Ohara (TV series)

Last updated
Ohara
Ohara.jpg
Pat Morita as Ohara
Genre Police procedural
Created by
Developed by Ronald M. Cohen
Starring
Composer Bill Conti
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes30
Production
Executive producers
  • Brian Grazer
  • Hal Sitowitz
  • Tony Wharmby
  • Roderick Taylor
Producers
  • Skip Ward
  • Ralph Riskin
Running time60 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network ABC
ReleaseJanuary 17, 1987 (1987-01-17) 
May 7, 1988 (1988-05-07)

Ohara is an American police procedural television series that first aired on the ABC television network from January 17, 1987, until May 7, 1988, starring Pat Morita in the title role of Lt. Ohara. Morita also co-created the series along with Michael Braveman and John A. Kuri. Kevin Conroy, Jon Polito, Rachel Ticotin, and Robert Clohessy also starred in supporting roles. The series was notable for being one of the first television series to have a Japanese-American actor in the leading role.

Contents

Premise

The series focuses on an unconventional Los Angeles-based Japanese American police lieutenant named Ohara (Pat Morita) who uses spirituality methods such as meditation in his home shrine to solve crimes without the use of a gun or a partner, although he would use martial arts if necessary. He often talked in the form of epigrams. He was later paired with a partner named Lt. George Shaver (Robert Clohessy) who was a more conventional cop.

Main cast

Season 1

Season 2

Notable guest stars

Episodes list

Season 1 (1987)

No.
overall
No. in
season
Title Directed by Written by Original air date
11"Pilot"E.W. SwackhamerRichard Christian DanusJanuary 17, 1987 (1987-01-17)
22"Eddie"E.W. SwackhamerRichard DanusJanuary 24, 1987 (1987-01-24)
33"Darryl"E.W. SwackhamerBill D'Arvay (story); Bill D'Arvay and Daniel Freudenberger (teleplay)January 31, 1987 (1987-01-31)
44"Will"E.W. SwackhamerPaul F. Edwards and Howard Friedland & Ken Peragine (story); Paul F. Edwards (teleplay)February 7, 1987 (1987-02-07)
55"Toshi"Jackie CooperLen Mlodinow & Scott Rubenstein & John WellsFebruary 14, 1987 (1987-02-14)
66"Terry"Jerry JamesonRichard Danus & Daniel Freudberger & Hal SitowitzFebruary 21, 1987 (1987-02-21)
77"Louie"Jerry JamesonHal SitowitzMarch 7, 1987 (1987-03-07)
88"Laura"E.W. SwackhamerBill BleichMarch 14, 1987 (1987-03-14)
99"Jesse"Jerry JamesonMichael MarksMarch 21, 1987 (1987-03-21)
1010"Frannie"E.W. SwackhammerPaul F. EdwardsMarch 28, 1987 (1987-03-28)
1111"Brian"Jerry JamesonJohnathan GlasnerApril 4, 1987 (1987-04-04)

Season 2 (1987–88)

No.
overall
No. in
season
Title Directed by Written by Original air date
121"'Y' Wanna Live Forever?"Tony WharmbyRonald M. CohenOctober 3, 1987 (1987-10-03)
132"Artful Dodgers"Tony WharmbyRobert McCulloughOctober 10, 1987 (1987-10-10)
143"The Sparrow"Bruce KesslerLinda ElstadOctober 24, 1987 (1987-10-24)
154"Fagin All Over Again"Robert SweeneyRama BlumNovember 7, 1987 (1987-11-07)
165"Take the Money and Run"Bruce KesslerRobert McCullough & Joseph GunnNovember 14, 1987 (1987-11-14)
176"The Intruders"Colin BuckseyJoseph GunnNovember 21, 1987 (1987-11-21)
187"Hot Rocks"Tony WharmbyRobert McCullough & Joseph GunnDecember 5, 1987 (1987-12-05)
198"And a Child Shall Lead Them"Bruce KesslerJoseph Gunn & Robert McCulloughDecember 12, 1987 (1987-12-12)
209"Silver in the Hills"Michael CaffeyJoseph Gunn & Robert McCulloughDecember 19, 1987 (1987-12-19)
2110"They Shoot Witnesses, Don't They?"Don ChaffeyRama BlumJanuary 2, 1988 (1988-01-02)
2211"You Bet Your Life"Dale WhiteDavid BraffJanuary 16, 1988 (1988-01-16)
2312"What's in a Name?"Tony WharmbyJerome LewJanuary 23, 1988 (1988-01-23)
Brandon Lee appears in this episode.
2413"Sign of the Times"Dale WhiteDavid Braff & Joseph Gunn & Robert McCulloughJanuary 30, 1988 (1988-01-30)
2514"The Light Around the Body"Tony WharmbyRoderick Taylor & Bruce A. Taylor & Jeff MandelFebruary 6, 1988 (1988-02-06)
Last episode to feature Rachel Ticotin and Meagen Fay. Ohara and Shaver quit the force to become private eyes at the end of the episode.
2615"X"Richard C. SarafianStory by: Roderick Taylor & William Mickelberry
Teleplay by: William Mickelberry
March 5, 1988 (1988-03-05)
2716"Last Year's Model"Bradford MayStory by: Roderick Taylor & Bruce A. Taylor & Jeff Mandel
Teleplay by: Jeff Mandel & Bruce A. Taylor
March 12, 1988 (1988-03-12)
2817"Open Season"Richard C. SarafianStory by: Roderick Taylor & Bruce A. Taylor & Jeff Mandel
Teleplay by: Bruce A. Taylor & Jeff Mandel
March 26, 1988 (1988-03-26)
2918"Seeing Something That Isn't There"Bradford MayStory by: Roderick Taylor & Bruce A. Taylor & Jeff Mandel
Teleplay by: Jeff Mandel & Bruce A. Taylor
April 30, 1988 (1988-04-30)
3019"Hot Spell"UnknownUnknownMay 7, 1988 (1988-05-07)

Format changes and cancellation

Following its premiere, the show was not attracting the audience ABC had hoped for. They put it through several format changes to increase the ratings. The first major change was to change title character Ohara from a lieutenant to a federal police officer; he was also paired with a partner. Later on in the season Ohara became a more conventional cop using a gun to assist him in his investigations. The second season had a final format change in which Ohara and his partner were turned into private investigators. These changes failed to improve the show's declining ratings and the show was cancelled after the second season.

Related Research Articles

<i>Hill Street Blues</i> American police drama television series (1981–1987)

Hill Street Blues is an American serial police procedural television series that aired on NBC in prime-time from January 15, 1981, to May 12, 1987, for 146 episodes. The show chronicles the lives of the staff of a single police station located on Hill Street in an unnamed large city, although the opening credits show scenes from the city of Chicago. The "blues" are the police officers in their blue uniforms. The show received critical acclaim, and its production innovations influenced many subsequent dramatic television series produced in the United States and Canada. In its debut season, the series won eight Emmy Awards, a debut season record later surpassed only by The West Wing. The show won a total of 26 Emmy Awards during its run, including four consecutive wins for Outstanding Drama Series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pat Morita</span> American actor (1932–2005)

Noriyuki "Pat" Morita was an American actor and comedian. He was best known for his roles as Matsuo "Arnold" Takahashi on Happy Days, Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid film series, Captain Sam Pak on the comedy series M*A*S*H, Ah Chew in Sanford and Son, Mike Woo in The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo, and The Emperor of China in Mulan and Mulan II. He was the series lead actor in the television program Mr. T and Tina and in Ohara, a police-themed drama. The two shows made history for being among the few TV shows with an Asian-American series lead.

<i>The Streets of San Francisco</i> American crime drama television series

The Streets of San Francisco is an American television crime drama filmed on location in San Francisco and produced by Quinn Martin Productions, with the first season produced in association with Warner Bros. Television.

Homicide: Life on the Street is an American police drama television series chronicling the work of a fictional version of the Baltimore Police Department's Homicide Unit. It ran for seven seasons on NBC from January 31, 1993, to May 21, 1999, and was succeeded by Homicide: The Movie (2000), which served as the series finale. The series was created by Paul Attanasio and based on David Simon's book Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets (1991). Many of the characters and stories used throughout the show were based on events depicted in the book.

<i>Strike Force</i> (TV series) American TV series or program

Strike Force is an American action-adventure/police procedural television series that aired on ABC during the 1981–1982 television season, and was produced by Aaron Spelling Productions. The program starred Robert Stack as Capt. Frank Murphy, the leader of a specialized unit of detectives and police officers whose job is to stop violent criminals at any cost.

Rachel Ticotin Strauss is an American film and television actress. She has appeared in films such as Fort Apache, The Bronx, Total Recall, Falling Down, and Con Air. She has appeared in the NBC legal drama Law & Order: LA as Lt. Arleen Gonzales, and guest starred in the "Warriors" episode of Blue Bloods in 2013, appearing as "Carmen Castillo".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roy Roberts</span> American actor (1906–1975)

Roy Roberts was an American character actor. Over his more than 40-year career, he appeared in more than nine hundred productions on stage and screen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barry Kelley</span> American actor (1908–1991)

Edward Barry Kelley was an American actor on Broadway in the 1930s and 1940s and in films during the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. The heavy-set actor created the role of Ike in Oklahoma! on Broadway. His large size and acting range had him playing primarily judges, detectives, and police officers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arthur Franz</span> American actor (1920–2006)

Arthur Sofield Franz was an American actor whose most notable feature film role was as Lieutenant, Junior Grade H. Paynter Jr. in The Caine Mutiny (1954).

<i>Harry O</i> Television series

Harry O, sometimes spelled Harry-O, is an American private detective series that aired for two seasons on ABC from 1974 to 1976. The series starred David Janssen, and Jerry Thorpe was executive producer. Harry O followed the broadcast of two pilot films: firstly Such Dust as Dreams Are Made On and secondly Smile Jenny, You're Dead, both starring Janssen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Crosetti</span> Fictional character

Det. Steven "Steve" Crosetti is a fictional character on the television drama series Homicide: Life on the Street portrayed by actor Jon Polito for the show's first two seasons. He is believed to be based on Baltimore Police Department Det. Terry McLarney, who was in the BPD homicide unit in David Simon's book Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets; the character's ancestry was changed from Irish to Italian because Polito got the role.

<i>Brooklyn South</i> Television series

Brooklyn South is an American ensemble police drama television series that aired on CBS for one season from September 22, 1997, to April 27, 1998. It was aired during the 1997–98 television season. The series was co-created by Steven Bochco, Bill Clark, David Milch, and William M. Finkelstein.

Robert Clohessy is an American actor. He is best known for playing Correctional Officer Sean Murphy on the HBO prison drama Oz from seasons 3–6, in addition to playing Officer Patrick Flaherty on the NBC police procedural Hill Street Blues, Warden Boss James Neary on the HBO crime drama Boardwalk Empire for the first two seasons and Lieutenant Sid Gormley on the CBS police drama Blue Bloods.

<i>The Karate Kid</i> (TV series) Television series

The Karate Kid is a 1989 American animated children's television series which debuted on NBC's Saturday morning lineup. It starred Joey Dedio, Robert Ito, and Janice Kawaye. It is based on the Karate Kid series of films, and was produced by DIC Enterprises, Saban Entertainment and Columbia Pictures Television.

<i>Homicide: Life on the Street</i> (season 2) 1994 American television series season

The second season of Homicide: Life on the Street, an American police procedural drama television series, originally aired in the United States between January 6 and January 27, 1994. Due to low Nielsen ratings during the first season, NBC executives decided to order only a four-episode season, after which they would evaluate the ratings and decide whether to renew the show. Homicide was moved to a new timeslot of Thursdays at 10 p.m. EST, temporarily replacing the legal drama L.A. Law. NBC requested several changes from the series, including fewer episode subplots and less camera movements and jump cuts.

<i>Homicide: Life on the Street</i> (season 3) Season of television series

The third season of Homicide: Life on the Street aired in the United States on the NBC television network from October 14, 1994, to May 5, 1995, and contained 20 episodes. It was the first full season of episodes. Beginning in the third season, Homicide was moved to Fridays at 10 p.m. EST, a timeslot the show would remain at until its cancellation in 1999.

A Many Splendored Thing (<i>Homicide: Life on the Street</i>) 4th episode of the 2nd season of Homicide: Life on the Street

"A Many Splendored Thing" is the second season finale of the American police drama television series Homicide: Life on the Street, and the thirteenth overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on January 27, 1994. In the episode, Pembleton and Bayliss investigate the S&M-related murder of a young woman, which forces an uncomfortable Bayliss to confront his darker side. Meanwhile, Lewis is disturbed when a man commits murder over a $1.49 pen, and a despairing Munch crashes Bolander's date and ruins it by venting his own romantic woes.

The Americans is a 17-episode American drama television series that aired on NBC from January to May 1961. Set during the American Civil War, the series focuses on two brothers fighting on opposite sides of the conflict. Guest stars included Lee Marvin, Jack Elam, Brian Keith, Kathleen Crowley and Robert Redford, among many others.

See No Evil (<i>Homicide: Life on the Street</i>) 2nd episode of the 2nd season of Homicide: Life on the Street

"See No Evil" is the second episode of the second season of the American police drama television series Homicide: Life on the Street, and the eleventh overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on January 13, 1994. In the episode, Felton's friend kills his father in an assisted suicide, and Felton tries to convince Lewis to look the other way. In a subplot, Pembleton investigates what appears to be the police shooting of an unarmed suspect.

Crime & Punishment is a police drama television program created by Dick Wolf that ran for 6 episodes on NBC from March 3, 1993, to April 7, 1993. With the exceptions of the first and last episodes, which aired on Wednesdays, the show occupied the 10 p.m. slot of the network's Thursday-night "The Best Night of Television on Television" programming block, a timeslot occupied for the rest of the 1992-1993 season by the 7th season of L.A. Law.