Detectives Nash Bridges (Don Johnson) and Joe Dominguez (Cheech Marin) investigated cases on behalf of the Special Investigative Unit (SIU) of the San Francisco Police Department.
Bridges had a shoot-first-and-ask-questions-later approach to policing, baulked at having to follow the rules and hated sharing information with the FBI. He drove a yellow 1971 Plymouth Barracuda and tended to call everyone “Bubba”.
Nash was twice divorced – from Lisa (Annette O’Toole), the mother of his daughter Cassidy (Jodi Lyn O’Keefe), and from socialite Kelly (Serena Scott Thomas) – and lived at 86 Sacramento Street with Cassidy and his retired and widowed father, Nick (James Gammon) who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease.
Nash’s sister, Stacy (Angela Dohrmann) was an Assistant District Attorney.
Joe Dominguez was more respectful of the law than Nash with a more laid-back approach to following rules. He was married to Inger (Caroline Lagerfelt) and owned a gay bar called the Tender Loin which he inherited in a get-rich scheme that backfired. He was part-owner (with his family) of Loco Joe’s Salsa, a dip made from a family recipe.
Nash and Joe also moonlighted as private investigators in a business called Bridges and Dominguez – Private Investigations located in an office at 427 Grey Street.
Cassidy Bridges eventually developed an interest in law enforcement and joined the police academy. After graduation, she was assigned to her father’s unit. In the final episode, she left for Paris, undecided about her future.
The series premise was created by Don Johnson and Hunter S. Thompson. Thompson can be seen briefly as a restaurant piano player in the first two episodes.
Inspector Nash Bridges
Don Johnson Inspector Joe Dominguez
Cheech Marin Cassidy Bridges
Jodi Lyn O’Keefe Nick Bridges
James Gammon Inspector Harvey Leek
Jeff Perry Officer Peggy
Peggy Sandow Inspector Evan Cortez
Jaime Gomez Officer Ronnie
Ronald Russell Caitlin Cross
Yasmine Bleeth Lisa Bridges
Annette O’Toole Inger Dominguez
Caroline Lagerfelt Stacy Bridges
Angela Dohrmann Kelly Weld
Serena Scott Thomas
Nash’s sister, Stacy (Angela Dohrmann) was an Assistant District Attorney.
