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 happen to hear Ponch having a some naughty fun by chasing a beautiful secretary with long blonde hair who is actually wearing a strapless sundress around the hallway. Getraer now gets angry at Ponch for his little escapade with the secretary 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 in Sacramento, 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 because of his recent motorcycle accident, and will eventually walk out of Getraer’s office in despite of himself wanting go back into a cruiser. Meanwhile Jon is actually now riding alone on the city streets, and while parking his motorcycle during a coffee break 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 happen to be 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 a stakeout being 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 his fear of being 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.

Getraer watches Bates walk out of his own office after a conversation about Ponch's recent motorcycle accident.

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 which is actually in the back of the building. Since Bates happens to be a very organized person who does everything by the book which includes putting on his officers hat every morning, and the first thing he will notice that the motorcycles are actually parked incorrectly rather than overlook the whole situation with his colleagues today. Bates will eventually come in through the front door of the building, and happens to catch Ponch who happens to be working the front desk while talking on the telephone to one of his girlfriends about his skydiving lessons. Since Ponch will have to finish his conversation in a hurry by hanging up the telephone, and will eventually welcome Bates by giving a salute of honor with his right hand that contains a broken wrist. While Getraer finishes giving the briefing about Mel and Tyrone that are renting trucks in order to steal thousands of dollars worth of merchandise from warehouses in the local area, and will eventually get everyone’s attention by welcoming Bates as their new watch commander. Since Bates will be giving his welcoming speech, and Bonnie and Grossie are actually talking about their new watch commander being transferred here from public relations in Sacramento. Bates will start off giving his speech about his last assignment with public relations in Sacramento, and Bonnie and Turner along with Grossie will eventually start staring at him for a short time. Which Bates happens to know about reading minds from his colleagues about police work, and will start bitching about noticeable things such as motorcycle being parked incorrectly rather than in a neat row. Baricza now decides to interrupted Bates by making a joke about Grossie always being in a hurry, and will often park his motorcycle incorrectly rather than in a correct fashion. Bonnie and Jon along with Turner now laughing at Bates who will notice Baricza’s uniformed being buttoned incorrectly, and makes him buttoned it correctly in front of his colleagues. Bates will start bitching about Ponch’s custom made uniform which was tailored by his uncle Manny at a sewing shop in order to fit him properly in the chest, and makes Bonnie along with other colleagues will start laughing at him about being a little dictator during his stupid disciplinary speech. Since Bates will keep verbally abusing Ponch about his uniform be custom made in a tailor shop, and becomes fixated on saving fuel rather than waste in their vehicles by wanting to monitored their daily gas consumption because of oil crisis in the Saudi Arabia. Since Getraer will eventually make Bates dismiss the colleagues because of his unwelcoming speech on discipline, and Baricza and Jon will have a conversation about Bates becoming a little dictator in this department. Getraer will eventually have a meeting with Bates in his office about Ponch having uniforms tailor by his uncle Manny after losing some weight because he had accidentally broke his right wrist during a jewel robbery over a month ago, and can’t seem to get through to the new watch commander who happens to fixated on several flaws in this department. Since Getraer starts thinking when Bates decides to end the conversation about Ponch’s serious motorcycle accident that had hospitalized him in coma for several weeks, and decides to walk out of his office.

Ponch and Jon will eventually be having a heated discussion about being involved with sports in the past year.

Getraer and Bates see things differently on situations in the workplace.

Meanwhile Ponch and Jon are having a meeting in the briefing room about him paying to take skydiving lessons in advance, and will have a discussion about sports that both of them had gotten involved with during past year. When Jon decides to turn down Ponch’s offer about taking skydiving lessons, and will eventually hurt his friends feelings by making a joke about tombstone being in the shape of a parachute. Jon will eventually walk out of the briefing room in order to go back on duty in streets, and leaves poor Ponch all alone to think about his skydiving lessons in which he had paid for advance before his recent motorcycle accident during a jewel robbery which had happened over a month ago. When Bates happens to be driving around in his recently issued cruiser while looking for a good place to have lunch, and is actually unaware that his colleagues are sitting outside at a picnic table during their lunch break together at Arby’s today. While Grossie is going to enjoy his soda but instead decides to start a serious conversation about how Bates won‘t make the cut as their new watch commander because of lack of experience on the streets compare to his colleagues, and Jon happens to disagree about their new lieutenant having the qualifications for the recent job transferred from public relations in Sacramento. Since Bonnie happens to agree with both Jon and Grossie about Bates giving a very unwelcoming speech on discipline during this morning in the briefing room, and Baricza now spots their new watch commander pulling into the parking lot in order to have lunch today. After Bates gets out of his cruiser in order walk over to a picnic table, and will soon be discipline his colleagues about taking lunch breaks together. When Jon and Grossie along with Baricza start realizing that Bates is actually against making new friends in this department, and Bonnie is about to cry while unable to explain the rules about eating lunch together. Grossie will eventually give up with Bates being abusive towards his colleagues about the lunchtime rules, and Jon will soon decide to follow his friend by leaving his colleagues behind at the picnic table to finish their roast beef sandwiches. Bonnie will angrily stare at Bates for being verbally abusive towards her colleagues about taking a lunch break together, and Baricza decides to ignore their new watch commander while finishing his roast beef sandwich. When Bates keeps verbally abusing his colleagues about eating lunch together, and Grossie now decides to defend Jon against their new watch commander. Since Bates doesn’t like Grossie’s standing up for his colleagues in the department, and will eventually walk away from the situation. After Bates has just ruined lunchtime outside Arby’s by reprimanding Jon and Grossie, and they now decide to let Bonnie and Baricza finish their roast beef sandwiches by throwing away their garbage in order to walk over towards their motorcycles in the parking lot. Meanwhile back at central where Getraer is actually having another meeting with Bates in his office about their colleagues taking a lunch break together, and will eventually get into a heated discussion about the ranks of police officers which leads to the famous Captain Bly becoming a dictator at sea.

Grossie is actually adding more fuel to the tank of Lieutenant Bates cruiser.

Getraer happens to look at Bates before walking away.

Meanwhile Grossie is actually outside putting more gasoline into the tank of a recently issued cruiser that belongs to Bates, and will eventually get himself caught by Harlan for doing his math homework on getting revenge for disciplinary action during lunchtime at Arby’s today. While Grossie is actually thinking about saving fuel for Bates during the gas crisis in Saudi Arabia, and will eventually give the gasoline can to Harlan who doesn’t want to participate in this scheme. While Jon is actually doing a stakeout on a pair of suspicious looking men driving around in two different semi trucks with unmarked trailers, and Grossie happens to show up on time for backup in order to do a search for merchandise. Both Jon and Grossie will eventually pursue their two suspects which are Mel and Tyrone for a few miles until finally getting them to pull over on the side of Harbor Freeway. While Jon manages to pick up his CB radio in order to call in a 10-23 to the dispatcher, and will make Mel who happens to be driving around in a recently stolen silver Ford LN-Series very suspicious about getting pulled over for a routine traffic stop. Grossie now gets a good look at Tyrone who happens to be driving around in a recently stolen blue International Harvester Cargostar, and will make a silent alarm for a routine traffic stop. Jon manages to pull in front of Mel in order to make a roadblock for a routine traffic stop, and Grossie to stop in back of Tyrone’s trailer by getting off his motorcycle in order to call for back using his CB radio. While Mel uses his walkie talkie in order to tip off Tyrone about the routine traffic stop, and wants Grossie motorcycle ran over immediately. While Grossie is calling for backup using his CB Radio, and will eventually have to move out of the way immediately after witnessing Tyrone backing up his semi truck in order to run over his motorcycle. Jon will have to move out of the way immediately when Mel decides to move forward in order run over his motorcycle, and leaves Grossie unable to respond to the dispatcher without a CB Radio. Grossie will eventually run over to make sure that Jon wasn’t injured by Mel driving around in a semi truck, and now finds out that the other CB Radio has been busted during the escape plan in order to avoid a routine traffic stop today. While back at central where Ponch is now standing outside the office of Bates, and Getraer is helping Jon and Grossie trying to explain the description of the suspects. Since Bates decides to reprimand Jon and Grossie about the proper procedures in order to conduct a routine traffic stop on two suspicious looking men who happens to be driving around in semi trucks, and Ponch doesn’t like the new watch commander becoming a dictator in this department. Ponch now decides to stand up against Bates for disrespecting his colleagues on their ways of conducting procedures, and will faced more discipline on rules about getting a search warrant. When Jon tries to get through to Bates about the bad guys planning accidents in order to make an escape, and Grossie tries to explain about calling backup on his CB radio. When Jon gets into an heated discussion with Bates about conducting proper police procedures, and Ponch happens to get himself reprimanded by their new watch commander for not being on desk duty. Since Ponch can’t get through to Bates by looking into his eyes, and will get his colleagues some consideration besides being entered into their permanent records by their new watch commander. When Bates almost starts an argument with his colleagues about the bad guys making a quick getaway, and Ponch will eventually walk away after being told by Getraer be quiet about the situation regarding damage to police property. Bates will eventually offers his colleagues a choice, and both Jon and Grossie have chosen to walk away from the situation regarding damage to police property. Getraer will once again explain to Bates about being fair to his colleagues, and will eventually walk away himself by leaving their new watch commander alone his office.

Ponch is now unable to get hold of the department of motor vehicles.

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"