GRIFF (1973-1974) FORGOTTEN TELEVISION

GRIFF (1973-1974) – The one and only Lorne Greene starred as Wade “Griff” Griffin, a former police captain who becomes a private investigator. Ben Murphy played Mike Murdoch, who was McCormick to Greene’s Hardcastle.

The Pittsburgh Press called Griff a “disaster” in their review’s headline, but the body of their review really just criticized the show as a routine, formulaic detective program that offered nothing new. I guess the headline was a 1973 forerunner of the clickbait concept.

To me and presumably any other trivia buffs Griff is must-see tv. The guest stars and behind the scenes figures were a virtual Who’s Who of American television’s past and present. Before I get to that, let’s look at the fate of the program’s TWO pilot movies.   

MAN ON THE OUTSIDE – This first pilot for Griff was not aired until 1975, the year AFTER the cancellation of the show it was launching. In my opinion this was a big mistake because this 2-hour telefilm excellently established Wade Griffin’s character. The thirty-year police veteran quit to personally look into his son’s murder and his grandson’s abduction.

Just like the network decision to launch the Feather and Father Gang series without first airing its pilot robbed that show of potential momentum, the same happened here. But at least they finally got around to airing the Feather and Father Gang pilot while that program was still on the air.

At any rate, Man on the Outside presented Lorne Greene in a – for him – energetic performance, and might have generated positive word of mouth from seeing the former Ben Cartwright going after criminals who seriously wronged his family. Robbed of that context, which made Griff quit the force to play vigilante, the subsequent series failed to pack a punch. Or at least whatever punch it could have.

But for me everything about the Griff legacy centers around familiar names and faces, as I stated above. The series was created by Psychotronic legend Larry Cohen and this first pilot movie was directed by the veteran Boris Sagal, Katey Sagal’s father. Steven Bochco himself was a co-producer.

There was no Ben Murphy in Man on the Outside, but we got Scatman Crothers, Brooke Bundy, Ken Swofford, Gary Walberg, Jean Allison, Ruth McDevitt from Kolchak and the one and only “Mr. Woodman” – John Sylvester White. Throw in Bruce Kirby, Lorraine Gary, Alan Fudge, Lee H. Montgomery, James Olson, Robert Karnes and William Watson and it’s like a Disaster Film cast!   

THE CASE OF THE BALTIMORE GIRLS (1973) – This second pilot movie for Griff as he solves multiple murders of young women was edited down from 2 hours into two separate hour-long episodes of the series under the titles All the Lonely People and The Last Ballad. It was dumped on the air as filler in January of 1978. I’ll cover the two individual episodes below.

Ben Murphy’s Mike Murdoch appears in The Case of the Baltimore Girls, as does Dabney Coleman, Corinne Camacho, Lawrence Pressman, William Windom, Pat Crowley, Kim Hunter, Barbara Rhoades and Gino Conforti.       

THE EPISODES:   

THE FRAMING OF BILLY THE KID (September 29th, 1973) – Vic Tayback and Patricia Stich joined the regular cast as Captain Barney Marcus – Griff’s police department contact – and Gracie Newcombe, Wade and Mike’s secretary, respectively. Our two private investigators get their new agency’s first client, a pro football player (NICK NOLTE) who’s been framed for murder.

In addition to Nolte, this episode offered up Miami Vice‘s PHILIP MICHAEL THOMAS, Susan Howard, Robert Webber, Norman Alden and Janice Lynde. 

DEATH BY PRESCRIPTION (October 6th, 1973) – A woman hires Wade Griffin and Mike Murdoch when she is accused of murdering her heart surgeon husband with an overdose. Trivia traps for this time around were Barbara Feldon, Jared Martin, Linda Marsh, Richard Stahl, Warren Stevens and Monte Landis. 

ALL THE LONELY PEOPLE (October 13th, 1973) – Half of the footage from the edited down second pilot movie. Griff and Mike investigate when the murders of young ladies are linked to a computer dating service. Guest stars included Jess Walton, Leigh Christian, Dabney Coleman, Corinne Camacho, Lawrence Pressman, William Windom, Pat Crowley, Kim Hunter, Barbara Rhoades and Gino Conforti.   

DON’T CALL US, WE’LL CALL YOU (October 20th, 1973) – “It’s personal this time”, or rather again, as Lorne Greene and Ben Murphy investigate threatening phone calls and stalking of their secretary Gracie. Guest stars were Martin E. Brooks, Kaz Garas, Joan Darling and Jeanne Bates.

MARKED FOR MURDER aka PREY (October 27th, 1973) – A friend (SAL MINEO) of Griff’s late son is a visiting head of state (what, you mean YOUR son isn’t friends with a head of state) who hires Wade and Murdoch to provide him with extra protection while he’s in Los Angeles. An elusive assassin (Scott Hylands) keeps making attempts on his life. Albert Paulsen plays Omar. 

THE LAST BALLAD (November 10th, 1973) – The other half of the footage from the second pilot film. Our detectives are hired to clear a doctor charged with the murder of her female rock singer patient. Guest stars included Joanna Frank, William Windom, Kim Hunter and Lloyd Kino. 

COUNTDOWN TO TERROR (November 17th, 1973) – Ricardo Montalban portrays a grief-crazed man who straps a bomb to himself, takes hostages and demands that Griff find the man who killed his wife and kids while driving drunk. Barbara Bosson and Wes Stern provide the trivia appeal. 

ELEPHANT IN A CAGE (November 24th, 1973) – One of Griff’s policeman friends insists he saw a presumed dead criminal but nobody believes him. When the cop is arrested for killing an associate of that criminal he asks Wade and Murdoch to clear him. Among the guest stars were RON GLASS, Harold J. Stone, Robert Sampson, Carole Cook and Joan Tompkins. 

HER NAME WAS NANCY (December 8th, 1973) – Mike Murdoch finally gets to have it be “personal this time.” A Vietnam War army buddy of Mike’s is being stalked by a would-be killer but the vet suffers PTSD so the authorities dismiss his claims. Mike and Griff investigate. Guest stars were Christopher Connelly, Michael Callan, Hildy Brooks, Bill Fletcher and Tom Troupe.

HAMMERLOCK (December 15th, 1973) – Griff and Mike’s newest case involves a parolee whose daughter is being threatened to force the man into participating in an upcoming bank robbery. Featured Norman Fell, Madie Norman, Ross Elliott, Robert Yuro and Eddie Firestone.

ISOLATE AND DESTROY (December 22nd, 1973) – For this episode’s perp “it’s personal this time” as he abducts Griff and subjects him to solitary confinement as a prelude to killing him for revenge. Guest starring were PAMELA HENSLEY, Scatman Crothers, Inga Swenson, Robert Donner, Steven Keats and Joseph V. Perry.

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FUGITIVE FROM FEAR (January 5th, 1974) – A touch of Les Miserables involving a case where a former prison guard recognizes an escaped criminal and tells Griff about it. The investigation shows that in the 13 years since he escaped, the former prisoner has stayed straight and made a constructive new life for himself. Among the guest cast were Bill Zuckert, George Murdock, James McEachin, Eric Scott Woods and Janet MacLachlan. 

I’ll close by restating that Griff may be low on the originality meter, but it’s through the roof on the cultural kitsch meter! 

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