This was an OK show. William Conrad, notable for being one of the greatest actors in radio history--certainly among the top ten on any list--adds his memorable presence. Penney gets a lot of screen time as he runs around doing legwork and handling the action aspects. To me, Penney was always a fairly generic sleek good-looking type. I thought he was about adequate in the role, but I also thought any of three dozen actors could have done it as well. But William Conrad! He was a talent for the ages.

Hailing from the UK i am not that familiar with niche 80's US detective shows, so imagine my surprise whilst flicking through the various cable channels at 4am (dont ask) that i came across Jake and the Fatman.although other people might disagree i found myself hooked on this show which for an 80's programme (reaganite politics aside) is extremely groundbreaking in a cheesy sort of way. episodes that dealt with vigilante husbands punishing random muggers due to his wife being gang-raped (something he was made to watch)years previously to an avenging cops wife shooting her husband and his partner for the miscarriage he rather violently inflicted on her in the past.i am aware of the censorship issues that are in operation in network American TV so it is all the more refreshing and intelligent that such a programme could have dealt with these issues in (i am assuming) its prime-time slot.if you happen to read my rather general review on Jake and the Fatman and i have piqued your interest you would not be wasting your time if you were to give it a go, so search the stations on those cold dark nights and be entertained.

This is probably the only other character besides Frank Cannon that William Conrad will always be associated with (other than his portrayal of Matt Dillon on the radio version of Gunsmoke). This was a good mixture of action and humor and the chemistry between William Conrad, Joe Penny and Alan Campbell was what made it so fun. Also, the best years of the show was when the locale was switched from Los Angeles to Honolulu. This seemed to add a little something to the show. Unfortunately, they had to move the show back to L.A. and that seemed to take the edge off the show. However, this show still will be one of the most underrated shows of the late-1980's.

Why was this series cancelled? With the exception of Hunter, it was probably the best detective show since William Conrad starred in Cannon. Conrad played the eccentric district attorney, J. L. McCabe, with his ever-present dog Max to the hilt, and Joe Penny played detective Jake Styles just as well. The interplay of McCabe's and Styles's personalities added much to the mix.