Tue 26 May 2020
TV Episode Review: ONE WEST WAIKIKI “Along Came a Spider†(1994).
Posted by Steve under Reviews , TV mysteries[6] Comments
ONE WEST WAIKIKI “Along Came a Spider.†CBS, 01 September 1994 (Season 1, Episode 5). Cheryl Ladd (Dawn ‘Holli’ Holliday M.E.), Richard Burgi (Detective Mack Wolfe). Created by Glen A. Larson, who also wrote this episode. Director: Jerry Thorpe.
One West Waikiki had a short six-episode first season run on CBS, followed by a second season of 13 episodes shown in syndication. Starring was Cheryl Ladd as a hands-on medical examiner newly arrived in Hawaii from California who helps the police solve murders.
And there two of them in “Along Came a Spider.†Both victims appear to have been natural deaths until relatives start prodding the police (and Holli) into investigating further. The problem is, in both cases, is that the deceased have already been cremated. It is up to Holli and the police, in the form of detective Mack Wolfe, to find a way around this “small†problem. Complicating matters is that Hollli’s former mentor is called in, and in spite of his boasts ahead of time, he finds nothing either.
In spite of the beautiful sun and other scenery, I’d have enjoyed this one more if we the viewers hadn’t been shown the murders taking place. I’m not a big fan of inverted murders, and not even the beautiful Cheryl Ladd in the leading role can make me change my mind about that. I didn’t dislike this one, mind you. If the entire series were available on DVD, I’d love to have it.
One other thing, though. This was episode five of the CBS run, and not only are Holli and Mack apparently just getting to know each other, but much is made of the fact that Holli is still only in her second week on the job. I have a feeling that maybe the guys in suits decided to put this one out of order.
May 27th, 2020 at 1:03 am
There is another episode on YouTube, this is the last of the series (S2 ep 13 May 35, 1996).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pgn4t7vsG0Y
Saw the one you reviewed and found it was typical Glen Larson cheesy. I was a fan of Larson at the time as he was one of the few producing my favorite genre comedy mysteries.
Did not like this one. Maybe because I saw it in 2019 and not 1996. But I really disliked Richard Burgi as the annoying TV cop.
May 27th, 2020 at 8:17 am
I don’t remember this one, but Richard Burgi was pretty good as the star of a later series, THE SENTINEL.
May 27th, 2020 at 9:19 am
Fred Blosser, I don’t know if I would use the words “pretty good” but he was definitely better. Sometime it is not the actor but the character.
May 27th, 2020 at 5:35 pm
THE SENTINEL may be the only time Burgi played a really sympathetic character. He’s in my all-time favorite “so bad it’s good” movie, CHRISTMAS TWISTER.
May 27th, 2020 at 7:42 pm
Tired, cheesy, television by rote. Larson did better and so did Ladd and Burgi.
May 27th, 2020 at 8:08 pm
Well I didn’t think it was that bad. On the other hand, it’s quite clear why it didn’t last longer than it did. And why no one remembers it today. Generally speaking, that is.