Baretta

Thursday nights just wouldn't have been the same growing up without Baretta. The show was tough and dirty and gritty and all the things my middle class suburban family upbringing wasn't. It was a view of the outside world, and Tony Baretta was the tour guide to all of the foul things that were waiting out there in "The City." He was the protector. The show was effectively lightened, though, by comedic parts by Rooster, the pimp/informant, and by Baretta himself, who could don some pretty outrageous costumes when he went "undercover." TV in the '70's didn't allow any profanity, of course - but even at age 12, I knew Baretta would have cursed like a sailor. Baretta was real - he lost people he cared about to crime, and he went on drinking binges and lashed out at people he cared about when he got emotional.

The first season on DVD is a must-have if you like crime drama. Along with "Hill Street Blues" and "CSI," Baretta defines the genre and set the stage for the others by giving us substantive supporting characters and an ensemble cast that only got better with successive seasons. Hopefully, with the recent acquittal of Robert Blake, season 2 will be released on DVD soon.

When I was a little kid I would watch Baretta starring Robert Blake (known as child actor who played in "Our Gang") who later domineered his career as an adult actor. This cop has something that most cop series don't have humor, good times and bad times. Robert Blake was an excellent choice for street police detective Tony Baretta.

When Baretta was first broadcast, I was 10 years old and I had the BIGGEST crush on Robert Blake. Unfortunately, none of my little friends liked "Baretta". They all watched "Starsky and Hutch" at that time. All I ever heard on the bus ride to and from school was "Paul's cuter!" "No, David's cuter!" It was those two guys or Mark Shera from "Barnaby Jones"...yeesh! I never quite understood the appeal of Paul Michael Glaser or David Soul or Mark Shera, so I had nothing to contribute to the debate (and they all thought I was weird for swooning over Robert Blake anyway). I have to completely disagree with the description of the character Rooster as a "Huggy Bear wanna-be"! (Not sure what Huggy Bear's deal was in "Starsky and Hutch"...some sort of scam artist?) You know Rooster wouldn't hesitate to smack a ho upside the head with his platform shoe, and he might even cut a bitch if necessary. Couldn't imagine anyone named "Huggy" delivering a proper beat down. "Baretta" was an awesomely gritty cop show (oh my, those tight shirts he wore!) and let's face it, Rooster was a straight up pimp. I wish this series was shown in syndication today. I haven't seen it in years.

I'm just now getting around to watching all of these episodes since I got them. They are hard hitting, tearful, funny, and amazing. Especially the episode, "The Coppelli Oath."

You owe it to yourself to check in to this detective series and add it to your library, not just for yourself, but for your friends to see as well.

Very nicely done for such an old show. A lot can be learned about humanity and handling difficult life situations in this. Especially if it involves crime.

I also learned not to go to bed with a price on my head. That I should also always keep my eye on the sparrow when the going gets narrow. That I shouldn't roll the dice if I can't pay the price, and that I should never run my feet down a dead-end street. Solid lessons. The way TV used to be.