70s Primetime Favorites
I know the 70s had its share of clinkers, but I remember so many great tv shows. Reality programming consisted of a Presidential newscast or coverage of the space program. There were a whole lot of "wacka-wacka" soundtracks and plenty of jiggling, as the decade came to a close. These were some of my favorites and some that were groundbreaking but not really in my viewing.
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- CreatorCharles Marquis WarrenClyde WareStarsJames ArnessMilburn StoneAmanda BlakeMarshal Matt Dillon keeps the peace in rough-and-tumble Dodge City.This was still on, but needed more gunfights, for my childhood tastes.
- CreatorPaul HenningStarsBuddy EbsenDonna DouglasIrene RyanA nouveau-riche hillbilly family moves to Beverly Hills and shakes up the privileged society with their hayseed ways.This was coming to an end, as the decade dawned. The show was still popular, but CBS wanted to change its image and cancelled all of the rural shows in one fell swoop.
- CreatorPaul HenningStarsEdgar BuchananLinda HenningBea BenaderetThe misadventures of the family staff of The Shady Rest Hotel and their neighbors of Hooterville.The second victim in the CBS purge. The show had kind of run its course but was still popular. I had a huge crush on Meredith McRae, and I was a young tyke. Who says girls are icky?
- CreatorSol SaksStarsElizabeth MontgomeryDick YorkDick SargentA witch married to an ordinary man cannot resist using her magic powers to solve the problems her family faces.This was still going, though coming to the end. Call me a heretic, but I liked Dick Sargent better.
- CreatorJay SommersStarsEddie AlbertEva GaborTom LesterA New York City attorney and his wife attempt to live as genteel farmers in the bizarre community of Hooterville.Another victim of the CBS purge, again, while the show was still doing well in the ratings.
- CreatorSidney SheldonStarsBarbara EdenLarry HagmanBill DailyA United States astronaut finds his life vastly complicated when he stumbles on to a bottle containing a female genie.An Astronaut lands off course on a remote island, where he finds a strange bottle. Of course, there is a genie inside. Fun series that mixed interest in the space program with comedy and magical hijinks. It finished up at the dawn of the 70s, with Jeanie and Maj. Nelson marrying.
- StarsEfrem Zimbalist Jr.Philip AbbottWilliam ReynoldsThe cases of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation.Still going strong, through the ealy 70s. A Quinn Martin Production! (said with an urgency as if the world depended on it).
- CreatorMel BrooksBuck HenryStarsDon AdamsBarbara FeldonEdward PlattMaxwell Smart, a highly intellectual but bumbling spy working for the CONTROL agency, battles the evil forces of rival spy agency KAOS with the help of his competent partner Agent 99.Legendary spy spoof, from Mel Brooks and Buck Henry. Don Adams is a hapless spy, while Ed Platt is the long suffering Chief. Barbara Feldon is the sexy Agent 99. This ended at the dawn of the 70s.
- CreatorBernard FeinAlbert S. RuddyStarsBob CraneWerner KlempererJohn BannerThe inmates of a German World War II prisoner of war camp conduct an espionage and sabotage campaign right under the noses of their warders.Another 60s show that finished up in the 70s. Bob Crane stars as Col. Hogan, who leads his group of POWs on sabotage missions, underneath the clueless noses of Col. Klink and Sgt. Schultz (who sees everything but "Knows nothing!").
- CreatorDon FeddersonEdmund L. HartmannStarsBrian KeithKathy GarverAnissa JonesBill's comfortable lifestyle must change when he receives a group of unexpected long-term guests.Still on when we were little, so it was approved vieweing. I thought it was corny even as a tyke.
- CreatorJack WebbStarsJack WebbHarry MorganDon RossPolice Detective Sgt. Joe Friday and his partners investigate crimes in Los Angeles.This was still going when I was little. It was kind of dull, compared to things like Adam 12 or the Rookies.
- StarsCarol BurnettVicki LawrenceThe Ernie Flatt DancersTelevision show featuring skits by Carol Burnett and her comedy troupe.This was CBS, which we couldn't tune in well, so I only saw it occassionally. Usually when they were doing the "family" sketches. I got to see more of it when they syndicated it as Carol Burnett and Friends.
- CreatorDigby WolfeStarsDan RowanDick MartinGary OwensThe original rapid fire sketch comedy show.Still going strong in the 70s. My parents were pretty much middle of the road, but my dad enjoyed Arte Johnson and Ruth Buzzi, as did we kids. Sock it to me!
- CreatorCollier YoungStarsRaymond BurrDon GallowayDon MitchellWheelchair-using, crime-fighting detective Robert T. Ironside battles the bad guys on the streets of San Francisco.Raymond Burr was still going strong as the wheelchair-bound detective. I was pretty young when this was on, so I don't remember much.
- CreatorBruce GellerRichard LevinsonWilliam LinkStarsMike ConnorsGail FisherWard WoodPrivate detective Joe Mannix uses force to solve crimes.Another 60s detective show that was still going in the 70s, with Mike Connors as the tough hero.
- CreatorTony BarrettHarve BennettSammy HessStarsMichael ColeClarence Williams IIIPeggy LiptonA trio of reformed juvenile delinquents work as undercover cops.I remember this being on and I remember Linc; but that's about it.
- CreatorLeonard FreemanStarsJack LordJames MacArthurKam FongThe investigations of Hawaii Five-0, an elite branch of the Hawaii State Police answerable only to the governor and headed by stalwart Steve McGarrett.Book 'em Dano! The coolest theme song led to one crime drama after another, with McGarret and the gang. They drew quality guest stars, no doubt looking for a free trip to Hawaii.
- CreatorMilt JosefsbergRay SingerStarsLucille BallGale GordonLucie ArnazLucy Carter, a widow with two teen children, takes a job as a secretary for her stuffy brother-in-law.Lucille Ball carried over her series into the 70s, featuring various guest stars who Lucy would encounter. It wasn't nearly as funny as I love Lucy or the previous Lucy Show, but it was popular enough.
- CreatorRobert A. CinaderJack WebbStarsMartin MilnerKent McCordShaaron ClaridgeTwo regular police officers patrol Los Angeles.My first cop show. Kent McCord was my favorite of the pair. All I can remember is the dispatcher's voice.
- CreatorSherwood SchwartzStarsRobert ReedFlorence HendersonAnn B. DavisThe misadventures of a large family united when a widower and a widow marry.I mostly saw the later seasons, but caught everything in syndication. It seems corny as heck today, but it was fun when you were a kid.
- CreatorJames L. BrooksStarsLloyd HaynesDenise NicholasMichael ConstantineTeacher Pete Dixon tries to teach the students at Walt Whitman High to be tolerant. He's assisted by girlfriend and school counselor, Liz and student teacher (later teacher) Alice. The students love him.My dad was a science teacher and my mom had been a music teacher, so we were right at home with this series. It was a time of social consciousness and this show reeks of it. Very well done, though.
- CreatorBill CosbyEd. WeinbergerMichael ZagorStarsBill CosbyJoyce BulifantOlga JamesChet Kincaid, gym teacher at an inner-city Los Angeles high school, deals with students, Principal Langford and counselor Marsha Peterson. He lives with his mother Rose, brother Brian, and sister-in-law Verna, who focus on his social life.This just made it into the 70s, wil Bill playing a high school PE teacher and basketball coach. It wasn't bad, but wasn't quite up to either Fat Albert or Cosby Show standards.
- StarsStuart MargolinBarbara MinkusWilliam CallawayAn anthology comedy series featuring a line up of different celebrity guest stars appearing in anywhere from one, two, three, and four short stories or vignettes within an hour about versions of love and romance.The only thing I can recall is the opening and hazy memories of ugly clothes and bad hairstyles; but, you can say that about most shows from the 70s.
- StarsBill BixbyBrandon CruzMiyoshi UmekiWidower Tom Corbett raises his young son Eddie.One of our favorites as kids. Bill Bixby made a great father.
- CreatorDavid VictorStarsRobert YoungJames BrolinElena VerdugoDr. Marcus Welby, a general practitioner, and Steven Kiley, Welby's young assistant. The two try to treat people as individuals in an age of specialized medicine and indifferent physicians.I always wanted him to be my doctor, instead of the one who kept using me as a pincushion.
- CreatorAl C. WardFrank GlicksmanStarsJames DalyChad EverettChris HutsonLocated in the Los Angeles, California area, the Medical Center was an otherwise unnamed hospital complex that was part of a larger university campus.Didn't get to see this as much, since it was on CBS and we couldn't tune it in very well. Good stuff when we did see it.
- CreatorBernard SladeStarsShirley JonesDavid CassidySusan DeyThe humorous adventures of a family of pop musicians.It's a toss up as to which was sappier, Brady Bunch or this. The Brady stories were sappier but the Partridge Family always went for overkill with the incidental music.
- StarsFlip WilsonTim ConwayGeorge CarlinA variety show from the 1970s hosted by Flip Wilson that showcased skits, music and =appearances by "Geraldine Jones".After appearances on Ed Sullivan and Laugh-In, Flip Wilson got his own show and Geraldine was in her element. Richard Pryor was one of the writers.
- CreatorGerry AndersonSylvia AndersonStarsEd BishopDolores MantezMichael BillingtonThe missions of the Supreme Headquarters Alien Defence Organization (SHADO), which defends Earth from extra-terrestrial threats.British import, from Gerry Anderson, featuring a secret organization that tracks and defends against hostile UFOs. It was definitely a very paranoid show, but featured great model and effects work, even if the acting was a bit stiff.
- CreatorAJ CarothersThomas L. MillerStarsJuliet MillsRichard LongDavid DoremusA remarkable young English nanny takes over the household of a widowed professor and his three children.Another favorite, thanks to Juliette Mills. Saw it later when the FX network debuted. Boy did it seem like Bewitched Lite!
- DirectorJules BassArthur Rankin Jr.StarsFred AstaireMickey RooneyKeenan WynnA mailman reveals the origin of Santa Claus.Rankin-Bass produced this stop motion animated special, about the origin of Santa Claus. Fred Astaire narrates, while Mickey Rooney is Kris Kringle and Paul Frees is the Bergomeister and Keenan Wynne is the Winter Warlock. Great stuff!
- DirectorLamont JohnsonStarsPatty DukeAl Freeman Jr.Ford RaineyA pregnant white Southern girl and a black New York lawyer, both on the run in rural Texas, meet up in a boarded-up, abandoned house and realize they both need each other in order to survive.An African-American lawyer and civil rights activist is accused of murder. The film was plagued by racial incidents, while shooting in Texas, leading to intervention fron Gov. John Connally. Patty Duke and Al Freeman Jr. star.
- StarsBurt ReynoldsNorman FellRichard AndersonDetective August works the crime beat in his home town, Santa Luisa CA, working with (and against) people with whom he grew up.Burt Reynolds starred in this short-lived detective show. It wasn't a ratings hit, but was pretty good, thanks to Reynold's charisma. A Quinn Martin Production!
- CreatorJames L. BrooksAllan BurnsStarsMary Tyler MooreEdward AsnerGavin MacLeodThe lives and trials of a young single woman and her friends, both at work and at home.Great tv series; one of the best. Amazing cast and some incredible writers. It's still funny as heck,
- CreatorHerman MillerStarsDennis WeaverJ.D. CannonTerry CarterA New Mexico deputy marshal gets assigned to Manhattan's 27th Precinct.Dennis Weaver was another favorite; we loved the cowboy in the city hook.
- CreatorJerry BelsonGarry MarshallStarsTony RandallJack KlugmanAl MolinaroTwo men, a neat freak and a slob separated from their wives, have to live together despite their differences.Neal Simon's much-loved play became a favorite movie, then spawned this excellent tv series. Jack Klugman and Tony Randall brilliantly essayed the characters and were surrounded by great supporting actors and writers. All I have to hear is Tony Randall's "Oh, Oscar, Oscar, Oscar..." and I just smile.
- CreatorNorman LearStarsCarroll O'ConnorJean StapletonRob ReinerA working class man constantly squabbles with his family over the important issues of the day.Only saw a few of these, as my parents didn't like Archie Bunker and it was a it over our heads as kids. Still groundbreaking.
- DirectorPhilip LeacockStarsDoug McClureRene AuberjonoisRichard BasehartDuring World War II, American soldier Harry Cook is sent to Norway to aid in the defection of a scientist working on the atomic bomb for the Germans. Before they can escape Europe, they are captured and sent to a POW prison camp in a high alpine castle on the German-Swiss border. Cook must find a way to escape with the scientist before the Gestapo discover the Norwegian's true identity. Cook convinces the other prisoners to build a two person glider that can fly to Switzerland. The race is on to complete the glider before the German guards discover the plane, and the Gestapo catch up with Cook and the scientist.Fictional account of an escape from Colditz, based on a plan that was in operation before the camp was liberated. Doug McClure is an OSS agent who is trying to get Rene Auberjenois, a Norweigan scientist, out of occupied territory. They are caught (while in allied uniforms) and sent to Colditz. mcClure hits upon the idea of building a glider and flying the ten miles to the Swiss border. Chuck Conners, Richard Baseheart and Max Baer Jr also appear.
- DirectorTom GriesStarsGary LockwoodScott HylandsHari RhodesWhen Earth II, an orbiting research space station, is menaced by a Red Chinese nuclear weapon, its 2,000 inhabitants take action to disarm and dispose of the missile without resorting to violence.Gary Lockwood stars in this tv movie about a space station in orbit above the Earth. The station is an independent body, with its own democratic rule. All wepaons are prohibited, even toys. The station finds itself threatened with nuclear weapons, which they must disarm before they detonate. Very well done, heavily influenced by world events and a pacifist stance in regards to space.
- DirectorHawley PrattStarsAllan ShermanDaws ButlerPamelyn FerdinA red and white-striped top-hatted cat visits two children left home alone.Tv special, adapting the Dr Seuss classic. It comes off a bit creepy, if you ask me.
- CreatorRichard LevinsonWilliam LinkStarsPeter FalkMike LallyJohn FinneganLos Angeles homicide detective Lieutenant Columbo uses his humble ways and ingenuous demeanor to winkle out even the most well-concealed of crimes.The NBC Mystery Movies were required viewing and the tv series they spawned. Columbo was great, as you watched the rumpled detective work out the details of the crime and catch the criminal out. Very intelligent show.
- CreatorLeonard SternStarsRock HudsonJohn SchuckSusan Saint JamesSan Francisco Police Commissioner Stewart "Mac" McMillan and his amateur detective wife keep their marriage unpredictable while solving the city's most baffling crimes.More Mystery Movie fun. Not exactly Rock Hudson's shining moment, haircut-wise. We never contemplated that he might be gay.
- DirectorBuzz KulikStarsJames CaanBilly Dee WilliamsJack WardenBased on the real-life relationship between teammates Brian Piccolo and Gale Sayers and the bond established when Piccolo discovers that he is dying.Critically acclaimed movie about the final days of football star Brian Piccolo and his friendship with Gayle Sayers. James Caan is Piccolo, while Billy Dee Williams is Sayers. Extremely well done.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsDennis WeaverJacqueline ScottEddie FirestoneA business commuter is pursued and terrorized by the malevolent driver of a massive tractor-trailer.Dennis Weaver finds himself the target of the unseen driver of a semi truck. Taut thriller that helped launch the career of Steven Spielberg. Richard Matheson (I am Legend, Twilight Zone) wrote the script.
- CreatorChris BeardeStarsSonny BonoCherTed ZeiglerA variety show with comedy skits and musical numbers, performed by a regular cast and special guests.Sonny and Cher starred in their own variety show, which mostly consisted of bad skits, lots of putdowns, and plenty of music. It was hugely popular, though. Daughter Chastity was featured here, too, long before her transormation into Chaz.
- CreatorEarl Hamner Jr.StarsJon WalmsleyMary Beth McDonoughEric ScottThe life and trials of a 1930s and 1940s Virginia mountain family through financial depression and World War II.Depression era family viewing at its corny best. Not my cup of tea as a kid, but you couldn't argue with the quality. It stayed on a bit too long, though.
- CreatorEdward HumeStarsWilliam ConradPatrick CullitonTom PittmanFrank Cannon, a husky ex-cop and culinary enthusiast, solves tough cases as a private investigator.William Conrad was hardnose detective Frank Cannon in this series. I only saw a few episodes, but his deep voice is about all I remember. A Quinn Martin Production!
- CreatorNorman LearStarsBea ArthurBill MacyConrad Bain"All In The Family" spin-off centered around Edith's cousin, Maude Findlay, a liberal, independent woman living in Tuckahoe, New York.Another CBS show and not really my kind of show, as a kid. Another trendsetter from Norman Lear.
- CreatorRobert A. CinaderHarold Jack BloomStarsRandolph MantoothKevin TigheJulie LondonThe crew of Los Angeles County Fire Department Station 51, particularly the paramedic team, and Rampart Hospital respond to emergencies in their operating area.Huge favorite of mine and my next door neighbor. His dad had a pickup truck, so we used to play Emergency in it. Great series.
- StarsRichard BooneRick LenzHarry MorganThe adventures of Hec Ramsey, a turn-of-the-20th-century detective who prefers to use his brains instead of his guns.I remeber watching this, but not as much as Columbo or McCloud.
- CreatorWilliam BlinnRita LakinStarsGeorg Stanford BrownSam MelvilleGerald S. O'LoughlinThe trials and adventures of three young police officers.This was one of my favorites; great cop show. I still remember the big pilot episode for SWAT.
- CreatorLarry GelbartStarsAlan AldaWayne RogersLoretta SwitThe staff of an Army hospital in the Korean War find that laughter is the best way to deal with their situation.One of the best written shows on television, comedy or drama. I started to occassionally see it, starting with the second season. The death of Henry Blake was heartbraking.
- CreatorNorman LearStarsRedd FoxxDemond WilsonLaWanda PageThe misadventures of a cantankerous junk dealer and his frustrated son.Funny, funny show, though I didn't always get the jokes, until I was older. I credit this show, Room 222, and Good Times with giving a white kid from a pretty much all white farm town a wider world view.
- CreatorEdward HumeStarsKarl MaldenMichael DouglasReuben CollinsA veteran cop with more than twenty years of experience is teamed with a young Inspector to solve crimes in San Francisco, California.Another favorite cop show; with Malden as the veteran detective and Douglas as the young hot head. This was as hard nosed as they came (and big, with Malden's honker). A Quinn Martin Production!
- DirectorMarvin J. ChomskyStarsRod TaylorDina MerrillKristoffer TaboriDuring a flight from San Diego to Guaymas, Mexico, the Carlyle family from Florida is surprised by a weather front in the Rocky Mountains and must do an emergency landing in a Mexican desert with their plane damaged. Latent tensions in the family interfere with the efforts to solve their desperate situation.Rod Taylor stars in this tv movie. A family plane is forced down in the Mexican desert. The group must work together to survive and repair their plane. Family dynamics provide as much of a threat as the environment. Thrilling film that was a cut above the average tv movie.
- CreatorDavid DavisLorenzo MusicStarsBob NewhartSuzanne PleshetteBill DailyThe professional and personal misadventures of a psychologist and his family, patients, friends and colleagues.One of the funniest shows ever put on television, showcasing the dry humor of its star, while adding a great cast of character actors as friends and patients. Required watching for any student of good comedy.
- DirectorLee PhilipsStarsLarry HagmanBarbara FeldonGary CollinsTwo city couples decide to leave the hectic urban life and retreat to the country, but find that rural living isn't quite what they thought it would be.Larry Hagman, Gary Collins and Barbara Feldon star in this lighthearted film about two city couples who move to the country (an island) and have a hard time fitting in. Of course, we have some relationship issues and nothing is really hilarious, but it's a pleasant little film. Hagman aspires to be a sculptor and doesn't exactly wow his model with the finished product. He does find his calling, by the end of the film.
- CreatorAnthony WilsonStarsGeorge PeppardRalph ManzaMurray MathesonThe adventures of proud Polish-American freelance insurance investigator Thomas Banacek.George Peppard starred in this detective series, which lasted a couple of seasons. I don't really recall it, but it made the syndicated rounds.
- DirectorRuss MayberryStarsHugh O'BrianElke SommerBurgess MeredithHigh-tech investigations company World Securities uses Agents, called Probes, to solve various international cases, such as the retrieval of a famous diamond collection stolen by the Nazis during World War II.Pilot movie for a short-lived series. Hugh O'Brien is an agent for a government organization, who uses high tech spy gear to fight criminals and spies. Burgess Meredith is the man behind the technology.
- CreatorEd SpielmanHerman MillerStarsDavid CarradineRadames PeraKeye LukeThe adventures of Shaolin Monk Kwai Chang Caine as he wanders the American West armed only with his skill in Kung Fu.David Carradine starred as the mixed race Shaolin monk who is on the run in the American West. Kwai Chang Caine searches for family as he dodges bounty hunters and aids people in distress. The series was allegedly conceived by Bruce Lee as a vehicle for himself; but, in the fine tradition of Charlie Chan, the Asian hero was played by a caucasian. However, it was a very philosophic series, though the pacifist monk found reasons to use violent rather often. It helped usher in the martial arts craze, while rpoviding a wist to the tired western genre.
- DirectorJohn Llewellyn MoxeyStarsDarren McGavinCarol LynleySimon OaklandAn abrasive Las Vegas newspaper reporter investigates a series of murders committed by a vampire.TV movie that launched the Kolchak series. Darren McGavin is investigating a series of murders that would seem to point to a vampire, as absurd as it sounds. Very well done.
- CreatorE. Jack NeumanJoseph WambaughStarsScott BradyMel ScottDon MeredithDetective Cheng is commissioned by Interpol to destroy the "Empire of Chaiba", a worldwide criminal organization based in Southeast Asia, he initiates an undercover operation to infiltrate the organization.Excellent dramas, which I came to really enjoy as I got older.
- CreatorAbby MannStarsTelly SavalasDan FrazerKevin DobsonA bald, lollipop sucking police detective with a fiery righteous attitude battles crime in his city.Who loves ya baby? We did, as we tuned in to watch Telly Savalas catch the bad guys.
- DirectorRichard IrvingStarsLee MajorsBarbara AndersonMartin BalsamAfter an astronaut and test pilot is catastrophically mutilated in a test plane crash, he is rebuilt and equipped with nuclear powered bionic limbs and implants.The movie that started it all, adapting the Martin Caidin novel Cyborg. Astronaut and test pilot Steve Austin takes off in a Northrup experimental lifting body, as part of the NASA tests for the future space shuttle. However, Austin loses control of the craft and crashes, his body nearly destroyed. Enter Oscar Goldman, head of a shadowy organization. Austin is rebuilt with prosthetic limbs which allow him to do amazing things. As payback, he undertakes a secret mission for Goldman, somewhere in the Middle East. The film is an interesting piece, as we watch Austin come to terms with his Frankenstein nature. This isn't quite the easygoing Steve Austin of the series. Darren McGavinis Oscar and Martin Balsam is Rudy Wells.
- DirectorJohn Llewellyn MoxeyStarsAlex CordMariette HartleyTed CassidyA scientist who has been preserved in suspended animation wakes up to find himself in a primitive society in the future.Originally a pilot for a new series, from Gene Roddenberry. Alex Cord plays a scientist who is testing a suspended animation process for potential spaceflight, in an underground facility, when a nuclear war errupts, sealing him inside. He awakens hundeds of years later to find a new civilization built upon the old. He is awakened by the scientists of PAX, who are deicated to keeping the peace; or, so they say. Mariette Hartley presents an alternate viewpoint and takes the awakened scientist to her people; but who is telling the truth? Very interesting idea that never made it to series. It was redone again as a tv movie and motion picture.
- DirectorRichard T. HeffronStarsRobert CulpMarlyn MasonBeah RichardsOne man decides to wage war against a gang of teenage punks besieging an affluent California community. Based on a true incident.Robert Culp stars as a vternarian whose family is constantly harassed by a pack of teenage males, who are allowed to run wild by their uninvolved parents. Culp is pushed to the brink as his home is vandalized and his family and pets are attacked by the vicious gang. Finally, after receiving no help from the law or the parents, he is pushed to the breaking point and retaliates. Excellent film, based on a true story.
- DirectorDan CurtisStarsDarren McGavinJo Ann PflugSimon OaklandA reporter hunts down a 144-year old alchemist who is killing women for their blood.Second Kolchak film, with a bit more mundane of a plot.
- CreatorHoward RodmanStarsDavid JanssenAnthony ZerbePaul TulleyAfter being shot in the line of duty, Harry Orwell was forced to retire from the San Diego Police Department. To supplement his police pension, Harry runs a private detective agency out of his beach house.David Jansen stars as an ex-cop turned PI, in this detective series. Jansen was great at the 'world weary" private I.
- DirectorFrank De FelittaStarsJames BrolinSusan ClarkEarl HollimanA man is accidentally locked in a department store overnight and finds himself held at bay by six vicious Doberman guard dogs.James Brolin stars as a man who is mugged in a department store restroom. He awakens to find himself locked inside the store, with a pack of Doberman guard dogs running through the store. Brolin must escape the dogs and try to find a way out.
- CreatorEdward HumeStarsTony MusanteSimon OaklandSusan StrasbergThis series Is based on the real-life story of New Jersey detective David Toma. Toma was a master of disguise and undercover work. Toma himself made a cameo appearance in many episodes.The first run at an undercover cop, based on the actual detective. I later got to see Toma speak at a local high school. He struck me as a bit of a jerk, but I was young. Baretta was better.
- CreatorEdward HumeStarsBuddy EbsenLee MeriwetherMark SheraPrivate eye Barnaby Jones works with his widowed daughter-in-law to solve cases.Buddy Ebsen returned as the more sophisticated detective, aided by Lee Meriwhether. A Quinn Martin Production!
- DirectorBill MelendezPhil RomanStarsTodd BarbeeRobin KohnStephen SheaPeppermint Patty invites herself and her friends over to Charlie Brown's for Thanksgiving, and with Linus, Snoopy, and Woodstock, he attempts to throw together a Thanksgiving dinner.Charlie Brown finds hinself conned into providing Thanksgiving dinner for Peppermint Pattie and several other friends. Snoopy, Woodtsock, and Linus try to help.
- CreatorMike EvansNorman LearEric MonteStarsJa'net DuBoisRalph CarterBernNadette StanisA poor family make the best of things in the Chicago housing projects.Another I saw occassionally; still funny, still more realistic than the Cosby Show.
- CreatorJames L. BrooksAllan BurnsDavid DavisStarsValerie HarperJulie KavnerLorenzo MusicIn this spin-off of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," Rhoda Morgenstern leaves best pal Mary Richards and her other friends in Minneapolis, Minn., to try her luck in Manhattan.Valerie Harper was spun-off into her own series, where Rhoda Morganstern returns to New York and falls in loe. Nancy Walker was back as her mother, with Harold Gould as Rhoda's father and Julie Kavner as her sister. It started well, but marriage didn't work as well for Rhoda and they soon turned the series towards divorce. Things never really recovered. Along with the Mary Tyler Moore Show, it was beloved by young single women and featured some smart tv.
- CreatorDan T. BradleyAllan L. RiceStanley Ralph RossStarsClifton DavisTheresa MerrittTed LangeClifton enjoys being a barber in Washington, DC.Clifton Davis and Theresa Merritt starred in this comedy, set in a barbershop, in an African-American neighborhood. Davis was the owner of the shop and Merritt was Mama. It was a good show, but only lasted two seasons. A pre-Love Boat Ted Lange also appeared on the show.
- CreatorJames KomackStarsJack AlbertsonScatman CrothersFreddie PrinzeThe relationship between a cranky old mechanic and a twentysomething Chicano.Great show, tragically cut short by Freddie Prinze's suicide.
- CreatorRobert L. CollinsStarsAngie DickinsonEarl HollimanCharles DierkopFollows Sergeant "Pepper" Anderson, LAPD's top undercover cop. A member of the Criminal Conspiracy Unit, Pepper works the wild side of the street, where she poses as everything from a gangster's moll to a streetwalker to a prison inmate.Whoo, yeah; Angie Dickinson spawned an early puberty. The plots weren't bad, either. Charlie's Angels were never this sexy!
- CreatorStephen J. CannellRoy HugginsStarsJames GarnerNoah Beery Jr.Joe SantosThe cases of an easy-going ex-convict turned private investigator.I missed out on Maverick, but not this. James Garner was a god in our household.
- CreatorGarry MarshallStarsRon HowardHenry WinklerMarion RossThe Cunningham family live through the 1950s with help and guidance from lovable and almost superhuman greaser Fonzie.Spun out of Love American Style, this ruled the ratings. The nostalgic first couple of seasons were good, but they were smart to move away from centering around the specific time period and to focus more on the characters, keeping the time period a bit nebulous. The cast was wonderful and the stories lent themselves well to comedy and drama. Forget the "jumping the shark," nonsense; this show was so much better than that. At least, while Ron Howard was around.
- CreatorDanny ArnoldTheodore J. FlickerStarsHal LindenAbe VigodaMax GailThe Captain of the NYPD 12th Precinct and his staff handle the various local troubles and characters that come into the squad room.Excellent character-driven comedy, set in the detective section of a police precinct. The cast were marvelous and the writing was some of the best out there. This show was a dream for character actors.
- StarsLee MajorsRichard AndersonMartin E. BrooksAfter a severely injured test pilot is rebuilt with nuclear-powered bionic limbs and implants, he serves as an intelligence agent.Lee Majors was America's favorite astronaut, after Neil Armstrong. As Steve Austin, he carried out various missions for the government, using his bionic prosthetic limbs to perform amazing feats, mostly in slow-motion. This was a great series, with imaginative plots and fun action, for most of its run. However, it was killed by the moustache.
- CreatorBlanche HanalisStarsMelissa GilbertMichael LandonKaren GrassleThe life and adventures of the Ingalls family in the nineteenth century American Midwest.It started as a movie but soon became the beloved series, based on the equally beloved books by Laura Ingalls Wilder (or possibly, her daughter Rose). Michael Landon starred as the near-perfect Pa Ingalls, while cute little Melissa Gilbert was author Laura, the two main stars of the series. They were surrounded by a great cast and some darn good, if overly moralistic and wholesome writing. However, Allison Arngrim was the girl we loved to hate as Nellie Olsen, though Mrs. Olsen was just as fun. It was kind of like cheering for the heel in a pro wrestling match.
- CreatorAnthony WilsonStarsRoddy McDowallRon HarperJames NaughtonTwo astronauts and a sympathetic chimp friend are fugitives in a future Earth dominated by a civilization of humanoid apes.TV series with its own continuity. Two new astronauts land on the POTA, though the humans can speak. They are befriended by a chimpnamed Galen, who flees with them. They are hunted by General Urko and his gorilla police. It was essentially POTA meets The Fugitive and the scripts rarely rised above that.
- DirectorVincent McEveetyStarsCathy Lee CrosbyKaz GarasAndrew PrineA super-hero uses her powers to thwart an international spy ring.This was the pilot for a proposed Wonder Woman tv series, but with Cathy Lee crosby as the heroine. The premise is a conglomeration of two eras of Wonder Woman: the Diana Prince era, which was then fairly recent, where she has no powers and acts as a sort of Emma Peel, using martial arts. the other was the return to her roots, with costume and working within the government. Ricardo Montalban is a terrorist for hire who is opposed by Wonder Woman. The film is rather bland and the stunts nothing to write home about. To top it off, they give her a costume that looks like a cross between a cheerleader and a track suit. Thankfully, they decided to try again and gave us Lynda Carter and the 1940s.
- DirectorHarry FalkStarsJared MartinKatie SaylorRobert ItoTwo men and a woman, all friends and martial arts experts, visit Hong Kong, where they grew up. When the woman disappears, the men find out that she has been kidnapped by white slavers, and find themselves battling a gang of kung-fu killers in an attempt to rescue their friend.Jared Martin stars in this tv film, made at the early stages of the martial arts craze. Martin and his sister come to Hong Kong, where she is kidnapped. Martin and his friend (Robert Ito) go in search of the missing woman, which brings them to a private island, owned by Joesph Wiseman. There, they face off with his thugs and are forced to fight one another. It was very well done, though it swiped heavily from several martial arts films.
- CreatorJeffrey Grant RiceStarsDarren McGavinSimon OaklandJack GrinnageCarl Kolchak is a reporter for a Chicago newspaper. Through more accident than design he ends up investigating homicides, many of which involve supernatural forces. Ultimately, rather than reporting on the crimes, he solves them.Long before the X-Files, there was Kolchak. Darren McGavin starred as the hard-nosed journalist who investigated strange phenomena. The character debuted in a movie, The Night Stalker, where he investigates a serial killer who may be a vampire. A second movie followed, then the series. Unfortunately, it was ahead of its time and was cancelled in its first season.
- DirectorBoris SagalStarsElizabeth MontgomeryWilliam DanielsCliff PottsWhen she was raped, Ellen Harrod thought it was the worst thing to ever happen to her. What was worse was the treatment by the hospital staff, police, and the court system when she reported it and the aftermath of the culprit's apprehension.Elizabeth Montgomery stars in this tv movie, which dared to look at the crime of rape and how the survivors are often treated. Very controversial in its time, it helped to illuminate issues which led to greater advocacy on the part of survivors.
- DirectorDonald WryeStarsLinda BlairJoanna MilesAllyn Ann McLerieA young girl runs away from her abusive family and ends up in a girls' juvenile detention center, where she's raped and brutalized by her sadistic peers. Only one honest social worker shows interest in helping her.Linda Blair stars as a troubled young woman who has been subjected to repeated abuse and rape. She becomes more and more withdrawn and her personality is altered until she is a cold, manipulative person. Extremely controversial at the time, especially for the graphic rape scene, it dared to highlight that deliguents and monsters are created via abuse and neglect, not by birth.
- DirectorMarc DanielsStarsJohn SaxonJanet MargolinTed CassidyA man awakens from suspended animation and finds himself in the 22nd century, where women rule the world and men are slaves called Dinks. He is captured and sold as a slave, but escapes and hooks up with a male rebel movement.TV movie made up of unused scripts from the aborted Genesis II. This time, John Saxon plays the scientist, who finds himself a slave in a society of women. Not as good as the first movie.
- DirectorBuzz KulikStarsScott JacobyPippa ScottJohn LarchA perverted teenage boy who lives in the walls of a house finds the house sold to a family after his mother dies, then he falls for one of the new residents.Suspense thriller about a mentally disturbed teenager who is hidden away inside a house. His mother dies, leaving him alone and he is forced to hide when a new family moves in. Genuinely creepy film that became a cult favorite. The commercials alone were enough to keep me scared.
- DirectorJud TaylorStarsAndy GriffithJohn LarchTim O'ConnorA sniper is killing residents at a winter resort. Who will die next? And why?Andy Griffith stars as a sheriff who must uncover the connection between the victims of sniper attacks in a mountain resort town.
- DirectorJerry LondonStarsClint WalkerRobert UrichCarl BetzA small construction crew on an island is terrorized when a spirit-like being takes over a large bulldozer, and goes on a killing rampage.Clint Walker stars in this adaptation of the story by Theodore Sturgeon. A meteor crashes into a construction site in a remote area, bringing a bulldozer to a form of live. The bulldozer proceeds to mow down the workers as the survivors try to find a way to stop it.
- DirectorJules BassArthur Rankin Jr.StarsShirley BoothMickey RooneyDick ShawnWhen a weary and discouraged Santa Claus considers skipping his Christmas Eve run one year, Mrs. Claus and his elves set out to change his mind.Rankin-Bass were at it again, with Mickey Rooney back as a rather ill Santa. Two elves, Jingle and Jangle, go off to prove that people still care about Christmas. The real appeal of this are the musical numbers with Snow Miser and Heat Miser. They're too much!
- CreatorJerry McNeelyStarsDavid HartmanRobbie RistTrish SoodikLucas Tanner changes careers after a grievous personal tragedy, taking up teaching in suburban St. Louis. He approaches it in an idealistic fashion, rebeling against the rules that keep him from connecting to the students.David Hartman stars as a rather bland teacher. The show lasted a couple of years, then Hartman was the debut host of ABC's Good Morning America.
- DirectorRichard T. HeffronStarsDick Van DykeLynn CarlinDon PorterA successful public-relations man's refusal to admit his alcoholism jeopardizes his career, his family, and his life.Dick Van Dyke stars as an executive who threatens to destroy his career and family as he decends into alcoholism.
- DirectorGene LevittStarsSkye AubreyJack CassidyJackie CooganThe internationally famous Worldwide Studios (really MGM) has hit hard times and is forced to sell it's back lot to Hollywood property developers. The trouble is someone keeps killing off the site surveyors. The studio chiefs then learn of the legend of a masked man who lives on the lot and is sworn to protect it from harm.The Phantom of the Opera is updated in this telefilm, centered around the movie business.
- StarsChristopher ConnellyJodie FosterVern PorterThe adventures of Moses Pray, a con artist selling bibles to credulous widows, and Addie Loggins, a young girl, as they travel the roads of America during the time of the Great Depression in the 1930s.This was a tv series, inspired by the movie, which nabbed Tatum O'Neal an Oscar. The series featured future two-time Oscar winner Jodie Foster in the same role. The series was well done, but didn't last.
- CreatorStan DanielsEd. WeinbergerStarsCloris LeachmanHenry JonesJane RoseMary Richards' landlady, Phyllis Lindstrom, moves back to her hometown of San Francisco with her teenage daughter Bess following the sudden death of her husband, Lars.Just about everyone on the Mary Tyler Moore Show got their own spin-off, including Cloris Leachman as Phyllis. However, this was the shortest-lived of the bunch.
- DirectorPhil RomanStarsDuncan WatsonStephen SheaMelanie KohnThe gang celebrate Valentine's Day while Charlie Brown hopes for at least one valentine for a change.It's Valentine's Day, so Charlie Brown must be depressed.
- CreatorHarve BennettSteven BochcoStarsDavid McCallumMelinda O. FeeCraig StevensThe weekly adventures of Dr. Daniel Westin, an invisible scientist working as an agent for a private thinktank.David McCallum starred as a scientist who discovered a way to turn himself invisible; but couldn't reverse the process. He used a face mask and gloves, as well as clothes to appear visible. he seeks a cure, while dealing with various conflicts. It wasn't bad, but it didn't sustain interest long. Many of the invisible effects involved chroma key effects, allowing only portions of the hero's body to be visible.