| Tequila and Bonetti | |
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| Genre | Comedy drama |
| Created by | Donald P. Bellisario |
| Written by |
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| Directed by | |
| Starring | |
| Voices of | Brad Sanders |
| Composers |
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| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 12 (10 + 2 unaired) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producers |
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| Running time | 60 mins. (with commercials) |
| Production companies | |
| Original release | |
| Network | CBS |
| Release | January 17 (1992-01-17) – April 17, 1992 (1992-04-17) |
Tequila and Bonetti is an Americancrimecomedy-drama television series starringJack Scalia. The series originally aired onCBS, as amid-season replacement, from January 17, 1992 to April 17, 1992, with only 10 of the 12 episodes aired. It was rebooted in 2000, forItalian television, with the Italian speaking Scalia returning as Bonetti.
The lead character of the series, Nico ("Nick") Bonetti, is apoliceman fromNew York City who is proud of hisItalian heritage and very fond of his vintage rose-coloredCadillacconvertible, which he inherited from his father. After he erroneously shoots a young girl during a gunfight, he relocates to a beachfrontLos Angeles precinct on temporary assignment. Here he meets his new partners, Tequila (a large, burrito-eatingFrench Mastiff), and Officer Angela Garcia, who joined the department after her policeman husband's death, which she has kept a secret from her young daughter. Their boss is Captain Midian Knight, who is almost as interested in selling ascreenplay as he is in police work. The series shows their investigations of crimes and the evolving relationships between the characters. This show has the peculiarity that television viewers are able to hear Tequila's thoughts.
Life is not easy for Bonetti, due to his remorse about the girl he shot and the strange habits ofCalifornians whom he does not understand. His neighbors include aPuerto Rican psychic, who hears Tequila's thoughts but initially believes she is hearing spirits. Bonetti develops a grudging respect for the people around him as well as for Tequila, who despite his faults is an excellentpolice dog. The dog is portrayed as having human-level intelligence and a street-wise, sassy attitude.
Each episode has amontage during which Bonetti plays piano and viewers see odd, sometimes disturbing scenes featuring Bonetti's neighbors and co-workers. Some of these scenes are from later episodes, while others remain unexplained. Each montage ends with Bonetti's memory of the shooting of the girl in New York.
In addition,Liz Torres recurs as psychic Gina Garcia, while series creatorDonald P. Bellisario's daughterTroian recurs as Teresa Garcia, the young daughter of Hargitay's character.
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Street Dogs" | Michael Zinberg | Donald P. Bellisario | January 17, 1992 (1992-01-17) |
| 2 | "Teach Your Children" | James Whitmore, Jr. | Richard C. Okie | January 24, 1992 (1992-01-24) |
| 3 | "The Rose Cadillac" | James Whitmore, Jr. | Richard C. Okie | January 31, 1992 (1992-01-31) |
| 4 | "Language of the Heart" | Christopher Hibler | Robin Jill Bernheim | February 28, 1992 (1992-02-28) |
| 5 | "Tales of the Dragon" | James Darren | Robin Jill Bernheim & Donald P. Bellisario | March 6, 1992 (1992-03-06) |
| 6 | "A Perfect Match" | Virgil W. Vogel | Story by : Beverly Bridges & Robin Jill Bernheim Teleplay by : Robin Jill Bernheim | March 13, 1992 (1992-03-13) |
| 7 | "Fetch This, Pal" | Rob Bowman | Tommy Thompson | April 3, 1992 (1992-04-03) |
| 8 | "Wonderdog" | Rob Bowman | Robin Jill Bernheim & Richard C. Okie | April 10, 1992 (1992-04-10) |
| 9 | "Brooklyn and the Beast" | Jeff Gourson | Richard C. Okie & Robin Jill Bernheim | April 17, 1992 (1992-04-17) |
| 10 | "Mama" | Bob Hulme | Tommy Thompson | April 18, 1992 (1992-04-18) |
| 11 | "Reel Life" | James Whitmore, Jr. | Tommy Thompson | Unaired |
| 12 | "Runt of the Litter" | James Whitmore, Jr. | Richard C. Okie & Donald P. Belisario | Unaired |
The series received negative reviews from critics due to the weaknesses of the scripts, California stereotypes, and an embarrassing ambiguity in the fact of making the dog speak in black street jive.[1][2][3][4][5] It was subsequently canceled by CBS four months after its premiere.
Eight years later,Tequila & Bonetti was rebooted for television with Jack Scalia reprising his role as Bonetti; only this time, the show was filmed and aired inItaly. Bonetti goes toRome to team up with a new "Tequila", a cross between aSaint Bernard and agolden retriever, and the policewoman Fabiana Sasso (Alessia Marcuzzi). Again, only the audience can hear the dog's thoughts, but this time Bonetti is the one with strangeAmerican habits, as seen by his newItalian friends.