Bakersfield P.D.

I remember at the time of its showing in England that this series, for me at least, was the highlight of my TV week. It was one of the most quirky, hilarious and deadpan comedies I have had the pleasure of watching. Guancarlo Esposito was terrific as the new arrival at the Bakersfield P.D. station.His bewilderment at the events that occurred and the characters encountered was something that I'm sure any David Lynch fan would have thoroughly enjoyed. I cannot believe that it only ran for one series! Take consolation that little secrets like these are still out there waiting to be rediscovered.

Bakersfield, P.D. really was one of the funniest, well-made comedies to ever hit the tube. Unfortunately, between lacking promotion, a then-struggling FOX network, stiff timeslot competition, and a script that was a bit too clever for the general public, the show dragged badly out the gate. It lasted for only one season, with the final episodes shown in June, 5 months after the cancellation was already decided.

While definitely a comedy, the show had no laugh track. It didn't play as a typical sitcom. It was a side-splitting comedy, placed in the environment of a "serious" cop show.

The characters were all quirky, yet strangely believable. From the wishy-washy captain on down, each character presented in Bakersfield, P.D. was unique and interesting. Even the guest characters exhibited a small-town charm that, while sometimes bordering on the ridiculous, always entertained.

Surprisingly, I found the show again on the TRIO network, which occasionally runs it. Check your local listings.

Paul Gigante, a successful D.C. police detective, has to leave town with his son for the middle of nowhere, i.e. Bakersfield. He joins the Bakersfield P.D., a loose organization of weirdos & imbeciles. His partner, Wade Preston, is a TV cop show fanatic and tries to act like the TV cops; the desk sergeant actually runs the department because the captain can't make any decisions; and a macho cop is teamed with a mildly effeminate partner.

Like "Frank's Place", another great TV comedy that bombed in one season, "Bakersfield P.D." had no laugh track; you have to find the jokes yourself. This misfit comedy was at least as funny as "WKRP in Cincinnati"! Why do so many really funny comedies bomb?

I remember when good old Ch4 had an eye for the obscure, sometimes a winner, sometimes, not, but after watching the very first episode of this "quirky", absurd and very funny series, I was hooked (as were friends when told to watch it!). All the ingredients were there for a fantastic winner, sharp & very funny script, excellent acting from everyone (I can remember) brilliant comedic timing and to be "based" in a place that is really in the middle of nowhere, no wonder the locals were a bit troppo. When it ended on tv, I looked forward to the new series - but, I was truly upset and angry when I read that the whole series had been axed - when you see the dross that decorates our screens, and such a brilliant series axed, perhaps it was ahead of its time. I had hoped that Ch 4 would repeat it so I could tape the whole series, alas not to be .... a loss.

BAKERSFIELD P.D. was a thoroughly incredible show, one that ended far too quickly. With the quirkiness of shows like NORTHERN EXPOSURE or ALLY McBEAL, BPD showed us life among a very odd collection of cops in a small, slow town. This show had excellent visual gags, great writing, and beautiful oddness. (Who can forget when they found an arm, and kept it in a big pickle jar?) If you get a chance to see this 1-season show, watch it, tape it, and love it.