Leg Work
| Leg Work | |
|---|---|
 Main title screen | |
| Created by | Frank Abatemarco |
| Starring |
Margaret Colin Frances McDormand Patrick James Clarke |
| Composer(s) | Michael Omartian |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 10 (4 unaired) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
Treasure Island Productions 20th Century Fox Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Original release | October 3 – November 7, 1987 |
Leg Work is an American detective drama television series created by Frank Abatemarco that premiered on CBS on October 3, 1987. 10 episodes of the series were produced, of which six were aired prior to the show's cancellation. The final episode aired on November 7, 1987. The cable network TV Land later aired the remaining four episodes.
Synopsis
Set in New York City, the show's main character was Claire McCarron (played by Margaret Colin), a former Assistant D.A. turned private investigator. A policeman's daughter (Colin was a policeman's daughter in real life),[1] she drove around town in a Porsche 911 Cabriolet but lived beyond her means and often struggled to make a living from her fledgling detective agency. The show also starred Patrick James Clarke as her brother and NYPD lieutenant Fred McCarron, and Frances McDormand as Willie Pipal, her friend who still worked for the DA's office.
Cast
- Margaret Colin as Claire McCarron
- Patrick James Clarke as Fred McCarron
- Frances McDormand as Willie Pipal
- Robert Dorfman as Jeffrey
Episodes
- Episode 1, Pilot, 3 October 1987
- Episode 2, Things That Go Bump in the Night, 10 October 1987
- Episode 3, The Best Couple I Know, 17 October 1987
- Episode 4, The Art of Murder, 24 October 1987
- Episode 5, All This and a Gold Card Too, 31 October 1987
- Episode 6, Blind Trust, 7 November 1987
- Episode 7, Life Itself, Unaired in the US
- Episode 8, Mystery Woman, Unaired in the US
- Episode 9, The American Dream, Unaired in the US
- Episode 10, Peaches, Unaired in the US
Reaction and ratings
Critical opinion was mixed. It was described as having a "somewhat leering tone", but also the "best and brightest of CBS' new series" as well as being a seeming extension of Colin's 1985 lawyer sitcom, the equally short-lived Foley Square (in which Colin had played an assistant district attorney). However even before its premiere, critics anticipated a quick demise due to its difficult programming slot, on Saturday nights opposite NBC's The Golden Girls and Amen.[2] Ratings were indeed dismal, as in its five weeks on the air, Leg Work was always rated within the bottom five network shows every single week. In its final airing on October 31, it was ranked dead last, 76th out of 76 network shows.
Despite its brief run, Leg Work was shown in other countries outside of the US. It premiered in the UK on the ITV network (usually in a late Friday night slot) in Spring 1988.
References
- ↑ Buck, Jerry (August 19, 1987). "Cop's daughter plays cop's daughter". Toronto, ON: Toronto Star. pp. B.3.
- ↑ Kelley, Bill (August 5, 1987). "CBS aims to attract male viewers with new fall lineup". Fort Lauderdale, FL: Sun Sentinel. pp. 5.E.