C.P.O. Sharkey is an American television sitcom, created by Aaron Ruben, that aired on NBC from December 1, 1976, to April 28, 1978. The series starred Don Rickles in the title role, with Peter Isacksen, Elizabeth Allen, Harrison Page, and Richard X. Slattery featured in the cast. Rickles, who actually served in the Navy during World War II, was already well-known for the indiscriminate insult comedy he used in his stand-up routines and in guest appearances on other TV shows and specials. C.P.O. Sharkey was the third TV series that provided him with a regular vehicle for his humor. (Two previous series in which he starred, both eponymously titled The Don Rickles Show—one a 1968 variety show, the other a 1972 sitcom—each aired for one season.)

Premise

Don Rickles is U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Otto Sharkey, an abrasive career Navy man stationed at a San Diego naval base, in charge of Company 144, a group of seaman recruits. Sharkey initially comes off as callous, sarcastic and insulting to everyone around him, but underneath his harsh exterior, he genuinely cares for his men and often goes to great lengths to help with their problems.

Cast of characters

Members of Company 144 come from a motley mix of ethnicities, including: Others on the base include:

Production

Creator Aaron Ruben had formerly written scripts for the hit military sitcom The Phil Silvers Show (Sgt. Bilko). Ruben invited scripts from three other Bilko writers: Tony Webster, Gary Belkin, and Arnie Rosen. Rickles had portrayed a different C.P.O. in the 1961 episode "Professional Sailor" of the CBS military drama-comedy, Hennesey, starring Jackie Cooper.

Running gags and precedents

In the earliest episodes of the series, Sharkey would often end conversations with each of his recruits by giving them the evil eye and saying "I'm gonna keep an ey-y-y-e on you". Pruitt, who stood 6 ft, would invariably hunch forward, looking over the 5 ft Sharkey when addressing him face-to-face; Sharkey found it uncomfortable to speak to Pruitt this way and would make snide remarks about Pruitt's height or a mistake he made. (The July 9–16, 1977 cover of TV Guide showed Rickles and Isacksen in character, with Sharkey standing on a foot locker so he could physically be eye-to-eye with a surprised Pruitt.) Some of Sharkey's insults toward Pruitt included: Lt. Whipple would often lecture Sharkey. When he left the room (after bellowing "Carry on!" in his piping voice), Sharkey would often look in the camera and imitate Whipple's buck-teeth. He referred to him as Lieutenant Bugs Bunny. The series was the first prime-time sitcom to depict the burgeoning punk rock music scene, with The Dickies, a band from the San Fernando Valley, making a guest appearance in season 2.

The Tonight Show cigarette box incident

When Rickles was a guest on The Tonight Show on December 13, 1976, he accidentally broke Johnny Carson's wooden cigarette box, an heirloom that Carson had kept on his desk since 1967. Carson was off that night and the show was guest-hosted by Bob Newhart. When Carson returned the following night, he noticed the broken box and was told by Doc Severinsen that "Rickles had a fit". Carson took a camera crew and walked across the hallway to the adjacent studio where CPO Sharkey was in the midst of taping. Carson barged into the closed studio and interrupted the taping to yell at Rickles, all to the delight of the studio audiences of both shows. Carson mocked Rickles's comedic style, calling him a "big dummy," and also teased actor Harrison Page, speaking to him in an exaggerated jive accent. As Carson prepared to exit, Rickles announced Carson to his own audience. Carson then mockingly glared at Rickles, shouted: "They know who I am!" and playfully slapped his face before leaving. On 13 November 1978, nearly seven months after C.P.O. Sharkey had been cancelled, Rickles, guest-hosting The Tonight Show while talking with guest Carroll O'Connor, inattentively started slamming Carson's new cigarette box on the desk, but stopped when he realized what he was doing; this time the box remained intact. The original incident was often replayed in Tonight Show retrospectives. It was also featured in Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project. In a 2005 interview with The New York Times, Rickles said that the incident was a genuine accident, but he and Carson played up the drama. "Knowing Johnny, he milked it a little bit. And I added to it." He also said he had no idea that Carson would barge in on his set that day. "I was really taken. In those days, those were bigger cameras than they are today. To schlep all that stuff into the other studio was quite an event."

Broadcast history

Reruns

Reruns aired on Ha!, which became Comedy Central, in the early 1990s. C.P.O Sharkey is currently available on Tubi and Amazon Prime.

Home media

On May 19, 2015, Time Life released C.P.O. Sharkey – The Complete Season 1 on DVD in Region 1. On September 22, 2015, Time Life released C.P.O. Sharkey – The Complete Season 2 on DVD in Region 1.

Episodes

Season 1 (1976–77)

Season 2 (1977–78)