The Partners

This article is about comedy series. For the book, see The Partners (book).

The Partners
Genre	Sitcom
Written by	Earl Barret Bruce Howard Laurence Marks Ed Simmons
Directed by	Don Adams Earl Bellamy Richard Benedict Gary Nelson
Starring	Don Adams Rupert Crosse
Composers	Richard Hazard Lalo Schifrin
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	20
Production
Executive producer	Arne Sultan
Producers	Arne Sultan Lee Wolfberg
Cinematography	William Cronjager Meredith M. Nicholson
Running time	26 min.
Production companies	Don/Lee Productions Universal TV
Original release
Network	NBC
Release	September 18, 1971 (1971-09-18) – September 8, 1972 (1972-09-08)

The Partners is an American sitcom that aired on September 18, 1971 through September 8, 1972 on NBC.

Synopsis

The program featured Don Adams and Rupert Crosse as bumbling detectives (Adams' Lenny Crooke being the more inept of the two). Veteran actor John Doucette played the exasperated Captain Andrews, a character not unlike "the Chief" portrayed by Edward Platt in Adams' earlier Get Smart. Dick Van Patten (who later gained fame as the father on Eight Is Enough) played the sycophantic desk Segeant Higgenbottem. Adams' real-life cousin, Robert Karvelas (best known as Agent Larabee from Get Smart) had a recurring role as Freddie, a character who compulsively confessed to crimes he did not commit.

The pilot featured guest appearances by Joey Forman (Adams' Crooke mistakenly bursts into his apartment while Foreman is showering and orders him to "drop the soap"), Art Metrano and Yvonne Craig (best known as Batgirl from ABC's Batman).

Production notes

Unlike many television programs of its day, The Partners eschewed a traditional opening title sequence. The opening credits were merely interspersed during the first few minutes, akin to the technique that has become quite commonplace today. The theme music, which accompanied the closing credits and occasionally popped up during the program itself, was composed by Lalo Schifrin, best known for the theme to Mission: Impossible.

Cast

• Don Adams : Det. Lennie Crooke
• Rupert Crosse : Det. George Robinson
• John Doucette: Captain Andrews
• Robert Karvelas: Freddie Butler
• Dick Van Patten: Sgt. Higgenbotem

Reception

NBC had exceptionally high hopes for the series after it performed well with test audiences. However, it failed to find a large enough audience because it had to compete with CBS's All in the Family, which was at that time the highest rated show on television. Originally, CBS had scheduled My Three Sons against The Partners, but substituted All in the Family at the last minute.

Episode list

№	Title	Airdate	Plot
1	"Here Comes the Fuzz"	1971 Sep 18	Lennie and George get off to a shaky start on their assignment to capture a bank robber by damaging their unmarked police car, enetering wrong apartment and wearing the wrong clothes.
2	"Abra Cadaver"	1971 Sep 25	While investigating a death threat, Lennie and George watch their intended victim disappear twice before their eyes.
3	"The Prisoner of Fender"	1971 Oct 02	During their assignment to pick up hoodlum Tony Kelso, Lennie and George end up in jail when two men impersonating them beat them to Kelso.
4	"Waterloo at Napoleon"	1971 Oct 09	Lennie and George foul up not only their assignment to investigate a kidnapping and money laundering, but succeed in doing the same to an FBI man.
5	"How Many Carats in a Grapefruit"	1971 Oct 16	While investigating the jewel robbery of the century, Lennie and George get sidetracked by a grapefruit in which George's mother is unwittingly carrying a stolen diamond.
6	"Witness for the Execution"	1971 Oct 23	As Lennie prepares to testify against a mobster, he learns that a contract has been put out on his life, which results in George being assigned to guard him.
7	"To Catch a Crooke"	1971 Oct 30	After Lennie is arrested when his gun is found at the scene of the crime, he escapes to prove his innocence.
8	"Requiem for a Godfather"	1971 Nov 6	Lennie and George make the same mistake twice in trying to apprehend armored car thieves.
9	"Take My Wife, Please"	1971 Nov 13	After a bank robbery goes wrong, the thieves decide to hold the bank president's wife for ransom.
10	"Have I Got an Apartment for You!"	1971 Nov 27	Lennie becomes the victim of bunco artists during his search for a new apartment.
11	"Our Butler Didn't Do It"	1971 Dec 4	A chronic confessor to crimes almost convinces everybody that he is telling the truth for the first time when discussing the murder of his therapist.
12	"New Faces"	1971 Dec 11	A second chance and a doctor's prescription help Lennie and George catch a criminal who is using plastic surgery to change his appearance.
13	"North is Now South"	1971 Dec 18	City rezoning causes an uproar in the protection racket when rival gangs claim the same territory.
14	"Desperate Ours"	1971 Dec 25	Higgenbottom is taken hostage by an escaped killer who is seeking revenge on Andrews for testifying against him.
15	"They Steal Cars, Don't They?"	1972 Jan 8	During an investigation of what appears to be an organized car-stealing ring, Lenny and George lose not only their car, but the police captain's vehicle as well.
16	"Headlines for Higgenbottom"	1972 Jul 28	In attempt to boost Higgenbottom's stature with his son, Lennie and George decide to take him on one of their cases.
17	"Magnificent Perception"	1972 Aug 4	A famed psychic is hired by the police department to locate "The Bomber" before he causes severe damage to the city.
18	"Two or False"	1972 Aug 11	Lennie and George get into double trouble as they attempt to catch a jewel thief when Lennie is tricked into letting the thief steal her latest prize.
19	"Two in a Pen"	1972 Aug 25	After word of a jailbreak surfaces, Lennie and George go undercover in the prison, with Lennie as an inmate and George as a guard.
20	"The 217 in 402"	1972 Sep 8	In an attemopt to protect an informer from a hit man, Lenny acts as a decoy by posing as a patient in a coma.

External links

• The Partners at IMDb
• Template:Tv.com