January 17, 1987 (1987-01-17) – May 7, 1988 (1988-05-07)
Ohara is an American police procedural television series that first aired on the ABC television network from January 17, 1987, until May 7, 1988, starring Pat Morita in the title role of Lt. Ohara. Morita also co-created the series along with Michael Braveman and John A. Kuri. Kevin Conroy, Jon Polito, Rachel Ticotin, and Robert Clohessy also starred in supporting roles. The series was notable for being one of the first television series to have a Japanese-American actor in the leading role.
Premise
The series focuses on an unconventional Los Angeles-based Japanese-American police lieutenant named Ohara (Pat Morita) who uses spirituality methods such as meditation in his home shrine to solve crimes without the use of a gun or a partner, although he would use martial arts if necessary. He often talked in the form of epigrams. He was later paired with a partner named Lt. George Shaver (Robert Clohessy) who was a more conventional cop.
Brandon Lee appeared in the Season 2 episode "What's in a Name" which first aired on January 23, 1988 as Kenji, the evil son of a yakuzagodfather. This was Lee's first and only appearance in a television series and his only acting role as a villain, although in Kung Fu: The Movie, his character was possessed and forced to be evil for most of the movie.
Bill D'Arvay (story); Bill D'Arvay and Daniel Freudenberger (teleplay)
January 31, 1987 (1987-01-31)
4
4
"Will"
E.W. Swackhamer
Paul F. Edwards and Howard Friedland & Ken Peragine (story); Paul F. Edwards (teleplay)
February 7, 1987 (1987-02-07)
5
5
"Toshi"
Jackie Cooper
Len Mlodinow & Scott Rubenstein & John Wells
February 14, 1987 (1987-02-14)
6
6
"Terry"
Jerry Jameson
Richard Danus & Daniel Freudberger & Hal Sitowitz
February 21, 1987 (1987-02-21)
7
7
"Louie"
Jerry Jameson
Hal Sitowitz
March 7, 1987 (1987-03-07)
8
8
"Laura"
E.W. Swackhamer
Bill Bleich
March 14, 1987 (1987-03-14)
9
9
"Jesse"
Jerry Jameson
Michael Marks
March 21, 1987 (1987-03-21)
10
10
"Frannie"
E.W. Swackhammer
Paul F. Edwards
March 28, 1987 (1987-03-28)
11
11
"Brian"
Jerry Jameson
Johnathan Glasner
April 4, 1987 (1987-04-04)
Season 2 (1987–88)
No. overall
No. in season
Title
Directed by
Written by
Original air date
12
1
"'Y' Wanna Live Forever?"
Tony Wharmby
Ronald M. Cohen
October 3, 1987 (1987-10-03)
13
2
"Artful Dodgers"
Tony Wharmby
Robert McCullough
October 10, 1987 (1987-10-10)
14
3
"The Sparrow"
Bruce Kessler
Linda Elstad
October 24, 1987 (1987-10-24)
15
4
"Fagin All Over Again"
Robert Sweeney
Rama Blum
November 7, 1987 (1987-11-07)
16
5
"Take the Money and Run"
Bruce Kessler
Robert McCullough & Joseph Gunn
November 14, 1987 (1987-11-14)
17
6
"The Intruders"
Colin Bucksey
Joseph Gunn
November 21, 1987 (1987-11-21)
18
7
"Hot Rocks"
Tony Wharmby
Robert McCullough & Joseph Gunn
December 5, 1987 (1987-12-05)
19
8
"And a Child Shall Lead Them"
Bruce Kessler
Joseph Gunn & Robert McCullough
December 12, 1987 (1987-12-12)
20
9
"Silver in the Hills"
Michael Caffey
Joseph Gunn & Robert McCullough
December 19, 1987 (1987-12-19)
21
10
"They Shoot Witnesses, Don't They?"
Don Chaffey
Rama Blum
January 2, 1988 (1988-01-02)
22
11
"You Bet Your Life"
Dale White
David Braff
January 16, 1988 (1988-01-16)
23
12
"What's in a Name?"
Tony Wharmby
Jerome Lew
January 23, 1988 (1988-01-23)
Brandon Lee appears in this episode.
24
13
"Sign of the Times"
Dale White
David Braff & Joseph Gunn & Robert McCullough
January 30, 1988 (1988-01-30)
25
14
"The Light Around the Body"
Tony Wharmby
Roderick Taylor & Bruce A. Taylor & Jeff Mandel
February 6, 1988 (1988-02-06)
Last episode to feature Rachel Ticotin and Meagen Fay. Ohara and Shaver quit the force to become private eyes at the end of the episode.
26
15
"X"
Richard C. Sarafian
Story by : Roderick Taylor & William Mickelberry Teleplay by : William Mickelberry
March 5, 1988 (1988-03-05)
27
16
"Last Year's Model"
Bradford May
Story by : Roderick Taylor & Bruce A. Taylor & Jeff Mandel Teleplay by : Jeff Mandel & Bruce A. Taylor
March 12, 1988 (1988-03-12)
28
17
"Open Season"
Richard C. Sarafian
Story by : Roderick Taylor & Bruce A. Taylor & Jeff Mandel Teleplay by : Bruce A. Taylor & Jeff Mandel
March 26, 1988 (1988-03-26)
29
18
"Seeing Something That Isn't There"
Bradford May
Story by : Roderick Taylor & Bruce A. Taylor & Jeff Mandel Teleplay by : Jeff Mandel & Bruce A. Taylor
April 30, 1988 (1988-04-30)
30
19
"Hot Spell"
Unknown
Unknown
May 7, 1988 (1988-05-07)
Format changes and cancellation
Following its premiere, the show was not attracting the audience ABC had hoped for. They put it through several format changes to increase the ratings. The first major change was to change title character Ohara from a lieutenant to a federal police officer; he was also paired with a partner. Later on in the season Ohara became a more conventional cop using a gun to assist him in his investigations. The second season had a final format change in which Ohara and his partner were turned into private investigators. These changes failed to improve the show's declining ratings and the show was cancelled after the second season.