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CAGNEY AND LACEY: SORRY, RIGHT NUMBER (TV)

Summary

One in this series of dramas about two policewomen, Chris Cagney and Mary Beth Lacey. The city is in the midst of a heat wave, and Cagney plans a weekend trip with David. Along with Lacey, she investigates the ransacked apartment of marriage counselor Dr. Saunders, where detective Mick Solomon is already on the case. Dr. Saunders reports a number of items missing, including recordings of his sessions with his patients. Dr. Saunders becomes indignant when they ask for the names of his patients, friends, and relatives, as they consider them suspects in the burglary; he refuses on ethical grounds. The heat wave continues, causing electrical problems across the city. Upon returning to the station, Cagney and Lacey learn that another robbery has taken place in an apartment very close to Dr. Saunders’ place. They investigate and question the other victim, Dr. Roberts, a sex therapist. The robbery is similar to the first one, and Dr. Roberts reports that his video tapes of his sessions with his patients have been stolen. Similar to Dr. Saunders, he refuses to disclose his list of patients to them. However, Dr. Saunders later relents and gives Lacey a short list of names for them to investigate. The constant power outages make it impossible for them to run computer checks of the suspects’ records, and also indirectly leads to David’s reservations for the weekend going unconfirmed. Cagney insists that they can still have a quiet weekend to themselves in the city, but he feels that the change of scenery would be good in helping them to communicate. Cagney and Lacey attempt to subpoena the suspects, although Lt. Samuels disapproves, believing that such an action is a violation of civil codes. They comb through criminal records and find one on a man named Stacy Carlisle, a patient of Dr. Samuels convicted of bigamy; they discover that Dr. Roberts also testified at the man’s trial. Lacey convinces Dr. Roberts to reveal some of his patient names, and one of them happens to be Carlisle’s. They question Carlisle, who claims that the bigamy charge was a legal misunderstanding stemming from complications in his divorce. He explains that he and his current wife went to see Dr. Saunders to discuss their marital issues, but that they had little success. Dr. Saunders referred them to Dr. Roberts, as they were also experiencing sexual difficulties, although he indicates he was of no help either. He notes that he received help from a “past lives therapist,” and that on the weekend of the burglaries he was at a large session being run by Dr. Roberts. Cagney can’t get in touch with David to adjust their weekend plans, and waits for him at the station. Isbecki hangs around as well, curious to see David. He arrives and tells her he’s booked them a room at a fancy hotel in the country for the weekend, and Cagney feigns enthusiasm before getting back to work. Cagney confides in Lacey that she’s distressed about the weekend trip, believing that David is looking for “deep meaning” in their relationship, whereas she preferred to keep it “purely sexual.” However, she doesn’t have the heart to call off the trip, not wanting to hurt David’s feelings. Lacey tries to give Cagney advice about where to go with her relationship. Another burglary takes place in the same neighborhood as Drs. Saunders and Roberts. Cagney goes to investigate on her own after Lacey has extreme difficulty getting to the station due to transit problems because of the heat wave. The victim, Dr. Vernon, turns out to be the “past lives therapist” mentioned by Carlisle, and she confirms that he is one of her patients. Meanwhile, Isbecki and Petrie question a woman in the same apartment building for a seemingly unrelated homicide case. Lacery arrives and runs into Isbecki in the lobby as they wait for the elevator. A sudden power surge leaves them stuck in the elevator, trapped between floors, and Petrie and Cagney go to investigate. Isbecki, panicking due to his claustrophobia, unsuccessfully attempts to remove the ceiling latch and climb out of the elevator car, ignoring Lacey’s warnings. Lacey tries to calm Isbecki down by making small talk with him, and eventually she gets him to talk about his current case. He reveals that the suspect’s wife was a psychiatrist and was supposed to be out of town that weekend, piquing Lacey’s curiosity. Finally they are freed, and Lacey explains the connection between the two cases: all three of the doctors use the same answering service, which is the means by which the perpetrators knew that the apartments would be empty. The victim of Isbecki’s case was another psychiatrist who was supposed to be out of town, but came home early unexpectedly and was murdered by the perpetrator. This information allows them to easily apprehend the robbers. Once back at the station, David waits to take Cagney on their vacation, and her fellow officers encourage her to go by covering for her. She asks David not to spend the time “analyzing” their relationship, and he agrees. Commercials deleted.

Details

  • NETWORK: CBS
  • DATE: October 20, 1986 10:00 PM
  • RUNNING TIME: 0:47:41
  • COLOR/B&W: Color
  • CATALOG ID: B:60768
  • GENRE: Drama, police/private detective
  • SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, police/private detective
  • SERIES RUN: CBS - TV series, 1981-1988
  • COMMERCIALS: N/A

CREDITS

  • Barney Rosenzweig … Executive Producer
  • Jonathan Estrin … Supervising Producer
  • Shelley List … Supervising Producer
  • Ralph S. Singleton … Producer
  • P.K. Knelman … Co-Producer
  • Dick Reilly … Associate Producer
  • Alexander Singer … Director
  • Barbara Avedon … Created by
  • Barbara Cordray … Created by
  • Bill Taub … Writer
  • Dana Kaproff … Music by
  • Bill Conti … Theme Music by
  • Tyne Daly … Cast, Det. Mary Beth Lacey
  • Sharon Gless … Cast, Det. Chris Cagney
  • Al Waxman … Cast, Lt. Bert Samuels
  • Carl Lumbly … Cast, Det. Marcus Petrie
  • Martin Kove … Cast, Det. Victor Isbecki
  • Sidney Clute … Cast, Det. Paul LaGuardia
  • Harvey Atkin … Cast, Sgt. Coleman
  • Robert Hegyes … Cast, Det. Manny Esposito
  • John Karlen … Cast, Harvey Lacey
  • Stephen Macht … Cast, David Keeler
  • Tony La Torre … Cast, Harvey Lacey, Jr.
  • Troy Slaten … Cast, Michael Lacey
  • Robert Doqui … Cast, Dr. Saunders
  • Patricia Estrin … Cast, Mrs. Dartman
  • Jed Mills … Cast, Carlisle
  • Liz Sheridan … Cast, Dr. Vernon
  • John Welsh … Cast, Dr. Roberts
  • Stanley Kamel … Cast, Det. Mick Solomon
  • Paul Mantee … Cast, Corassa
  • Joe Carafello … Cast
  • Frank Lugo … Cast