So good they cancelled it.

February 15, 2013 10:07 AM

Somewhere between Buggin' Out and Gus Fring, Metafilter favorite Giancarlo Esposito starred as Paul Gigante, a city cop transplanted by family circumstances into a dysfunctional small town police department and frustrating partnership with the imbecillic Wade Preston, in Bakersfield P.D., a short-lived comedy gem from Fox Network. Partially available for your viewing pleasure in grainy video on a YouTube playlist, with German subtitles and no laugh track.

Tragically unavailable on DVD, and not to be confused with the real Bakersfield P.D.

posted by Elizabeth the Thirteenth (12 comments total)

I loved this show, not least because the theme is by the excellent Brave Combo.
posted by staggering termagant at 10:44 AM on February 15, 2013 [1 favorite]

Back in the VHS Era I had almost two dozen tapes' worth of Simpsons' episodes (from '91-'98) taped off TV, commercials included. When I was at grad school in the late '90s my housemate and I had a list in the living room where we'd write down the name of every cancelled Fox show we saw a commercial for while watching the tapes. By the end of the term it was a loooong list.
posted by The Card Cheat at 10:49 AM on February 15, 2013 [1 favorite]

with German subtitles and no laugh track.

I somehow feel like this would make every show better.
posted by kmz at 10:49 AM on February 15, 2013 [3 favorites]

Speaking of Giancarlo Esposito, Gilbert Lawson returned to Community last night!
posted by Talez at 11:01 AM on February 15, 2013

I've been following Giancarlo Esposito's career for so long that I still think of him primarily as Mike Giardello, or possibly the FBI agent from The Usual Suspects.
posted by Rangeboy at 11:15 AM on February 15, 2013 [3 favorites]

I still think of him primarily as Mike Giardello, or possibly the FBI agent from The Usual Suspects.

No no, Giancarlo Esposito is Bugs Raplin
posted by mcstayinskool at 11:49 AM on February 15, 2013

Bakersfields P.D. was broadcast here in SA because our public broadcaster loves buying already cancelled series 'cos they're cheap (hey I can't complain it got us Firefly) and I caught it one evening and it was freaking genius.
posted by PenDevil at 12:58 PM on February 15, 2013 [1 favorite]

Giancarlo Esposito should've earned the Emmy for Best Supporting Actor for his final season in Breaking Bad.

I really don't understand why he didn't win. It kills me. I'm bitter about it.

He was the very best of those nominated, and no other actor could've possibly done a better job in that role.

Hyperbole? Nope. Watch that last season and tell me if you don't agree.
posted by MoxieProxy at 1:04 PM on February 15, 2013 [2 favorites]

I love the sparklies that analog satellite has sometimes. I had forgotten how characteristic they are.
posted by wierdo at 2:34 PM on February 15, 2013

And in the last season of "Homicide: Life on the Street", he played Mike the son of Yaphet Kotto's character Al Giardello... at first I thought it was just the show saying "we got criticized for giving a black character an Italian surname? Well, here's a REAL black guy with a REAL Italian surname! Neener, neener." But then, he was one of the highlights of the VERY uneven winding down of the series.
posted by oneswellfoop at 5:38 PM on February 15, 2013 [2 favorites]

Just last night I found Mr. Fring in the lockup with Eddie Murphy in Trading Places.
posted by Dr. Boom at 6:00 PM on February 15, 2013 [1 favorite]

Loved Bakersfield PD! And Sledgehammer.. Max Headroom...
posted by Katjusa Roquette at 12:38 AM on February 16, 2013