Headstrong, rebellious, and quirky, shunning court appearances because he dislikes wearing a tie and usually ignoring established legal and police procedures, Eddie tends to rush off and play detective when one of the firm's clients is indicted, seeking evidence with which to exonerate the client – sometimes to the consternation of his colleagues – before the case ever reaches court.

[1][2][3][4][5] Each episode is constructed in the "classic style" of a detective show, opening with a graphic depiction of a puzzling murder and then following Eddie as he interviews witnesses and other people who might not be telling the truth and uncovers clues missed by the authorities one-by-one until they lead to the killer.

[4][7] Episode directors included James Frawley, William Wiard, Edward M. Abroms, and Ivan Dixon.

[4] Premiering on September 8, 1978 with a two-hour pilot episode,[4] The Eddie Capra Mysteries aired on NBC on Fridays at 10:00 p.m. throughout the rest of its run.

[1][2] Reruns of The Eddie Capra Mysteries returned to the air in prime time in the summer of 1990, when CBS broadcast episodes of the show at 9:00 p.m. on Thursdays from July 26 to August 30 as a temporary replacement for Wiseguy.