"Wiseguy" (1987) TV series 1987-1990

Creators:

Stephen J. Cannell
Frank Lupo

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Release Date:

16 September 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

Tagline:

His first wrong move will be his last.

Plot:

Vinnie Terranova does time in a New Jersey penitentiary to set up his undercover role as an agent for...

Plot Keywords:

Organized Crime | Mafia | Music Industry | Femme Fatale | Undercover Agent

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 3 wins & 14 nominations

Cast

Jim Byrnes	...	Daniel Benjamin 'Lifeguard' Burroughs (75 episodes, 1987-1990)
Jonathan Banks	...	Frank McPike (74 episodes, 1987-1990)
Ken Wahl	...	Vincent Michael 'Vinnie' Terranova / ... (63 episodes, 1987-1990)

Runtime:

60 min | Israel:45 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Australia:PG (some episodes) | Iceland:L (some epiosodes) | Australia:M (some episodes)

Filming Locations:

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Stephen J. Cannell Productions

Trivia:

In the episode "To Die in Bettendorf", Sid insults an overweight customer who can't find shoes in her size - exactly as Al Bundy does many times in "Married with Children" (1987).

Quotes:

Sonny Steelgrave: You're that smart. How come you're not that smart?
Sonny Steelgrave: In my neighborhood, possession is nine tenth of the law. The other ten - we don't care about.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Bullets Over Hollywood (2005) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Try a little tenderness

TV doesn't get any better than this

Thank God for those reruns, allowing those of us who weren't smart enough to tape it at the time to do so now! There isn't anything I don't like about this series, other than the fact that it ended. Great acting, great scripts, great production values - this is a production everyone involved can be proud of. It was unique and ahead of its time in that watching it now I don't think it looks or feels dated at all. There are some great contemporary crime dramas on TV now, but none with the arc structure that made Wiseguy so compelling. Even though the storylines ran in arcs, each episode is eminently watchable in and of itself. Gosh, I miss it, and I sure miss Ken Wahl.