Jake And The Fatman was this show about this guy named, uh, Jake, and his friend who was this really fat guy. Originally they were going to call it Gene And The Fatman but they were afraid of confusion with Siskel And Ebert. All lies... pretty much.

   William Conrad played Jason McCabe, The Fatman. He was a tough ass... and wide ass... Los Angeles District Attorney. Jake Styles worked for Fatty as an investigator helping him find the evidence, witnesses, etc. that he needed to solve and prosecute his cases. Don't you love how on television EVERYBODY is solving crimes? I thought the DA's just tried the cases once the police figured it out. Nope, its the D.A.s and their P.I.s help out that L.A.P.D.

   Well, Jake helped the L.A.P.D. until Jake and El Hombre Gordo moved for a time to Hawaii. The setting got changed in an attempt to attract viewers to the show and boost ratings. Yeah that works. "Hey honey, isn't this that show I hated? Now it's set in Hawaii and heaven help me I love it!"

   Yeah, sure. After a short stay in Hawaii that didn't really do much for their ratings Jake and the Tubster headed back to Los Angeles where they stayed until that cancellation day that comes for all shows, fat or thin.

   One of the episodes of Jake And The Fatman had a doctor at a hospital being accused of murder. The doctor was named Mark Sloan and was played by TV legend Dick Van Dyke. The doctor took an active role in solving the case and proving himself innocent (I told you EVERYBODY in television is a crime solver - doctors, lawyers, shoe salesmen...).

   The episode inspired a number of made for TV movies about the doctor called Diagnosis: Murder in which Doctor Sloan, now a crime solving expert I guess, went around solving other murders. Then the Diagnosis Murder movie series did well enough that it became a regular weekly series.

   Diagnosis Murder was basically Murder, She Wrote in a hospital. Character A shows up and gets killed and then character B gets accused of murder and Dr. Sloan prove him innocent. And odds are that either Doctor Sloan or one of the other regulars was good friends with or related to either A, B or both. Then the next week somebody new would show up and buy the farm. Put Doctor Sloan on the list with Jessica Fletcher and the couple from Hart To Hart of "People It Is Not A Good Idea To Be Friends With". You'll end up either dead or accused of murder.

Other Diagnosis Murder Crossover Links
Diagnosis Murder and Mannix
Diagnosis Murder and Matlock
Diagnosis Murder and Mission Impossible
Diagnosis Murder and Promised Land

Click here to return to main Crossover List

Buy these shows on Amazon.com and support this site at the same time! Check out Diagnosis Murder and Jake And The Fatman on DVD! The Diagnosis Murder Season 1 DVD set also features the original "pilot episode" from Jake And The Fatman!





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