TVXOHOF: FEBRUARY, 2025 - DETECTIVE FRANK PEMBERTON

Every year, the Television Crossover Hall of Fame celebrates the Black History Month of February with a TV Character (or a League of Themselves member) of Color is welcomed into the Hall. 

This year is no different....

DETECTIVE FRANK PEMBLETON

From Wikipedia:
Francis Xavier "Frank" Pembleton is a fictional homicide detective on the television drama series Homicide: Life on the Street portrayed by Emmy Award–winning actor Andre Braugher. He is a primary character of the show through the first six seasons. Although the show featured an ensemble cast, Pembleton would become the fan favorite and is often identified as the show's signature character.

He is based on Baltimore Police Department Detective Harry Edgerton, who, like Pembleton, was an eccentric New York–born African American detective in the BPD homicide unit featured in David Simon's book "Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets". The character also appeared in the 'Law & Order' episode "Charm City".

Pembleton was born into a Catholic family in New York City on July 1, 1961. It was implied that he had siblings, but they never appear on the show. He was educated first in a Catholic elementary school and then in a Jesuit high school, a reference to Braugher attending a Jesuit school, St. Ignatius College Prep, in Chicago. Frank later said that "the Jesuits taught me how to think," which comes up on the show from time to time.

He knows Latin and Greek and is well-versed in Catholic theology. He met his future wife, Mary, on the Great Lawn in Central Park shortly after graduating from the police academy when he was 24. He claims that he knew as soon as he met her that she was "the one." They were married in 1986.

In October 1988, Frank and Mary moved to Baltimore because Frank wanted to be a detective and felt there was no room for advancement in the NYPD. The move caused a permanent rift between him and his in-laws, since he had moved "their little girl" so far from home. He loved working in Baltimore, however, and Mary got a job as a lobbyist and often took trips to Washington, D.C. where her family lives.

He had become a homicide detective by 1989.

Frank and Mary, once settled in their careers, decided to have a family. They were forced to see a variety of fertility specialists before Mary was able to become pregnant. They had two children, a daughter Olivia (born 1996) and a son, Frank Jr.

Frank was the only detective to maintain a marriage — the others either never married, had their spouses die, or got divorced. Frank and Mary's did go through some rough times, owing to Frank's incredible drive for work. Even after marriage counseling, Mary felt that he had become too detached from his family. She was also bothered when he lost his faith, especially when he denied Olivia a baptism for many months. Mary left for a couple of months while pregnant with Frank, Jr. but eventually came back. She was happy that he quit the force in the Season 6 finale.

From the first episode right through to the movie finale, references are made to Pembleton's reputation as a "legend" in terms of his skills as a detective; he is especially skilled in interrogation, and he is depicted as a master of getting confessions from suspects in "the Box." Through a mixture of sympathy, confusion and fear, Pembleton almost always gets a suspect to crack. At the same time, he often fails to endear himself to his fellow detectives, who resent his black-and-white attitude toward the job and his arrogant demeanor.

These are the three separate appearances which guaranteed Pembleton membership in the TVXOHOF:

HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREET
100 Episodes (1993-98)

LAW & ORDER
CHARM CITY (1996)

HOMICIDE: THE MOVIE (2000)

The World lost Andre Braugher just over a year ago. 

Many times, it has been the position of Toobworld Central that even if the actor passed away, their character(s) would live on in Toobworld.  (Unless of course that character lived in the past or had otherwise already died.)  I would have considered Tony Soprano to still be alive had it not been that James Gandolfini had died.  I doubt anybody could see Tony Soprano be recast in modern times.  

The same holds true with Frank Pembleton and Andre Braugher.  I have no problem thinking that Pembleton died after a relapse with another stroke and heart attack.  Sadly, there was no hope to have seen the detective again with Braugher gone.  And I can't be the only one who would reject any other actor assaying the role.

So these 101 episodes and a TV movie would be the only collection of Pembleton's appearances in Earth Prime-Time.  And luckily that collection is made of three segments, making him qualified for membership in the Hall.

Welcome to the TVXOHOF, Detective Pembleton.