Buddy Faro

Well, I thought I was the only one who lamented this show's demise. Was just surfing around this site and looked to see if Buddy was listed and lo and behold! "Buddy Faro" was one of the most interestingly-premised new show in quite a while with a great cast and fun to watch. Felt like I was sucker-punched when it was cancelled. Then a few years later, I find another very interesting show, "Push, Nevada" and THAT gets cancelled. That's the last new show I watched. It seems when you get a good off-the-wall new show, people get uncomfortable and go back to watching the formulaic old standbys and the networks go along with that thinking. Didn't mean to rant here...just still upset that this show never was given a real chance to catch on.

Some TV programs continue into embarrassment (my beloved 'X-Files' comes to mind.) I've been a fan of Dennis Farina since 'Crime Story,' another late, lamented show. 'Buddy Faro' never had a chance. The series had a good premise and great actors. It's really, really a shame.

BUDDY FARO should be on DVD! At least as fun as "Get Shorty", "Midnight Run" or "Analyze This!", this "crime" show deserved to be on for many, many seasons. I saw all the broadcast episodes and they never ran out of good stories, jokes or ideas. Dennis Farina made Buddy a believable character: from the dregs to dude-dom. Frank Whaley could have been the re-incarnation of W.C. Fields' "Bank Dick." Another part of the overall fun were the sets and decor and the lush, even lurid color photography. All in all a terrific show. Calling Dennis Farina: get the rights/permissions and issue this on DVD. It worked for that other delicious oddment, "Wonderfalls."

Well, if the previous reviewer felt that he had been "sucker punched" when this series was canceled, I felt like someone jerked the carpet out from under me. Besides being a fan of Dennis Farina the show itself was my idea of a good detective show. I promoted this show at the office so you can see how I felt when it hit the can. So now I see a new series beginning on January 17, 2011, called Harry's Law starring Kathy Bates. This looks like a winner to me so, like Buddy Faro, it will probably last for a few episodes before being summarily dumped. Dennis would have made a good "Harry." In fact, I'm reading that the lead was supposed to have been a male but they didn't find what they wanted and selected Kathy, also an excellent actor/actress.

I attribute the failure of Buddy Faro to the theory that there were too few viewers old enough to remember the shows which it was parodying. This wonderfully written and acted show deserved a much longer run. Rarely have I heard (maybe on Frasier) an exchange of dialogue as clever as:

(detective) "Are you ignorant or apathetic?" (suspect) "I don't know and I don't care!"

Buddy Faro was a bright spot in my TV week, for its entire 8-week run (I've read that they filmed 13 episodes, but 5 were never broadcast). I would buy copies of the extant episodes if I could find them. ...of course, the first time I saw The Beverly Hillbillies I said "This thing can't possibly last half a season," so -- obviously -- my taste is not that for which most shows are created. If your local cable channel ever shows "Buddy" at some odd hour, be sure to see it. It was a very funny show.