Before Baretta, there was a program called Toma. It starred Tony Musante as Detective David Toma, a real-life police officer known for his undercover work. Toma aired on ABC in 1973 and 1974, it had a very similar concept to the later Baretta, it was based on the work of the real-life cop of that name and it was also a New York City based cop drama.
Toma was produced by the same team behind Baretta, and it was a show that was well liked by critics and had a decent following, but Tony Musante wanted to leave the program for personal reasons, so he did not renew his contract and the show was canceled. ABC, however, were aware that they had something quite popular on their hands, they therefore brought in Robert Blake and retooled the program, added new characters, a new location (it moved to an unnamed city but was widely accepted to be Los Angeles) and renamed it Baretta. It is not a direct spin-off in the true sense of the term, as it was not a new show that branched off from an existing story, but it was a continuation, a re-imagining, it carried over some of the key ideas and many of the production team from Toma. Both shows shared the same producer in Jo Swerling Jr. who was largely responsible for the tone and style of both shows.
Both shows presented a realistic view of police work, both were based on real police cases and real life undercover police work, both showed the frustrations and dangers involved in police work. Toma focused more on the internal struggle faced by the main character, where as Baretta took a broader approach, showing the struggles of life as an undercover cop. Baretta became the more successful show and lasted longer, it was able to build on the foundations that were laid down by Toma and go on to become a successful show in its own right, that is remembered to this day.
The connection between the two shows is an interesting part of TV history, it showed a clear example of how a good idea can be reworked and reshaped into something new. The link between Toma and Baretta is not always well known, but it gives some context as to why Baretta had its specific feel. Many fans of Baretta were unaware that it started life as a completely different program with a different leading man.
