Jake and the Fatman backdrop
Drama•Crime•Action & Adventure

The Best Episodes of Jake and the Fatman Season 1

Every episode of Jake and the Fatman Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Jake and the Fatman Season 1!

Binge this in 23h 0m•Peaking at 10.0/10

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

Airs on
CBS
BestEpisodes
WorstEpisodes
BestSeasons
AllEpisodes

Seasons5

All12345

Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    Jake and the Fatman Season 1 Episode 23 - Rhapsody in Blue
    10.0/10(1 votes)

    S1:E23

    Ned Covington and his wife plan to kill his boss, Phil Duncan, when he is passed over for promotion, but they kill another employee by mistake. Realizing this they try to frame Duncan for the murder.

    Director:Michael Lange
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  2. Jake and the Fatman Season 1 Episode 4 - Laura
    8.3/10(51 votes)

    S1:E4

    Jake's former partner is killed by his fiancée in an alley. She blames the murder on a Latin kid she saw stealing a VCR just before she pulled the trigger.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  3. Jake and the Fatman Season 1 Episode 8 - Body and Soul
    8.3/10(46 votes)

    S1:E8

    ""Mad"" Marvin Michaels, the owner of an electronics store, is killed, and ex-con Bradford Long is the main suspect. McCabe assigns the case to the cop Karen Stetson, whose father was killed by Long.

    Director:Jerry Jameson
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  4. Jake and the Fatman Season 1 Episode 20 - Blues in the Night
    8.3/10(48 votes)

    S1:E20

    Jennifer Wilding gets a surprise when her identical twin sister turns up wanting to resume their previous partnership - one steals jewelry and the other provides an alibi.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  5. Jake and the Fatman Season 1 Episode 10 - Love Me Or Leave Me
    8.2/10(42 votes)

    S1:E10

    Ed Galvin escapes while he is being transported to prison, after threatening the life of McCabe and Andy Harmon (the cop who arrested him) during his trial.

    Director:Michael Preece
    Writer:Paul Robert Coyle

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  6. Jake and the Fatman Season 1 Episode 1 - Happy Days Are Here Again
    8.1/10(71 votes)

    S1:E1

    Senator candidate Kyle Williams' lover is killed after she threatens to reveal their affair. His speechwriter admits to him that he was the murderer, but threatens to frame him unless he cooperates.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

    7. Trending NowTRENDING NOW

    The 20 BEST Episodes of Jake and the Fatman

    READ
  7. Jake and the Fatman Season 1 Episode 3 - Fatal Attraction (2)
    8.0/10(54 votes)

    S1:E3

    Carson Warfield is having an affair with his stepmother, and together they kill his father and frame a thief who used to work for them. When things don't add up McCabe gets suspicious, and starts nosing around.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  8. Jake and the Fatman Season 1 Episode 13 - After You've Gone
    8.0/10(45 votes)

    S1:E13

    Jake spots the hit man Sagittarius at the airport and follows him, but he spots Jake and is fatally wounded in the following gunfight. Jake takes his place to try to find out who the target was.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Paul Robert Coyle

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  9. Jake and the Fatman Season 1 Episode 9 - The Man I Love
    7.9/10(45 votes)

    S1:E9

    Glen Latimer pushes his newly married rich wife Nancy of their boat, but she survives and is brought to a hospital. She is unsure if it was just an accident, so Jake goes befriends Glen posing as Nancy's brother.

    Director:Michael Lange
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  10. Jake and the Fatman Season 1 Episode 16 - What Is This Thing Called Love?
    7.9/10(43 votes)

    S1:E16

    A man takes a courtroom hostage - with Derek and McCabe in it.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  11. Jake and the Fatman Season 1 Episode 21 - How Long Has This Thing Been Going On?
    7.9/10(44 votes)

    S1:E21

    A friend of Jake, Matthew Hammond, is having an affair with a rich lady. They decide to marry, but when she asks her husband for a divorce, he kills her and frames Hammond.

    Director:Christian I. Nyby II
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  12. Jake and the Fatman Season 1 Episode 22 - I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plans
    7.9/10(42 votes)

    S1:E22

    A former cop who is now a crime writer commits a clever murder so that he can write a book about it that is likely to become a best seller.

    Director:Michael Lange
    Writer:Paul Robert Coyle

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  13. Jake and the Fatman Season 1 Episode 14 - It Had to Be You
    7.8/10(45 votes)

    S1:E14

    Leslie Randall, a former PR manager for McCabe is raped. The rapist, a psychiatrist, frames one of his patients with an anonymous tip to the police.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Paul Robert Coyle

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  14. Jake and the Fatman Season 1 Episode 19 - Babyface
    7.8/10(45 votes)

    S1:E19

    The daughter of the wealthy Amos Banning arranges her own kidnapping, and murders her accomplice once she has the ransom.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Dick Nelson

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  15. Jake and the Fatman Season 1 Episode 12 - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
    7.7/10(43 votes)

    S1:E12

    One of the deputy DAs finally gets her first murder case when a man she was investigating for skipping alimony payments turns up dead.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  16. Jake and the Fatman Season 1 Episode 15 - But Not for Me
    7.7/10(41 votes)

    S1:E15

    A known mob man is killed in the home of star reporter Candace Morgan. She says he was shot through the window while she was interviewing him, but McCabe gets suspicious when there is one too many bullets.

    Director:Michael Lange
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  17. Jake and the Fatman Season 1 Episode 17 - Lady, Be Good
    7.7/10(40 votes)

    S1:E17

    A friend of McCabe is murdered just as he is about to fake his own death so his wife can collect a 4.5 million-dollar life insurance.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  18. Jake and the Fatman Season 1 Episode 18 - I'll Be Seeing You
    7.7/10(42 votes)

    S1:E18

    A small time crook comes to McCabe offering to testify against the crime boss O'Rourke, after laying low for ten years. McCabe is suspicious, but is more than willing to go along with anything that can get O'Rourke behind bars.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  19. Jake and the Fatman Season 1 Episode 11 - Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
    7.6/10(43 votes)

    S1:E11

    A burglar kills a woman and blinds her nurse before fleeing. The police catch him, but have to let him go because the nurse can't identify him. When she is scheduled for an operation that could restore her eyesight, they fear he'll try to kill her.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Paul Robert Coyle

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  20. Jake and the Fatman Season 1 Episode 5 - The Man That Got Away
    7.5/10(48 votes)

    S1:E5

    A wealthy lawyer kills his ex-wife's new man and frames her for the murder. She is arrested, and he takes the job of being her lawyer.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  21. Jake and the Fatman Season 1 Episode 2 - Fatal Attraction (1)
    7.3/10(185 votes)

    S1:E2

    Carson Warfield is having an affair with his stepmother, and together they kill his father and frame a thief who used to work for them. When things don't add up McCabe gets suspicious, and starts nosing around.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  22. Jake and the Fatman Season 1 Episode 6 - Love for Sale
    7.3/10(47 votes)

    S1:E6

    A call girl discovers that her pimp uses her to smuggle drugs. She contacts McCabe, but is killed just as they meet.

    Director:Christopher Hibler
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  23. Jake and the Fatman Season 1 Episode 7 - Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
    7.3/10(47 votes)

    S1:E7

    For some time David Thompson has gone out and killed bums, so that the police believe a serial killer is loose. Then when he lures his brother to an alley and kills him the same way, he won't be a suspect.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

Season 1 Ratings Summary

"Rhapsody in Blue" is the best rated episode of "Jake and the Fatman" season 1. It scored 10/10 based on 1 votes. Directed by Michael Lange and written by Unknown, it aired on 4/6/1988. This episode is rated 1.7 points higher than the second-best, "Laura".