Doran Clark on Jake and the Fatman

In 1987, Doran Clark appeared as police officer Karen Stetson in a first season season episode of the TV series Jake and the Fatman. The actress would reprise her character in the third season of the show. Both episodes were great fun and Doran Clark was one of the best female co-stars that Joe Penny would have on Jake and the Fatman. The following is a brief look at these two guest appearances.




The episode 'Body and Soul' first aired in November, 1987 and introduced Jake Styles (Joe Penny) and Karen Stetson (Doran Clark) as former lovers. Karen begins work investigating a bad guy and Jake decides to back her up. Eventually, her investigation gets too dangerous and Jake must save her life.


The introductory credit sequence features a montage of tinted images of the pair:












Here are some images of Doran Clark on Jake and the Fatman:









In 1990, Doran Clark returned as Karen Stetson in the episode "I Ain't Got No Body'. Jake and the Fatman had moved to Hawaii by this point and so it is explained that Karen has come to the islands for a murder investigation. It turns out that there is a cult-ish health spa and resort that is bilking old ladies out of their money and also connected with several murders. Jake and Karen go undercover as a married couple to infiltrate this evil organization. During the course of this investigation, they attempt to reconcile their feeling for each other. The ending is left open-ended and it would have been really nice if they had brought Doran Clark back for one or more future episodes. Unfortunately, the actress never appeared on the show again.













Early press for Doran Clark

Here is a pair of early 1980s profiles of Doran Clark. Beginning in 1979, the actress maintained a steady presence on television but could never find a regular series that would stick. Finding more success with guest appearances and TV movies, Doran Clark was a cast member of three nigh-time soaps (Secrets of Midland Heights, King's Crossing and Emerald Point N.A.S.) all of which were cancelled after one season.







Here's what that photo actually looks like:


Wendy Kilbourne on Midnight Caller

On the TV show Midnight Caller, Wendy Kilbourne usually appeared in a supporting role. However, in the 1989 episode "Watching Me, Watching You," the plot focused on her character, Devon King, when she is targeted by a psychotic stalker (Tim Daly). In this episode, viewers were given the opportunity to learn more about Devon King and were again teased with more glimpses of romance between her and the show's star, Jack Killian (Gary Cole).

Wendy Kilbourne is genuinely appealing in this Midnight Caller episode, looking absolutely beautiful throughout and giving a sympathetic performance as a woman who is trapped in a disturbing situation.
 

Here are some images of Wendy Kilbourne in "Watching Me, Watching You":