TV series
Jake and the Fatman is a television crime drama starring William Conrad as prosecutor J. L. "Fatman" McCabe and Joe Penny as investigator Jake Styles. The series ran on CBS for five seasons from 1987 to 1992. Diagnosis: Murder was a spin-off of this series.
Availability
Checked Jul 22, 2026
Jake and the Fatman premiered September 26, 1987. We don't have a confirmed streaming, rental or purchase option yet.
Jake and the Fatman is a television crime drama starring William Conrad as prosecutor J. L. "Fatman" McCabe and Joe Penny as investigator Jake Styles. The series ran on CBS for five seasons from 1987 to 1992. Diagnosis: Murder was a spin-off of this series.
Choose an episode, then use the watch options above for the show.
Episode 1
PI Ed Delaney sees a man die and calls the police, but when they come for the body it is gone. He identifies the man as millionaire Richard Rose, who as it turns out, is still alive...
Guest stars Richard Lynch, Donald Burton, Robert Forster, Constance Marie, David Dunard, Olga Russell, Anjanette Comer
Episode 2
Jake goes undercover as a middle man between Rose and a rebel army wanting to buy Rose's hi-tech rifles, while Delaney finds proof that Rose isn't who he claims to be.
Guest stars Richard Lynch, Donald Burton, Robert Forster, Constance Marie, Olga Russell, Anjanette Comer
Episode 3
A young graffiti painter witnesses a murder and takes the victim's wallet. Jake finds him, but he refuses to talk, figuring that if he could solve the case himself he'd get a reward.
Directed by Reza BadiyiGuest stars Richard Romanus, Clifton Collins Jr., Tommy Hinkley, Wendy Fulton, Olga Russell
Episode 4
Jake kills a 14-year-old boy. He claims the boy had a gun and fired upon him, but no gun is found and the neighbors didn't hear anything.
Directed by Peter EllisGuest stars Tobey Maguire, Alyson Reed, Michelle Collins, Stephen Root, Mary Fanaro, Melody Anderson, Olga Russell
Episode 5
A writer is just about to publish an incriminating book about his ex-wife, when he is found dead in his bathtub.
Directed by James FrawleyGuest stars Julianna McCarthy, Leslie Bevis, Richard Bright, Claire Yarlett, Bert Kramer, Stanley Kamel, Ellen Geer, Richard Burgi
Episode 6
A woman follows a client of her sister's law firm, and sees him rob a store and kill the attendants. She confronts the man, and threatens to tell the police unless he kills her sister.
Directed by Georg FenadyWritten by E. Nick AlexanderGuest stars Conni Marie Brazelton, Pete Antico, Gianni Russo, George Cheung, Michael Bowen, Olga Russell
Episode 7
A friend of Neely's is killed by a heroin overdose, just as she was about to quit modeling. Neely goes undercover as a model to find out why.
Directed by Georg FenadyGuest stars Kim Morgan Greene, Tricia O'Neil, Rod Loomis, Melinda Clarke, Steven Flynn, Melody Anderson, Olga Russell
Episode 8
Neely and Jake investigates a case where dead bodies are found with their livers surgically removed.
Directed by Bernard L. KowalskiGuest stars Perry Stephens, Adrienne La Russa, Talia Balsam, Denise Dowse, Leon Russom, Nelson Mashita, Ethel Ayler, Matthew Faison
Episode 9
McCabe is prosecuting Mitchell Lazarus for murder and has just placed him at the scene, when another man steps forward claiming to be the murderer.
Directed by Alexander SingerWritten by James KearnsGuest stars Christopher Allport, Mary Kay Adams, Shari Shattuck, Fran Bennett, Richard Burgi, Christopher Halsted, John Thornton, Allan Miller
Episode 10
A trio of high-class pickpockets gets in trouble when they pick a mafia hitman's pocket and get a piece of paper with his next target on it.
Guest stars Brenda Bakke, Tom Everett, Leo Penn, Alex Cord
Episode 11
Derek is shocked when he finds out that a woman he loved didn't die in a plane crash 6 years ago.
Directed by Alexander SingerWritten by Morgan GendelGuest stars Bert Remsen, Sal Landi, Olga Russell, Robert Silver
Episode 12
Jake helps out a shop owner who refuses to obey a local gang's order to close 3 hours early.
Directed by Richard LangGuest stars Al Sapienza, John Bennett, Robert Jayne
Episode 13
A porn producer is killed in a way quite similar to a murder 5 years ago for witch McCabe got a young boxer convicted. Jake investigates, and gets involved with a reporter who seems to know things before the police do.
Directed by Christian I. Nyby IIWritten by Gerry ConwayGuest stars Roxann Dawson, Daina House, Tucker Smallwood, Tyrin Turner, Dan Martin, Carmine Caridi, Henry Holden, Olga Russell
Episode 14
Jake continues investigating the murders of Strobach and Blore, and evidence starts to point at Warren's old corner man Doug McKeown. But whom is he working for?
Directed by Christian I. Nyby IIWritten by Gerry ConwayGuest stars Roxann Dawson, Andrew W. Walker, Carmine Caridi, Olga Russell
Episode 15
A doctor is murdered, and is discovered to have been making child pornography. The prime suspect is Elliot Edwards, a city council member with a spotless record.
Guest stars Gina Gallego, Richard Gilliland, Dey Young, Robert Levine, Nelson Mashita, Olga Russell
Episode 16
A singer is planing to make a comeback after a year in drug rehab, when a stalker tries to kill her.
Guest stars Justin Deas, Kathleen Doyle, Phil LaMarr, Liz Vassey, Nelson Mashita, Garrett Glaser, Megan Butler, Laurie Morrison
Episode 17
Someone is giving out money to poor people or those who have done good deeds, using the name ""the good fairy"". But it turns out the faire's money is from a bank robbery.
Directed by Reza BadiyiGuest stars Joseph Cali, Eric Christmas, Don Keith Opper, Julius Harris, Jennifer Hetrick, George DiCenzo, Lenny Wolpe, Jimmy Workman
Episode 18
Jake's girlfriend Sherry is badly hurt by a car bomb, after Jake received a letter threatening to kill her for revenge against him. Devastated, he looks trough previous cases to see who the bomber could be.
Written by Gerry ConwayGuest stars Rosalind Allen, Olga Russell
Episode 19
A psychiatrist who Neely helped put away 5 years ago stars harassing her after getting out of prison.
Guest stars Melody Anderson, David Soul, John Anderson, Olga Russell
Episode 20
Bondswoman Ethel Mae Haven has to track down a client who she posted a $1 million bail for.
Directed by Christopher HiblerGuest stars Robert Reed, Kene Holliday, Bob Minor, Nell Carter, Michael Ensign, Jeff Yagher, George Tovar, Fred Holliday
Episode 21
Jake teams up with top homicide cop Hank Goldman to catch a serial killer who strangles women from escort services.
Guest stars Sherrie Rose, Olga Russell
Episode 22
Notorious New York cop Mickey Daytona pursues the legal counsel Thomas Chetwin suspecting him of rape. Jake, who is a friend of Mickey and his old father, reluctantly teams up with Mickey. Chetwin is trapped and commits suicide.
Directed by Bernard L. KowalskiWritten by David J. BurkeGuest stars Clarence Felder, Michael V. Gazzo, Ray Sharkey, Lezlie Deane, Patricia M. Peters, Olga Russell, J.A. Preston, John Milford
Episode information updated Jul 24, 2026
Available now in United States
These shows are available now and closely match Jake and the Fatman.
William ConradJason McCabe
Joe PennyJake Styles
Alan CampbellDerek Mitchell
Bert Remsen
Kurt Fuller
Kathryn Leigh Scott
Mary-Margaret Humes
Amy Steel
CBSUnited States
Viacom ProductionsUnited States
Dean Hargrove ProductionsUnited States
Fred Silverman CompanyUnited States
Strathmore ProductionsUnited States
