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.

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."

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.

I agree that the best show always get cancelled, while some of the worse ones that I've seen in quite a while from that season, such as: Donny and Marie, Family Law, Greedy grubs want to be a Millionaire and so many more, are still alive and kicking. I loved this show from the begining, and watched everyone of the eight episode aired (12 made). Hey there's always summer rerun haul-ins, so we might briefly see this beauty again. Very unlikely though.

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.