Park Place
This short-lived CBS comedy featured David Ross (Harold Gould), the senior attorney at the Legal Assistance Bureau - a free legal-aid clinic on Park Place in New York City. He was assisted by several over-eager young attorneys, including grouchy office manager Ernie (Cal Gibson); Jo (Mary Elaine Monti), who had wide eyes for the boss. Howie (Don Calfa) a smarmy opportunist who wore his ambitions on his dirty sleeve; Jeff (David Clennon), the designated straight man; Mac (Lionel Mark Smith) - a Thomas Aquinas-quoting non-believer in a wheelchair - and buttoned-down clean-cut slightly-bent straight arrow, Brad (James Widdoes). Ross' meek, slow-witted born-again secretary was Frances Heine (Alice Drummond), who served as the office's Moral Majority. Stories related their comical efforts to defend their clients, although there were not many out-loud laughs in the show. The comedy was built on character rather than pratfalls or predictable sitcom circumstances, and the smiles came from the quick quip, the curled lip, or the occasional slip of the tongue. The show bore a resemblance to Barney Miller, which was no coincidence. The creator and producer of Park Place, Reinhold Weege, spent four years as a writer and producer on Barney Miller before starting his own production company and, with it, this show. But the series was no simple imitation. Episodes came equipped with quality material and cast and worked the mix most satisfactorily. Reinhold would later bring us NBC's "Night Court".
- 1980-1981
- 1 season
- CBS
- Comedy
This short-lived CBS comedy featured David Ross (Harold Gould), the senior attorney at the Legal Assistance Bureau - a free legal-aid clinic on Park Place in New York City. He was assisted by several over-eager young attorneys, including grouchy office manager Ernie (Cal Gibson); Jo (Mary Elaine Monti), who had wide eyes for the boss. Howie (Don Calfa) a smarmy opportunist who wore his ambitions on his dirty sleeve; Jeff (David Clennon), the designated straight man; Mac (Lionel Mark Smith) - a Thomas Aquinas-quoting non-believer in a wheelchair - and buttoned-down clean-cut slightly-bent straight arrow, Brad (James Widdoes). Ross' meek, slow-witted born-again secretary was Frances Heine (Alice Drummond), who served as the office's Moral Majority. Stories related their comical efforts to defend their clients, although there were not many out-loud laughs in the show. The comedy was built on character rather than pratfalls or predictable sitcom circumstances, and the smiles came from the quick quip, the curled lip, or the occasional slip of the tongue. The show bore a resemblance to Barney Miller, which was no coincidence. The creator and producer of Park Place, Reinhold Weege, spent four years as a writer and producer on Barney Miller before starting his own production company and, with it, this show. But the series was no simple imitation. Episodes came equipped with quality material and cast and worked the mix most satisfactorily. Reinhold would later bring us NBC's "Night Court".
Season 1 Episode Guide
5 Episodes 1980 - 1981
Episode 0
Pilot
Mon, Apr 7, 1980
Episode 1
Revenge
Thu, Apr 9, 1981 30 mins
Harold Gould as David Ross head of a NYC free legal-aid clinic, with a staff of very young attorneys. In the first show, a woman may have killed her husband out of frustration because last night, he didn't want chicken for dinner.
Episode 2
Benign Neglect
Thu, Apr 16, 1981
Legal clinic lawyer David aids a teenager, who surprisingly, is seeking a legal separation from her overly permissive parents , who seemingly don't object to anything she does.
Episode 3
Marooned
Thu, Apr 23, 1981
A blizzard traps members of the legal clinic staff and a roomful of "unusual" clients. A young man who can't control his appetite , a "drinker" who has less control ...and a man who says that his pet turtle is suffering from depression.
Episode 4
Crazy Judge
Thu, Apr 30, 1981
A respected court judge (who may be either overworked or losing his grip on sanity) , sends the clinic's lawyers to jail for contempt of court. Despite, not really having done anything wrong. (Last show of the series.)
