C.P.O. Sharkey
Encyclopedia
C.P.O. Sharkey is an American sitcom which aired from 1976 to 1978 on NBC
.
as a Chief Petty Officer
in the U.S. Navy. C.P.O. Otto Sharkey was an abrasive, sharp-tongued veteran
in charge of a company
of new Seaman Recruit
s on a San Diego naval base
. Rickles is famous for his jokes about various ethnicities and this show provided him with a vehicle for his politically incorrect
humor. The young company consisted of Daniels, an African-American; Kowalski, a Polish-American; Skolnick, a Jewish-American, Mignone, an Italian-American and Rodriguez, an Hispanic-American. Sharkey's best friend on the base was Chief Robinson (Harrison Page
) who was African-American.
Rickles as Sharkey also put his insult humor to good use with the other characters. Sharkey's assistant, Seaman
Pruitt (Peter Isacksen), was 6' 7" and simple-minded. His immediate superior was the smug and buck-toothed Lt. Whipple. The base commander
was the female Capt. Quinlan (Elizabeth Allen), whom Sharkey never insulted to her face. In season 2, Capt. Quinlan left and was replaced by Capt. Buck Buckner (Richard X. Slattery
), a by-the-book Captain whom Sharkey feels is a man's Captain, until he socks it to Sharkey "loud and clear", then he gets second thoughts on Buckner. But Sharkey was really a nice guy beneath his harsh exterior and often went to extreme measures to help his recruits with their problems.
In the first season, Sharkey's first name was never revealed until in one episode, he referred to himself as "Seymour". In the second season, he was named Otto.
The series was the first American prime-time TV series to have a punk rock
themed episode, with San Fernando Valley
punk rock band, The Dickies
, making a guest appearance. http://jennylens.com/_a-e/dickies/dickies01.htm.
. Rickles had earlier appeared on The Tonight Show with guest host Bob Newhart
. While poking fun at Newhart and improvising a bit in which he was a clerk in an immigration office, Rickles slammed the cigarette box
Carson
kept on his desk while pretending to stamp passports, and accidentally broke the box. When Carson returned to the show and discovered this, he took a camera crew to the studio next door where Sharkey was being taped. Carson disrupted the taping in order to tease Rickles about it, to the delight of the studio audiences of both shows. Carson also teased Harrison Page
by speaking to him in an exaggerated jive accent. This incident was often replayed in Tonight Show retrospectives and was considered a highlight of the 1970s era of the show. It originally aired during December 1976. It was also featured in the documentary Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project
.
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
.
Premise
The series starred Don RicklesDon Rickles
Donald Jay "Don" Rickles is an American stand-up comedian and actor. A frequent guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Rickles has acted in comedic and dramatic roles, but is best known as an insult comic....
as a Chief Petty Officer
Chief Petty Officer
A chief petty officer is a senior non-commissioned officer in many navies and coast guards.-Canada:"Chief Petty Officer" refers to two ranks in the Canadian Navy...
in the U.S. Navy. C.P.O. Otto Sharkey was an abrasive, sharp-tongued veteran
Veteran
A veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...
in charge of a company
Company (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
of new Seaman Recruit
Seaman Recruit
Seaman recruit is the lowest enlisted rank in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard, just below seaman apprentice; this rank was formerly known as seaman third class...
s on a San Diego naval base
Naval base
A naval base is a military base, where warships and naval ships are deployed when they have no mission at sea or want to restock. Usually ships may also perform some minor repairs. Some naval bases are temporary homes to aircraft that usually stay on the ships but are undergoing maintenance while...
. Rickles is famous for his jokes about various ethnicities and this show provided him with a vehicle for his politically incorrect
Political correctness
Political correctness is a term which denotes language, ideas, policies, and behavior seen as seeking to minimize social and institutional offense in occupational, gender, racial, cultural, sexual orientation, certain other religions, beliefs or ideologies, disability, and age-related contexts,...
humor. The young company consisted of Daniels, an African-American; Kowalski, a Polish-American; Skolnick, a Jewish-American, Mignone, an Italian-American and Rodriguez, an Hispanic-American. Sharkey's best friend on the base was Chief Robinson (Harrison Page
Harrison Page
Harrison Page is an American television and film actor who has appeared in many popular shows, including Cold Case, JAG, ER, Ally McBeal, Melrose Place, Quantum Leap, The Wonder Years, 21 Jump Street, Murder She Wrote, Fame, Gimme a Break!, Benson, Hill Street Blues, Webster, The Dukes of Hazzard,...
) who was African-American.
Rickles as Sharkey also put his insult humor to good use with the other characters. Sharkey's assistant, Seaman
Seaman
Seaman is one of the lowest ranks in a Navy. In the Commonwealth it is the lowest rank in the Navy, followed by Able Seaman and Leading Seaman, and followed by the Petty Officer ranks....
Pruitt (Peter Isacksen), was 6' 7" and simple-minded. His immediate superior was the smug and buck-toothed Lt. Whipple. The base commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
was the female Capt. Quinlan (Elizabeth Allen), whom Sharkey never insulted to her face. In season 2, Capt. Quinlan left and was replaced by Capt. Buck Buckner (Richard X. Slattery
Richard X. Slattery
Richard Xavier Slattery was a long-time character actor in film and television.Slattery was distinguished by a square-jawed look and a rough, gravelly voice that made him ideal as a "tough guy" character, usually as a cowboy or a cop or a drill sergeant type...
), a by-the-book Captain whom Sharkey feels is a man's Captain, until he socks it to Sharkey "loud and clear", then he gets second thoughts on Buckner. But Sharkey was really a nice guy beneath his harsh exterior and often went to extreme measures to help his recruits with their problems.
In the first season, Sharkey's first name was never revealed until in one episode, he referred to himself as "Seymour". In the second season, he was named Otto.
The series was the first American prime-time TV series to have a punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
themed episode, with San Fernando Valley
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...
punk rock band, The Dickies
The Dickies
The Dickies are an American punk rock group formed in San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, California, U.S. in 1977.-History:The Dickies were among the first punk rock bands to emerge from Los Angeles...
, making a guest appearance. http://jennylens.com/_a-e/dickies/dickies01.htm.
Running gags
- The 6' 7" Pruitt would often stand right next to the 5' 6" Sharkey to speak to him. Sharkey would find it difficult to speak to Pruitt this way and would make a snide remark about Pruitt's height.
- Lt. Whipple would often lecture Sharkey about something. When he left the room, Sharkey would look in the camera and imitate Whipple's buck-teeth.
- In the second season, Sharkey had a new commander, the tough Capt. Buckner (Richard X. SlatteryRichard X. SlatteryRichard Xavier Slattery was a long-time character actor in film and television.Slattery was distinguished by a square-jawed look and a rough, gravelly voice that made him ideal as a "tough guy" character, usually as a cowboy or a cop or a drill sergeant type...
). Buckner would yell orders in a tirade directly in Sharkey's face making the usually verbose Sharkey speechless.
The cigarette box incident
A particular show in the series is often remembered for an infamous incident that occurred on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny CarsonThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under the Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night....
. Rickles had earlier appeared on The Tonight Show with guest host Bob Newhart
Bob Newhart
George Robert Newhart , known professionally as Bob Newhart, is an American stand-up comedian and actor. Noted for his deadpan and slightly stammering delivery, Newhart came to prominence in the 1960s when his album of comedic monologues The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart was a worldwide...
. While poking fun at Newhart and improvising a bit in which he was a clerk in an immigration office, Rickles slammed the cigarette box
Cigarette case
A cigarette case or cigarette box is a sturdy, most commonly metal container to store small numbers of cigarettes safely from crushing. In modern times they are also made of plastic....
Carson
Johnny Carson
John William "Johnny" Carson was an American television host and comedian, known as host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for 30 years . Carson received six Emmy Awards including the Governor Award and a 1985 Peabody Award; he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987...
kept on his desk while pretending to stamp passports, and accidentally broke the box. When Carson returned to the show and discovered this, he took a camera crew to the studio next door where Sharkey was being taped. Carson disrupted the taping in order to tease Rickles about it, to the delight of the studio audiences of both shows. Carson also teased Harrison Page
Harrison Page
Harrison Page is an American television and film actor who has appeared in many popular shows, including Cold Case, JAG, ER, Ally McBeal, Melrose Place, Quantum Leap, The Wonder Years, 21 Jump Street, Murder She Wrote, Fame, Gimme a Break!, Benson, Hill Street Blues, Webster, The Dukes of Hazzard,...
by speaking to him in an exaggerated jive accent. This incident was often replayed in Tonight Show retrospectives and was considered a highlight of the 1970s era of the show. It originally aired during December 1976. It was also featured in the documentary Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project
Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project
Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project is a documentary about stand-up comedian Don Rickles.-Structure:The film consists of performance clips from throughout Rickles' career interspersed with recent interviews with him. A show at the Stardust Casino in Las Vegas from 2006 is featured most prominently...
.