A short-lived NBC series from Universal Television, Sarge was a slightly different crime drama in that the main character was a priest.
George Kennedy starred as Father Samuel Patrick Cavanaugh (last name Swanson in the pilot film), the pastor of St. Aloysius Church in San Diego. Before he was a priest, however, he was a cop, a Sergeant, which is how he got his nickname of Sarge. While he was able to counsel most of his parishioners without outside help, many times they required the help of the police, which is where Father Cavanaugh's old buddy, Police Chief Barney Varick (Ramon Bieri) comes in. Helping the good Father around the church are vivacious secretary Valerie (Sallie Shockley) and Japanese manservant Takichi (Harold Sakata).
The pilot film for Sarge aired in the Spring of 1971. Then before the first episode of the series began, Sarge turned up on Ironside (1967), helping in the search for a killer of priests. The series ran from September, 1971 to January of 1972, lasting only 15 episodes.
In keeping with Universal's 'no-waste' policy, the 15 episodes of Sarge were added to The Bold Ones for syndication.
Sarge contains the following tropes:
- Badges and Dog Tags: Before Sarge was a cop, he served in the Marines. In fact, one episode, "The Combatants", finds him filling in for an ailing Marine Chaplain.
- Billed Above the Title: George Kennedy as Sarge.
- Clear Their Name: In the series' final episode, "Napoleon Never Wanted to Be a Cop", Father Cavanaugh helps to clear the son of an old friend of the murder of a police officer.
- Crossover: Sarge joins forces with Ironside in the episode "The Priest Killer". It aired as an episode of Ironside.
- Friend on the Force: Police Chief Varick.
- I Want You to Meet an Old Friend of Mine: Morgan Woodward guest stars as a psychotic Marine Drill Instructor in "The Combatants". He and George Kennedy appeared together in Cool Hand Luke (Woodward as the Man With No Eyes, Kennedy as Dragline).
- One-Word Title: Not just the title of the series itself, but also the episode "Quicksilver".
- Pilot: "Sarge: The Badge Or the Cross"
- Police Procedural: Albeit one with an unusual twist...an ex-cop-turned-priest who finds himself aiding in criminal investigations.
- Serial Killer: "A Push Over the Edge".
