Dog and Cat
{{about|the American television series|the Japanese manga|Dog × Cat}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox television
| image = Dog and Cat (1977 TV series).jpg
| caption =
| camera =
| runtime = 74 minutes
| creator = Walter Hill
| developer =
|producer = Robert Singer
| executive_producer = Lawrence Gordon
| starring = Lou Antonio
Kim Basinger
Matt Clark
| narrated =
| opentheme = Barry Devorzon
| endtheme =
| country = United States
| company = Largo Productions
Paramount Network Television
| network = ABC
| first_aired = {{start date|1977|3|5}}
| last_aired = {{end date|1977|5|14}}
| num_episodes = 6
}}
Dog and Cat is an American television series that aired on ABC on Saturday night at 10:00 p.m. Eastern time in 1977.
Premise
Sgt. Jack Ramsey (Lou Antonio), an undercover detective with the Los Angeles Police Department, teams up with a partner named J.Z. Kane (Kim Basinger). Together they form a relationship based on friendship and trust (completely platonic) that leads them to capture many of L.A.'s criminals. Lieutenant Arthur Kipling (Matt Clark) is their boss.
"Dog and Cat" is a slang term used by police officers to denote a male-female partnership. The show is especially remembered for the car that Kim Basinger used in the series: a souped-up Volkswagen Beetle with a Porsche engine.
Production history
Lawrence Gordon pitched the show to ABC, who bought it. He took it to Paramount, who produced it.{{Cite book|page=115|title=The keys to the kingdom: how Michael Eisner lost his grip|last=Masters|first= Kim|year=2000 |publisher=W. Morrow}} The show was one of the first supervised by Brandon Tartikoff when he was at ABC.{{cite book|page=188|title=The last great ride|last1=Tartikoff|first1= Brandon|last2= Leerhsen|first2= Charles|year=1993|publisher=Delta}}
It replaced Most Wanted which moved to Monday night.Changes in ABC's TV Schedule: Broadcast Notes By John Carmody. The Washington Post, 10 Dec 1976: D11.
Reception
=Critical=
The New York Times described one of the earliest episodes, "Live Bait", about a rapist, as "a particularly repulsive tale" and thought the male lead was a rip-off of Baretta and the female lead too obviously inspired by Charlie's Angels.TV WEEKEND by JOHN J. O'CONNOR. New York Times, 4 Mar 1977: 70.
The Washington Post said Antonio does "a nice, grumpy job" and Basinger was "a little saltier than Angie Dickinson's Pepper" but liked the fact it was not overly violent and "had a sense of humour. It could be around in the fall".'Dog and Cat' by John Carmody. The Washington Post, 5 Mar 1977: B8.
=Ratings=
The first episode after the pilot was meant to be "Live Bait" (directed by Steve Stern, written by Rudolph Borchert), about a rapist. However it was changed to be about a corrupt cop. It got a 40% rating and was the 23rd most watched show of the week.Viewers Mad at Newsbreak,
Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar 1977: f17.
Joel Silver reported that Walter Hill's original pilot script inspired Shane Black to write Lethal Weapon.{{cite web|title=Joel Silver Interview| website=Collider |url=http://collider.com/joel-silver-the-nice-guys-wonder-woman-interview/website=Collider}}
Credits
File:Kim Basinger Dog and Cat 1977.JPG
Directed by:
- Bob Kelljan
Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
- Heywood Gould
- Tom Greene
- Walter Hill
- William Keys
- Owen Morgan (also story)
- Henry Rosenbaum
Credited cast
- Lou Antonio as Jack Ramsey
- Kim Basinger as Officer J.Z. Kane
- Matt Clark as Lt. Arthur Kipling
- Charles Cioffi as Ralph Travan
- Richard Lynch as Shirley
- Dale Robinette as Nicholas Evans
- Janit Baldwin as Roeanne Lee Peters
- Geoffrey Scott as David Storey
- Lesley Woods as Velma
- Matt Bennett as Gonzo
- Walt Davis as Trog
- Dick Wesson as Zink Kauffen
The rest of cast listed alphabetically:
- Lynn Borden as Mavis
- Richard Forbes as Earl Seagram
- James Hall as Frank
- Dianne Kay as Connie
- Frank McRae as Morgue Attendant
- Catherane Skillen
- Jim Storm as Change Maker
- Ken Sylk as Doty
- Betty Thomas as Waitress
Episode guide
| class=wikitable style="background:#FFFFFF" |
| style="color:#FFFFFF"
! style="background:#551A8B; width:20px"| {{abbr|Nº|Number}} ! style="background:#551A8B"| Title ! style="background:#551A8B"| Directed by: ! style="background:#551A8B"| Written by: ! style="background:#551A8B; width:135px"| Original air date {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber = 0 | Title = Pilot | DirectedBy = Robert Kelljan | WrittenBy = Walter Hill | OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1977|3|5}} | ShortSummary = Pilot episode: When his partner is shot, a police detective (Lou Antonio) reluctantly accepts a slightly kooky lady replacement (Kim Basinger). | LineColor = 551A8B }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber = 1 | Title = Dead Dog and Cat | DirectedBy = | WrittenBy = | OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1977|3|12}} | ShortSummary = J.Z.and Jack hunt a hood who's accused of peddling stolen diamonds. | LineColor = 551A8B }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber = 2 | Title = Live Bait | DirectedBy = Steven H. Stein | WrittenBy = Rudolph Borchert | OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1977|3|19}} | ShortSummary = Important women are the victims of a rapist. | LineColor = 551A8B }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber = 3 | Title = A Duck Is a Duck | DirectedBy = | WrittenBy = | OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1977|4|9}} | ShortSummary = Thieves have bad luck when they steal from a mob chief. | LineColor = 551A8B }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber = 4 | Title = Brother Death | DirectedBy = | WrittenBy = | OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1977|4|16}} | ShortSummary = A murder gets caught on film by a photographer who decides to use the evidence as blackmail. | LineColor = 551A8B }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber = 5 | Title = Dead Skunk | DirectedBy = | WrittenBy = | OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1977|4|23}} | ShortSummary = Guest stars: Clu Gulager, Shannon Wilcox, Normann Burton, Richard Roar, Charles Cyphers, Conrad Janis | LineColor = 551A8B }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber = 6 | Title = Yesterday's Woman | DirectedBy = | WrittenBy = | OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1977|5|14}} | ShortSummary = A socialite with a gambling problem steals from a loan shark. | LineColor = 551A8B }} |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|0075949|Dog and Cat}}
- [http://ctva.biz/US/Crime/DogAndCat.htm Dog and Cat] at CTVA
- [http://mysteryfile.com/blog/?p=19388 Review of pilot]
Category:1977 American television series debuts
Category:1977 American television series endings
Category:1970s American crime television series
Category:Television series by CBS Studios
Category:American Broadcasting Company television dramas
Category:Television series about the Los Angeles Police Department