C.P.O. Sharkey

{{short description|American television sitcom (1976–1978)}} {{more citations needed|date=August 2018}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox television | image = Don Rickles CPO Sharkey 1977.JPG | caption = Sharkey winds up in a Tijuana jail after trying to bail out his men | genre = Sitcom | creator = Aaron Ruben | starring = Don Rickles Peter Isacksen Elizabeth Allen Harrison Page Richard X. Slattery | director = Peter Baldwin Russ Petranto Mel Ferber | composer = Peter Matz | country = United States | language = English | num_seasons = 2 | num_episodes = 37 | executive_producer = Aaron Ruben | producer = Aaron Ruben Gene Marcione | runtime = 30 minutes | company = R&R Productions | network = NBC | first_aired = {{start date|1976|12|1}} | last_aired = {{end date|1978|4|28}} }} '''''CPO Sharkey''''' is an American television sitcom, created by Aaron Ruben, that aired on NBC from December 1, 1976, to April 28, 1978. The series starred Don Rickles in the title role, with Peter Isacksen, Elizabeth Allen, Harrison Page, and Richard X. Slattery featured in the cast. Rickles, who actually served in the Navy during World War II, was already well-known for the indiscriminate insult comedy he used in his stand-up routines and in guest appearances on other TV shows and specials. ''CPO Sharkey'' was the third TV series that provided him with a regular vehicle for his humor. (Two previous series in which he starred, both eponymously titled ''The Don Rickles Show''—one a 1968 variety show, the other a 1972 sitcom—each aired for one season.)

==Premise== Don Rickles is U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Otto Sharkey, an abrasive career Navy man stationed at a San Diego naval base, in charge of Company 144, a group of seaman recruits. Sharkey initially comes off as callous, sarcastic, and insulting to everyone around him, but underneath his harsh exterior, he genuinely cares for his men and often goes to great lengths to help with their problems.

== Cast of characters == Members of Company 144 come from a motley mix of ethnicities, including: * CPO Otto Sharkey, the titular character, is portrayed by Don Rickles. *Seaman Lester Pruitt (Peter Isacksen), Sharkey's assistant, is a tall, lunkheaded Southerner, who often shares his homespun homilies with the uninterested Sharkey. *Daniels (Jeff Hollis) is a hip black man. *Kowalski (Tom Ruben) is Polish. *Skolnick (David Landsberg) is a Jewish New Yorker. *Mignone (Barry Pearl) is Italian. (Season 1 only) *Rodriguez (Richard Beauchamp) is a Puerto Rican. *Apodaca (Phillip Simms, season 2} {{efn|Seaman Apodaca first appears in S1•E11, but then is not seen again until S2•E1 onward.}}

Others on the base include: *CPO Dave Robinson (Harrison Page) is Sharkey's colleague and closest friend on the base. *Lieutenant Whipple (Jonathan Daly) is Sharkey's immediate superior, whose complacency and buck teeth are fodder for Sharkey, though for obvious reasons, he never insults Whipple to his face. *Captain Quinlan (Elizabeth Allen) is the newly appointed female base commander during season one, whom Sharkey had a hard time accepting at first. *Captain Buckner (Richard X. Slattery) replaced Quinlan in season two. A former submarine commander and hard-nosed career man, Buckner usually gets right in Sharkey's face and barks orders in a rapid-fire manner, rendering Sharkey unable to respond except in a civil manner. *Seaman Shimokawa (Evan C. Kim) is a Japanese immigrant (only appears in a handful of early season-one episodes).

The opening credits showed Sharkey on the USS ''Recruit'', a landlocked training ship of the U.S. Navy located at Naval Training Center San Diego.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Department of Defense Appropriations for Fiscal Year 1978|year=1977|publisher=Department of the Navy|access-date=2 December 2021|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ls_PAAAAMAAJ&dq=uss+recruit+san+diego&pg=PA675}}</ref>

==Production== Creator Aaron Ruben had formerly written scripts for the hit military sitcom ''The Phil Silvers Show'' (''Sgt. Bilko''). Ruben invited scripts from three other ''Bilko'' writers: Tony Webster, Gary Belkin, and Arnie Rosen. Rickles had portrayed a different CPO in the 1961 episode "Professional Sailor" of the CBS military drama-comedy, ''Hennesey'', starring Jackie Cooper.

==Running gags and precedents== In the earliest episodes of the series, Sharkey often ended conversations with each of his recruits by giving them the evil eye and saying "I'm gonna keep an ''ey-y-y-e'' on you".

Pruitt, who stood {{convert |6 |ft |7 |in}}, would invariably hunch forward, looking over the {{convert |5 |ft |6| in |abbr=on}} Sharkey when addressing him face-to-face; Sharkey found it uncomfortable to speak to Pruitt this way, and would make snide remarks about Pruitt's height or a mistake he made. (The July 9–16, 1977 cover of ''TV Guide'' showed Rickles and Isacksen in character, with Sharkey standing on a foot locker so he could physically be eye-to-eye with a surprised Pruitt.) Some of Sharkey's insults toward Pruitt included:

*"Why don't you put bicycle pedals in your ears and ride yourself outta here!" *"Why don't you go elope with a moose!" *"The last time I saw a head like that was on a wall over a bar in Teaneck, New Jersey! Ya big dummy!!"

Lt. Whipple often lectured Sharkey. When he left the room (after bellowing "Carry on!" in his piping voice), Sharkey would often look in the camera and imitate Whipple's buck teeth. He referred to him as Lieutenant Bugs Bunny.

The series was the first primetime sitcom to depict the burgeoning punk rock music scene, with The Dickies, a band from the San Fernando Valley, making a guest appearance in season two.<ref>{{cite web | url =http://jennylens.com/_a-e/dickies/dickies01.htm | title = Punk Pix, 1976-1980 & New Wave, Power Pop & Rock Classic Archive, Rare Photos: Dickies | publisher = JennyLens.com | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20060822002454/http://www.jennylens.com/_a-e/Dickies/Dickies01.htm | archivedate = August 22, 2006}}</ref>

==''The Tonight Show'' cigarette box incident== Rickles was a guest on the December 13, 1976 episode of ''The Tonight Show'', which that night was guest hosted by Bob Newhart. During his time he accidentally broke Johnny Carson's wooden cigarette box, an heirloom that he had kept on his desk on set since 1967. Rickles was doing a gag as an immigration agent and was using Carson's cigarette box as a rubber stamp on papers. After one particularly hard slam, Rickles noticed that the box was broken and went into mock panic.

Carson returned to the show the following night and quickly noticed the broken box. Bandleader Doc Severinsen, who was sitting in for the absent Ed McMahon, explained that Rickles broke it the night before after "having a fit" when a joke didn't go well. When told that ''CPO Sharkey'' was taping nearby, Carson, broken box in hand, took a camera crew and barged into the adjacent studio as they were taping a scene and yelled at Rickles, all to the delight of the studio audiences of both shows. Carson mocked Rickles's comedic style, calling him a "big dummy", and also teased actor Harrison Page, speaking to him in an exaggerated jive accent. As Carson prepared to leave, Rickles announced him to his own audience; Carson turned on his heels and mockingly glared at Rickles shouting, "They know who I am!" and playfully slapped his face before walking back into his own studio.

On 13 November 1978, nearly seven months after ''CPO Sharkey'' had ended, Rickles, this time guest-hosting ''The Tonight Show'' himself while talking with guest Carroll O'Connor, inattentively started slamming Carson's ''new'' cigarette box on the desk, but stopped when he realized what he was doing; this time, the box remained intact.<ref>{{cite web | title=BROKEN CIGARETTE BOX - Johnny Carson & Don Rickles - COMPLETE 1976/78 | website=YouTube | date=September 15, 2017 | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4_dM0kMQc0 }}</ref>

The original incident was often replayed in ''Tonight Show'' retrospectives. It was also featured in ''Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project''. In a 2005 interview with ''The New York Times'', Rickles said that the incident was a genuine accident, but Carson and he played up the drama. "Knowing Johnny, he milked it a little bit. And I added to it." He also said he had no idea that Carson would barge in on his set that day. "I was really taken. In those days, those were bigger cameras than they are today. To schlep all that stuff into the other studio was quite an event."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/17/arts/television/don-rickles-recalls-his-cpo-sharkey-days.html|title=Don Rickles Recalls His 'CPO Sharkey' Days|author=Dave Itzkoff|date=2015-05-15|accessdate=2017-04-06|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref> A clip of the event is included as bonus feature on the season-one DVD set.

==Broadcast history== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Season !! Time slot (ET) |- | 1976–77 || Wednesday at 8:00–8:30 pm (episodes 1–7) Wednesday at 9:00–9:30 pm (episodes 8–14) Wednesday at 9:30–10:00 pm (episode 15) |- | 1977–78 || Friday at 8:00–8:30 pm (episodes 1–12) Friday at 8:30–9:00 pm (episodes 13–22) |}

==Reruns== Reruns aired on Ha!, which became Comedy Central, in the early 1990s.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1991/12/02/comedy-central-offers-dusty-laughs/|title=Comedy Central offers dusty laughs|date=1991-12-02|author=McKerrow, Steve|newspaper=The Baltimore Sun|access-date=2014-07-24|archive-date=2015-02-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150215121421/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1991-12-02/features/1991336198_1_comedy-central-lucy-show-fractured-flickers|url-status=live}}</ref> ''C.P.O Sharkey'' is currently available on Tubi and Amazon Prime.

==Home media== On May 19, 2015, Time Life released ''CPO Sharkey – The Complete Season 1'' on DVD in Region 1.<ref>[http://tvshowsondvd.com/news/CPO-Sharkey-Season-1-Press-Release/20884 Official Time Life Press Release for 'The Complete Season 1'] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150320120451/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/CPO-Sharkey-Season-1-Press-Release/20884 |date=2015-03-20 }}</ref>

On September 22, 2015, Time Life released ''CPO Sharkey – The Complete Season 2'' on DVD in Region 1.<ref>[http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/CPO-Sharkey-Season-2-and-Best-of-Season-1-and-Mr-Warmth-Ultimate/21488 CPO Sharkey – 'Season 2,' 'Best of Season 1' and 'Mr. Warmth: The Ultimate Don Rickles TV Collection] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150831003819/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/CPO-Sharkey-Season-2-and-Best-of-Season-1-and-Mr-Warmth-Ultimate/21488 |date=2015-08-31 }}</ref>

==Episodes== ===Season 1 (1976–77)=== {{Episode table |background=#02A0E4 |overall=4 |season=4 |title= |director= |writer= |airdate=12 |episodes= {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber2= 1 |EpisodeNumber = 1 |Title= Oh Captain! My Captain |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1976|12|1}} |DirectedBy=Peter Baldwin |WrittenBy=Aaron Ruben |ShortSummary= The chauvinistic chief must adjust to the fact that his new commanding officer is a woman. |LineColor= 02A0E4 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber2= 2 |EpisodeNumber = 2 |Title= Shimokawa Ships Out |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1976|12|8}} |DirectedBy= Peter Baldwin |WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay|t=Aaron Ruben & Gene Farmer|s=Walter Bien & Gene Farmer}} |ShortSummary= An enlisted man thinks Sharkey is discriminating against him because he is Japanese. |LineColor= 02A0E4 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber2= 3 |EpisodeNumber = 3 |Title= The Dear John Letter |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1976|12|22}} |DirectedBy= Peter Baldwin |WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay|t=Gene Farmer & Aaron Ruben|s=Coslough Johnson}} |ShortSummary= Chief Robinson suspects that Sharkey is a real ladies' man when he accidentally sees a "Dear Jane" letter in the typewriter. |LineColor= 02A0E4 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber2= 4 |EpisodeNumber = 4 |Title= Goodbye Dolly |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1976|12|29}} |DirectedBy=Peter Baldwin |WrittenBy=Aaron Ruben |ShortSummary= The men try to hide an inflatable female doll in the barracks from Sharkey. |LineColor= 02A0E4 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber2= 5 |EpisodeNumber = 5 |Title= Skolnick in Love |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1977|1|12}} |DirectedBy=Peter Baldwin |WrittenBy={{StoryTeleplay|t=Aaron Ruben and Richard Freiman & Stephen Young|s=Richard Freiman & Stephen Young}} |ShortSummary= Shy recruit Skolnick decides to marry a cocktail waitress after a two-day courtship, much to everyone's surprise. |LineColor= 02A0E4 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber2= 6 |EpisodeNumber = 6 |Title= Mignone's Mutiny |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1977|1|19}} |DirectedBy=Peter Baldwin |WrittenBy={{StoryTeleplay|t=Larry Siegel, Gene Farmer, & Aaron Ruben|s=Larry Siegel}} |ShortSummary= Recruit Mignone's unhappiness with the rigors of boot camp spreads to the other men. |LineColor= 02A0E4 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber2 = 7 |EpisodeNumber = 7 |Title= Kowalski, the Somnambulist |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1977|1|26}} |DirectedBy= Peter Baldwin |WrittenBy= {{StoryTeleplay|t=Aaron Ruben & Mort Scharfman|s=Mort Scharfman}} |ShortSummary= Recruit Kowalski experiences repeated bouts of sleepwalking, for which Sharkey desperately tries to find a cure, or else the young man may face a medical discharge. |LineColor= 02A0E4 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber2= 8 |EpisodeNumber = 8 |Title= Sunday in Tijuana |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1977|2|9}} |DirectedBy= Peter Baldwin |WrittenBy= Aaron Ruben |ShortSummary= Sharkey's romantic plans with Natalie are wrecked when his recruits get arrested in Tijuana, Mexico. |LineColor= 02A0E4 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber2= 9 |EpisodeNumber = 9 |Title= Rodriguez and His Mamacita |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1977|2|16}} |DirectedBy=Peter Baldwin |WrittenBy=Aaron Ruben |ShortSummary= Recruit Rodriguez is just one of the sailors who get in trouble with Sharkey and the top brass for sneaking women into the barracks. |LineColor= 02A0E4 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber2= 10 |EpisodeNumber = 10 |Title= Sharkey Boogies on Down |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1977|2|23}} |DirectedBy= Peter Baldwin |WrittenBy= {{StoryTeleplay|t=Aaron Ruben & Mort Scharfman|s=Mort Scharfman}} |ShortSummary= Chief Robinson takes Sharkey to a disco to celebrate his 45th birthday. |LineColor= 02A0E4 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber2= 11 |EpisodeNumber = 11 |Title= Sharkey Finds Peace and Quiet |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1977|3|2}} |DirectedBy=Peter Baldwin |WrittenBy={{StoryTeleplay|t=Rick Mittleman & Aaron Ruben|s=Rick Mittleman}} |ShortSummary= The chaos of barracks life leads Sharkey to dream of moving off-base to his own apartment. |LineColor= 02A0E4 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber2= 12 |EpisodeNumber = 12 |Title= Sharkey the Marriage Counselor |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1977|3|9}} |DirectedBy= Peter Baldwin |WrittenBy= {{StoryTeleplay|t=Aaron Ruben & Jim Rogers|s=Jim Rogers}} |ShortSummary= Sharkey tries to help a fellow sailor with his marital problems. |LineColor= 02A0E4 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber2= 13 |EpisodeNumber = 13 |Title= Sharkey's Secret Life |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1977|3|16}} |DirectedBy= Peter Baldwin |WrittenBy= {{StoryTeleplay|t=Aaron Ruben|s=Bill Richmond & Gene Perret}} |ShortSummary= The recruits are convinced Sharkey is gay after his clandestine meeting with an effeminate toupee salesman. |LineColor= 02A0E4 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber2=14 |EpisodeNumber=14 |Title= The Pizza Party |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1977|3|23}} |DirectedBy= Peter Baldwin |WrittenBy= Aaron Ruben |ShortSummary= Pruitt plans a pizza party to celebrate the end of boot camp, but does not consult Sharkey. |LineColor= 02A0E4 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber2= 15 |EpisodeNumber = 15 |Title= A Wino Is Loose |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1977|3|23}} |DirectedBy=Peter Baldwin |WrittenBy=Aaron Ruben |ShortSummary= Sharkey must remove a wino who spent the night in the barracks right before a major inspection. |LineColor= 02A0E4 }} }}

===Season 2 (1977–78)=== {{Episode table |background=#00615E |overall=4 |season=4 |title= |director= |writer= |airdate=12 |episodes= {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber2= 1 |EpisodeNumber = 16 |Title= The New Captain |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1977|10|21}} |DirectedBy= Mel Ferber |WrittenBy= Tony Webster |ShortSummary= The new captain proposes to shape up "the chief with the biggest beer belly", a fair description of the outraged Sharkey. |LineColor= 00615E }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber2= 2 |EpisodeNumber = 17 |Title= Operation Frisco |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1977|11|4}} |DirectedBy= Mel Ferber |WrittenBy= Arnie Rosen |ShortSummary= Being assigned to submarine duty interferes with Sharkey's plans to have fun in San Francisco. |LineColor= 00615E }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber2= 3 |EpisodeNumber = 18 |Title= Sharkey Flies over the Cuckoo's Nest |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1977|11|11}} |DirectedBy= Russ Petranto |WrittenBy= Gary Belkin |ShortSummary= A case of mistaken identity ensues when Sharkey reports to the base hospital for his routine physical and is mistaken for a mental patient. |LineColor= 00615E }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber2= 4 |EpisodeNumber = 19 |Title= Don't Make Waves |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1977|11|18}} |DirectedBy= Russ Petranto |WrittenBy= Arnie Rosen |ShortSummary= Comical chaos ensues as Sharkey's barracks is chosen for an experiment in coed Navy living. |LineColor= 00615E }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber2= 5 |EpisodeNumber = 20 |Title= Natalie's Ultimatum |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1977|12|2}} |DirectedBy= Mel Ferber |WrittenBy= Aaron Ruben & Arnie Rosen |ShortSummary= Sharkey's long time girlfriend, Natalie, tires of waiting and gives him an ultimatum about marriage in their relationship. |LineColor= 00615E }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber2= 6 |EpisodeNumber = 21 |Title= Sharkey the Actor |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1977|12|9}} |DirectedBy= Mel Ferber |WrittenBy= Arnie Rosen |ShortSummary= Sharkey lands the lead in a Navy training film. |LineColor= 00615E }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber2= 7 |EpisodeNumber = 22 |Title= Barracks Baby |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1977|12|30}} |DirectedBy= Russ Petranto |WrittenBy= {{StoryTeleplay|t=Howard Albrecht, Sol Weinstein, Aaron Ruben & Arnie Rosen|s=Howard Albrecht & Sol Weinstein}} |ShortSummary= Sharkey must hide a pregnant Mexican woman from INS officials in this Christmas-themed episode. |LineColor= 00615E }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber2= 8 |EpisodeNumber = 23 |Title= Seven-Eleven Sharkey |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1978|1|6}} |DirectedBy= Russ Petranto |WrittenBy= {{StoryTeleplay|t=William Raynor, Myles Wilder, Aaron Ruben & Arnie Rosen|s=William Raynor & Myles Wilder}} |ShortSummary= Sharkey turns to the dice to help recruit Kowalski win back the money for his mother's trip to Poland that the young man had lost in a craps game. |LineColor= 00615E }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber2= 9 |EpisodeNumber = 24 |Title= Forget Pearl Harbor |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1978|1|13}} |DirectedBy= Mel Ferber |WrittenBy={{StoryTeleplay|t=Aaron Ruben|s=William Raynor & Myles Wilder}} |ShortSummary= The behavior of a visiting CPO from the Japanese Navy causes Sharkey to think that he may be a spy. |LineColor= 00615E }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber2= 10 |EpisodeNumber = 25 |Title= Close Encounters of the Worst Kind |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1978|1|27}} |DirectedBy= Russ Petranto |WrittenBy= Michael Brown & Andy Ruben |ShortSummary= Sharkey's girlfriend, Natalie, accuses him of being insensitive. |LineColor= 00615E }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber2= 11 |EpisodeNumber = 26 |Title= Pruitt's Paradise |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1978|2|3}} |DirectedBy= Russ Petranto |WrittenBy= Arnie Rosen |ShortSummary= Pruitt has been showing signs of lethargy, and Sharkey suspects it is due to a wild night life. |LineColor= 00615E }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber2= 12 |EpisodeNumber = 27 |Title= Sharkey Meets Pruitt's Sister |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1978|2|17}} |DirectedBy=Russ Petranto |WrittenBy=Aaron Ruben |ShortSummary= Sharkey and the men try to scrounge up a woman to represent their barracks in the Navy's Miss Topside beauty contest. |LineColor= 00615E }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber= 28 |EpisodeNumber2= 13 |Title= Sharkey's Back Problem |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1978|2|17}} |DirectedBy=Russ Petranto |WrittenBy=Michael Brown & Andy Ruben |ShortSummary= Sudden back pains lead Sharkey to worry that he will be ineligible for the "CPO of the Year" competition. |LineColor= 00615E }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber = 29 |EpisodeNumber2= 14 |Title= It Happened One Night |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1978|3|3}} |DirectedBy= Russ Petranto |WrittenBy= {{StoryTeleplay|t=Bruce Kalish, Philip Wickham Taylor & Aaron Ruben|s=Bruce Kalish & Philip Wickham Taylor}} |ShortSummary= A bomb scare in the female recruits barracks forces them to be housed in Sharkey's building. |LineColor= 00615E }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber2= 15 |EpisodeNumber = 30 |Title= Tell It to the Marines |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1978|3|10}} |DirectedBy=Russ Petranto |WrittenBy=Arnie Rosen |ShortSummary= Visiting Marines cause havoc at the training base, as their behavior tests the patience of Sharkey and the other sailors. |LineColor= 00615E }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber2= 16 |EpisodeNumber = 31 |Title= Sharkey and the South American Way |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1978|3|17}} |DirectedBy=Russ Petranto |WrittenBy=Aaron Ruben |ShortSummary= Sharkey must instruct a visiting South American sailor in the ways of the United States Navy. |LineColor= 00615E }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber2= 17 |EpisodeNumber = 32 |Title= Punk Rock Sharkey |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1978|3|24}} |DirectedBy= Russ Petranto |WrittenBy= Michael Brown & Andy Ruben |ShortSummary= Sharkey ventures into a punk-rock night spot to stop a fight, and comes out with a loose filling and the affections of a teenaged runaway. |LineColor= 00615E }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber2= 18 |EpisodeNumber = 33 |Title= Pruitt, the Russian Flu-Carrier |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1978|3|31}} |DirectedBy= Russ Petranto |WrittenBy= Aaron Ruben |ShortSummary= Pruitt infects Sharkey and most of the recruit company with Russian flu, and Sharkey is overwhelmed by home-spun remedies. |LineColor= 00615E }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber2= 19 |EpisodeNumber = 34 |Title= Captain's Right Hand Man |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1978|4|7}} |DirectedBy= Russ Petranto |WrittenBy= {{StoryTeleplay|t=Arnie Rosen|s=Roland Wolpert}} |ShortSummary= Much to both of their chagrins, Captain Buckner is forced to make Sharkey his personal aide. |LineColor= 00615E }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber2= 20 |EpisodeNumber = 35 |Title= Fear of Flying |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1978|4|14}} |DirectedBy= Mel Ferber |WrittenBy= {{StoryTeleplay|t=Howard Albrecht, Sol Weinstein, Aaron Ruben & Arnie Rosen|s=Howard Albrecht & Sol Weinstein}} |ShortSummary= Sharkey reveals that he has a fear of flying and is terrifed at an upcoming flight he is required to take because of Navy business. |LineColor= 00615E }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber2= 21 |EpisodeNumber = 36 |Title= The Even Couple |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1978|4|21}} |DirectedBy= Russ Petranto |WrittenBy= Aaron Ruben |ShortSummary= Sharkey moves off-base into an apartment to spice up his social life. His plan backfires when the recruits all show up just before a "last chance" date with Natalie yelling loud enough about problems that Sharkey gets tossed by his landlord. |LineColor= 00615E }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber2= 22 |EpisodeNumber = 37 |Title= The Used-Car Caper |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1978|4|28}} |DirectedBy= Mel Ferber |WrittenBy= Bob Booker & George Foster |ShortSummary= Sharkey must come to the rescue when his recruits are swindled by a sleazy car salesman into buying a lemon. |LineColor= 00615E }} }}

== Notes == {{notelist}}

==References== {{reflist}}

==Further reading== * Brooks, Tim; Earl Marsh (2007). ''The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows''. Ballantine Books. {{ISBN|978-0-345-49773-4}} [https://books.google.com/books?id=w8KztFy6QYwC&dq=%22C+P+O++Sharkey+Situation+Comedy%22&pg=PA206 p. 206] {{access-date|September 2, 2024}}.

==External links== * {{IMDb title|id=73969}}

Category:1976 American television series debuts Category:1978 American television series endings Category:1970s American sitcoms Category:Military comedy television series Category:Television shows set in San Diego Category:English-language American television shows Category:NBC sitcoms