Dog and Cat
A male-female police partnership with a souped-up Beetle.
Dog and Cat is an American television series that aired on ABC on Saturday night at 10:00 p.m. Eastern time in 1977. The show is remembered for Kim Basinger's souped-up Volkswagen Beetle with a Porsche engine.
Quick Facts
- Runtime
- 74 minutes
- Creator
- Walter Hill
- Producer
- Robert Singer
- Executive producers
- Lawrence Gordon
- Starring
- Lou Antonio
- Kim Basinger
- Matt Clark
- Opening theme
- Barry Devorzon
- Country
- United States
- Company
- Largo Productions; Paramount Network Television
Facts from the source article.
Premise
Sgt. Jack Ramsey, an undercover detective with the Los Angeles Police Department, partners with J.Z. Kane. Their relationship is platonic, based on friendship and trust, as they capture criminals. Lieutenant Arthur Kipling is their boss. The term "Dog and Cat" is police slang for a male-female partnership.
Production history
ABC bought the show after Lawrence Gordon pitched it, then sent it to Paramount for production. It was among the first programs Brandon Tartikoff oversaw at ABC. The series took over the slot of Most Wanted, which shifted to Monday. Walter Hill wrote the pilot, but it was later revised, and he used a pseudonym for credit. A review of Hill's script described it as a workable 1970s cop show that failed to exploit its central idea.
Reception
The New York Times called an early episode about a rapist "a particularly repulsive tale" and saw the male lead as a Baretta rip-off and the female lead as inspired by Charlie's Angels. The Washington Post praised Antonio's "nice, grumpy job" and found Basinger "a little saltier than Angie Dickinson's Pepper," noting the show was not overly violent and had humor. Filmink argued the leads were not well cast as a team. The first post-pilot episode, originally about a rapist, was changed to focus on a corrupt policeman; it earned a 40% rating and ranked 23rd for the week. Joel Silver reported that Hill's pilot script inspired Shane Black to write Lethal Weapon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who stars in Dog and Cat?
Dog and Cat stars Lou Antonio, Kim Basinger and Matt Clark.
When did Dog and Cat first air?
Dog and Cat first aired on 5 March 1977.
When did Dog and Cat end?
Dog and Cat last aired on 14 May 1977.
More in American Broadcasting Company Television Dramas
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