Richie Brockelman, Private Eye
A young private eye uses his boyish looks to his advantage.
Dennis Dugan played the title role in Richie Brockelman, Private Eye, a short-lived NBC detective series that ran for just five episodes in early 1978. The show was introduced to audiences through a two-hour crossover episode of The Rockford Files.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Crime drama
- Creator
- Stephen J. Cannell; Steven Bochco
- Seasons
- 1
- Episodes
- 5 (and 1 pilot)
- Starring
- Dennis Dugan
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Network
- NBC
Facts from the source article.
Premise
The series followed Richie Brockelman, a 22-year-old private investigator with a college degree who ran his own agency in Los Angeles. (Actor Dennis Dugan was 31 when the show was made.) His secretary, Sharon, was played by Barbara Bosson, and his police contact, Sgt. Ted Coopersmith, was portrayed by Robert Hogan. John Randolph appeared as Richie’s father in one episode; Norman Fell played the father in the two-hour pilot, and Harold Gould later took the role in a crossover with The Rockford Files. Brockelman’s youthful, clean-cut appearance, combined with a nerdy, polite, and friendly manner, led people to underestimate him. In truth, he was clever and resourceful, using others’ mistaken view of him as naive to his advantage. His main tactic was talking his way into or out of situations, though he did not always succeed. Plots often involved a woman in trouble; Brockelman would solve the case but never end up with her. The show began as a 1976 pilot called “Richie Brockelman: The Missing 24 Hours,” which NBC did not pick up. Stephen J. Cannell then reworked the character into a two-hour episode of The Rockford Files, “The House on Willis Avenue,” which closed the 1977–78 season. This led to a limited run of Richie Brockelman, Private Eye. NBC picked up the series as compensation for canceling the sitcom Off the Wall. Brockelman later appeared in another two-part Rockford Files episode, “Never Send a Boy King to Do a Man’s Job,” at the end of the 1978–79 season. The theme song, “School’s Out,” was written by Mike Post, Pete Carpenter, Herb Pederson, and Stephen Geyer. An extended version from Mike Post’s Television Theme Songs was available for download on iTunes and Amazon. Performers were credited as Stephen Geyer & Herb Pedersen and Mike Post & Pete Carpenter.
Appearances on The Rockford Files
The character of Richie Brockelman appeared on two episodes of The Rockford Files, both two hours long. "The House on Willis Avenue" (season four, episodes 21 & 22; original airdate February 24, 1978) saw Jim Rockford and Richie Brockelman team up to investigate the death of a fellow private investigator on the Ventura Freeway. Broadcast about a year-and-a-half after "The Missing 24 Hours," this episode re-introduced the character and introduced his police contact Sgt. Ted Coopersmith, who was not seen or mentioned in the earlier pilot. Richie's secretary Sharon is referenced but not seen. This episode established that Richie Brockelman is 22 years old and served as a set-up for the series, which started airing in The Rockford Files time slot a few weeks later. "Never Send a Boy King to Do a Man's Job" (season five, episodes 20 & 21; original airdate March 3, 1979) aired about a year after the series had ended. Harold Gould and Kim Hunter played Richie's parents; the elder Mr. Brockelman is cheated out of his business, and Richie enlists Rockford to help run a con on the men responsible. Sharon and Sgt. Coopersmith are not seen in this episode.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who created Richie Brockelman, Private Eye?
Richie Brockelman, Private Eye was created by Stephen J. Cannell and Steven Bochco.
When did Richie Brockelman, Private Eye first air?
Richie Brockelman, Private Eye first aired on 17 March 1978.
When did Richie Brockelman, Private Eye end?
Richie Brockelman, Private Eye last aired on 14 April 1978.
More in Television Series by Stephen J. Cannell Productions
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