What Might've Been: Half Nelson (1985)

 A NY detective moves to California not only to become a PI, but also an actor. Unfortunately, viewers voted with their remotes, and Half Nelson, a spring replacement series from Glen A. Larson & 20th Century Fox for NBC, was gone in 2 months in 1985.

Before "Home Alone" & "Goodfellas" made him a box office attraction in the 90's, Joe Pesci top-lined in the title role as "Rocky" Nelson. The title refers to Nelson's relatively short size, not a wrestling hold that the show actually gets its title from. Nelson joins up with the Beverly Hills Patrol, and, well, I might as well say it, he looks like a football running back opposite three of the game's greatest defensive stars, Fred Williamson (his first TV gig since, I think, Julia), and Miller Lite pitchmen Dick Butkus & Bubba Smith, who'd co-starred in Blue Thunder a year earlier. Victoria Jackson moved over to Saturday Night Live a year after this series ended.

Half Nelson is also notable in that its other star attraction is Dean Martin, in his final series for NBC. The Celebrity Roasts were, or, had come to an end by this point. Martin also sings the show's closing theme. Robert Jason co-wrote & sings "LA, You Belong To Me", the opening theme.

This sample episode features a rare appearance by the Bobby Troup Trio, marking the return of Troup (ex-Emergency!) to NBC. John Beck, who also guests, had appeared with Butkus on Matt Houston three years earlier.

What did this show aspire to be? A little mix of Vega$, albeit set in LA (only because another movie icon, Tony Curtis, appeared in the first season of that series), The Rockford Files, which occupied the same time slot Nelson had years earlier, and Larson's 1st entry for Fox, ABC's The Fall Guy, only with PI's instead of stuntmen.

My folks passed on this. Movies on the cable, and, in April & May, baseball, had their attention. From what I've seen, this merits a B.