The Phantom Is a Cop : DEJA View

Now you see Robert Guillaume. Now you don’t. Now you do again.

Theater audiences in Los Angeles who took in “The Phantom of the Opera” at the Music Center last year might have thought that about Guillaume, who crept in and out of a labyrinth lair as the murderous and elusive masked man for eight months.

But television viewers may find themselves feeling the same way when the two-time Emmy winner returns to prime time this fall as a veteran police detective in NBC’s new comedy, “Pacific Station,” his fourth series in 14 years.

Guillaume joins a corps of veteran television performers such as James Garner and Redd Foxx who are returning to the small screen after ventures on stage and screen. He says he finds working on “Pacific Station” as enjoyable as his previous series, “Soap,” “Benson” and the short-lived “Robert Guillaume Show.”

But any resemblance between Guillaume’s trademark character, the wise-cracking butler-turned-lieutenant governor Benson, and his new role, detective Bob Ballard, is coincidental.

“Benson wasn’t married, he was on top of the world,” Guillaume said recently. “But this guy is beleaguered by family life and the pressure of police work. He’ll still have a smidgen of an ability to tell a joke, but he won’t be so on top of things.”

In the series, Ballard’s beat is the wild and crazy Venice Beach community. His fast climb up the career ladder is abruptly halted when he’s passed over for promotion to captain.

To make matters worse, he’s saddled with a new partner, Richard Capparelli (Richard Libertini of “The Fanelli Boys), whose friendly and sensitive approach to police work since returning from psychiatric leave clashes with Ballard’s more street-wise style.

Joining this odd couple is Ken Epstein as the department’s inept new captain, Ron Leibman as the precinct’s resident lech and John Hancock as a deputy commissioner.

“It’s all done in a humorous way--fast and furious,” Guillaume said. “I think people will fall in love with all the characters.”

Although “Pacific Station” features an ensemble of eccentric characters, the producers feel Guillaume is its raison d’etre .

“It started from the premise that we would love to work with Robert, and the project evolved with him in mind,” said co-executive producer Terry Grossman. “He’s one of the best. He’s an incredible professional with a wonderful sense of comedy and incredible instincts.”

Coming back to weekly television is just like riding a bicycle for Guillaume: “It feels like the same groove. The hours are the same. The shooting is the same.”

But there is something new to the old wrinkle, he added.

“The principal concern now is the ratings race, the numbers game,” he said. “Everything seems more crucial now. When I first started on series television in 1977, they would give shows a little more time, let the show find its audience. I just hope our audiences finds us and we find them.”

Despite the uncertainty, Guillaume doesn’t feel as much pressure as he did on his last TV go-round with “The Robert Guillaume Show,” which he co-created and co-executive produced. The show had a brief tryout in the spring of 1989, but failed to find an audience.

The program made headlines because of the romance between Guillaume’s character, a divorced marriage counselor, and his secretary (Wendy Phillips). It was the first prime-time series centered around an interracial couple, and critics thought the touchy subject matter might have touched a nerve with conservative audiences.

“I thought it was an interesting idea, an interesting attempt,” said Guillaume as he reflected on the failed series. “But we didn’t put all the right elements of a situation comedy together. It just wasn’t strong enough to overcome the hesitancy of the public. For the die-hard fans of Robert Guillaume and Benson, there was no place.”

With “Pacific Station,” he said he is content to keep his face in front of the camera, not behind: “I don’t think I’ll ever do that again. I don’t have the nervous system for it.”

The sitcom is also less taxing duty than his stint as the “Phantom,” he said.

“It was a thoroughly rewarding experience,” Guillaume said. “I never thought I could do a role like that. It was stimulating to pull that together every night. But being in a show like that is always problematic. It wrecked havoc with my family life. I didn’t realize it was that time-consuming.”

Guillaume said he is happy to go from “Phantom” to “Pacific.” The hours are better. And no disappearing is required.

“Pacific Station” will air Sundays at 8:30 p.m. starting tonight on NBC.