Baretta

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For other uses, see Baretta (disambiguation).

 Genre
 Created by
 Starring
* Dana Elcar
* Tom Ewell
 Theme music composer
 Opening theme
* Performed by Sammy Davis, Jr.
 Country of origin
 Original language
 No. of seasons
 No. of episodes
 Production companies
 Distributor
(1980-1981)
NBCUniversal Television Distribution
 Original network
 Original release
 Preceded by

***Baretta*** is an American detective television series which ran on ABC from 1975–1978.[1]

The show was a revised and milder version of a 1973–1974 ABC series, *Toma*, starring Tony Musante as chameleon-like, real-life New Jersey police officer David Toma. When Musante left the series after a single season, the concept was retooled as *Baretta*, with Robert Blake in the title role.[2][3]

"Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow," the show's theme music, was composed by Dave Grusin and Morgan Ames[4] and sung by Sammy Davis Jr.[5]

## Contents

* 1Overview
* 2Episodes
* 3Cast
* 4Production
* 5Broadcast syndication
* 6Home media
* 7Cultural references
* 8References
* 9External links

## Overview[edit]

Anthony Vincenzo "Tony" Baretta is an unorthodox plainclothes police detective (Badge #609) with the 53rd Precinct in an unnamed, fictional city. He resides in Apartment 2C of the run-down King Edward Hotel with Fred, his Triton cockatoo. A master of disguise, Baretta wears many while performing his duties. When not working he usually wears a short-sleeve sweatshirt, casual slacks, a brown suede jacket and a newsboy cap.

Baretta is often seen with an unlit cigarette in his lips or behind his ear. His catchphrases include "Don't do the crime if you can't do the time", "You can take dat to da bank" and "And dat's the name of dat tune." When exasperated he, occasionally speaks in asides to his late father, Louie Baretta. He drives a rusted-out Mist Blue 1966 Chevrolet Impala four-door sport sedan nicknamed "The Blue Ghost" (license plate 532 BEM). He frequents Ross's Billiard Academy and refers to his numerous girlfriends as his "cousins".

## Cast[edit]

* Anthony Vincenzo "Tony" Baretta (Robert Blake), a police detective.
* Billy Truman (Tom Ewell), retired cop who used to work with Baretta's father Louie at the 53rd Precinct.
* Rooster (Michael D. Roberts), a streetwise pimp and Baretta's favorite informant.
* Inspector Shiller (Dana Elcar) and Lieutenant Hal Brubaker (Edward Grover), Baretta's supervisors.
* Detective Foley (John Ward), police detective.
* Fats (Chino 'Fats' Williams), a gravelly-voiced, older detective.
* Detective Nopke (Ron Thompson), a rookie detective.[6]
* Little Moe (Angelo Rossitto), a shoeshine man and informant.
* Mr. Nicholas (Titos Vandis), a mob boss.
* Mr. Muncie (Paul Lichtman), the owner of a liquor store at 52nd and Main.

## Production[edit]

Upon watching Blake in the 1973 film *Electra Glide in Blue*, then ABC executive Michael Eisner contacted the star about doing a police series, which culminated in *Baretta*. Blake was given creative control in most aspects of production.[7]

Baretta with Fred.
The theme song, "Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow", was written by Dave Grusin and Morgan Ames; initially an instrumental, lyrics were added in later seasons that were sung by Sammy Davis, Jr. Every episode of *Baretta* began with the song, which contained the motto, "Don't do the crime if you can't do the time." According to Blake, studio executives did not want Davis's vocals for the theme song for fear that audiences would confuse *Baretta* for being a black series. Blake threatened to leave production if Davis's recording was rejected. His bosses relented.[8]

The song was released as a single in Europe in 1976, reaching number one in the Dutch Top 40 as "Baretta's Theme". The music for the theme song was performed by Los Angeles-based Latin influenced Rock band El Chicano from Los Angeles, California. El Chicano also released the song as a 45 and also as a track on one of their albums. The "Baretta" theme song by El Chicano was a huge hit in many countries including Turkey, Malaysia, Singapore, France and The Philippines.

The song was released as a single in the US, but only charted as high as #42 on the Adult Contemporary Chart, while it "bubbled under the Hot 100" at #101.

## Broadcast syndication[edit]

After its initial run in syndication beginning in 1979, the series later re-appeared on TV Land in 1999 as part of a package of series licensed from Universal. Me-TV aired reruns of *Baretta* on Saturday afternoons in 2007.

## Home media[edit]

On October 29, 2002, Universal Studios released the first season of *Baretta* on Region 1 DVD in the United States.[9]

## Cultural references[edit]

*Mad* magazine spoofed the series as "Barfetta".

In Taskmaster Live, a 2016 show at the Edinburgh Festival contested by five television executives, Jeff Ford, the UK Managing Director of Fox Networks Group and SVP and Content Development Manager for Europe and Africa, described Baretta as a "lesser known 1960s vehicle".

In the *Barney Miller* episode 'Copycat', Detective Arthur Dietrich tells a copycat criminal that cops and committing a crime are not like they are depicted on television, and ends by saying, "And dat's the name of dat tune."

In the film *Reservoir Dogs*, protagonist Mr. Orange steels himself before meeting main antagonist Joe Cabot by saying "You're not gonna get hurt. You're fucking Baretta. They believe every fucking word 'cause you're super cool."

## External links[edit]

* *Baretta* at IMDb
* *Baretta* at TV.com
* TV Character Bio: Tony Baretta at TV Acres
* Roy Huggins discusses the creation of *Baretta* in an Archive of American Television Interview

* v
* t
* e

* *Chase* (1973)
* *Toma* (1973–74)
* *The Rockford Files* (1974–80)
* *Baretta* (1975–78)
* *City of Angels* (1976)
* *Baa Baa Black Sheep* (1976–78)
* *Richie Brockelman, Private Eye* (1978)
* *The Duke* (1979)
* *Stone* (1980)
* *Tenspeed and Brown Shoe* (1980)
* *The Greatest American Hero* (1981–83)
* *The Quest* (1982)
* *The A-Team* (1983–87)
* *The Rousters* (1983–84)
* *Hardcastle and McCormick* (1983–86)
* *Riptide* (1984–86)
* *Hunter* (1984–91)
* *Stingray* (1985–87)
* *The Last Precinct* (1986)
* *Wiseguy* (1987–90)
* *21 Jump Street* (1987–91)
* *J.J. Starbuck* (1987–88)
* *Sonny Spoon* (1988)
* *Top of the Hill* (1989)
* *Unsub* (1989)
* *Booker* (1989–90)
* *Broken Badges* (1990–91)
* *The 100 Lives of Black Jack Savage* (1991)
* *Palace Guard* (1991)
* *Personals* (1991–92)
* *Street Justice* (1991–93)
* *The Commish* (1991–96)
* *Silk Stalkings* (1991–99)
* *The Hat Squad* (1992–93)
* *Renegade* (1992–97)
* *Cobra* (1993–94)
* *Caesars Challenge* (1993–94)
* *Missing Persons* (1993–94)
* *Hawkeye* (1994–95)
* *Traps* (1994)
* *Marker* (1995)
* *Profit* (1996)

Categories:

* 1975 American television series debuts
* 1978 American television series endings
* 1970s American crime drama television series
* American Broadcasting Company original programming
* American detective television series
* English-language television shows
* Television series by Stephen J. Cannell Productions
* Television series by Universal Television
* Television shows set in New Jersey
* Television series created by Stephen J. Cannell