robertpforrest Reviews

Buffalo Bill (1983–1984)

Great to see this again

[9/10 · 22 March 2010]

I watched this show when it was on in prime time in the early 80s but never saw it again until i purchased the DVD set just the other day, I'm about halfway through the 26 episodes and i have to say that I'm really enjoying it, Dabney Coleman is at his best here playing the egotistical Bill Bittinger and is surrounded by a great supporting cast,and although its well done, its not surprising it was canceled after only 2 seasons, the story lines and Bill Bittingers abrasive character was too much for TV at the time, it probably would have done much better today.

I grew up and still live in Toronto Ontario, and Buffalo New York is not all that far from here,so i found it appealing how they captured pretty much what Buffalo TV was like and its well worthwhile to view this series.

Police Squad! (1982)

Based on "M Squad"!

[10/10 · 13 March 2009]

After reading over all these reviews I'm very surprised to see that no one has even once noted that this show was based on the 1957 to 1960 NBC cop show "M Squad" starring Lee Marvin, i read reviews comparing it to "Dragnet" and some of the Quinn Martin police shows, but if you watch M Squad you'll see it was based on it. In the late 1958 episodes of M Squad onwards, you'll see Lee Marvin who plays Lieutenant Detective Frank Ballinger get out of his car and then hes shot at,and he shoots back, the beginning of Police Squad is basically the same ( including the Jazz music) and then Lee Marvin narrates what goes on, (Im Lieutenant Detective Frank Ballinger,M Squad,a special department of the Chicago police) and in Police Squad Leslie Neilsen does the same (Im Detective Lieutenant Frank Drebin, Police Squad, a special division of the Police Department) and so on, in one of the M Squad episodes there's even the Johnny the shoeshine guy character and in a M Squad episode entitled " More Deadly" there's a Police Squad episode entitled "A Substantial Gift (The Broken Promise)" which is the same story!