Another day, another cop part for Jonathan Banks. Playing FBI Senior Agent Frank McPike on this '80s hit, Banks finally got a chance to follow a prominent character through a multiple-season arc on a dramatic series. Entertainment Weekly placed Wiseguy at number 74 on their list of top 100 new TV classics. More importantly, Vince Gilligan, creator of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, loved Banks' work on Wiseguy, which helped him land the Ehrmantraut role.
In addition to featuring Banks in a major role, the program showcased Stanley Tucci, Steven Bauer, and Kevin Spacey, all before they were major names. Music rights fees may have contributed to the show's fade into semi-obscurity by making it prohibitively expensive to stream or repackage, but in today's reissue-friendly market, it's probably only a matter of time before Wiseguy makes its way back.
