The Watch Commander

The Watch Commander
Episode #	311
Air Date	November 17, 1979
Briefing	Crooks stealing trailers from loading bays. Fuel conservation/Identikit of thief.

Title screen

Brief Plot

A new watch commander, Lieutenant Bates, tries to make sure everything runs to the rule book, but eventually sees the need for flexibility. A pair of thieves are renting tractor units and stealing packed trailers from loading bays.

Plot

A cruiser has just driven by the central building this morning.

Mel and Tyrone laugh while Baricza drives away in his cruiser.

While the morning shift has begun at central where Getraer is now sitting in his office at the desk, and will hear Ponch having a little fun with a beautiful sexy blonde haired lady in the hallway. Getraer now gets angry at Ponch for his little escapade in the hallway, and will call him into his office for a little reminder about being on restricted duty because of his broken right wrist. Since Getraer has a brand new watch commander who happens to be a lieutenant named Harold Bates that has just transferred to this division from public relations, and will give Ponch a choice in jobs which are either working the front desk or cleaning weapons in the backroom. After Ponch has a little argument with Getraer about Bates coming in this morning, and he will now choose to work the front desk rather than clean weapons in the backroom today. Since Ponch is a little angry about not being able go back on duty in the streets, and will eventually walk out of Getraer’s office. Meanwhile Jon is actually now riding alone on the city streets, and while parking his motorcycle in order to fix a loose tail light in front of the J.T. Market. Jon is actually unaware that two criminals which are a salt and pepper duo named Mel and Tyrone that are known as the rent a truck crooks who happen to be driving around in a recently stolen blue Ford Super Duty, and will eventually stop to think about there being a stakeout there because Baricza had just pulled up in his cruiser today. In fact that Baricza has actually stopped to help Jon fix a loose tail light on his motorcycle, and Mel and Tyrone will eventually decide to haul a trailer instead of worrying about a stupid stakeout today. While Mel and Tyrone eventually arrive at the Balford Home Appliance Distributors Incorporated in order to steal a trailer full of appliances that are worth about eighty thousand dollars by hooking it up themselves, and Baricza and Jon had just finished fixing a loose tail light on his motorcycle. When Baricza decides offer Jon skydiving lessons that Ponch can’t attend because of a broken right wrist, and will get turned down immediately because of the dangers of thrown from an airplane without a parachute. Both Baricza and Jon will eventually split, and Mel and Tyrone will drive off with a trailer full of appliances. While Baricza is finishing putting the tools away in the trunk his cruiser, and Mel and Tyrone will drive passed him closing his trunk. While Mel and Tyrone laugh at Baricza driving away in his cruiser.

Bates reserved parking spot happens to the read the word Watch Commander.

While Bates has just arrived at central for his first day as watch commander after exiting the beautiful Harbor Freeway in his Ford LTD Country Squire, and will park in his reserve spot in the back of the building. Since Bates happens to be a very organized person who does everything by the book, and the first thing he will notice that the motorcycles are parked incorrectly. Bates will eventually come into the front door of the building, and Ponch happens to be talking on the telephone to one of his girlfriends.

Guest Stars

• Granville Van Dusen as Lieutenant Harold Bates
• Don Mitchell as Tyrone
• Lois Areno as Marie
• Curtis Credel as Mel
• Paul Linke as Grossman
• Lou Wagner as Harlan

Co-starring

• Brodie Greer as Baricza
• Michael Dorn as Turner
• Gary Grubbs as Mechanic
• K.C. Winkler as First Girl
• Michelle Pfeiffer as Jobina
• Myron Healy as Owner
• Patti Davis as Receptionist
• Peggy Skomal as Girl #2
• Randi Oakes as Bonnie Clark

Crew

• Produced by: Cy Chermak
• Written by: Frank Telford
• Directed by: Don Weis
• Executive Consultant: Rick Rosner
• Story Editors: William D. Gordon & James Doherty
• Associate Producer: Paul Rabwin
• Developed for television by: Paul Playdon
• Music by: Alan Silvestri
• Theme by: John Parker
• Music Supervisor: Harry V. Lojewski
• Director of Photography: Robert F. Sparks
• Art Director: Les Gobruegge
• Editor: Quinnie Martin, Jr.
• Unit Production Manager: Ron Grow
• Assistant Director: Lindsley Parsons III
• 2nd Assistant Director: Paul Chavez
• Script Supervisor: Jack Gannon
• Set Decorator: W. Joseph Kroesser
• Production Consultant: Dave McDannel
• Technical Advisor: Bill Kuethen
• Stunt Co-ordinator: Paul Nuckles
• Rerecorded at: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios
• Sound: Harlan Riggs, M. Curtis Price, C.A.S.
• Wardrobe Supervisor: Shelly Levine
• Makeup: Richard Cobos, S.M.A, Walter Schenck
• Hairdresser: Don Lynch
• Casting: Michael O. Hanks
• Locations by: Cinemobile Systems
• With Appreciation to Glen B. Craig, Commissioner California Highway Patrol
• Motorcycles Furnished by: Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A.
• Automobiles furnished by: Ford Motor Company
• Filmed in METROCOLOR / Titles and Opticals MGM
• Rosner Television in association with MGM Television

Fun Facts

• One of Michelle Pfeiffer's earliest TV roles.

Mistakes

• Apparently, this episode should have aired before the Drive, Lady, Drive two parter. Ponch is still on light duty due to his wrist injury.
• The lieutenant is not as much of a stickler for rules and regulations as he may think. His patrol unit is missing both driver's side hubcaps and his nameplate and badge are crooked through the entire episode.
• You might think that the lieutenant would have a Safety Award pin...
• When Jon and Grossman stop the two unmarked trucks, Jon tells dispatch that they are following two white Fords. One happens to be a blue International.
• When getting chewed out buy the lieutenant about losing the thieves, he mentions that the bad guy Jon saw was black, yet the composite of him was a white guy.
• When Bates whispers something to Getraer after the briefing, Getraer is not wearing his gunbelt. Seconds later, when Ponch approaches him, he has it back on.
• When the two trucks pull over on the freeway, there are four stationary cars in the background of the shot where Jon dismounts from his bike. They only start moving when the trucks pull away.

Preceded by: "Drive, Lady, Drive: Part 2"

The Watch Commander 311

Followed by: "Destruction Derby"