When the Bough Breaks

I’ve been a fan of Jonathan Kellerman and his novels about Los Angeles child psychologist Alex Delaware ever since this first novel was published. I do have to admit, though, that after thirty-two of them they are getting a little stale, and I don’t think I’ve read the last two.

As for this movie, it’s a cheap made-for-TV production and doesn’t look all that great. And Ted Danson isn’t what I had in mind when I thought of Dr. Delaware. But I will have to give them one thing. Delaware’s best friend in the books is a cop named Milo Sturgis, who is gay. In 1986 I would not have been at all surprised if they made him straight, or at least never mentioned his sexuality. But they didn’t shy away from it, probably because it was produced by Danson, a well-known liberal. So congrats on that, Ted. Richard Masur does a good job of playing him. And though it’s been many years since I read this book, it seems to stay reasonably close to the plot. I guess this is just one of those movies where there’s nothing really wrong with it, but it just doesn’t sparkle. I’ve always thought the Delaware books would make a good TV series. Maybe some day.