In Praise of a Bad Show - and An Underrated Actor

After being distracted all day yesterday, I actually managed to finish off a couple of obligations today. Yup -I finished writing up half a season's worth of music on Quantum Leap, a season that barely had any music not written by the show's main composer, Velton Ray Bunch. And I wrote a one-page article in appreciation of a nearly-forgotten tv series from 1992, Tequila & Bonetti.



Say what? Tequila & Bonetti?

That's right.

The show about the talking police dog?

He didn't exactly talk, but yes, that's the one.



But that was a stupid show. The dog was constantly making not-so-funny wisecracks, and the humor mostly involved the dog peeing on something or someone.

It got better.

You're kidding.

No, really.

Tequila & Bonetti was produced by Donald P. Bellisario (Quantum Leap, JAG), with a lot of help from a bunch of Quantum Leap producers, writers and guest stars. Sure, it was a terrible idea for a show (Universal came to Bellisario with it, not vice-versa), and some of the humor was extremely lame and sophomoric, especially early on. But a few episodes in, the show started to find the right balance of drama and comedy. Charles Rocket (SNL, Max Headroom) was particularly brilliant as Captain Midian Knight, a frustrated Hollywood screenwriter moonlighting as a police captain.

Veteran wrestler Terry Funk (no relation) was funny as Sgt. Nuzo. But
Charles Rocket as Captain Midian Knight was the real comedic standout.

Here's another standout. Liz Torres was great
in at least two episodes as Gina the psychic.

I was going to write more about the show here, including the fact that good writing and a great cast can't save a show with a fundamentally bad premise. But I was just over at IMDb. Having just watched and enjoyed a bunch of Charlie Rocket's work, I was shocked to learn that the reason Sharon wanted material about him for The Observer is that he killed himself in October 2005.



This is terrible news. I really liked him in everything I'd ever seen him do, except the gig that made him both famous and infamous, Saturday Night Live. Way back in 1992 I saw him shooting a scene of Tequila & Bonetti, doing every take slightly differently, improv style. I even wrote him a fan letter, and got a handwritten reply. His stationary had a little drawing of a rocket on it.

I don't want him to be dead.

Drat.

Karen

Update: 11/9/07: Please the comments below and this MySpace posting for more on the life and death of Charlie Rocket. - KFB