The jane archives - 2009

   BARNEY ROSENZWEIG replies:

First of all... thanks for the interest all the way from Edinburgh. Sharon and I visited there a few years back and had a marvelous time. 

Onward: I had no involvement with Queer as Folk so my answer to your question is colored by a wee bit of ignorance, but during the time frame of QAF and Tyne's show (Judging Amy) I would have to surmise Tyne's availability was not as flexible as was Sharon's. 

Also, if memory serves, Sharon filmed her guest role with Tyne during Sharon's long Christmas break from the Canadian location where QAF was made. 

That's almost the best I can do with that one... actually if I had more wit, I would have simply written something about the best laid plans of mice and... well, you know.

AUGUST 17, 2009 

Gary said...

  BARNEY ROSENZWEIG replies:

Only two??? 

You should see how many I have. Tell your friends.

Barney

AUGUST 11, 2009 

   Anonymous said...

Thank you Sharon for addressing the dining issue. I come from a long line of alcoholics and I nearly vapor locked when I read that article. I hoped it was not true. I am very excited to watch your career unfold: hit series, new movie, producing/starring in your play, great reviews everywhere.... life is GOOD! I wish you the very best. I appreciate your response very much.

As for the Anonymous part: 1) I don't use my real name on the internet ever; 2) if I am going to use a fake name, I chose Anonymous. 

-NC

AUGUST 10, 2009 

Ed said...

Kelly Doyle said...

Barney-

I moved to a small town near Sarasota, FL last year. I am an air force veteran, female, in my 30’s, and everyone at the veterans organizations are Vietnam era vets....and no matter how charming I am I cannot get them to loosen up. And I am usually GREAT with their generation. Hell, I still listen to my moms 45's and dance around!! 

Discrimination comes in all shapes and sizes, and it hurts even the strongest of souls.

It is horrible what is happening to men and women who fall under the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” bullshit military policy. The more aware I am of the horrible way gay people in the military are treated the more enraged I get. 

Do you have any suggestions on how to get this addressed by our government? This is a policy that the president said he was going to fix but they are still kicking out gay service members, during a time of war for Christ sake!! 

I know you and Sharon are strong recognized advocates for the gay community, so I figured you wouldn’t mind me asking for advice. 

I am looking forward to seeing the Hannah Free screening in Key West on September 9th. I’m trying to get my crew down from Maryland….all I have to say is it will be swamped with single lesbians and they’ll be there in a heartbeat. Hahaha…my friends are a trip. They got me a t-shirt that says “Don’t bother, I’m straight” for Christmas. :)

Thanks Barney.

Kel

AUGUST 6, 2009 7:06 PM

   BARNEY ROSENZWEIG replies:

Kel, 

I have always believed that is in pretty much the fate of progressives in our society to be (at least in the near term) disappointed by the folks they elect in the hope of effectuating any major change. Right now, I am reveling in having a President who speaks in complete sentences and is capable of thinking on his feet. Later, I hope to celebrate the assaults on our constitution by his predecessor, but so far that isn't happening. Care for veterans and those less fortunate is on my wish list as well. 

Barney.

AUGUST 6, 2009 7:33 PM

  Kelly Doyle said...

Wow, now I am really looking forward to getting the book in the mail. I really enjoy your style of writing Barney. Do you talk the same as you write?

As I watch the show again, the last time being just a child in the early 80's, I am fascinated at the dynamic. It truly was ahead of its time and still I haven't seen many shows with characters that come anywhere close to C&L. And the greatest thing about watching the shows again this many years later is that the topics of the shows have withstood the test of time.

I never had a female friend that I worked with and became friends with....so I never related what it was like to deal with another woman. (the frustrations involved on a daily basis)The way these characters interact is just INCREDIBLE. As I told Sharon when I met her, she and Tyne just had the spark, the timing that made them such incredible actors on that show. 

I look forward every day having time to myself to watch one show.....it is like my reward for making it through the day without pulling my hair out or breaking something. :) 

You all are awesome!! SO SO SO happy to have met Sharon. Only wish I had met you Barney. I totally blanked when I was on the island....I was sitting 4 tables from Sharon on July 3rd at the Italian place. It was someones birthday at her table and I sang along to with the happy birthday song. What an incredible vacation that was for me.

AUGUST 7, 2009 1:32 PM

Anonymous said...

Hey Barney R.

I bought your book Cagney and Lacey and Me or how I quit commplaining and started to love the blonde. It is really well written GREAT JOB. I have been a very BIG fan of Cagney and Lacey ever since I saw the Cagney and Lacey movie starring Loretta Swit and Tyne Daly, then when you found Sharon Gless for seasons 2 through 7 to potray Christine Cagney that was a work of greatness WELL DONE.

AUGUST 3, 2009 4:48 PM

  BARNEY ROSENZWEIG replies:

I usually do not take anonymous submissions and almost never respond to them. People should, I think, sign their names to things. Still... your "review" was kind, even if you got the book's subtitle mangled. So, thanks for that... whoever you are. 

Barney

AUGUST 4, 2009 1:23 PM

Kristen said...

I only recently discovered Cagney and Lacey. It originally aired during my college years, and I either didn't own a TV at the time or was going through my "not-watching-television" phase. I had certainly heard of it, thouigh. I just finished your autobiographical book, Cagney and Lacey and Me. I was struck by the multitude of skills that a producer must possess. Aside from vision and creative insight, it seems one must also be a diplomat, have an expertise in bartering and bantering, an intuitive sense of the public and its leanings and whims, as well as the empathy and calm of a therapist. Without you at its helm, this show just wouldn't have survived. I commend you for your endurance and foresight. I have only finished Season One but look forward to the rest. 

Kristen

Los Angeles

JULY 25, 2009 5:45 PM

Shirley said ...

Dear C&L.com

Will the compilation DVD Cagney & Lacey: The Menopause Years be available to buy in the UK and if so when;  I can't wait to see it!

I must have seen every episode of every series broadcast originally in the UK. It has been very important to me as a woman juggling home, friends and work in the 1980's with few extended family to call upon and at a time when there were few women role models doing this succesesfully in real life and few guidelines for us. I do know a couple of men that watched some of the series and I am sure that contributed to attitude change for them, even if at a subconscious level.

When some episodes were rerun in UK on TV last year I watched them again with delight and an even greater depth of appreciation - they do not age.

Please convey my deeply felt thanks to the team of actors, writers and producer.

Sincerely

Shirley 

30 AUGUST 2009

   CAGNEY & LACEY'S WEBSQUAD replies:

Dear Shirley 

Thank you very much for your message.  

Cagney & Lacey: The Menopause Years will be released in the USA on 28th September, and if you have a multiregion DVD player which plays Region 1 discs you may be able to buy it online.  We are not aware of any plans at present to release it in the UK.

As well as this official site, you may also like to know that C&L now has an official page on facebook.

Once again, thank you for your kind comments about Cagney & Lacey.

- Cagney & Lacey's WebSquad

31 AUGUST 2009

Joyce said ...

I recently found C&L on tv.com! I am a bit sad to say that i watched all 122 or so episodes during my one month off of work. i am now in reruns :). I was 12 when the show came on the air. i loved it then and i love it more now. Ellen Tyne Daly, you are beautiful and a great actress. Sharon, you are beautiful too (you really worked those jeans they put you in!), but i must admit i tuned in to see beautiful Lacey and her family. there is talk of a new C&L show? DON'T DO IT! anything would be a joke in comparison to the original. just let perfection alone. one opinion. best wishes to you both joyce

28 AUGUST 2009

Jayne Turner said ...Hi Barney I have just re watched an episode of C & L where Christine receives a proposal of marriage from David Keeler, what superb acting from Sharon. I reckon when everyone finally gets round to doing another film showing an update of C & L you get Christine to be reacquainted with David and they marry - what a beautiful ending!! Can't wait until we can purchase more C&L DVDs in England. 

Best wishes to you all 

Jayne

27 AUGUST 2009

Jayne:  Not so sure you are right about that. Christine Cagney had one trip down the altar and that may have been more than enough for her.

Barney

30 AUGUST 2009

 Gaelle said ...

Hi! Do you know there is people who like cagney and lacey? Nothing is available on Itune or tvseries.com (or something like that...) WHY? Sincerly.

24 AUGUST, 2009

CAGNEY & LACEY'S WEBSQUAD replies:

Gaelle,

We are aware that Cagney & Lacey has fans all over the world and we thank you for joining us in the jane all the way from France! 

The original series is available on tv.com and iTunes in the US. For licensing and copyright reasons it is not available outside the US, but sufficient demand from fans might help it be released in other territories. 

Meanwhile, Cagney & Lacey: The Menopause Years, the four made for television movies (1994-5), will be released on September 28th in the US. We believe you may be able to purchase them online.

Thank you for your interest.

Cagney & Lacey's WebSquad

25 AUGUST, 2009

Judy said ...Is this the "Architectural Digest" version of the jane? It may be due to my faulty memory - after all it's been almost three decades since C&L went on the air, which means I am almost three decades older - but I sure as hell don't remember it looking like this! :-D

24 AUGUST, 2009

  CAGNEY & LACEY'S WEBSQUAD replies:

Dear Judy

Your memory is fine. 

Sadly, the same could not have been said of the jane which, over the intervening decades since the last redecoration by Chris and Mary Beth had fallen into an even greater lamentable state of neglect. Peeling paint, broken tiles, unreplaced light bulbs and a lack of paper towels and other ... creature comforts. 

With the launch of a sparkling new website design, the WebSquad decided that its public spaces needed to be bright, warm and welcoming if they were to attract and retain visitors in the 21st century. Our redesigned facility, in line with the contemporary zeitgeist, takes into account that the jane is now fashionably unisex and is somewhat more publicly accessible than before. 

The fluffy towels and fragrant soap bars which our interior designers provided were removed before the facility finally opened to the public last week, in the interests of ensuring any visitors who had not seen the jane for nearly 30 years would not feel they were in entirely unfamiliar surroundings. However, we felt, being a little older now, they would appreciate some amenities not provided to the women of the 14th Precinct. 

We hope you feel the designers did a good job of upgrading the jane, and that you and other visitors will find it a pleasant and welcoming environment to hang out and chat with us. 

Thanks. 

Cagney & Lacey's WebSquad

25 AUGUST, 2009

  Stewart McPherson said ...

hi barney hope all is well with you sharon and tyne...i was wondering what your thoughts on cagney @ lacey becoming a big screen movie over the years i read this one and that one going to play the parts and wondered what your thoughts on it were if it were to be made...my personel veiw is i only want to see the original gang play there parts no one eles...please let me know your thoughts...thanx

24 AUGUST, 2009

 BBARNEY ROSENZWEIG replies:

Stewart:  Frankly it is hard for me to imagine anyone playing these roles but Sharon Gless and Tyne Daly, but it is also unrealistic to think that any theatrical motion picture version of this dynamic duo would not be recast. 

I have more than one approach to how a Cagney & Lacey movie should be made, but it does not include ideas that (like the Starsky & Hutch andDragnet films) spoof what we did. That concept has been rejected more than once. 

There is always some talk about revisiting the series itself with a more demographically viable (read younger) cast and that could happen. When we had such initial success with The Menopause Years (before Leslie Moonves came to CBS and, for reasons still unclear to me, decided to bury the franchise) I had hoped that we would make two C&L reunion movies a year and follow these characters, played by the women we all love in those roles, all the way into their retirement and dotage. That was my dream... endorsed by a lot of the old CBS crew, but not by the then newly arrived Moonves. 

Meanwhile... while out in Los Angeles this fall for the USC football season... you just never know when I might bump into my Niece's old pal, John Carrabino, and have a chat about his client, Renée Zellweger having a go at the 2010 big-screen version of Christine Cagney.

Barney

25 AUGUST, 2009

Stewart McPherson said ...

hi barney thanx for that i like you could never imagine any except ms gless and ms daly being christine and mb i have been reading your book again i have realy enjoyed it i never understtod about mr moonves doing this to our girls i just dont think the man has any taste to be honest...but can i ask when you starting out to do the first menapause movie did all the original cast want to be apart of the movie as reading your book i read a bit were you say that carl lumbley was reluctlent to be in it ?and he is not in the cast photo were it says he was not around!hope you dont mind all the questions !i would love a good sit down chat with you about c@l but this is the next best thing....

25 AUGUST 2009

Lynn said ...

I just checked out the C&L movies: Promotional video montages on your web site great idea. I only checked out the lacey files for right now. I sure hope that the people at MGM get the whole C&L episodes out in a complete package, starting with the tv-movie version then with season one through seven, because I have the whole seasons on vhs but I would like to have all seven seasons on DVD. 

24 AUGUST, 2009

   BARNEY ROSENZWEIG replies:

Lynn:  Your hopes are joined by this producer. I will make another attempt at getting this to happen when I meet with the MGM toppers this fall out in Los Angeles.

 Barney

30 AUGUST, 2009

Marie said ...

Checking out the clips, I forgot how great you guys were together. Your show "Cagney & Lacey" was/is the best. Your acting abilities are phenomenal. 

Tyne...loved your show with McD at Feinsteins...and meeting you. You are such a lovely person. Sharon..I totally enjoyed visiting with you on the Rfamily cruises. Truly always a highlight to visit with you. Your "Hannah Free" Movie was so moving. . I do not know Barney, but to be associated with you two ladies...he is one lucky guy. 

Being in the same room as you two and seeing how you two ladies are truly real friends in life was so refreshing. You two are two of the nicest people I've met in that world.

You will have a new following of a younger generation once these reruns get out there. They are fabulous...and you guys should be very proud of the work you've done. Hope to meet up with you both again. 

Marie

24 AUGUST 2009

  Rachel B said ...

Wow what a wonderful job on the vids. I'm a Youtuber and I'd be happy to put the first video in my vlog. I agree this show deserves to shown again on TV and the full series DVD released. Rachel B =)

23 AUGUST, 2009

   Heike said ...

Hello, I am from Germany and I love the Cagney & Lacey series. My favorite episode is the one where Lacey goes undercover as a taxi driver and her son Michael is scared by that. I wish it would be possible, that the episodes on tv.com and itunes were available in Germany too. I bought the first season on DVD and hope the others will be released on DVD shortly. Also I'm waiting for a translation of Barney Rosenzweig's book. I like this fan website very much and often check if there's something new. Sharon, Tyne, Barney and all the others, thank you for the great series, that has fans all over the world and still many years after it was produced. - Heike

21 AUGUST, 2009

  Nancy said ...

Because of growing up with Cagney and Lacey, who were my role models. I became a police officer. Every Monday night at 10pm on CBS, I was glued to the TV to watch my favorite show. Now I have the show on DVD and I am excited that more episodes are going to be released and the made for TV movies. I wish the girls would get back together and do another Cagney and Lacey movie. There is an audience out there waiting for that. You girls rock! 

21 AUGUST, 2009

   BARNEY ROSENZWEIG replies: 

Laura:  Thanks for the compliment... You have to know I love such comments about the work that I so enjoyed doing. 

The real reason I am answering, beyond the thanks, is because of what I am sure will be a time delay for responses from Ms Gless and Ms Daly. Tyne is working on expanding her cabaret act and also preparing for yet another Broadway outing... Sharon has just completed season three onBurn Notice (finished filming just hours ago), is promoting the new release of her low budget film, Hannah Free and preparing for the play she is going to launch in San Francisco. Sooo... unlike this old guy, the two women are BUSY. 

I know they will get back to you and others, but it may be a little while. 

Barney

20 AUGUST, 2009

  Laura said ...

Hi Barney, and thanks ever so much for the reply. I obviously understand there will be a delay in responses from Ms Gless and Ms Daly, im just glad that they are still out there performing, and i will patiently await a response from both.

And, your very welcome for the compliment, its very much deserved. And this site is a fantastic idea for all fans, i think its a great way to get the younger generation interested in the show, as i say, im only 20 and i love it!

With love, Laura

21 AUGUST, 2009

Frederique said ...

bonjour,

je suis frederique, une jeune femme de 34 ans, française.

J'adore la série cagney et lacey! sharon gless est si formidable et si touchante dans son role. J'adorerai la rencontrer ou assister a un tournage!!! ecrivez moi!!!

au plaisir de vous lire

frederique 

18 AUGUST, 2009 

  CAGNEY & LACEY'S WEBSQUAD replies:

Frederique, for anyone who does not speak French, we understand you to have commented:

I'm Frederique, a young French woman of 34 years old.I adore the series C&L! Sharon Gless is amazing, and so touching in the role.  I should love to meet her or help in a filming!!! Write to me!!! Looking forward to reading your reply.

Frederique 

Thank you - merci beaucoup!

19  AUGUST, 2009

Dori said ...

Barney,

I have been watching my threadbare VHS converted to DVD version of Rosie O’Neill. It holds the same magic that C&L does. I never tire of watching either series. I watch a couple episodes virtually every day. The sequence with Robert Wagner was inspired; and the “Bobbie Rose” character was awesome! In the last episode of Season 2, the doorbell rings, Rosie opens the door; the scene changes to Rosie telling her therapist that Peter has left his wife. “Now what do I do?” Would you share with us your vision of Season 3? Thank you. 

-Dori

18 AUGUST, 2009 

 BARNEY ROSENZWEIG replies:

Dori:  Too tough a question... seriously. I haven't thought about this in a very long time and somewhere I may even have some notes that would indicate just where we were going with the show, but... I can tell you I was very... I mean VERY... confident of a pick up for that third season. We didn't get it. But up until the end I was sure we were coming back. 

When the show premiered it had the highest rating and the best reviews of any new series for that season. This is significant when you realize that another new show that year was Law and Order. What a difference in my life if only CBS had treated us the way NBC handled their show. Steve Werner, a former CBS exec with whom I often fought was quoted as saying the biggest mistake of his tenure at the Network was canceling Rosie O'Neill. I had many victories over Jeff Sagansky's lieutenant Peter Tortorici at CBS, but they proved pyrrhic as Mr. T was less than happy with me and my arguments for the show. 

In retrospect, I could have been less arrogant... should have been... but given the circumstances at that time, and my then position in the business, I am not sure I would ever have conceded that then. 

None of this is answering your question. You have touched a nerve and maybe... but only a maybe... when I get some time I will try to conjure up a richer picture of that time and be able to more fully address your query.

19 AUGUST, 2009

Lynn said ...

To Barney:

There are C&L episodes that are some of my favorite ones but there are to many too list. I kind of have all seveon seasons on vhs, and I have season one of C&L on dvd, but I sure can not wait untill seasons two through seven come out on dvd I'm hoping it will be sooooooooooon. The episode to sir with love was one of the most funniest shows that tyne, and sharon ever did! The episode of C&L that I truely did love is when Lacey caught her 14 year old son harvey jr playing with her service revolver and pointing it at his friend robert, and saying to her son do you have any idea what would of happened if there was an accident! At the end of the show the veiwers see lacey and her son at a adtopsy of another boy who had been shot. GREAT SHOW:

14 AUGUST, 2009 

  BARNEY ROSENZWEIG replies:

Lynn: Thanks... I, too, am hoping the entire series will come out on DVD in one complete package. I think the powers at MGM would now readily admit that the make-shift group that was put together by FOX for this work was simply not up to the task and did a very poor job. 

All that is complicated by a very down market for "vintage television," but I am hopeful that our independent release of Cagney & Lacey: The Menopause Years this fall will be successful enough to point the way for MGM to reconsider and to distribute the entire package.

19 AUGUST, 2009

Ed said ...Dear Barney

Thank you for taking the time to answer all our questions. It's very much appreciated.

I know it's often been stated that in a perfect world, Cagney and Lacey would have worked in a post office rather than as police officers, but there can be no denying that C&L was a definite influence on the likes of NYPD Blue etc. In fact, I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking that the influence of C&L is felt in many of television's hour-long drama series.

I just wondered if there were any shows (cop or otherwise) that are currently being/have been broadcast that you really feel owe a debt to C&L and why? Or, if not owe a debt, how about simply telling us which other hour-long dramas you rate? 

Cheers,

Ed 

17 AUGUST, 2009

   BARNEY ROSENZWEIG replies:

Ed: You are correct about NYPD BLUE, produced by the very talented Steven Bochco. Steven also produced Hill Street Blues and the difference between those two shows is the influence of Cagney & Lacey. I always refer to NYPD BLUE as Cagney & Lacey in drag. Steven's LA LAW owed something to C&L as well, if for no other reason than Terry Louise Fisher. Ms Fisher left Cagney & Lacey, her first series work, to co-create with Bochco the LAW series. Plenty of Terry's work in the C&L courtroom showed her acumen for writing this kind of stuff... 

You might well ask if there would have been a Kate & Allie, a Murphy Brown or a Thirtysomething without Cagney & Lacey? What we changed about television was in the pitch meetings at Networks all over town. After Cagney & Lacey you could no longer walk into one of those sessions with just a gimmick ("It's about a private eye... but he's blind"). Now, the Network exec would ask what the chief character's home life was like. Who were his siblings, did he have a bad relationship with his parents...etc. 

That really did not exist on American television before our show and that is our true legacy. A nice example of that today is Amazing Grace. I like to think that Cagney & Lacey might well have evolved into something like this show. I love its texture, the relationships and the way the "beads are strung" episode after episode.

19 AUGUST, 2009

  Stewart McPherson said ...

hi barney thanx for the answer its well nice of you i just wondered but i see what you mean about time off from her show...i am glad you and sharon had a great time in edinburgh it can be a great city...could you tell me please then was it dilbarate that you used guest star actor that were on c@l to be guest stars on rosie oneil as over the years i have seen loads of familer faces and did you set out to include miss foster to be in the show to as i think sharon and herself were good on screen shame she did not stay in rosie longer...and please come back to edinburgh as i have never met sharon and from what i hear from people who have met her she is great to chat to and would love a chat with you....thanx 

17 AUGUST, 2009

   BARNEY ROSENZWEIG replies:Stewart:  Regarding your query about guest star actors... I think the tendency is for a producer to develop (or want to develop) a repertory of actors and to a certain extent that is what I did. Ms Foster was a "recurring character" on The Trials of Rosie O'Neill and would have continued as such if only the show had gone on longer. As to Edinburgh... if Sharon's new play, A Round-Heeled Woman (to debut in San Francisco next year) gets its chance in London's West End you can be sure we will be revisiting Scotland.

19 AUGUST, 2009

Stewart said ....

hi barney thanks for letting me know that...if its possible can you let me know why paul mantee (al corrasa)never got his name on the opening titles and he was in your show before robert hegyes...also why did carl lumbley leave so near the end of the last season?and why did you kill off dan shor?it always seems sad that the whole cast during the sharon years stayed together but then mr lumbley leaves just before the end....hope your well and thanks again for answering all my questions...

1 SEPTEMBER 2009

BARNEY ROSENZWEIG replies:We had a limited number of series regulars (due to budget restrictions) who received main title credit. Others such as Paul Mantee (and even Dick O'Neill as Charlie Cagney and Steven Macht as David Keeler) were designated as "recurring characters." We had a different contractual relationship with them than with guest stars, bit players or series regulars and a big part of those contracts was the method of billing. 

As to Dan Shor, we had a story line that we wanted to use for the character he played and as the work went on it was decided that the kind of chemistry that the story line required between Shor's character (Newman) and Sharon Gless (Cagney) just wasn't happening the way we had hoped.

We then came up with plan B which was to have Newman... one of our cast of regulars die. This was sort of edgy TV in those days and the proof of that, and the dramatic impact this had on the audience, is that this episode received several awards... including an EMMY for director Georg Stanford Brown. 

Finally, Carl Lumbly had for some time talked to me about wanting to move on and to leave the series. He was getting a lot of interest to star in his own series, which he eventually did, and so we devised a happy way for him to move on... his character of Marcus Petrie would get a promotion and since the 14th already had a detective-Sergeant (Cagney) Petrie would move to another precinct. There was an earlier time when we almost lost Carl and for that story I refer you to my book, Cagney & Lacey... and Me. 

23 SEPTEMBER 2009

Hello--- after several months of enjoying my newfound interest in C&L, my boyfriend (I got him hooked too) and I finally made it thru all seasons on tv.com  (excluding season 1 with Meg Foster); and we had a question about the relationship between Christine and her estranged brother Brian. 

1) Christine mentions in an early episode that she hadn't seen her brother Brian since her mother died when she was 19 (and given Christine seemed to have been the age of 38 for the first 3 seasons, that would mean she hadn't seen him at all leading up to Old Ghosts a couple of seasons later)....

2) Then in Old Ghosts she tells Lacey she hasn't seen Brian in 12 yrs, which conflicts with the former... 

3) Then in a later episode with her niece, Bridget says, "Aunt Christine, you've known me all your life", which couldn't have been true if either of the previous episodes were correct.

So we were wondering, exactly what is the back-story there between Christine, her mother's death and her California relatives? Ohmyghosh, can you tell we are now complete C&L nerds?!

Thanks for reading. 

p.s. we found some other holes too but won't bother mentioning. :) 

7 SEPTEMBER 2009

BARNEY ROSENZWEIG replies:I am responding to you midway through a driving trip across the US having just witnessed my Alma Mater (if you were really the C&L nerd you claim to be you would know that is the University of Southern California) emerge victorious from the infamous Ohio State University "horseshoe". I am now en route to the next game which is against the University of Washington in Seattle. 

So, I am tired and without reference books, but here goes from memory: First of all, everyone on the series took great pride in what we referred to as "stringing our beads." I am, therefore, not prepared to totally capitulate and admit an error, but it is possible that might have occurred. 

My memory is that Christine and her brother, Brian, were estranged ever since she refused to come home from her college semester abroad to attend the funeral of their mother... I don't recall our making a point of the fact that they had not seen one another since then only to change that (for what purpose?) some time later to 12 years. 

I would bet on us, but I could be wrong and, as stated, I have nothing with me here on the road to back me up. Bridget's line is hyperbole and more accurately could be stated "you've known of me all your life," but no one talks that way. Again, referring to memory here, Bridget was "seen" (off-stage) by Cagney in the Extradition episode and I would guess that we made some reference there to Cagney telling Brian that she had grown up nicely even if she didn't mean it. 

What we have here is an old guy defending himself from what might be a legitimate "gotcha moment." I hope you are not right, but please know, we worked hard at our continuity and chronology. 

Still, no one is perfect and whichever way it is (was) I am glad to know you are paying attention. Thanks for that. 

16 SEPTEMBER 2009

Bettina said ...

Although I think nobody but Sharon and Tyne can play C&L , If they ever would make a Cagney & Lacey movie , i suggest Cate Blanchett as Cagney and Toni Collette as Lacey. And Sharon and Tyne MUST make an appearance in it. And they MUST release the whole six years of C&L on DVD Worldwide Please :}

7 SEPTEMBER 2009

     BARNEY ROSENZWEIG replies:.

Lynn: Tyne was "the brunette" to Sharon's "the blonde." If I were casting a motion picture version of Cagney & Lacey today, I think my first choice for Lacey would be Toni Collette. Nice duo, eh? Renee Zelweger and Toni Collette... I would pay money to see that.

- Barney

1 SEPTEMBER 2009

Jane Thompson said ...

As a teenager in the 80s I was completely obsessed with Cagney and Lacey. During my sophomore year in high school I joined the local chapter of police explorers and continued in the program until after my high school graduation in May of 1987. Something internal changed in me, and in December of 1988 I left the police explorers and no longer desired to become a ploice officer. To this day I am still unsure what exactly changed, but I know it was God's will working in my life. I later met the love of my life and we married in 1991. We now have 4 children. I am now a paraeducator (teacher's aid) for severly disabled children in a public school. As I look back on this I can see that I ended up in a much different life than what I anticipated as a teenager. 

Recently my husband signed up for netflix and he found season 1 of Cagney and Lacey on play now. He downloaded it and surprised me with it on one of our date nights. My children had never seen Cagney and Lacey so they were curious when I told them that this was my favorite TV show as a teenager. My sons rolled their eyes and walked away, but my daughter was mezmerized, and soon she began asking to watch Cagney and Lacey during our monthly mother/daughter night. I am so excited to find this web site! I lost most of my Cagney and Lacey collection during a move, so now I have a chance to revive it and share it with my daughter!

OCTOBER 17, 2009

   Wilma said ...

Thanks, guys, for finally making the entire series available on UK iTunes! Yay! So psyched!

OCTOBER 24, 2009

Robert said ...I'm surprised there isn't a lot of "new stuff" on the site with the release of The Menopause Years. Why was this set not trumped up more? I had to order my copy online. No store stocked it which I gather is due to stupid managerial politics as discussed in Barney's blog. But where are all the fans? It's a magnificent set. I haven't watched it all yet but I'm just happy to own it. Hope it was a big seller! 

OCTOBER 8, 2009

Craig said ...My name is Craig Smith and i am from Australia. i have been an admirer of both your work since the early 80's. Cagney & Lacey was a big hit here in Australia. I loved it. i still love the music from the opening credits. Tyne i was also an avid watcher of Judging Amy. what a great show!!!!!!!!!! Sharon your role in Queer as Folk was sensational. When you have a spare month or so come down to Australia to visit or bring a show. you have a lot of fans here. Good luck with future work opportunities and i will be looking out for you both on Australian tv. Keep up the good work because you both are sensational actresses. regards from an australian fan. 

Craig

OCTOBER 14, 2009

Kel said ...

I was quite young when I got hooked on the C&L. Now, as I continue to watch the series again, still stuck on the 5th season for lack of time, I am reminded of things I picked up from the characters.

The way Chris deals with sexual harassment with sarcasm and jocularity...at the same time promising dates or getting flirty with the computer tech, really makes me think about how I grew up dealing with harassment in the workplace. It was a common thing, unfortunately maybe even worse in the military or in other government type public service jobs like police, because to report it would be a strike against yourself instead of the person issuing the harassment.

It is tough cause being single it seems to continue now into my mid thirties and I am having trouble figuring out flirty from harassment because all kidding aside, I do give it as much as I get it, so maybe it is my bad. I want to be in the boys club, I just don't want to be the one night stand. And dealing with the kind of people I do, former army rangers, it is tough handling their addiction, PTSD, in men when you are in love with them and they are closed off. I am reminded of this with Chris' on and off relationship with Dory. How heartbreaking it is to see him, want him, but can't have him because he is bad for her....but not caring really because the feelings are so strong.

It is intense to see these shows again and relate to them as an adult. And honestly, the subject matter really hasn't diminished over time, which makes this show so awesome.

I look forward to every single episode, just as I did when I was just a little kid. This show shaped me in ways that you can't imagine.....and it still helping me figure out some life lessons. Bless you all for doing what you do.

PS: Concerning a previous comment about the characters wardrobe....Chris was a trust fund child too...which accounts for the condo and the nicer clothes. Am I wrong?

OCTOBER 13, 2009

Amy Arnett said ...

Hi Barney Sharon and Tyne, I just want to thank all three of you for being such good people. I only wish there was more people in this world like you three. I love the show cagney and lacey Its a wonderful show. I finally got the season on dvd. My brother and sister in law got it in January for my birthday. Thanks Barney for bringing cagney and lacey into the fans life. Sharon and Tyne thanks for sharing your life with your fans. You don't know how much that means to use.Thank you. I hope some day i get to meet all three of you. You seem to be great people. Sharon thank you for careing for gays i have a sister that is gay. So i thank you. Take care 

Amy Arnett Jackson, Michigan

OCTOBER 13, 2009

Mark Lincoff said ...

I have repeatedly viewed every single Cagney and Lacey episode, starting with the Switt/Daly pilot movie, through the Foster/Daly demi-season, and onward through the various cancellations and hiatuses. Then, as now, the show has never ceased to amaze me in its scope of emotion, the quality and boldness of its writing, and the amazing nuance and skill shown by its actors -- both leading and otherwise. 

However, one question has always come to mind when I review my cherished VHS captures of primetime runnings -- or the new DVD releases. There was a distinct difference in the photographic style, the lighting, the sound, and the overall "feel" of Season 2, as opposed to the seasons that followed. It's rather hard to put into words, but for lack of accurate description, Season 2 had a softer, more film noir-like quality than the seasons that followed. Shadows were darker, colors more muted, music, voices and sound effects were mixed differently, and the overall tone of those episodes seemed ideally suited to indoor and night scenes. In fact, some outdoor daylight sequences had a slightly artificial look and sound, as if the cameras and microphones weren't set quite right.

Then, when Season 3 ushered in the return of this fine series after CBS's decidedly unwise cancellation, things looked and sounded quite different. From that point forward, the show had a crisper, more realistic look, a more vibrant color palette, and a soundtrack that (although it was not in stereo like today's TV shows) boasted a clarity and fidelity that bested the prior seasons immeasurably. 

Yet, the creative team was the same -- same directors, producers, writers; same distribution company (Orion Pictures Television). 

The differences between Season 2 (and the Meg Foster episodes before it) and Seasons 3 onward were obviously due to technical tweaks. My question is whether those changes came about due to a sudden increase in monetary resources, or a deliberate overhaul of the artistic design of the show. To put it less delicately, did Cagney and Lacey suddenly look and sound better because there was more money, or was the change intentional on the part of the creative team?

Mark Lincoff

Hollywood, FL

OCTOBER 1, 2009

BARNEY ROSENZWEIG replies:

All of the above. Initially we were so under the gun... and Orion was such a lean/mean organization... that more often than not, the necessities of limited funding, coupled with onerous time pressures and practical locations with no studio stages or back lots, forced on us a certain look, feel and sound. 

With success came some changes... in personnel and in design. Some being more obvious than others and, I believe, most changes were improvements. With success also came confidence which allowed us to experiment more and more with the look and feel of the show, sometime filming entire scenes in sillhouette or in one complex choreographed move instead of relying on televison series convention. 

Part of the process of making television is that much of it... by virtue of the lack of money and the limited time schedules is a less than perfect process. I marvel at some of the work I see on TV today, but then realize that the economic model being practiced by today's producers is quite different from what I experienced since most of them have from two to three times the money per episode to produce their product than did we.

OCTOBER 5, 2009

  Lynn said ...

Hey Barney: I'm just wondering the C&L dvd set that I have is it season one or season two? on the cover it reads true beinning. I sure hope that your meeting with MGM excecutives in LA. California goes well because it is time for seasons 3 through seven of C&L to come out on dvd along with the C&L tv-movie that started the C&L franchise in 1982.

OCTOBER 1, 2009

BARNEY ROSENZWEIG replies:True Beginnings is the first season with Sharon Gless as Christine Cagney. Before that there were six episodes with Meg Foster as Cagney and one Movie For Television with Loretta Swit as the blonde detective (Tyne Daly played Mary Beth Lacey in every incarnation of the series). 

When MGM made the decision that... at least initially... they were only going to release a limited number of episodes, their inclination was to go with the shows in the order they were made (by the numbers, if you will... starting with #) and so they wanted to release the Swit movie and the six Meg Foster episodes with (perhaps) a taste of up to a half dozen episodes with Sharon Gless. 

I argued against this. My position was that since it was this package that was going to determine if more were to be released or not (as indeed that is what I was led to believe at the time) then I wanted to go out with my best shot... I also reasoned that since most folks only knew of the Sharon Gless episodes (and since she and Tyne had made the preponderance of the episodes (119 of the125) that is how we should proceed. . . 

I might add, that it was Sharon Gless and Tyne Daly that the press was interested in inteviewing in terms of any release that we had so it would be silly to have Sharon going out promoting episodes that she was not a part of. I always felt we could have a subsequent release of the "lost episodes" once we were successful. My argument was successful, even if the release of True Beginnings was not.

OCTOBER 12, 2009

  S & D said ...

Thanks for your response on the saga of Chris and her brother, good stuff and all makes sense! Another nuance we noticed, which was fabulous, was how both Christine and MB often wore the same clothes in various episodes, indicating they had a real wardrobe like regular people where they would in fact where an outfit more than once. Brilliant detail, I assume that was on purpose. 

Fabulous fabulous show! My fave almost of all time, and the only one in my lifetime I've ever been obsessed enuf with to write about!

Thanks again for the thoughtful response, cheers! 

SEPTEMBER 22. 2009

BARNEY ROSENZWEIG replies:

With regard to the outfits, we made an effort to give them a wardrobe that was consistant with their economic status (Chris as a single woman could afford better clothes than Mary Beth) and with it, that they would have a closet meaning outfits could and should be worn more than once.

OCTOBER 12, 2009

  Emily Schwarz said ...

I loved meeting the both of them!

OCTOBER 12, 2009

S&D said ...

Hello--- we had a question about the fabulous C&L episode called To Sir With Love. After the food fight scene both women start laughing--- was this Tyne and Shaon laughing or C&L? We ask b/c it almost looks like a blooper kept in. Very funny episode!  Thanks!

SEPTEMBER 11, 2009

    BARNEY ROSENZWEIG replies:

It is one of Sharon's and Tyne's favorites and they were laughing at each other in character. It was called for in the script, but I assure you both gals were having a good time both in and out of character.

SEPTEMBER 23, 2009

Stewart said ...

many many thanks barney for your answers i am in the middle of reading your book (again)as enjoyed when i first got and wanted to re read it since being on the website its nearly time for the movies to be released and i for one are hopeing that they a huge hit so that hopefully they will release more c@l and maybe just maybe rosie oneil.....i am buying the movies as soon as there out...do you know if there will ever be any chance of the original movie and the meg foster episodes being released on dvd?hope your well

SEPTEMBER 23, 2009

   BARNEY ROSENZWEIG replies:My goal is to have all the work we did come out in one package. That remains a hope and a work in progress. Since almost everyone knows of Cagney & Lacey through the work of Sharon Gless and Tyne Daly the release of those episodes has always been the priority. I also believed we would then either release the Switt and Foster versions as special editions of their own (The Lost episodes?) and then (again) as part of the entire series. This requires and assumes that the caretakers of this material have some interest in what they are care taking and in the wishes of the fans which... so far... has not been in evidence.

OCTOBER 5, 2009

Bettina said ...

Barney,I just read your blog and I'm really glad your health is better now. Take care 

bettina

28 OCTOBER 2009

Donna Thompson said ...

26 OCTOBER 2009

  Robert said ...

Hi Barney! Thanks for the blog reply. I am very glad to hear that you are okay after reading your latest blog. Best Wishes to you! - Robert

26 OCTOBER 2009

Ilene said ...Just finished watching all 4 of the "reunion" movies. It was great...like hanging out with old friends you haven't seen in a long time. The movies brought back a lot of old memories of: the show, my life at the time, VQT, attending the screening at the Museum of Television and Radio at which I was delighted to know the three of you finally heard my applause for the gift that C&L was to me. The interviews were interesting and informative. While I had heard many of the stories before I did learn a thing or two like Sharon choosing to bind her breasts so that the critics/public would actually pay attention to her performance & Chris. I do take exception with the idea, however, that Chris & Marybeth were "only" partners and not friends. I wholeheartedly believe they were both. I'm surprised the relationship doesn't speak for itself. I always thought that next to their own immediately families their relationship with each other was the most important one in their lives. Their reliance on each other, both in good times and bad, went much farther than work. Harvey steps out of the room after Marybeth's lumpectomy so the two women can have a moment, Its Marybeth who is there for Chris when she goes to AA, We see the ladies drink/socialize together after work(before the alcoholism), They confide in each other about personal matters as much or more than they discuss work, There was much handholding, hugging, embracing crying,etc... Lacey even named Alice after Christine. And Chris would never sell Marybeth out, put her in a comprising position, maybe, but never sell her out. Because, even if she thought about Marybeth, like Jimminy Cricket to Pinocchio, always acted as Christine's conscience, anyway.

9 OCTOBER 2009

Karen said ...I am watching The View Through the Glass Ceiling. (My boxed set arrived in the mail on Wednesday!) At the beginning of the movie, when Chris is told that a car is waiting for her, is that Barney who passes her on the street?

9 OCTOBER 2009

BARNEY ROSENZWEIG replies ...

12 OCTOBER 2009

I did make an appearance or two (a la Hitchcock) in these reunion films, but  do not remember the one you write of here... I am on the road so will ask my worthy assistant, Carole R. Smith to check this out. I should remind her I was thinner then.: 

Hayley said ...

Happy New Year to Sharon, Tyne, Barney and the cagney and lacey web crew and their family and all the best for 2010. love and best wishes Hayley.

31 DECEMBER 2009

Chops Holste said ...Can you tell me which season of C&L showed Christine at the bowels of her alcohol addiction, in her living room, in her PJs, drunk, crying & throwing a fit? That was an extremely powerful episode for me, extremely well acted, and actually brought me to tears. 

31 DECEMBER 2009

   Cagney & Lacey's WebSquad replies ...

Yes, we can! ... Turn, Turn, Turn part 2 - the penultimate season, aired on 3/30/87.

Margaret said ...I've so enjoyed watching Season 1 on dvd over Christmas ..thanks for making it available . ..and I'm hoping the rest of the seasons will be available soon too ...we can't access them on-line in Canada.

30 DECEMBER 2009

Kristy Hughes said ...Just wanted to say that sometimes it seems the first season (w/ Sharon) does not get the "respect" it deserves (though its the only season available on DVD). I know it had more of a traditional cop-show feel to it than later seasons but there was enough depth to the characters to hook me in even the most traditional episodes. Of course, I liked cop shows and that's why I watched the TV-movie and the first few episodes with Meg Foster when I was 15/16 years old. Season One made me a die-hard fan - thanks to the much lauded chemistry between Sharon and Tyne and the innovative portrayal of women, which struck a note with me even at that tender age. 

So, while the show may have hit its stride in seasons three/four, I still love season one and mini-season two (greatness). I thought season one's "Recreational Use" and its season three (?) follow up "Hooked", featuring Barry Primus as Cagney's love interest, the drug-addicted, often infuriating Sgt. Dorian McKenna (Keeler stole my heart but Chris and Dory were the hottest couple - and in a negative sense the most combustible). The anger between Chris & Mary-Beth in "Hooked" was almost palpable and the confrontational scenes in the squadroom and jane painful to watch (but who could look away?). I know its long ago now, but I was just wondering, given the "methods" of both actresses - did a really difficult episode like "Hooked" put them through the wringer emotionally? There were many emotionally draining episodes of C&L but not many that hit that level of fury. 

And now I've gone and made myself want all the succeeding seasons on DVD even more. So Disney has all the say now, Barney? I thought they were all about making dreams come true. Come on, Disney! 

Happy New Year, Barney! Hope 2010 is a great year for both you and Sharon. (Same to all the creative folks who make this website so much fun, the hard work is appreciated.) 

Kristy

30 DECEMBER 2009

Barney Rosenzweig replies ...

Actually, Kristy, I am not sure who has the say, now. MGM has been doing some "restructuring" and in that process we languish even more (if possible) than we did when they were active. 

Disney, I believe, only holds the international rights to the reunion films which are out now in a very nice package by Stan Moser's group under the general heading of Cagney & Lacey:  The Menopause Years. There is a chance that Walmart will put these reunion films on their shelves and that would be a great coup for us and an elevation from the disrespected "vintage television" label to that of "iconic television." 

I, of course, believe is what we are. Readers of this should take the hint and let their Walmart managers know that they would like to buy the boxed set of the Cagney & Lacey reunion films and maybe something will come of it (such as lightening striking twice). 

As to just how emotionally spent Sharon and Tyne were during this time... There are many answers to that. They are professional actresses and no one should ever doubt their professionalism. On the other hand, the work load often times came close to being overwhelming both physically and emotionally. I commend you, as I often shamelessly do, to my book, Cagney & Lacey...and Me for documentation and I admonish the persistent assistant, Carole R. Smith, to get an answer to this provocative question from the women themselves. 

I would like to read those.

Barney

Robyn said ...Hi, I have the 1st season & just got the movies for xmas (thanks to ebay) and I want to see the rest of the series, but I live in Canada; is there anyway I can see the rest of the episodes (tv.com isn't available to Canada)? Thanks

26 DECEMBER 2009

   Cagney & Lacey's WebSquad replies ...

Hi Robyn.  To the best of our knowledge, we regret this is not possible at present.   But you may want to keep an eye on iTunes for any future developments, if they are not already available there.

   Cagney & Lacey's WebSquad replied ...                            

   Jackie, thank you for your interest in the Cagney & Lacey DVDs. 

   At present all 125 episodes are available for purchase, either individually or by series, from Apple's iTunes in the US and UK. So although they      are not available on DVD at present, if you live in one of these countries you can still enjoy them.

Stewart said ...

hi barney glad to hear all is well...i got the menapause years as soon as them came out but was wondering if cbs has a new man at the top do you think you might just get to do say even one more cagney and lacey movie or is it well dead and buried (i live in hope that there would be one)and have you heard anymore on releaseing more c@l episodes or rosie oneil on dvd i know i have asked before but with the movies now been out 6 weeks was hopeing you heard somthing...anyway hope all you guys are good. 

Barney Rosenzweig replies ...

The DVD business is in such a sorry state that putting Rosie O'Neill out in this market would be even sillier that writing a followup to my memoir, Cagney & Lacey...and Me. As to another reunion movie, there is no sense in visiting CBS. We are not only the wrong demographic for today's TV Network execs in general, but in the particular case of CBS it is the same old, same old (Leslie Moonves) who did all he could to kill the series in the first place. 

Finally as to releasing more of the original series... MGM owns those rights and they are in some kind of business flux right now and focusing on other matters. 

Still, I believe there are more episodes out there on various technologies that can be acquired and I will leave it to Jacqueline Danson and/or Carole R. Smith to add that info as I simply don't know what it is that is happening in that arena right now. Why not? To be candid, it is (depending on how best to phrase it) either not enough of a response from the DVD-buying fans to merit keeping,or simply too discouraging to pay much attention. You pick. 

  Cagney & Lacey's WebSquad add ...

All 125 episodes of Cagney & Lacey are available for purchase in the US and UK through Apple's iTunes store, either individually or as series.  (You can download the iTunes software if you don't already have it, here).  From within the US, they can also be viewed on www.tv.com. 

The Cagney & Lacey: The Menopause Years made for TV movies are available at Best Buy online or your local Best Buy in the US, and from Amazon in the US and UK.

26 DECEMBER, 2009

Haley Newton said ..

Hi Sharon and Barney. I would like to wish you a happy new year for 2010. love and best wishes.

25 DECEMBER 2009

Stewart said ...

hi to all at cagney and lacey site merry christmas and all the best for 2010 when it comes...

22 DECEMBER 2009

Hayley Newton said ...

Hi Sharon, Tyne and Barney. I would like to wish you all a Happy christmas and all the best for 2010. I really enjoying the cagney and lacey dvds. now i dont have to get up early in the moring to watching cagney and lacey episodes on sky.

21 DECEMBER 2009

Wendy Greene said ...

Dear All, 

Just wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year!! Wendyxxx

17 DECEMBER 2009

Hayley Newton said ...Hi Barney. I would like to say thank you for getting season 1 and the The Menopause Years on dvd. I love the way Sharon and Tyne bring their charter to live in cagney and lacey.  

Hi Sharon,Tyne and Barney. I would like to wish a Marry Christmas and a Happy New year. I just reseved my cagney and lacey season 1 box set throw the post this moring and I'm really big fan of both Sharon and Tyne's work.

16 DECEMBER 2009

Louise said ...Hi All, Just discovered this site and I'm in Heaven! 

Have been a huge fan of C&L since I was about 12 and used to watch late night re-runs in my room with the tv turned down low! 

No other tv show has come as close to portraying women as such strong, positive characters, and I'm sure it was partly due to watching C&L that I pursued a career in the police force. This may not have worked out as I intended [it wasn't quite like life in the 14th!], but the steely determination of the 2 leading ladies will be with me in whatever situation I find myself in! 

27 NOVEMBER 2009

Julie said ...Ditto to Bettina's message. Best wishes for a healthy and happy future Barney!

5 NOVEMBER 2009

Julia Pfeiffer said ...I was bored today as of being sick at home so this is kind of like it all started. When I was 8 years old they had this show on called Cagney & Lacey and I was home with the flu and wasn't allowed to watch but Mom went to the grocery store so what the heck.... Well, I loved that show (and kept watching it, hiding so Mom wouldn't notice) and Christine was my personal hero through my childhood. I wanted to be like her and marry Remington Steele... ;-) *lol* would still marry him I guess.... Whatever - so I decided I wanted to be a cop and guess what I am (almost 10 years now and still love it!!). So last week I went to the store to buy a gift for someone and found the Cagney & Lacey DVD-Box and now feel like I'm a kid again!! Really cool to watch!! Love you guys!! Stay as good as you are!!

Hey, I forgot.... Sharon I just saw that your play will be on in January 2010 in San Francisco. You know that is so great as it's right when I'm visiting friends there (I'm from Germany so I guess it's just lucky as I decided to celebrate my birthday -26th Jan.- in San Francisco with my friends). So I'd love to see it and guess I will find a date now so I can buy some tickets for it!!! Yeah!!

2 NOVEMBER 2009

   Lynn said .. 

Barney:

I know besides me that the rest of the Cagney and Lacey fans all over the country are wondering will seasons two through seven ever be available on DVD soon? along with the Cagney and Lacey tv-movie that strated the whole C&L tv series? or did the big boys at MGM say NO?

2 NOVEMBER 2009

Barney Rosenzweig replies ...

The so-called "big boys" at MGM are unavailable for any sort of comment these days. They are going through some sort of corporate restructuring and so the rest of us wait.

Kel said ...

Uncle Barney, Do you have a statistic on how many men have purchased or read your book....How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Blonde? I am tempted to get the book for this guy I am seeing. He takes life so seriously, and he takes no time to enjoy me and what I have to offer. After all, I am blond, funny, attractive, and smart....but sometimes I feel like I am intimidating to guys. They don't know what to think of me cause I speak my mind, sometimes out loud when I shouldn't (like on The Hill which frustrates the hell out of me since everything out of every politicians mouths is a lie). What can I say, I have the Irish temper and German stubbornness. Is this book going to come out in an audio version? My guy is blind from the Gulf War and I want to either read it for him and record it on my own, or wait for you to put it out there in an audio version. Cheers. Kel

21 OCTOBER 2009

Barney Rosenzweig replies ...

There are no stats of which I am aware... However, under the same theory put forward by Oscar Hammerstein that you should "wash a man out of your hair" if you "laugh at different comics" or "root for different teams," I submit you buy the guy the book and see if you have something you like in common.

Lynn said ...To Barney, Sharon, and Tyne. Tyne when you did the episode titled who said it's fair. When you found out that you had breast cancer, that was a very emosonally episode because I have two friends who are breast cancer survivers, so all I want to say is great work. Barney when you filmed the C&L episode titled partners how many takes did it take to get the shot of tyne losing her balance and falling down the stairs up on the roof of a building after cagney gets shot?

19 OCTOBER, 2009

   Barney Rosenzweig replies ...

You've got me. I recall being on the location for that particular sequence and being concerned as to the verisimilitude of the scene. I was cognizant that, unlike little boys who played at such things and then grew up remembering how to do it, Sharon had probably not done a lot of cops and robbers as a little girl and so "taking the hit" would not come as naturally to her as it would a male actor. Where you "have me" is that I have no memory of the Tyne Daly fall and gaining access to our production records, which might well have the answers you seek, would require that this blogging work was at a much higher pay grade than it is. Sorry. It either comes easy or it doesn't and that scene was filmed over 25 years ago and (if memory serves) directed by my good friend (now deceased) Joel Oliansky.

Ed said ...Hi guys Just a quick one, and I don't know if you can help but I figured it was worth a shot. The Archive Of American TV has posted a 3-part extensive interview with Sharon via YouTube (http://www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/sharon-gless). The first and third parts are fascinating, but sadly the second (which I'm led to believe deals primarily with C&L) is without sound after the first two minutes. 

I have sent an email to the emmytvlegend website, but thought you would have more clout! Anything you could do to allow us to hear what Sharon has to say would be marvellous. All the best, Ed

17 OCTOBER 2009

Cagney & Lacey's WebSquad reply ...

Ed - many thanks for drawing this to our attention. The clip has now been fixed and can be found at:

YouTube - Sharon Gless - Archive interview Part 2 of 3 audio FIXED

Enjoy!

Cagney & Lacey's WebSquad

   Barney Rosenzweig replies ...

One small correction in your premise: you write of the last season and the three seasons before it... The last season had five seasons before it, not three. At any rate, I take your point. Was the last year of the series as good as some that proceeded it? No, but then the first season was not as good as some that followed. Most felt we hit our stride around season's three and four, but some of our best work was in season five and there are many things in six of which I am very proud as well. Quality control is something I write about in Cagney & Lacey... and Me. That standard to be upheld week in, week out, season after season. I think I took more pride in that then any other single thing about our series. Still, just like my beloved USC football team... we had some not-so-good "games."

Barney Rosenzweig replies ...This is all explained in great detail in Cagney & Lacey ... and Me. Read an excerpt on this site.