The Long Arm Of The Law - Cancelled

Willie Oleson

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All those characters who were there to secure the peace and safety in SoapLand.
Police officers, sheriffs, district attorneys, and those working for the FBI, CIA or Interpol.



Excluding: lawyers, private investigators and bounty hunters
 

Daniel Avery

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How does KL's Mack MacKenzie fit into that description?

When we met him (and for the first half of his time in KL) he was a Special Prosecutor for the Governor of California, akin to an FBI agent at state level. He had a badge and everything, and though he headed up investigations, he was (by title) a prosecutor. He brought bad guys to justice, like Roy and Frank, and later Mark St. Claire and Dr. Ackerman (in a way). When he quit the Governor's Office, he became a private-practice attorney, which solidly places him in the "excluding" column for the rest of his tenure.
 

Toni

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Let´s go for this one...:dd::dd::dd::dd:

1- Jake Dunham (Brian Dennehy), the prosecutor in Blake´s case for Ted´s death in the last pre-Alexis episodes of "Dynasty"
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He wasn´t only probably the best supporting actor who ever appeared in this show (where sometimes these actors were a lot more convincing than the main stars), but he had the privilege to say the very transcendental sentence: "Our witness has arrived", which maybe was the legal jargon for..."Enter Alexis"? Did Mr. Dunham enter her too? To be honest, this is the kind of actors and characters that should have been recurring in a soap like "Dynasty". They provided a touch of class and solid acting, as they did in all the Lorimar series.

2- Sheriff Fenton Washburn (Barry Corbin) in Braddock, in Seasons 4 through 6 of "Dallas"

upload_2019-1-23_1-11-3.jpeg
Good ol´ Fenton was like the "doughnut"-devouring cop in "The Simpsons": he seemed very competent at first sight, but he ended up getting everything even more entangled. I wish he had appeared more often in the show, but upon the actor´s confession, he wasn´t called anymore after he said to Larry Hagman that he never watched the show. So I like to think that, in the Season 6 finale, Jessica Montford killed him before leaving Dallas and being tracked down and arrested. All of us know that sweet Jessie loved to keep everything under control...

3- Lt. Janet Baines (Joanna Pettet) investigating Ciji Dunne´s murder on Season 4 of "Knots Landing"


Famous for her very 80´s headbands and for having unveiled THE Knots Landing mystery (Who killed Ciji?), her past relationship with Mack (I think...) would have made interesting to have her return in the future. Fine actress, beautiful woman, a rounded character, luckily Knots did have a lot like her in its long history.
4- Fred Wilkinson (Dick O´Neill), the prosecutor in Peter´s trial for Saunders´ murder, in late Season 6 of "Falcon Crest"

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Another veteran who provided gravitas to his well-written role in the very OTT storyline of Who killed Roland Saunders? His scenes with Angela were unique and Wyman just loved to have someone as good as she was to make it unforgettable. The plot was as twisted as one could expect from the show, but those two final episodes of Season 6 of FC are among the best to me. And he returned the next year for one more episode, again face to face with Angela.
5- CIA Agent George Tatangelo (Gino Anthony Pesi) in the infamous drug-dealing plot that killed TNT "Dallas"



:spinning::spinning::spinning::spinning::spinning::spinning::spinning:
:love2::love2::love2::love2::love2::love2:

He made a mysterious appearance in an early episode of the third and last season of TNT "Dallas". He might have been a detective, an angel, a gigolo or a top model, but he actually was a CIA agent, allied with Harris in one of the many stupid storylines of that season. He didn´t have a big role in it, but I loved every minute he was on screen. Those eyes, those lips, that voice...He deserved a spin-off!!

Honorable mentions:
- Judge Roberta Fenerty in Jenna´s case for Naldo´s murder in "Dallas" (I will always be grateful to her for making my dream of seeing Jenna in jail true...though it was too short...)
- Frederick Hoskins, the prosecutor in the same trial (for the same invaluable reasons...)
- The Judge who dictated the divorce sentence for Bobby and Pam (he had also accepted their request for adopting UglyBaby years before and was obviously saddened by this news); the actor did a great job with his few lines (as did everyone in that scene, special nods to Landers & Brittany).
- Tom Ryan, on/off boyfriend of Paige on the last "phase" of Knots Landing. Hottie hottie...
- If prison workers are accepted here, I also want to mention Corinne Powers, ex-schoolmate of Julia and her prison torment on Season 4 of FC.
- The big butch policewoman who put Alexis in jail in the Season 4 cliffhanger of "Dynasty".

I hope this may be useful to you!!​
 
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Mel O'Drama

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If Jill Bennett qualifies for this round there will be some amendments to my top five.






1.
Lt. Janet Baines
Knots Landing


The embodiment of the old adage “Leave ‘em wanting more”. And I was certainly left wanting to know more.

Arriving at a time when for the first time the entire Knots ensemble was involved in a key dramatic story, Janet had everything needed to enhance the storyline. She had an edge. She had ambition, instinct, objectivity. She had history with one of the key players.

In spite of the flirtation with Mack, Baines also felt very genderless as a character. In the best possible way. Joanna Pettet could hold her own with any of the Knots cast in the beautiful people stakes. But that wasn’t on the page. First and foremost she was a professional cop. And a good one. And yet her gender was significant to the story. She didn’t have the urge to protect Valene (if anything, she seemed half amused/half appalled at Val’s permanently exposed nerves). Nor would any of Abby’s Catherine Tramellian distractions be effective.

Baines brought life to the screen in all her scenes. She was compelling to watch and had very impressive chemistry with the entire main cast. So much so I remain very surprised that she wasn’t on the show for longer à la Teri Austin.




2.
Det. Nick Morrison
Knots Landing


It would be very easy to overlook Morrison’s role in Knots - so effectively low key did Steve Kahan play it. But he’s not to be underestimated. Arriving in the midst of Ciji’s murder mystery and sticking around long enough to see Wolfbridge reach its messy conclusion, Morrison’s role - especially in his first storyline - was as part of a Greek Chorus, commenting objectively on the melodrama the characters - and the audience - had become so used to that it had become the norm. Years before Jill Bennett would put her finger so unerringly on Val and Gary’s dysfunctional dynamic (among other things), so too would Baines and Morrison (as good a title as any for the Knots spin-off that could have been).

It was a bold move in 1983 for two semi-regulars to pull apart the very thing that makes soap soap. Yet here was hard-boiled, square jawed cop Morrison dissecting the characters without sentiment or subjectivity from the safety of being so far removed he practically belonged to a different genre. It was almost as though Kahan had wandered onto the wrong lot. And that’s what made it so very effective.





3.
Sheriff Fenton Washburn
Dallas


One of those comfortingly familiar tertiary characters that enriched the Dallas landscape. It was always interesting to see his servile interactions with the Ewings, especially those awkward moments where he needed to arrest one of them. I found him consistently likeable.

On a kind of related note, some years ago when I watched One Tree Hill I was very impressed by Barry Corbin’s portrayal of Whitey. It took me a while to realise this was the same actor who played Fenton, so different a character was he. So it’s hard now to think of that slightly inept cop from Dallas without seeing a heavyweight actor.







4.
District Attorney Jake Dunham
Dynasty


As @Toni said, he was there for Dynasty’s seminal cliffhanger, cross examining virtually all the main players including Alexis’s iconic first scene in the stand. And therefore straddling two tonally different seasons.

His backstory with Matthew, established a few episodes before his main arc, brought some added facets and tied him soapily into the history of the characters. But regardless, once Brian Dennehy got to flex those imposing muscles, Jake became a force to be reckoned with and a character that commanded the audience’s attention as he attempted to take down the series lead.





5.
Sgt. John Zorelli
Dynasty


Being right in the thick of Dynasty’s gloriously gothic final arc. Simultaneously gathering evidence against Blake while dating his daughter. Zorelli himself wasn’t my favourite thing about the Ninth Season. I didn’t care for the way he was written much of the time. Italian-American stereotypes abounded in every episode: if he wasn’t making - or discussing the making of - pasta, he was eating pizza or singing That’s Amore in the shower.

That said, Ray Abruzzo’s portrayal kept him on the right side of one-dimensional. And Zorelli’s presence was good for the show, showing us new colours in Fallon, adding some tension and animating things in a way they hadn’t been before.

Throw in Nazi treasure, a corrupt Captain and necrophiliac dream sequences and it’s plain to see that the competition facing Zorelli was anything but predictable soap fare.









A mention to…

Assistant District Attorney Cliff Barnes
Dallas


I’m not quite sure which other eras of Cliff qualify for this round, but his role as Assistant D.A. ticked a lot of boxes, not least adding considerable fuel to the Barnes/Ewing feud and putting a strain on relationships within the show. All of which have to be a good thing in the dramatic stakes.
 
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Karin Schill

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I'm not sure if we could vote for Mack or not. In case we can this is my list:

1. Mack MacKenzie (Knots Landing)
2. Tom Ryan (Knots Landing)
3. Harry McSween (Dallas)
4. Janet Baines (Knots Landing)
5. John Zorelli (Dynasty)

If he's not eligible let me know and I will add one more person to my list.

I'll leave Cliff Barnes out of my list since he didn't work very long as Assistant District Attorney. He would be on top of my list if I'd include him. But I think of him more as an oil man or lawyer.
 

Angela Channing

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1. Titus Semple - FLAMINGO ROAD - The sheriff of Truro who was a bigger criminal than anyone else in the town.


2. Harry McSween - DALLAS - J.R.'s Mr Fix It on the police force that was better at planting evidence than solving crime.


3. Sheriff Dan Robbins - FALCON CREST - was a bit too close to Chase but totally honest. Solved the who killed Carlo mystery but instead of showing his main witness photos of the suspects, took him to a wedding reception where the murderer, Julia, could panic and murder again.


4. Fielding Carlyle - FLAMINGO ROAD - the deputy sheriff who spent more time chasing Lane Ballou than he did chasing criminals.


5. Lt. Janet Baines - KNOTS LANDING - what every soap needs a cop that fulfils all the stereotypes.
 
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Willie Oleson

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If Jill Bennett qualifies for this round there will be some amendments to my top five.
I'm not sure if we could vote for Mack or not
I'll leave Cliff Barnes out of my list since he didn't work very long as Assistant District Attorney
There's really no need to overthink this. Everything is eligible, even if they did in just one single episode.
But, in case of doubt, I would ask myself: what was the role, the point of that character?
Was Cliff an ADA because he wanted to catch the crooks and make the world a better place, or was he the Anti-Ewing who would do anything to destroy Jock & Co.
If he thought he could destroy the Ewings by selling ice cream he'd be driving an ice cream van.
But that doesn't change the fact that he was an interesting adversary because of his job. Actually, I think I liked him better than oil man Cliff.

Yeah, let's NOT overthink this:lol:

I kinda wish I had done Cops & Sheriffs insteado_O
Titus Semple - FLAMINGO ROAD - The sheriff of Truro who was a bigger criminal than anyone else in the town.
This could be our last chance to put FR on the scoreboard, Angela!
4. Fielding Carlyle - FLAMINGO ROAD - the deputy sheriff who spent more time chasing Lane Ballou than he did chasing criminals
Ooh...I had completely forgotten about him. He was definitely the prettiest lawman.
 

Willie Oleson

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I kinda wish I had done Cops & Sheriffs instead
Would those who have already voted @Toni, @Mel O'Drama and @Angela Channing be terribly upset if Richard and I would split this in two battles?
Cops & Sheriffs AND Prosecutors & Lawyers?
It's not like we still have dozens of themes to choose from, and I feel there's some unnecessary confusion in this topic.

Would it be OK to (omg, dare I say it) CANCEL this battle?
 

Richard Channing

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There's really no need to overthink this. Everything is eligible, even if they did in just one single episode.
But, in case of doubt, I would ask myself: what was the role, the point of that character?
Was Cliff an ADA because he wanted to catch the crooks and make the world a better place, or was he the Anti-Ewing who would do anything to destroy Jock & Co.
If he thought he could destroy the Ewings by selling ice cream he'd be driving an ice cream van.
But that doesn't change the fact that he was an interesting adversary because of his job. Actually, I think I liked him better than oil man Cliff.

Yeah, let's NOT overthink this:lol:

I kinda wish I had done Cops & Sheriffs insteado_O

This could be our last chance to put FR on the scoreboard, Angela!

Ooh...I had completely forgotten about him. He was definitely the prettiest lawman.
Would those who have already voted @Toni, @Mel O'Drama and @Angela Channing be terribly upset if Richard and I would split this in two battles?
Cops & Sheriffs AND Prosecutors & Lawyers?
It's not like we still have dozens of themes to choose from, and I feel there's some unnecessary confusion in this topic.

Would it be OK to (omg, dare I say it) CANCEL this battle?
Wouldn't it be easier to stick to your original statement, not to over think this and everything is eligible?

Then people can vote for who they like and nobody needs to redo their list.
 

Angela Channing

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Would those who have already voted @Toni, @Mel O'Drama and @Angela Channing be terribly upset if Richard and I would split this in two battles?
Cops & Sheriffs AND Prosecutors & Lawyers?
It's not like we still have dozens of themes to choose from, and I feel there's some unnecessary confusion in this topic.

Would it be OK to (omg, dare I say it) CANCEL this battle?

I have no problem if you want to change the theme of the battle, I'll happily do a new top 5.
 

Toni

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Would those who have already voted @Toni, @Mel O'Drama and @Angela Channing be terribly upset if Richard and I would split this in two battles?
Cops & Sheriffs AND Prosecutors & Lawyers?
It's not like we still have dozens of themes to choose from, and I feel there's some unnecessary confusion in this topic.

Would it be OK to (omg, dare I say it) CANCEL this battle?

It's ok for me Willie! As usual I always say yes to you...
 

Angela Channing

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Cops & Sheriffs AND Prosecutors & Lawyers?
If you do decide to split the theme, will it be all lawyers, including defence lawyers and personal attorneys? I think that would be great as it would provide a lot of options.
 

Willie Oleson

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Sorry, I just had to get away from it all - the mayhem, the scandal...they even sued me for mismanagment...so I went on a retreat in Tibet to re-overthink my inner-conflicts.
(now I know how the writers felt when Patrick Duffy decided to return to Dallas, it's an impossible situation)

The prestige of our soap battles overrules our convenience and therefore I've decided to cancel this thread and start a new one.
The courtroom (-related) characters will feature in another battle.

I have opened a special telephone line for forum members affected by this tragic cancellation.
 

Toni

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Sorry, I just had to get away from it all - the mayhem, the scandal...they even sued me for mismanagment...so I went on a retreat in Tibet to re-overthink my inner-conflicts.
(now I know how the writers felt when Patrick Duffy decided to return to Dallas, it's an impossible situation)

The prestige of our soap battles overrules our convenience and therefore I've decided to cancel this thread and start a new one.
The courtroom (-related) characters will feature in another battle.

I have opened a special telephone line for forum members affected by this tragic cancellation.

 
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Karin Schill

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I just noticed how all the ratings we had given on the posts disappeared when the thread was cancelled! :confuse:
 
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