Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #37594 in DVD
• Brand: Paramount
• Released on: 2008-12-02
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, Full Screen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 520 minutes

Amazon.com
District attorney J.L. McCabe strikes down on the crime in Los Angeles together with his special investigator Jake Styles and assistant D.A. Derek Mitchell.

Amazon.com
Jake and the Fat Man’s episode titles give a clue as to this entertaining series' target demographic. Each takes its cue from a standard in the Great American Songbook, including "It Had to Be You," "Guess I'll Have to Change My Plans," and "After You've Gone." Like Murder, She Wrote, Diagnosis: Murder, and Matlock, from which this series was spun-off, Jake and the Fatman comforts viewers of a certain age with the assurance that when the hour is up, justice will be served, the guilty will be punished, and the more mature and unconventional hero will use his smarts and experience to teach younger people "who's who and what's what." For those just tuning in, this second volume serves as a fitting introduction to "legendary" and living large district attorney J.L. McCabe (William Conrad), who bullies, bellows, and blusters his way to the truth. As with Columbo, a crime is committed and the guilty party is revealed in the beginning of each episode. The fun is watching J.L. and his hunky young investigator Jake Styles (Joe Penny), who lives up to his name with his sharp wardrobe and sports cars, get on the suspect’s case. What Jake and the Fatman lacks in car chases and shoot-outs, it more than makes up for in smart writing and the chemistry between the two leads. Conrad and Penny carry these episodes without benefit of flashy guest stars. The most prominent in this set are Anthony Franciosa in "I Guess I’ll Have to Change My Plans," as a washed up writer who, shades of Deathtrap, kills a promising young author and steals his novel, and David Soul in "How Long Has This Been Going On?" as a man who kills his wealthy wife and frames her lover, a priest, who, luckily, is Jake’s friend. Edward Winter (best known as Colonel Flagg on M*A*S*H) appears in "Rhapsody in Blue" as a man whose Lady Macbeth of a wife compels him to attempt to kill his boss. Some of the cases are personal. In "After You’ve Gone," Jake goes undercover as a hit man, and discovers his target is, you guessed it, "the Fatman." "Damn it to hell" (to quote one of the volcanic-tempered J.L.’s favorite oaths); as with Volume 1, extras are pretty thin; just spoilerific episode promos. --Donald Liebenson

Customer Reviews

Jake and the Fatman seaon 1
If your a fan of Joe Penney (From Riptide)then you'll love this '80's series. Joe play private investigator Jake Styles who works with L.A district attorney J.L.(Fatman)McCabe. The relationship between the two leads works on alot of different levels. There's young guy(hothead)with older guy sensebilities. More like father and son in most cases.The action is good,and in the second season the show moves to Hawaii. But what stops me from giving this set 4 stars is the fact that Paramount split the season in half. Just like they did with Dynasty. Holding a series hostage and forcing you to buy the other half of the season is just downright greedy and mean on the studio's part. Don't they realize they would sell these series very well left intact? Especially when their competetors don't do it this way. In spite of Paramount's greed and lack of respect to their consumers,this is still a good series to have and own.

Jake and the Fatman - Season One, Vol.2
This is a DVD that I can watch forever, I always watched it when it appeared on TV. I will purchase every DVD that is released. Jeanne

jake and the fatman
i am so glad jake and the fatman is on dvd , i loved this show in the 80s joe penny is hot and william conrad is a blast caring more about his dog then his staff