Ray Alexander
Created by Dean Hargrove

A likable-enough private eye, and one of the few to make much of an impression in the dreary 1994 TV season. Lou Gosset starred in a A Taste for Justice in a made-for-TV flick (presumably a failed pilot) as RAY ALEXANDER, an owner/manager of a soul food restaurant who did double duty as a P.I. when he wasn't trying to find the world's best recipe for shrimp creole.

Gosset's a true pro, and his easy-going charm went a long way towards making the flick, despite a rather ho-hum plot (he's hired to clear a a woman framed for murder) into a nice little piece of entertainment. And with Ozzie Davis in a supporting role, and Ray Charles in a cameo, the whole thing just went down real easy. But it wasn't enough to stand out from the crowd.

In 1995, NBC took another whack at it, A Menu for Murder, with Ray looking into the murder of a judge, with similar results.

TELEVISION

• A TASTE FOR JUSTICE
  (1994, NBC)
  Premiere: May 13, 1994,
  Written by Dean Hargrove
  Directed by Gary Nelson
  Starring Louis Gosset, Jr. as RAY ALEXANDER
  Also starring Ozzie Davis, Ray Charles, James Coburn, Tracy Nelson
  .
• A MENU FOR MURDER
  (1995, NBC)
  Written by Dean Hargrove
  Directed by Gary Nelson
  Starring Louis Gosset, Jr. as RAY ALEXANDER
  Also starring James Coburn, Beverly Johnson, Terry O'Quinn, Johnny Mathis