Any of you remember Wiseguy

I vaguely remember the show itself.

Ken Wahl was at peak fuckability.

And if I'm not mistaken, Kevin "Uncle Grabby" Spacey featured prominently in one of its storylines.

Also starring one of the sexiest and whoriest actors ever, Ray Sharkey, as Sonny Steelgrave in an incredibly homoerotic plotline.

Sharkey was so sexy in this role that every time he would appear on screen I would get an erection.

I liked when he wore sweatpants. YUM

Kevin Spacey got noticed in his part when he played a creepy guy attached to his sister

But of course. It’s on twice a day here on cable and I often watched it back in the day gobsmacked by Ken Wall’s beefy Italian hotness.

*Wahl

Last I knew of Wahl he was in a relationship with both of the Barbie Twins

R6- I remember watching something on TV about them and it was very disturbing. They ( the twins) were binge eating and then taking massive amounts of laxatives. It was very disgusting and sad. Wonder what happened to them.

The twins founded a website for animal activism called TheKittyLiberationFront.org which has now become TwinBunnies.com, and help animal charities and rescue groups worldwide, volunteer with shelters for walking and rehabilitating dogs, participate in the TNR (Trap, Neuter and Return).

Ken Wahl broke his neck in 1992, which pretty much ended his career. he said at the time he was in a motorcycle accident, but he really fell down the stairs of Rodney Dangerfield's girlfriend and eventual wife, and she begged him not to reveal the truth. Since he had been in several motorcycle accidents in the past, the truth didn't come out until years later.

He really had "it," and I'm sorry he did not have a better career. he was apparently very difficult to work with, and his film JINXED! had another of the most difficult stars to work with in Bette Midler (who was then having an emotional breakdown), and they did NOT get along at all. It was one of the most famously miserable sets of the 1980s.

R9- That movie was a very movie and both of them looked as miserable as they were rumored to have been. He was very good looking and I wondered what happened to him because he just disappeared. I wasn't aware of his accident, but there were rumors of drug abuse.

Total asshole.

R10- ^ bad movie.

[quote] he really fell down the stairs of Rodney Dangerfield's girlfriend and eventual wife

Why did Rodney Dangerfield’s girlfriend have stairs? Were they used to climb parts of her anatomy?

An excellent show, especially the first two seasons. Writing, acting and direction all sharp.

This would be the rare show I'd love to see re-made, because not enough people saw it the first time, and it was a great premise.

Think about how much more explicit you could make the homoeroticism today if it were remade on HBO or Netflix.

They could re-make it today with Theo James as Vinnie Terranova and Oscar Isaacs as Sonny Steelgrave.

NOT A FAN!

Good proposed casting, R16.

Loved this show. Great memories of watching it in a shitty little basement apartment in Medford, at the end of a day of grad school (for me) and shitty temp jobs (for him). Wasn’t Tim Curry in one of the story arcs? And possibly Jerry Lewis as a gangster? Too lazy to look it up on IMDB.

Tim Curry was in the Dead Dog records arc. Jerry Lewis was in an arc about the garment district.

I remember the Jerry Lewis episodes. It surprised me a bit that he could act as well as he did.

I started watching at the beginning of season two. I got a VCR in 1988 for the first time, and I remember taping thirtysomething, Wiseguy, and LA Law every week, then watching them over the weekend. I remember liking how much Ken Wahl and Ken Olin resembled each other, and wishing LA Law had someone equally hot. Harry Hamlin wasn't it for me.

At some point, I lost interest in the show. I don't think I watched the short fourth season, which I see now was only nine episodes. The show is available now on Amazon's Freevee.

All four seasons free to watch on tubi, Roku, Peacock, Pluto and Freevee.

I remember a sex scene with Patti D'Arbanville on an episode that was so hot it was surprising it got past the CBS censors.

[quote] free to watch on tubi, Roku, Peacock, Pluto and Freevee.

I rewatched the show about two years ago. Problem was several episodes of the record industry arc (Debbie Harry, Tim Curry) were unavailable due to music rights issues. I had to find them from unofficial sources. Not sure if that is or isn't still an issue.

Really excellent series. And Jonathan Banks stole nearly every scene.

The sex scene between Vinnie and Amber at the 26 minute mark left me slack jawed as a kid watching it.

Bumping this thread ...

Just saw that Retro-TV (RTV) will be starting the Dead Dog Records arc this coming Sunday, January 14, 2023. So while that arc was not included in the DVD release of the series due to music rights, it appears Retro is able to rebroadcast it. Many feel this arc was the best of the series, myself included. The guest performers were quite memorable.

These episodes are Retro's "Wiseguy" that airs on Sunday and Saturday nights at 9pm ET/PT, which differs from their rotation of the show that airs M-F at 7pm.

Here are the first three episodes currently listed in the guide. In total, there are seven in this arc.

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Sunday January 14

Dead Dog Lives - Season 2, Episode 13

" Vinnie becomes the head of a record label as part of a music-industry probe, and he hires an insider who introduces him to a singer on the flip side of success."

Travis: Glenn Frey. Diana: Deborah Harry. Medley: Paul McCrane. McPike: Jonathan Banks. Vinnie: Ken Wahl.

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Saturday January 20

And It Comes Out Here - Season 2, Episode 14

"Vinnie's crash course in the music business begins to pay off, but his education might end up costing him when he inflames producer Winston Newquay (Tim Curry)."

Travis: Glenn Frey. Twine: Paul Winfield. Diana: Deborah Harry. Elliot: Mick Fleetwood.

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Sunday January 21

Rip-off Stick - Season 2, Episode 15

"Newquay schemes to bring Diana back under his thumb just as her career begins to take off again."

Travis: Glenn Frey. Twine: Paul Winfield. Monroe Blue: Ron Taylor. Claudia: Deidre Hall. Amber: Patti D'Arbanville. Vinnie: Ken Wahl.

Yes, he was so hot then. His priest brother was played by a guy I remembered from One Life to Live. I liked it in the beginning. The season with the Ron Silver & Jerry Lewis story was a PITA. But in the beginning, it was great, lurid fun. I tried watching it again from the beginning and was aghast at the 80s clothes and hair. I had forgotten how ugly some of it was.

My main reason for watching "Wiseguy".

Another.

One of the best shows of the 80s. Their casting director made superb choices. It's really a shame how much damage Ken did to himself while making the series.

You guys are slipping:

30 replies and no mention of Mel Proffit (Kevin Spacey) and all his madness?

R32, see R1 and R3.

^They're on "ignore," R33.

People with ignore lists are snowflakes.

I saw a picture of Ken Wahl when I was a kid looking through the TV Guide and thought he was the best looking man I had ever seen.

All four seasons are on both Peacock and Pluto. And this is a holiday weekend!

If you’ve never seen Mr Wahl in The Wanderers, you should.

I just looked at Peacock, and like the DVDs, they don't include Dead Dog Records arc from Season 2. They skip those seven episodes and actually renumber the ones that follow, so they don't match up with what's listed at IMDb. Pluto does the same thing, but they do have a few of them in a heading they call "Wiseguy Extras," but not the entire arc.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Ray Sharkey. This show was jinxed.

R40, R2 mentioned him.

They were slippery marble stairs. Funny how some crazy accident changes your life.

Only the toes knows!

[quote] "Kevin Spacey got noticed in his part when he played a creepy guy attached to his sister"

He played back-to-back creeps for me!

I always liked the character of Roger Lococco played by William Russ who appeared in 14 episodes.

We first meet him when Vinnie uses Roger as way to connect with the Mel and Susan Profitt world. We later learn Roger's double back story and he falls off the grid when the Profitt siblings are brought down.

Roger resurfaces in Season 4 in the Lynchboro arc.

[quote] Roger resurfaces in Season 4 in the Lynchboro arc.

At this point Ken Wahl's injuries and addictions left him incapacitated to where he could not complete that arc. It was a very good move by the producers to bring back Roger.

I loved the scene Roger introduces himself to his deputies.

Johnathan Banks before he molted into his final Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul adult form