The Best of Baretta
It is a sordid fact of life that were it not for Robert Blake's newfound infamy as an accused wife murderer,Baretta, which lasted three seasons beginning in 1975, might have been relegated to late nights in TV land. But as they say in Hollywood, there's no such thing as bad publicity. So for those who do not want to invest in theSeason Oneboxed set, here are three episodes from this offbeat cop series' first season, including the atypically gritty and brutal pilot, in which funky undercover cop Anthony Baretta goes after his girlfriend's killer, and speaks those grimly prophetic words: "If you can't do the time, don't do the crime." As these episodes testify,Barettais more than a newly minted sick joke. The randy, rule-bending Baretta was a cop like no other on TV. And, as Tony was fond of saying, you can take that to the bank.--Donald Liebenson