Tony Danza - who always seems to play a sitcom character named Tony - continues the tradition in this romantic comedy. This time Danza is cast as Tony Canetti, a conservative cop and divorced, part-time father. In the opener, an office phone call leads to a blind date. Enter Lori Loughlin as liberal reporter Melanie Clifford. True to sitcom standards, Tony and Melanie are opposites who attract - even though they can barely stand each other. When they're not flirting, they're trading barbs, generating a will-they-or-won't-they tension.
Melanie accompanies Tony on a stakeout-to the site of their first date-and he kisses her to avoid being spotted, reasoning that it is just "a standard diversionary tactic." Melanie tries to get a story but a snooping reporter is nothing the cops want to have around. Then, following a tip about drug dealing, Tony goes to shadow a drug boss-with Melanie. Officer Silvero is assigned to the Hoboken PD and Mickey gets his own room at Tony's.
Officer Regelski broke up with his girlfriend because she wanted to have sex! No one can believe this and only Melanie encourages his sensitive behavior. Now, Regelski, after her words of comfort and knowing that she understands him, thinks that she's the right one and wants to date her. but after some nights out, Melanie has to admit that there 'needs to be heat to make a fire'. Tony speaks in front of Mickey's class about his job at career day.
Kirby gets really mad at Regeski's hypersensitiveness and tries to move her desk away from his, moving it an inch every day. Tony arrest Billy, a notorious purse snatcher, again. But Melanie shows up and hears Tony running him down, and writes a report about Billy 'who had a bad childhood and never got a chance'. This report doesn't fail and Billy is released,again, only to choose Melanie as his next victim.
Leo Collins, Melanie's ex-boyfriend, is in town. Tony uses this as a chance to get some information about her and spends some time with Leo. After Leo tells Melanie why he broke up with her-he's gay-the meetings with Tony get a completely new meaning. Regelski is assigned to bicycle patrol, which is great-aside from the fact that he can't ride a bike.
When Tony,'The King of Practical Jokes',pulls another prank, this time on Regelski, Melanie wants to prove that she plays in the same league. She prepares a great joke for Al, putting the lottery numbers he always plays in the morning paper. When Al sees the numbers, his mood changes and with one million dollars behind him, it's not hard to tellt he cheif his opinion, which gets him fired. Meanwhile, Kriby, who is out on the street working on a prostitution case, finds her boyfriend's name in the 'little black book' of a madam.
Melanie accompanies Tony to dinner with his ex-wife, Lucy, and her fiancee, Robert, a brain surgeon whom Tony has already seen-in flagrante. At the office, Tony is advised not to go alone and when Melanie offers to come along, he goes with her.
Because of a missing witness, the criminal, Joey Nichols, may go free in the upcoming trial. Melanie, who is reporting on the case, has found a witness but he requested anonymity. Keeping her promise, she protects her sorce even when it means going into jail. Tony doesn't miss a chance to get her into telling him the name. Al thinks about retirement again but that would be connected witht the terrible thought of spending more time with his wife.
Tony and Melanie get stranded in his car on their way to the Poconos, where she's supposed to spend Thanksgiving with attorney Jay Gallagher; Regelski breaks Al's beloved coffee mug.
Melanie claims she has no problem with the fact that her college friend Allison is attracted to - and attractive to - Tony. Meanwhile, Kirby collars a crook Al's been after for years.
Tony and Lucy suspect that Mickey's new best friend is a bad influence; the squad room prepares for its annual celebration of Frank Sinatra's birthday.
It's Saturday night, and Tony's mother and Mickey both have dates; but Tony's going stag to the mayor's Christmas party, where Melanie's on her own too - or so Tony thinks...
After being grazed by a bullet during an arrest, Tony is sent to a psychologist for evaluation and is declared unfit for duty when he insists that the incident had no impact - despite the fact that his own father was fatally shot when Tony was eleven.
Days before her wedding, Lucy spends an evening reminiscing with Tony, and memories prompt her to wonder if she's doing the right thing. Meanwhile, a puppy brings out Kirby's maternal instincts.
Melanie allows a stakeout to be set up in her apartment, where Tony inadvertently finds some damaging evidence of another sort - in Melanie's diary.
Tony's security preparations for a possible Vice-Presidential visit are hampered when Kirby's despondent boyfriend Howard locks himself inside Tony's command center.