Coproduced and cowritten by latenight host Conan O'Brien, Andy Barker PI was conceived as a vehicle for O'Brien's longtime cohort Andy Richter. The star was cast as doltish CPA Andy Barker, who after opening his own business is mistaken for Lew Staziak (Harve Presnell), a two-fisted private eye whose office Andy had inherited. Our hero also inherited Lew's clients and caseload, obliging him to carry on an exhausting double life, handling both expense accounts and baffling murder cases--doing rather better in the latter pursuit because of his uncanny math skills. Andy's partner was Simon (Tony Hale), a video store owner, while his chief contact man and confidant was Wally (Marshall Manesh), the neurotic manager of an Afghan restaurant. Packed with clever references to earlier detective movies and TV shows, Andy Barker PI joined NBC's powerhouse Thursday-night lineup on March 15, 2007.
by Hal Erickson
synopsis
