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The Best Episodes Written By Michael Donovan

Every TV Episode Written by Michael Donovan Ranked from Best to Worst by Thousands of Voters

Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    undefined Season 4 Episode 12 - The Dinosaur
    10.0/10(1 votes)

    S4:E12

    Officer Art McCall returns from eight years on disability and rides with Malloy and Reed to see how much has changed in law enforcement. McCall soon learns exactly how much has changed when he tries illegal techniques to help a young woman with her ex-con husband, fails to Mirandize a boy after arresting him for robbery, and screws up an arrest of a gun-carrying man who later plants a bomb in his ex-wife's car, which requires Malloy to dress down the veteran officer on his use of antiquated (and illegal) police procedures.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Michael Donovan

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  2. undefined Season 1 Episode 18 - Log 112: You Blew It
    10.0/10(1 votes)

    S1:E18

    Reed and Malloy make a routine traffic stop on a motorist. Before the NCIC check is completed, the dispatcher broadcasts a domestic dispute call in the two officers' patrol area; Reed and Malloy take the call and let the motorist go. Bad choice; the lieutenant soon calls the two errant officers in to scold them. Turns out the motorist had warrants out for his arrest on robbery and weapons charges. Malloy and Reed then come up with and carry out an ultimately successful plan to nab the wanted criminal.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Michael Donovan

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  3. undefined Season 7 Episode 2 - Survival on Charter #220
    9.0/10(1 votes)

    S7:E2

    Squad 51 C-shift paramedics rescue a stuntman from a tower. Gage and Desoto respond to treat the injured child of a fireman's widow. A small plane and a chartered jetliner collide in midair, landing in a residential neighborhood, trapping Johnny and Roy. Station 18 leads a massive response from Battalion 14 and the Compton city fire department. Dr. Morton heads up a triage team from Rampart. Multiple rescues include passengers from both planes and people in the subdivision. Dr. Early performs brain surgery on the injured child. An elderly man's dog leads Chief McConnike to its owner.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Michael Donovan

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  4. undefined Season 1 Episode 24 - Log 172: Boy, The Things You Do For The Job
    9.0/10(2 votes)

    S1:E24

    Malloy writes a young woman a traffic ticket and then is bombarded with attention and affection, all of which he doesn't want.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Michael Donovan

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  5. undefined Season 4 Episode 20 - Sub-Station
    9.0/10(1 votes)

    S4:E20

    On temporary assignment at LAX, Reed and Malloy have to save a stewardess who is taken hostage inside a lounge by a man desperately trying to get the attention of a television producer. Afterward, they go undercover as rental car employees to intercept a large narcotics delivery from Toledo, and then try to identify and apprehend a rape suspect before he's able to escape on a flight.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Michael Donovan

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  6. undefined Season 1 Episode 2 - Botulism
    8.5/10(2 votes)

    S1:E2

    John plots his revenge after being the repeated target of practical jokes. A man breaks his back falling off a tower. A woman fakes an illness. Dr. Early's stethoscope becomes lodged in his ear. A man brought into the hospital from a movie set is the first indication of an outbreak of botulism. A boy is trapped in a condemned building.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Michael Donovan

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  7. undefined Season 1 Episode 22 - Log 152: A Dead Cop Can't Help Anyone
    8.5/10(2 votes)

    S1:E22

    An impressionable Reed is taken in by the "cowboy cop" antics of fellow Officer Ed Wells (Gary Crosby), a wise guy who takes unnecessary and reckless risks to arrest suspects. At the station, Malloy loses his cool while talking to Wells because Wells' tactics endanger his life and others. Wells tries to play it down until his recklessness nearly catches up with him when he is shot in the shoulder by a psychotic sniper, and because of Wells' disobedience and foolishness Reed is also almost shot. Malloy and Reed are forced to rescue Wells and mastermind a way to end the standoff peacefully.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Michael Donovan

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  8. undefined Season 4 Episode 16 - The Tip
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    S4:E16

    Malloy and Reed deal with a woman who thinks she has a rattlesnake in her luggage, an out-of-town traffic violator, and a bar brawl, all while tackling armored truck robbers whose attacks have been predicted in advance by an informant.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Michael Donovan

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  9. undefined Season 4 Episode 22 - Who Won?
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    S4:E22

    Malloy and Reed work to curtail the rise in illegal street racing by working with the leaders of rival racing clubs and obtaining the legitimate use of a drag strip through a race promoter. Their work is threatened, along with an anticipated race between Reed and Officer Wells, when one of the racers resorts to sabotage.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Michael Donovan

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  10. undefined Season 5 Episode 4 - Lost And Found
    8.0/10(2 votes)

    S5:E4

    Reed and Malloy rush an 8-year old to Rampart Emergency Hospital, where he is diagnosed with diabetes. Scared of the hospital, Jimmy runs off, and it's up to Reed and Malloy to find him before he goes into a diabetic coma. Elsewhere, Malloy's new girlfriend, Cathy, mans a hospital telephone hotline. Sherry, a 15-year old junkie, is threatening suicide to escape her troubled life. Malloy and Reed need to find her fast, before she OD's.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Michael Donovan

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  11. undefined Season 4 Episode 11 - Assassination
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    S4:E11

    A phony prowler call results in shots being fired at Malloy and Reed. Shots ring out again when the officers head to the airport to transport a blood donor. The suspect is a known check bouncer, and Reed's wife gets a disturbing phone call. Later Reed heads home and meets an acquaintance who just happens to be driving the same car as the shooting suspect. Other cases include a suicidal man who tries to incinerate himself with gasoline, and a wino who is nearly shot by Reed.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Michael Donovan

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  12. undefined Season 4 Episode 14 - Burglary - Helpful Woman
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    S4:E14

    A woman befriends elderly people and then steals from them. Joe and Bill contact a radio personality and ask to have him talk about the scam. The radio broadcast turns up a lead, and a stakeout is set up where Bill poses as an invalid.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Michael Donovan

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  13. undefined Season 5 Episode 5 - Training Wheels
    7.5/10(2 votes)

    S5:E5

    The officers undergo their driver refresher courses to hone their pursuit and driving skills. A rash of car strippers brings about a new approach suggested by Officer Wells: going undercover as paperboys riding bicycles to find the thieves. Hilarity ensues; Wells wrecks his bicycle that belonged to a young girl, Malloy deals with an irate newspaper customer, and Reed and Malloy pull over a VW Microbus on a traffic violation where the driver's parrot chanted "Down with Pigs!", but the tactics work and the officers break up the car stripping ring.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Michael Donovan

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  14. undefined Season 5 Episode 1 - Dirt Duel
    7.0/10(2 votes)

    S5:E1

    A series of purse snatchings involving motorcyclists frustrates the LAPD, as they cannot follow them down the off-road trails they take. Reed holds a community meeting with the various motorcycle clubs, and the leader of one club challenges Malloy to a dirt bike race. Reed teaches Malloy how to ride a dirt bike, and while Malloy loses the race, he gains the respect of the club's leader, who helps them apprehend the suspects by blocking their escape route.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Michael Donovan

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  15. undefined Season 4 Episode 11 - Burglary Auto - Juvenile Genius
    7.0/10(1 votes)

    S4:E11

    Burglaries are happening and the thieves are leaving a red cloth at each crime scene. Joe and Bill respond to another break in at a chemical company and a safe company. Joe and Bill stake out the chemical company and catch an unexpected pair of thieves.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Michael Donovan

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  16. undefined Season 4 Episode 15 - Homicide - Who Killed Who?
    7.0/10(1 votes)

    S4:E15

    There is a multiple homicide at a rooming house. When Joe and Bill arrive, they find two dead in the lobby near a broken TV set and the manager has been shot and is near death. The manager mumbles the words "oft one" to Joe as he is taken away to the hospital. Bill and Joe start searching for clues and what the manager's words mean.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Michael Donovan

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  17. undefined Season 4 Episode 19 - Burglary - The Dognappers
    7.0/10(1 votes)

    S4:E19

    Dogs are disappearing from cars parked at the El Centro shopping center. Joe and Bill suspect that the dogs are being stolen to get a reward for the dogs' return.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Michael Donovan

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  18. undefined Season 1 Episode 21 - Log 102: We Can't Just Walk Away From It
    6.5/10(2 votes)

    S1:E21

    Malloy and Reed respond to a call about a drug overdose and track the drugs to a 17-year-old who has barricaded himself in his room with a gun and threatens kill himself. They contend with a distraught mother and an overbearing father.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Michael Donovan

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  19. undefined Season 4 Episode 10 - Internal Affairs - Parolee
    6.0/10(1 votes)

    S4:E10

    The warden of a Colorado prison has notified the department that an inmate is about to be paroled, but there is a hold from LA because of an outstanding warrant. Joe and Bill investigate whether there is still a case after 15 years.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Michael Donovan

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  20. undefined Season 4 Episode 13 - Narco - Missing Hype
    5.0/10(1 votes)

    S4:E13

    A teenage Hype from a nice home has missed his parole officer meeting. Joe and Bill are asked to locate the teenager before he starts up his habit.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Michael Donovan

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  21. undefined Season 3 Episode 3 - Log 095: Purse Snatcher
    0.5/10(1 votes)

    S3:E3

    Reed and Malloy have to think outside the box to capture an intelligent yet neglected teenage purse snatcher. Their efforts to talk sense into him before he commits a much more serious crime prove to be futile.

    Director:N/A
    Writer:Michael Donovan

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Michael Donovan Ratings Summary

"The Dinosaur" is the best rated episode written by Michael Donovan. It scored 10/10 based on 1 votes. It was directed by N/A. It aired on 12/15/1971 and is rated 0.0 points higher than their second-best episode, "Log 112: You Blew It".