Kampf gegen die Mafia

The first season of Wiseguy was by far the best, mostly due to Spacey. For all you Kevin Spacey fans, if you have never seen his performance in this show, it is a MUST. I had not been exposed to him until then, and his performance had me mesmerized, hooked, wanting more. Because of his performance in this particular show, I made it a point to see many of his other works over the years. If you are a Spacey fan, make it a point to watch the reruns of the first season of Wiseguy. (It's probably on DVD...somewhere). This show in general, especially the first season had some additional memorable performances also by Ray Sharkey and Joan Severance. I so looked forward on Wednesday nights to the show and only wished it had survived at least a few more years.

I enjoyed watching Wiseguy. It was the first crime drama which took criminals and made them PEOPLE. Never mind you didn't like most of them...they were people. Also, Jim's role as Vinnie's "bodyguard" and protector when things got 'too hot' was great....in my case, it placed a different perspective on those getting around in a wheelchair. Also, Vinnie's boss was tough and gentle at the same time....Cannell REALLY did a good job with this show, from preproduction promotion to the execution of each episode. I even stayed up late at night to watch the reruns on the CBS Late Movie!

Settummmanque!

Great storylines, great acting, great drama. I still think the Vinnie - Sonny interaction was monumental. I was hooked on it from the first episode. Perhaps it is because I was younger, but I still haven't found a series who would overwhelm me so much.

I don't even know where to begin with this review. This show has some special magic to it that no other show, and believe me I've seen them all, has. The writing is on another level, they truly understand the human condition. They manage to write a diverse set of characters with such depth that, as they would say, so deep you get the bends. The fact that it came at a time when no other show was writing long story arcs is difficult to wrap my mind around. Not only were they pioneers in that respect, but they did it in such a fashion that no other show since has come close to matching. The actors also deserve a great deal of praise for their superb embodiment of their characters and staying true to them.

When I found this show, I had no idea what I was in for, I actually wasn't aware it was a show as I watched the pilot thinking it was a movie. I was immediately hooked. The atmosphere it captured was unique, both gritty and charming. As the episode was nearing the end I had two thoughts. One, why have I never heard of this before. Two, is there a sequel? To my delight as it closed out and the next episode loaded I ecstatically discovered it was in fact a show, meaning there was still much more of this to come. Little did I know to what degree this show would end up capturing me. From story arc to story arc, and the individual episodes in between, the show kept throwing punches that I could never have anticipated.

Having watched and read various interviews I learned a lot about what went on behind the scenes, and one thing that I find worth noting is how Ken Wahl and David Burke made an effort in persuading Cannell as well as other executives to allow for the show to head in a more cerebral direction and move away from the flashy action that is most present in the first episode. Thankfully they listened which is what gave the show such remarkable depth and gave us episodes that bring out the best of the characters, and allows to explore them further to get in touch with the real things that make us in the audience connect with them. This shows lowest points were higher than most shows high points. And for the vast majority of this shows run it soared.

All in all, if you happen to be reading this and you have yet to watch Wiseguy, forget about whatever else you're watching and give this show a spin. You will surely not regret it.

Wiseguy was one of the best shows of the '80s and probably one of the best dramas ever produced for television, ending only, I believe, because of the many infirmities/injuries suffered by Ken Wahl. The gorgeous Wahl was surrounded by an excellent cast that included Jonathan Banks, Jim Burns, and, over the years, George Petrie, Patti D'Arbanville, Gerald Anthony, etc. - anyone brought on the show was a winner. Wiseguy proved a breakthrough for Kevin Spacey and Joan Severance, whose story arc was probably the most powerful the series offered - right up there with the Sonny Steelgrave (Ray Sharkey) story arc. I'm glad to see it's being re-run now - it's a pity there aren't more episodes.