Michael Braverman Movies

Designed as a brief replacement for the on-hiatus Jericho, the CBS reality series Armed & Famous has been described as a combination of Cops and The Surreal Life. Five celebrities were chosen to train and perform as patrol officers in the Muncie, Indiana police department. The lucky "rookies" included former ChiPs star Erik Estrada, singer LaToya Jackson, wrestler Trish Stratus, Jackass fall guy Jason "Wee-Man" Acuna, and, perhaps inevitably, a member of the famously dysfunctional Osbourne clan, in this case Jack Osbourne. The quintet underwent the standard rigorous training before being partnered with genuine officers and sent out for street duty. Along the way, the stars made arrests, handed out tickets, and even went undercover (in one episode, the female celebs posed as hookers). Much of the series' fun derived from the sporadic temperamental outbursts by Estrada, and the dithery starstruck behavior of the "perps" when they realized who was arresting them! Armed & Famous ran from January 9 through 24, 2007. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Investigating the murder of an elderly woman at the hands of a Neo-Nazi street gang, Quincy (Jack Klugman) is himself assaulted and savagely beaten. Though his physicial injuries soon heal, Quincy is left with profound emotional scars that may never go away. With the help of his wife Emily and his circle of friends, Quincy struggles to conquer his new-found fears--and to personally bring his attackers to justice. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In an episode clearly based on a well-documented event in the life of comedian Richard Pryor, Roger Miller guest stars as JJ Chandler, a country-western entertainer whose act is rife with "humorous" drug references. But no one is laughing when, while freebasing cocaine between shows, Chandler sets himself afire and is nearly killed. In his efforts to get past the wall of silence erected around Chandler by his friends and handlers, Quincy (Jack Klugman) tackles the greater challenge of curbing wholesale drug use in the entertainment industry--and somewhere along the line, manages to find time to propose to his sweetheart Emily (Anita Gillette). Featured in the pivotal role of Ginger Reeves is a young actress named Kelly Palzis, better known in later years as Kelly Preston. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

After three members of the same family are found murdered in their home, the police arrest the family's son, Glen Werner (Kelly Ward), for the killings. Glen's attorney tries to cop a plea for his client, claiming that the boy was insane at the time of the murders. Both Quincy (Jack Klugman) and DA Sal Angeletti (Joseph Sirola) are convinced that Glen is feigning insanity--but unless they act quickly, the murderer will be back on the streets in less than 90 days. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Venturing outside for the first time in years, Vicki Maguire (Carrie Snodgress), who suffers from severe agoraphobia, has no sooner begun walking along a beach when she sees what appears to be a murder in progress. Unfortunately, when Vicki alerts the authorities, no body is found, nor any other evidence that a murder took place. But Vicki's psychiatrist Dr. Alice Rayner (Dixie Carter) believes that the woman is telling the truth, and she goes to Quincy (Jack Klugman) in hopes of confirming that belief. Trouble is, someone else also believes that Vicki has seen a murder--the murderer himself. This episode affords Star Trek: The Next Generation fans the rare opportunity of seeing their beloved "Data", Jonathan Frakes, as a cold-blood villain. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

While attending the opening ceremonies of a Naval museum named in his honor, Rear Admiral Burgess McKenzie (Albert Paulsen), an old comrade in arms of medical examiner Quincy (Jack Klugman), suddenly drops dead. Peforming the autopsy, Quincy discovers that a microchip has been implanted in the Admiral's body, suggesting that he might have been involved in treasonous activities. The plot thickens when several people demand that Quincy turn over the corpse and the chip--including three ladies all claiming to be McKenzie's widow. This semicomic episode is capped by a supremely silly but highly appropriate punchline. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

When an "ancient" mummy goes under the X-Ray machine, it turns out that the wrapped-up corpse has been dead only a few weeks--and that a fortune in jewels has been stashed on the body. U.S. Customs agents Brice (John Karlen) and Niven (Edward Grover) consult medical examiner Quincy (Jack Klugman), who puts the pieces together and determines that the mummy was being used in a smuggling operation headquartered in Cairo. Before the intrigue plays itself out, several other people have died at the hands of a group of Nazi war criminals. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Quincy (Jack Klugman) joins forces with police lieutenant Alex Markesian (Joseph Campanella) to determine the identity of the human monster who brutally raped and murdered nine-year-old Polly Carmody (Wendy Lynn). As the forensic and circumstantial evidence mounts, Quincy finds it impossible to escape the conclusion that the girl's killer was her own stepfather, Donald Thompson (Jim Antonio). But believing something and proving something are two different things--especially when the existing laws are stacked against Quincy and in favor of the slimebag suspect. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide