1 9 7 9 – 1 9 8 0 (USA)
13 x 60 minute episodes
Crime drama series from CBS featuring the cases of detective captain Woodrow ‘Woody’ Paris who headed the Los Angeles Police Department’s elite Metro Squad. Paris also worked as a criminology professor at UCLA.
Lee Chamberlain was Woody’s understanding and supportive wife, Barbara. Hank Garrett was Deputy Chief Jerome Bench who was Paris’ boss. Working with Paris were four young police officers, Stacey Erickson (Cecilia Hart), Charlie Bogart (Jake Mitchell), Willie Miller (Mike Warren) and Ernie Villas (Frank Ramirez).
Paris was the first weekly US series to star a black actor (James Earl Jones). Jones’ charisma and the likeable thoughtful character should have made for a long run, but Paris lasted only 13 episodes.
It seemed that white America was not yet quite ready for an Afro-American in a leading weekly part.
Captain Woodrow ‘Woody’ Paris
James Earl Jones
Barbara Paris
Lee Chamberlain
Willie Miller
Mike Warren
Deputy Chief Jerome Bench
Hank Garrett
Sgt Stacey Erickson
Cecilia Hart
Ernie Villas
Frank Ramirez
