Petrocelli
Encyclopedia
Petrocelli is an American
legal drama
which ran for two seasons on NBC
from September 11, 1974 to March 31, 1976.
who grew up in South Boston and gave up the big money and frenetic pace of major-metropolitan life to practice in a sleepy city in the American Southwest called San Remo (filmed in Tucson, Arizona
). He and his wife Maggie lived in a trailer in the country while waiting for their new house to be built, and travelled around in a beat-up old pickup truck. Tony hired Pete Ritter, a local cowboy, as his investigator.
An interesting technique used in the TV series was showing the actual crime in flashbacks from the perspective of various people involved. The flashbacks, naturally, differed depending on whose recollections were being shown. In order to maximize the drama the prosecution's version was always the first flashback shown (i.e. what supposedly happened), then the client's version was presented (what they remember happening), then finally after finishing his investigation Petrocelli would present his version (generally meant to be what actually in fact occurred). This final flashback would always contain elements of the prosecution's and his client's versions, but with his newfound evidence it would show both the client's innocence and an explanation as to how and why the prosecution and client's versions differed. In other words, neither side was ever meant to be corrupt or lying, rather without Petrocelli's new information both previous versions appeared to be accurate from their points of view.
, which was loosely based on the Sam Sheppard
murder case. Susan Howard
co-starred as his wife, Maggie. Produced by Leonard Katzman
, Howard was later cast as Donna Culver Krebbs
in Katzman's prime-time soap Dallas
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
legal drama
Legal drama
A legal drama is a work of dramatic fiction about crime and civil litigation. Subtypes of legal dramas include courtroom dramas and legal thrillers, and come in all forms, including novels, television shows, and films. Legal drama sometimes overlap with crime drama, most notably in the case of Law...
which ran for two seasons on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
from September 11, 1974 to March 31, 1976.
Plot
Tony Petrocelli was an Italian-American Harvard-educated lawyerLawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
who grew up in South Boston and gave up the big money and frenetic pace of major-metropolitan life to practice in a sleepy city in the American Southwest called San Remo (filmed in Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
). He and his wife Maggie lived in a trailer in the country while waiting for their new house to be built, and travelled around in a beat-up old pickup truck. Tony hired Pete Ritter, a local cowboy, as his investigator.
Format
Petrocelli worked as a defense lawyer, and each episode followed a similar format, with the client apparently certain to be convicted of a crime of which they were innocent until a late emerging piece of evidence allowed the protagonist to suggest to the jury an alternative possibility. These alternatives were never established as absolute fact, and there was never any indication of a trial of the person onto whom Petrocelli turned the accusation, but the doubt raised was sufficient to secure the release of his client.An interesting technique used in the TV series was showing the actual crime in flashbacks from the perspective of various people involved. The flashbacks, naturally, differed depending on whose recollections were being shown. In order to maximize the drama the prosecution's version was always the first flashback shown (i.e. what supposedly happened), then the client's version was presented (what they remember happening), then finally after finishing his investigation Petrocelli would present his version (generally meant to be what actually in fact occurred). This final flashback would always contain elements of the prosecution's and his client's versions, but with his newfound evidence it would show both the client's innocence and an explanation as to how and why the prosecution and client's versions differed. In other words, neither side was ever meant to be corrupt or lying, rather without Petrocelli's new information both previous versions appeared to be accurate from their points of view.
Adaption
Newman created the role of Petrocelli in a 1970 movie, The LawyerThe Lawyer (film)
The Lawyer is a 1970 courtroom drama film loosely based on the Sam Sheppard murder case, in which a physician is charged with killing his wife following a highly-publicized and sloppy investigation. The film was directed by Sidney J. Furie and starred Barry Newman as the energetic, opportunistic...
, which was loosely based on the Sam Sheppard
Sam Sheppard
Dr. Samuel Holmes Sheppard was an American osteopathic physician and neurosurgeon, who was involved in an infamous and controversial murder trial. He was convicted of the murder of his pregnant wife, Marilyn Reese Sheppard, in 1954, while residing in the Cleveland, Ohio area. Sheppard served...
murder case. Susan Howard
Susan Howard
Jeri Lynn Mooney , better known as Susan Howard, is an American actress, writer, and political activist; best known for portraying the character Donna Culver Krebbs on the soap opera Dallas, Maggie Petrocelli on the television show Petrocelli, and to Star Trek fans for portraying Mara, the first...
co-starred as his wife, Maggie. Produced by Leonard Katzman
Leonard Katzman
Leonard Katzman was an American film and television screenwriter, producer, and director.Born in New York City, New York, he was the nephew of Hollywood producer Sam Katzman...
, Howard was later cast as Donna Culver Krebbs
Donna Culver Krebbs
Donna McCullum Culver Krebbs, was a character in the popular American television series Dallas, played by Susan Howard .Donna was an intelligent, well-regarded politician's wife. Donna was married to the much older Sam Culver, a former governor of Texas. During the course of her marriage, she...
in Katzman's prime-time soap Dallas
Dallas (TV series)
Dallas is an American serial drama/prime time soap opera that revolves around the Ewings, a wealthy Texas family in the oil and cattle-ranching industries. Throughout the series, Larry Hagman stars as greedy, scheming oil baron J. R. Ewing...
.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Barry Newman Barry Newman Barry Foster Newman is an American film, television, and stage actor, famous for his interpretation of Kowalski in the movie Vanishing Point. He has been nominated for a Golden Globe and Emmy awards.- Life and career :... |
Anthony J. Petrocelli |
| Susan Howard Susan Howard Jeri Lynn Mooney , better known as Susan Howard, is an American actress, writer, and political activist; best known for portraying the character Donna Culver Krebbs on the soap opera Dallas, Maggie Petrocelli on the television show Petrocelli, and to Star Trek fans for portraying Mara, the first... |
Maggie Petrocelli |
| Albert Salmi Albert Salmi Albert Salmi was an American actor.-Biography:Albert Salmi was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Finnish immigrant parents, and following a stint in the Army, took up acting as a career, studying Method acting with Lee Strasberg. In 1955, Salmi starred in Bus Stop on Broadway... |
Pete Ritter |
| David Huddleston David Huddleston David William Huddleston is an American actor, best known for his roles in Blazing Saddles, Santa Claus: The Movie and The Big Lebowski.-Early life:... |
Lt. John Ponce |