The 70s were certainly the golden age of television detective. You had Cannon, Kojak, McMillan and Wife and perhaps the slickest of the bunch, the no-nonsense gruff maverick named Baretta. With his street-smarts and cockatoo-companion, Fred, there was lots to enjoy about the tough cop in the self-titled series, Baretta.

The role of Tony Baretta was ably handled by former child star, Robert Blake, who after a history of kid roles on The Little Rascals, re-invented his persona of tough guy in adult life with roles such as an icy-veined killer in the film adaptation of In Cold Blood. The role of television detective would come as a result of another cop show called Toma, starring Tony Musante. When he called it quits, the show was retooled and recast and the result was Baretta.

Tony Baretta was a bachelor who lived in a run down inner-city apartment and utilized a talent for disguise to catch the bad guys. Able to blend in with mafia figures, street thugs and bikers, he preferred a more unconventional approach to police work, much to the chagrin of his superiors. Tony worked alone on the streets, resisting a partner, and instead relying on his street informants such as Rooster, a well-dressed pimp-turned-stool-pigeon and Fats,  a raspy-voiced source of street info. His main adversary was often his commanding officer, Lieutenant Shiller (followed by Lieutenant Brubaker in later episodes)

Fans tuned in each week to hear Sammy Davis Jr. sing “Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow” followed by a solid hour of fisticuffs, police drama - and just enough comedy to keep things from getting too serious. This combination made Baretta an instant hit among television viewers.

Baretta enjoyed a three-and-a-half year run before throwing in the towel in 1978. Blake would move on to movies, a television series called Hell Town, and eventually, a highly publicized murder trial, on the other side of the law. But in better days, he stood out in a sea of cop shows and created a persona that would be imitated by many, all while winning the hearts of millions of fans.