Baretta

Did You Know?

• Blake announced on April 27, 1977, that he would leave after completing his contractual run, stating he had proved everything he needed to prove.
• In a 1996 TV interview, Blake said he hated being committed to the series and compared it to screwing a gorilla.
• The first season was released on Region 1 DVD on October 29, 2002; the complete second season was released in the UK on July 26, 2017, with French audio as the only audio option.

Overview

Tony Baretta, a plainclothes detective with the 53rd Precinct, works in an unnamed city. He shares his rundown King Edward Hotel apartment with Fred, a Triton cockatoo. Often in disguise on the job, he typically wears a sweatshirt, slacks, a brown suede jacket, and a newsboy cap off-duty. An unlit cigarette is a constant companion, and his sayings include "Don't do the crime if you can't do the time." His rusted 1966 Chevrolet Impala is called "The Blue Ghost."

Cast

Tom Ewell plays Billy Truman, a retired cop who worked with Baretta's father. Michael D. Roberts appears as Rooster, a pimp and informant. Dana Elcar and Edward Grover play Baretta's supervisors, Inspector Shiller and Lieutenant Hal Brubaker. Other cast members include John Ward, Chino 'Fats' Williams, Ron Thompson, Angelo Rossitto, Titos Vandis, and Paul Lichtman.

Production

The series originated when ABC executive Michael Eisner, after seeing Robert Blake in the film Electra Glide in Blue, contacted him about a police series. Blake was given creative control over most aspects of production. Baretta was a reboot of Toma after Tony Musante left that series. The theme song "Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow" was composed by Dave Grusin and Morgan Ames; initially instrumental, lyrics were added later and sung by Sammy Davis Jr. Studio executives opposed using Davis's vocals, fearing audiences would think Baretta was a black series, but Blake threatened to leave if the recording was rejected. The song was released as a single in Europe in 1976, reaching number one in the Dutch Top 40 as "Baretta's Theme." The music was performed by the band El Chicano, who also released it as a single and album track; it was a hit in several countries. In the US, the single charted at number 42 on the Adult Contemporary Chart and bubbled under the Hot 100 at number 101. Fred the cockatoo was played by two Triton cockatoos named Lalah and Weird Harold.

Cultural references

The June 1976 issue of Mad magazine spoofed the series as "Barfetta," a title Blake himself often used. In the Barney Miller episode "Copycat," Detective Arthur Dietrich ends a speech with Baretta's catchphrase "And dat's the name of dat tune." In the film Reservoir Dogs, a character steels himself by saying "You're fucking Baretta." The sitcom That '70s Show referenced the series in the episode "Stolen Car." In the Party Down episode "Investors Dinner," characters argue about the origin of the name Tony Baretta.