# Delvecchio (TV series)

Delvecchio is an American drama television series that aired Sundays at 10:00 pm (EST) on CBS from September 9, 1976, to March 13, 1977. It starred Judd Hirsch as the title character, Dominick Delvecchio, an Italian-American detective who worked for the LAPD and also studied to become a lawyer.

## Premise

The title character, a "tough, independent big-city police detective", had graduated from law school but failed the bar examination. His father, a barber, could not understand why Delvecchio chose a career that had him investigating crimes that included auto thefts, murders, and narcotics.

## Cast

* Judd Hirsch as Sgt. Dominick "Del Wop" Delvecchio
* Charles Haid as Sgt. Paul "The Fat Polish Sausage" Shonski
* Michael Conrad as Lt. Macavan
* Mario Gallo as Tomaso Delvecchio

### Recurring

* Pervis Atkins as Robbie
* Jay Varela as Sgt. Rivera
* Lew Palter as Det. Clark
* George Wyner as Asst. D.A. Dorfman
* James B. Sikking as Ned Wangler
* James Jeter as Smitty

## Schedule

Delvecchio debuted on September 9, 1976, at 9 p.m. Its competition was The Streets of San Francisco on ABC and films on NBC. When it moved to 10 p.m. on September 26, 1976, films formed the competition on both networks. The change in time and date was planned by Bud Grant, vice president for programming at CBS to "whet people's appetites" by launching the show when the competing programming was weaker.

## Production

Steven Bochco was a writer/producer on the show, and Michael Kozoll was also a series writer. Four years after Delvecchio was cancelled, Boccho and Kozoll created the police drama Hill Street Blues, which featured (amongst many others) Delvecchio regulars Charles Haid, Michael Conrad, and James B. Sikking.
Other writers on the show included Peter S. Fischer, Gy Waldron, and John D.F. Black. William Sackheim was the executive producer, and Steven Bochco and Michael Rhodes were the producers. Directors were Lou Antonio, Walter Doniger, and Ivan Nagy. The series was filmed on location in Los Angeles.

## Episodes

| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
| 1 | "The Avenger" | Jerry London | Joseph Polizzi | September 26, 1976 (1976-09-26) |
| Delvecchio finds the tough narcotics cop investigating an informer's murder with him unethical. |||||
| 2 | "Contract for Harry" | Walter Doniger | Joseph Polizzi | October 3, 1976 (1976-10-03) |
| A police informant begs Delvecchio (Judd Hirsch) to help him escape the underworld. |||||
| 3 | "Good Cop" | Richard Michaels | Peter S. Fischer | October 10, 1976 (1976-10-10) |
| Delvecchio (Judd Hirsch) blames himself when his temporary partner is wounded while going after a murder suspect. |||||
| 4 | "Board of Rights" | Robert Markowitz | Gregory K. Scott | October 17, 1976 (1976-10-17) |
| A stakeout assignment hampers Delvecchio (Judd Hirsch) in his defense of an officer charged with making obscene phone calls. |||||
| 5 | "Wax Job" | Richard Michaels | Story by : Bernard Rollins & Leroy Robinson Teleplay by : Steven Bochco | October 24, 1976 (1976-10-24) |
| A clever auto thief blunders when he kills an owner during a theft. |||||
| 6 | "The Silent Prey" | Lou Antonio | Story by : Nicholas E. Baehr Teleplay by : Nicholas E. Baehr & Steven Bochco | October 31, 1976 (1976-10-31) |
| A housewife traumatized by a rape attempt appears unable or unwilling to identify her attacker. |||||
| 7 | "Thicker Than Water" | John Peyser | Story by : William Sackheim & Michael Rhodes & Steven Bochco Teleplay by : Steven Bochco | November 7, 1976 (1976-11-07) |
| Delvecchio's search for a loan shark whose bodyguards killed a gambler is complicated by the victim's revenge-seeking brother. |||||
| 8 | "Hot Spell" | Arnold Laven | Michael Kozoll | November 14, 1976 (1976-11-14) |
| Delvecchio (Judd Hirsch) investigates a suspicious death despite the authorities' belief that it was accidental. |||||
| 9 | "Numbers" | Richard Michaels | Leo Garen | December 5, 1976 (1976-12-05) |
| Suspected of being on the take after his raid on a numbers bank fails, Del (Judd Hirsch) is after the racketeer who can clear his name. |||||
| 10 | "Red is the Color of My True Love's Hair" | Walter Doniger | Story by : Gy Waldron Teleplay by : Steven Bochco & Michael Kozoll & Gy Waldron | December 12, 1976 (1976-12-12) |
| Delvecchio (Judd Hirsch) has conflicting evidence about a truck driver suspected of a series of murders. |||||
| 11 | "APB: Santa Claus" | Arnold Laven | Steven Pritzker | December 26, 1976 (1976-12-26) |
| Delvecchio (Judd Hirsch) trails a bail-jumping Santa Claus, arrested for stealing presents to give to his fellow residents in a rest home. |||||
| 12 | "Dying Can Be a Pleasure" | Walter Doniger | Story by : William Sackheim Teleplay by : Steven Bochco | January 23, 1977 (1977-01-23) |
| Harassed by a paroled murderer, Delvecchio (Judd Hirsch) takes action that may discredit him as a witness in an important case. |||||
| 13 | "One Little Indian" | Robert Markowitz | Steven Bochco | January 30, 1977 (1977-01-30) |
| In Arizona to pick up an Indian youth who escaped from prison, Delvecchio (Judd Hirsch) and Shonski (Charles Haid) lock horns with a brutal, bigoted cop. |||||
| 14 | "Bad Shoot" | Ivan Dixon | Michael Kozoll | February 6, 1977 (1977-02-06) |
| A bigoted detective is a suspect in the cold-blooded shooting of a black student. |||||
| 15 | "Licensed to Kill" | Arnold Laven | Story by : William Sackheim & John D.F. Black Teleplay by : Lane Slate & Michael Kozoll | February 13, 1977 (1977-02-13) |
| Delvecchio attempts to prove that responsibility for his goddaughter's suicide lies with a medical charlatan who led her to believe that she had cancer. |||||
| 16 | "The Madness Within: Part 1" | Richard Michaels | Story by : William Sackheim & Steven Bochco & Michael Rhodes Teleplay by : Steven Bochco | February 20, 1977 (1977-02-20) |
| Delvecchio (Judd Hirsch) is asked by an old flame (Tricia O'Neil) for protection the state prosecutor cannot guarantee for her testimony against a syndicate kingpin. First of two parts. |||||
| 17 | "The Madness Within: Part 2" | Richard Michaels | Story by : William Sackheim & Steven Bochco & Michael Rhodes Teleplay by : Steven Bochco | February 27, 1977 (1977-02-27) |
| Conclusion. The witness who Delvecchio (Judd Hirsch) illegally removed from protective custody disappears, sparking a search by people on both sides of the law. |||||
| 18 | "Requiem for a Loser" | Ivan Nagy | Story by : Lou Comici & Burton Armus Teleplay by : Burton Armus & Michael Kozoll | March 6, 1977 (1977-03-06) |
| A church is burglarized and a priest murdered after a parishioner in debt to a hood reveals the location of fund-raising proceeds. |||||
| 19 | "Cancelled Contract" | Arnold Laven | Story by : Elliot West Teleplay by : Elliot West & Michael Kozoll | March 13, 1977 (1977-03-13) |
| A former leader of a street-gang reassembles his old crew to battle a syndicate lieutenant. |||||
| 20 | "My Brother's Keeper" | N/A | N/A | Unaired |
| TBD. |||||
| 21 | "The High Price of Justice" | Jerry London | Story by : Sam Rolfe and Joseph Polizzi Teleplay by : Sam Rolfe | Unaired |
| Using the threat of reimprisonment, Delvecchio persuades a parolee to inform on his old gang. |||||

## Home media

One episode of the Delvecchio series (the Feb. 13, 1977 installment, "Licensed to Kill") was made available on the 2006 DVD release Brilliant But Cancelled TV Dramas, along with an episode each of Gideon Oliver, Johnny Staccato, and Touching Evil.