Ohara (TV series)

Premise

Original

The series focuses on an unconventional Los Angeles-based Japanese-American police lieutenant named Ohara (Pat Morita) who uses spirituality methods such as meditation in his home shrine to solve crimes without the use of a gun or a partner, although he would use martial arts if necessary. He often talked in the form of epigrams.

Revised verson

A change in format left Ohara as the only returning character in the fall of 1987. He was paired with a partner named Lt. George Shaver (Robert Clohessy) who was a more conventional cop, and they worked as part of a task force headed by Teresa Storm.

Final version

In February 1988, after a friend was murdered, Ohara and Shaver became frustrated with the law-enforcement establishment. They resigned and became private detectives.

Main cast

• Pat Morita as Lt. Ohara Season 1
• Kevin Conroy as Capt. Lloyd Hamilton (episodes 1-7)
• Jon Polito as Capt. Ross (March-May 1987) (episodes 8-11)
• Madge Sinclair as Gussie Lemmons
• Catherine Keener as Lt. Cricket Sideris
• Richard Yniguez as Det. Jesse Guerrera

Season 2

• Robert Clohessy as Lt. George Shaver
• Rachel Ticotin as Assistant District Attorney Teresa Storm
• Meagen Fay as Roxy
• Bruce Beatty as Grillo

Notable guest stars

• Brandon Lee appeared in the Season 2 episode "What's in a Name" which first aired on January 23, 1988 as Kenji, the evil son of a yakuza godfather. This was Lee's first and only appearance in a television series and his only acting role as a villain, although in Kung Fu: The Movie, his character was possessed and forced to be evil for most of the movie.
• Other guest stars in the series included Michael Des Barres, Nana Visitor, Mitch Pileggi, Benicio del Toro, Shannon Tweed, and Eve McVeagh.

Episodes list

Season 1 (1987)

Season 2 (1987–88)

Format changes and cancellation

Following its premiere, the show was not attracting the audience ABC had hoped for. They put it through several format changes to increase the ratings. The first major change was to change title character Ohara from a lieutenant to a federal police officer; he was also paired with a partner. Later on in the season Ohara became a more conventional cop using a gun to assist him in his investigations. The second season had a final format change in which Ohara and his partner were turned into private investigators. These changes failed to improve the show's declining ratings and the show was cancelled after the second season.

References

References

1. (1996). "Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present". Penguin Books USA, Inc..
2. (1999). "The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present". The Ballentine Publishing Group.