Jake and the Fatman
Created by Dean Hargrove, Joel Steiger, David Angell
On CBS
A straightforward buddy-cop procedural built on the chemistry between a prosecutor and investigator, delivering weekly case resolution with modest stakes and reliable entertainment.
Jake and the Fatman is a television crime drama starring William Conrad as prosecutor J. L. "Fatman" McCabe and Joe Penny as investigator Jake Styles. The series ran on CBS for five seasons from 1987 to 1992. Diagnosis: Murder was a spin-off of this series.
Clusters
Questions people ask
Is Jake and the Fatman sad? Barely. Less sad than 80% of series.
Is Jake and the Fatman easy watching? Somewhat. More comforting than 66% of series.
Is Jake and the Fatman violent? Somewhat. More violent than 64% of series.
Is Jake and the Fatman scary? Not especially. Less frightening than 59% of series.
Does Jake and the Fatman leave you hopeful? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.
These describe how the series comes across across its whole run, compared with other well-known series. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked episode by episode, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.
Cinnamon Score
How much this series gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.
Familiar shape, done well.
How unlike any other series this one feels
How much more it delivers than it promises
How much audiences actually like it
Ensemble
Like Jake and the Fatman
Nearest across the full emotional profile.
Same Mood as Jake and the Fatman
Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.
Like Jake and the Fatman, But Darker
Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.
Like Jake and the Fatman, But Lighter
Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.
Like Jake and the Fatman, But Less Popular
Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.
