Oldest Rookie, The

1 9 8 7 – 1 9 8 8 (USA)
14 x 60 minute episodes

Veteran cop Ike Porter (Paul Sorvino) was assigned a desk job in PR shortly after leaving the police academy and stayed there for 25 years, eventually earning a promotion to Deputy Chief of Public Affairs, despite having no experience in the field.

When his old friend Officer Harry Clark is shot dead in the line of duty, overweight 50-year-old Ike decides he wants to be a regular street cop – so he forfeits his rank and privileges and returns to the academy for retraining.

After graduating he is assigned to work with a young cop by the name of Tony Jonas (D.W. Moffett).

Discovering quickly that uniformed street cops are considered insignificant, Ike calls in an old favour (from the mayor) and has himself and Tony appointed detectives.

Ike uses his years of experience to know what is right, often acting on his hunches or gut instinct rather than going by the book.

Tony is somewhat wet-behind-the-ears and finds policing a whole new ball game working with Ike.

Their commanding officer Lieutenant Zaga (Raymond J. Barry) and Detective Lane (Marshall Bell) don’t believe the pair should be detectives and make life tough for Ike and Tony.

The show was prematurely cancelled by CBS and replaced in January 1988 by The Law and Harry McGraw.

Detective Ike Porter
Paul Sorvino
Detective Tony Jonas
D.W. Moffett
Lieutenant Marco Zaga
Raymond J. Barry
Detective Gordon Lane
Marshall Bell
Chief Black
Patrick Cronin

Episodes

At the End of the Long Arm Is the Glad Hand | A Game Effort | Heartbreakers | The Cereal Killer | Blue Flu | Coming from Behind | Grand Theft Avocado | Expert Witness | Ike and Son | An Internal Affairs Affair | Come Fly with Me | Best Men | Yes Sir, That’s My Baby | Luck, Be a Lady

Video