have additional information but I haven't looked.
--
Rhino
