Lieutenant Ohara (Pat Morita) – no first name was ever given – was a compassionate but offbeat Japanese American police officer with the LAPD.
With 20 years of experience, Ohara was streetwise and had tremendous insight into what made people tick. He often opened up his home and heart to anyone in need of a little advice and a home-cooked meal.
Ohara was also a karate master but preferred to use his mental acuity and meditation to solve crimes.
He and his colleagues – Lt. Sideris (Catherine Keener), Lt. Shaver (Robert Clohessy), Detective Guerrera (Richard Yniquez) and Sergeant Phil O’Brien (Jack Wallace) – worked for Captain Ross (Jon Polito) initially, and then Captain Lloyd Hamilton (Kevin Conroy).
Other regulars characters included Gussie (Madge Sinclair), the diner owner, and Roxy (Meagan Fay), the police department computer operator.
In the fall of 1987, the format switched and Ohara became a member of the Federal Anti Crime Unit, with Rachel Ticotin added to the cast as Teresa Storm, his new boss at the Unit.
Six months later (in March 1988), the format changed again when Ohara and his partner, Shaver, resigned from the police force to open their own detective agency – Ohara and Shaver Investigations.
Lt. Ohara
Pat Morita Lt. George Shaver
Robert Clohessy Lt. Cricket Sideris
Catherine Keener Det. Jesse Guerrera
Richard Yniquez Sgt. Phil O’Brien
Jack Wallace Roxy
Meagan Fay Gussie Lemmons
Madge Sinclair Captain Ross
Jon Polito Captain Lloyd Hamilton
Kevin Conroy Teresa Storm
Rachel Ticotin
He and his colleagues – Lt. Sideris (Catherine Keener), Lt. Shaver (Robert Clohessy), Detective Guerrera (Richard Yniquez) and Sergeant Phil O’Brien (Jack Wallace) – worked for Captain Ross (Jon Polito) initially, and then Captain Lloyd Hamilton (Kevin Conroy).
