{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox television | image = Joe Bash photo.jpg | caption = Peter Boyle, right, and Andrew Rubin in ''Joe Bash'' | genre = Comedy drama | creator = Danny Arnold | developer = Philip Jayson Lasker<br>Chris Hayward | writer = | director = | starring = Peter Boyle<br />Andrew Rubin<br />DeLane Matthews<br />Michael Cavanaugh | theme_music_composer = | open_theme = | end_theme = | composer = Jack Elliott | country = United States | language = English | num_seasons = 1 | num_episodes = 6 | executive_producer = | producer = | location = | camera = | runtime = 30 minutes | company = Tetragram | channel = ABC | first_aired = {{Start date|1986|3|28}} | last_aired = {{End date|1986|5|10}} }} '''''Joe Bash''''' is an American comedy-drama television series that aired on ABC from March 28 to May 10, 1986.<ref>{{cite book|last=Brooks|first=Tim|author2=Earle Marsh|title=The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present|publisher=Random House|year=2007|page=706|isbn=978-0-345-49773-4|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=flZ0wqsOnjkC&pg=PA706}}</ref><ref name="terrace" /> Starring Peter Boyle as a weary and embittered New York City Police Department beat cop, it was created by Danny Arnold following his sitcom ''Barney Miller''. The production company was Tetagram Ltd., with Arnold and Chris Hayward serving as the show's executive producers. All six episodes were written by the team of Arnold, Hayward and Philip Jayson Lasker, with Arnold directing all but the fifth episode, which was directed by John Florea.
==Synopsis== A darkly urban comedy-drama shot without a studio audience or laugh track,<ref>{{cite news|title=Fine ''Joe Bash'' deserves a shot|last=Weiskind|first=Ron|date=March 27, 1986|work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|page=17}}</ref> the series starred Peter Boyle as a veteran, semi-corrupt cop marking time until retirement, and Andrew Rubin as his naive rookie partner, Officer Willie Smith.<ref>{{Cite book | last1 = Castleman | first1 = Harry | first2 = Walter J. | last2 = Podrazik | title = Harry and Wally's Favorite TV Shows | location = New York | publisher = Prentice Hall Press | year= 1989 | page = 262 | isbn = 978-0-13-933250-0 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ccJkAAAAMAAJ&q=%22joe+bash%22}}</ref> Series creator Danny Arnold described the lead character as "a beat patrolman with thirty years on the force. He's become so completely disillusioned and such a terrible cynic that he's written off the world."<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sqm2AAAAIAAJ&q=%22joe+bash%22 |title=Emmy, Volume 8|publisher= National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences |year=1986|page = 9}}</ref> In recurring roles were DeLane Matthews as streetwalker Lorna, the only person with whom the misanthropic Bash could be even somewhat close;<ref>{{cite book |last1=Lichter |first1=S. Robert |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vRvuAAAAMAAJ&q=%22joe+bash%22 |title=Prime Time: How TV Portrays American Culture |last2=Lichter |first2=Linda S. |last3=Rothman |first3=Stanley |publisher=Regency |year=1994 |isbn=978-0-89526-491-6 |page=98}}</ref> Val Bisoglio as Sgt. Carmine DiSalvo; Michael Cavanaugh as Lt. Pendleton; and Larry Hankin as diner-owner Stu. It was set in the 33rd Precinct in Manhattan,<ref name="terrace">{{cite book|last=Terrace|first=Vincent|title=Experimental Television, Test Films, Pilots, and Trial Series, 1925 through 1995|editor=illustrated|publisher=McFarland & Company|year=1997|page=290|isbn=978-0-7864-0178-9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r8VkAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Joe+Bash%22}}</ref> represented via a deliberately theatrical set reminiscent of a stage play.<ref name="times">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/04/17/arts/tv-review-2-sitcoms-mr-sunshine-and-joe-bash-on-abc.html|title=TV Review; 2 Sitcoms, ''Mr. Sunshine'' and ''Joe Bash'', on ABC|last=O'Connor|first=John J.|date=April 17, 1986|work=The New York Times|access-date=28 February 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150524191458/http://www.nytimes.com/1986/04/17/arts/tv-review-2-sitcoms-mr-sunshine-and-joe-bash-on-abc.html|archive-date=May 24, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>
As Arnold described it, "The show came out to be sort of strange. ... ABC said, 'What kind of show is this? We don't know how to sell it.' ... 'Joe Bash' is not a situation comedy and it's not a drama. It's a behavioral comedy, a comedy whose roots are in drama."<ref name=rosenberg>{{cite news|first=Howard|last= Rosenberg|url= http://www.sitcomsonline.com/photopost/showphoto.php/photo/76969|title=Offbeat Humor Of 'Joe Bash'|date= April 25, 1986|publisher=Los Angeles Times via SitcomsOnline.com|access-date=January 29, 2012|archive-date=November 22, 2012| archive-url=https://archive.today/20121122150603/http://www.sitcomsonline.com/photopost/showphoto.php/photo/76969|url-status=live}}</ref> He chose the name "Bash" because it "sounded like an aggressive hitter, a victim who is striking back and totally cynical because he's accomplished nothing in his life."<ref name=rosenberg />
==Reception== ''Joe Bash'' won positive notices from critics. ''Time'' placed the series on the magazine's 1986 best-of list, calling it "a moody tragicomedy on loneliness. Peter Boyle was outstanding as a grumpy cop in this undeservedly short-lived series".<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,963156,00.html |title=Best of '86: Video |date=January 5, 1987 |magazine=Time |access-date=28 February 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110122235457/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,963156,00.html |archive-date=22 January 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In an earlier review, the magazine remarked on how the two lead characters would "traverse the desolate city streets and cope with the unglamorous trivia of everyday police life. ... In Boyle's sharp and unsentimental portrayal, crustiness never becomes cute, and there are echoes of authentic urban despair in the patter".<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,961151,00.html |title=Video: Lonely Beat ''Joe Bash'' |last=Zoglin |first=Richard |date=April 21, 1986 |magazine=Time |access-date=28 February 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110124073025/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,961151,00.html |archive-date=24 January 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> ''The New York Times'' wrote favorably that, "There is no laugh track to signal the viewer as to whether Joe's misanthropy is really supposed to be funny. ''Joe Bash'' moves to its own special beat, apparently bent on demolishing every well-established cliché in sitcom territory".<ref name="times" /> Lee Margulies of the ''Los Angeles Times'' wrote that the show is "not entertaining in the usual TV sense, but the intriguing premise and the captivating performance by Boyle nevertheless leaves one interested in tuning in again".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-03-28-ca-928-story.html|title=TV Reviews : ABC Counters With ''Bash'', ''Sunshine''|last=Margulies|first=Lee|date=March 28, 1986|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=28 February 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100412194112/http://articles.latimes.com/1986-03-28/entertainment/ca-928_1|archive-date=April 12, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Cast== *Peter Boyle as Off. Joe Bash *Andrew Rubin as Off. Willie Smith
==Episodes== {{Episode table |background= |overall= |title= |director= |writer= |airdate= |episodes= {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber=1 | Title=Pilot | DirectedBy=Danny Arnold | WrittenBy=Danny Arnold & Philip Jayson Lasker & Chris Hayward | OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1986|3|28}} | ShortSummary=''Guest stars:'' DeLane Matthews, Val Bisoglio, Michael Cavanaugh, Robert Trebor, Hubert B. Kelly, Lisa Dunsheath | LineColor= }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber=2 | Title=Cash | DirectedBy=Danny Arnold | WrittenBy=Danny Arnold & Philip Jayson Lasker & Chris Hayward | OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1986|4|4}} | ShortSummary=''Guest stars:'' Val Bisoglio, Michael Cavanaugh, Dino Natali (Angelo), Larry Jenkins (Mugger), LaWanda Page, Robert Trebor, Jack Bernardi, Darrow Igus, Vincent Guastaferro, Ruth Jaroslow | LineColor= }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber=3 | Title=Feinbaum | DirectedBy=Danny Arnold | WrittenBy=Danny Arnold & Philip Jayson Lasker & Chris Hayward | OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1986|4|11}} | ShortSummary=''Guest stars:'' Larry Hankin, Sam Scarber (Sam), Jack Gilford (Feinbaum) | LineColor= }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber=4 | Title=Janowitz | DirectedBy=Danny Arnold | WrittenBy=Danny Arnold & Philip Jayson Lasker & Chris Hayward | OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1986|4|25}} | ShortSummary=''Guest stars:'' DeLane Matthews, Larry Hankin, Pat Corley (Integrity Control officer), Sully Boyar, Sy Kramer | LineColor= }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber=5 | Title=Joe's First Partner | DirectedBy=John Florea | WrittenBy=Danny Arnold & Philip Jayson Lasker & Chris Hayward | OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1986|5|2}} | ShortSummary=''Guest stars:'' Joseph Mascolo (Capt. Charles Taylor), Pierrino Mascarino (Irv), Marilyn Sokol (Betty), Dean Dittman, Tom Rosqui | LineColor= }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber=6 | Title=Romance | DirectedBy=Danny Arnold | WrittenBy=Danny Arnold & Philip Jayson Lasker & Chris Hayward | OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1986|5|10}} | ShortSummary=''Guest stars:'' DeLane Matthews, Reni Santoni (Carlos), Rosanna DeSoto (Maria) | LineColor= }} }}
==Other crew== *Associate producer: Martin J. Gold *Director of photography: Mike Berlin *Editor: Paul Bonat *Production designer: Ed LaPorta *Music: Jack Elliott *Lighting director: Mark Palius *Casting: Eleanor Ross (Los Angeles), David Tochterman (New York City) *Makeup: Holly Bane *Wardrobe: Barbara Murphy
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{IMDb title|0090462}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20170918083618/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b731bb247 ''Joe Bash''] at the British Film Institute{{better source needed|reason=Help request: a live link can be searched for at https://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web/search/expert - if available, replace the archive URL with the live link. Or if none found, remove this 'better source needed' template. | date=October 2023}} *[http://ca.tv.yahoo.com/joe-bash/show/31417/castcrew ''Joe Bash''] cast and crew at Yahoo! *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oI0tKlD6IQY Episode 4] at YouTube.com
Category:1986 American television series debuts Category:1986 American television series endings Category:1980s American comedy-drama television series Category:American Broadcasting Company comedy dramas Bash, Joe Category:Fictional portrayals of the New York City Police Department Category:Television shows set in New York City Category:English-language American television shows Category:Television series by Sony Pictures Television