Category Archives: Forgotten Television

ESPIONAGE (1963-1964) FORGOTTEN TELEVISION

ESPIONAGE (1963-1964) – This British spycraft anthology series was produced for ITV in Great Britain. Assorted time periods were used for the stories, but most center around the Cold War and World War Two. The series ran for 24 one-hour episodes.

STANDOUT EPISODES:

THE INCURABLE ONE – In this pilot episode an American agent (Steven Hill) is sent to Europe years after World War Two is over. His mission – to find and take down Celeste (Ingrid Thulin), a former Scandinavian countess whom he trained as an assassin. She has become a freelance killer now that the war is over. Also starring Michael Gwynn and Elsie Wagstaff.  

COVENANT WITH DEATH – A pair of Norwegian Resistance agents during World War Two are tried for killing an elderly couple during the war, but their defense is that the slayings were necessary for the war effort. More of a courtroom drama than a spy story, but what can you do? Bradford Dillman, Allan Cuthbertson, Aubrey Morris and Lily Freud-Marle are among the stars.   

THE WEAKLING – During World War Two a complaining, trouble-making soldier (Dennis Hopper) is judged by intelligence officials to be a weak man who will easily break under torture. He is assigned to relay a vital message that his superiors know to be false information intended to mislead the Nazis in Occupied France. Continue reading

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LONI ANDERSON R.I.P. – PARTNERS IN CRIME (1984)

PARTNERS IN CRIME (1984) – To note the passing of Loni Anderson here’s a Forgotten Television look at the detective series in which she co-starred with Lynda Carter. Both ladies had been married at one time to a private detective named Raymond Dashiell Caulfield.

When Caulfield was murdered the ladies learned he had left them his mansion and his detective agency. This being a television series they joined forces to find Raymond’s killer, then decided to stay in business together running their late husband’s detective agency.

Loni played Sydney Kovack, a streetwise woman who grew up in San Francisco pulling minor hustles here and there with her con-man father. Ultimately, she went straight and became a professional cellist and bass player. 

Lynda portrayed Carole Stanwyck, who was born into wealth and practiced professional photography as her passion. The stage was set for odd couple personality clashes and minor bickering as the ladies learned to work together despite their differing temperaments. Continue reading

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STAGECOACH WEST (1960-1961) STARRING WAYNE ROGERS

STAGECOACH WEST (1960-1961) – This Friday, August 1st will mark the Frontierado Holiday this year, so let me slip in a few more seasonal blog posts along with my usual items. Stagecoach West starred Wayne Rogers as Luke Perry and Shannen Doherty as Brenda Walsh!

Obviously, I’m kidding, but Rogers really did play a stagecoach driver named Luke Perry, a courageous, gunslinging hero who basically rode shotgun for himself, given his skill with firearms. Robert Bray co-starred as the older Simon “Sime” Kane, Luke’s partner in the Timberline Stage, headquartered in Outpost, Wyoming.

Sime’s young son Davey was played by child star Richard Eyer. Davey’s dogs Hannibal and Hannibal II (after the first Hannibal ran away) were also on hand. Thirty-eight 1-hour episodes were produced. 

STANDOUT EPISODES:   

HIGH LONESOME – Stagecoach driver Luke Perry meets his latest load of passengers, among them Simon Kane, a man searching for his runaway wife. His son Davey travels with him and Sime told the boy his mother died to keep the more painful truth from him.

Luke helps protect Sime from another passenger – a gunman hired to kill Simon over secrets from his past. In the end, Luke invites Sime and Davey to get a fresh start working with him on the stageline. James Best played the gunman and Jane Greer played Kane’s long-missing wife.    Continue reading

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CIMARRON STRIP (1967-1968) FORGOTTEN TELEVISION

CIMARRON STRIP (1967-1968) – Here’s another seasonal post for Frontierado, which is observed this year on Friday, August 1st. Cimarron Strip was the stretch of land also called the Oklahoma Panhandle. Stuart Whitman starred as U.S. Marshal Jim Crown, assigned to tame the nearly lawless region in the late 1880s.   

This program’s 23 episodes ran 90 minutes each with commercials, just like The Virginian and the first season of Wagon Train. Jill Townsend played Dulcey Coopersmith, Marshal Crown’s love interest and Percy Herbert was Deputy Marshal MacGregor. Karl Swenson played Doc Kihlgren.

STANDOUT EPISODES:   

THE BATTLE GROUND – A range war breaks out in the Cimarron Strip after the government cancels leases on land owned by cattlemen. Those ranchers clash violently with farmers and settlers with Marshal Jim Crown caught in the middle as he tries to end the war before a massacre occurs. Telly Savalas himself guest stars, along with Warren Oates, L.Q. Jones, Richard Farnsworth and R.G. Armstrong.  

JOURNEY TO A HANGING – Ace Coffin (Henry Silva), the leader of the Coffin Gang, kills a subordinate member of his gang before escaping from Cimarron’s jail. A fellow inmate called Screamer (John Saxon) witnesses the deed and wants the reward on Coffin’s head. Marshal Jim Crown warily accepts the man on his posse going after Ace. Both Crown and Coffin face potential mutinies from their own men. Shug Fisher and Margarita Cordova guest star. Continue reading

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DECISION (1958) FORGOTTEN TELEVISION

DECISION (1958) – This was a half-hour anthology series that aired as a summer replacement for The Loretta Young Show. It ran 13 episodes, with several episodes serving as pilots for potential new series.

I. THE VIRGINIAN – Pilot for the later series of the same name. This western was based on the Owen Wister novel and starred James Drury and Jeanette Nolan, both of whom starred in the series. Lee J. Cobb replaced Robert Burton as the Judge. Dan Blocker played Salem in this pilot. The story dealt with attempts to sabotage the Judge’s plan to bring a railroad spur to Shiloh Ranch.

II. FIFTY BEAUTIFUL GIRLS – Barbara Bel Geddes starred as a taxi dancer who bravely serves as bait for a crazed killer who has been murdering ladies in her profession. Also starred Edward Andrews and Royal Dano. Continue reading

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CASEY JONES (1957-1958) FORGOTTEN TELEVISION

CASEY JONES (1957-1958) – Alan Hale, in his pre-Gilligan’s Island years, starred as the legendary train engineer John Luther “Casey” Jones in this series that’s not only appropriate for Frontierado season but makes for a nice watch with the whole family all year ’round. (It never depicted the incident in which the real Casey Jones died.)   

The show lasted 32 half-hour episodes and was set in Tennessee as Casey worked his steam engine the Cannonball Express (just Cannonball in real life) westward and back during the 1890s. Child actor Bobby Clark played our hero’s son Casey, Jr. while Mary Lawrence was Casey’s wife Alice. Eddy Waller portrayed Conductor “Red Rock” Smith.

Dub Taylor played Engine Fireman Wallie Sims, a composite character based on two of Casey Jones’ fellow employees, both of them African Americans – Fireman Sim Webb and Wallie Saunders, who wrote the words to the first version of The Ballad of Casey Jones.    Continue reading

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BLUE LIGHT (1966) FORGOTTEN TELEVISION

BLUE LIGHT (1966) – Goulet … Robert Goulet. Had to be said. The forgotten television series Blue Light ran 17 half-hour episodes from January to May of 1966 and starred singer Robert Goulet of all people. Despite the odd casting, this series was actually a more sophisticated and grittier spy program than television had yet seen.

Blue Light was condemned for its excessive violence and for depicting its main character ruthlessly knifing enemies to death to prevent them from exposing him as a spy. Viewers were apparently too naive to deal with that. 

The story is set during World War Two. Robert Goulet plays American reporter David March, one of eighteen U.S. spies who have infiltrated Nazi Germany by posing as Americans so taken with Nazi philosophy that before American involvement in the war they renounced their U.S. citizenship to become citizens of the Reich. 

March and the other spies have become hated around the world for this, especially March, who has become a propaganda broadcaster for Hitler’s regime. This lets him hobnob with Nazi authorities while covertly relaying intelligence to enemies of the Third Reich and carrying out sabotage missions. Continue reading

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THE YOUNG REBELS (1970-1971) FORGOTTEN TELEVISION

THE YOUNG REBELS (1970-1971) – With the 4th of July approaching, here’s another seasonal post. Harve Bennett himself was involved with this series that ran for 15 hour-long episodes. A group of young men and one young woman help fight for American Independence in 1777 Pennsylvania.

Louis Gossett, Jr. starred as former slave Isak Poole, Richard Ely played Jeremy Larkin, Alex Henteloff was Henry Abington and Hilarie Thompson portrayed Elizabeth Coates. The quartet served as spies and guerilla fighters against the British. Philippe Forquet guest starred in 14 episodes as the Marquis de Lafayette, who gave orders to our heroes.

Jeremy led the foursome while hiding his rebel activities from his father (Will Geer), a Tory mayor. Isak was the group’s best fighter and Elizabeth was their best spy. Henry was an inventor who devised gadgets for the Young Rebels.  Continue reading

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THE DEVLIN CONNECTION (1982) FOR FATHER’S DAY

THE DEVLIN CONNECTION (1982) – HAPPY FATHER’S DAY! Balladeer’s Blog marks the occasion with a look at this short-lived detective series starring Rock Hudson and Jack Scalia as father and son investigators.   

Hudson played Brian Devlin, a retired private investigator (but see below) who is now the director of the Los Angeles Arts Center. One day he is reunited with the son he never knew he had with an old flame. That son is Nick Corsello (Jack Scalia), a private investigator who works out of a bar (4 episodes) or a health club (9 episodes).

Before I cover the schizophrenic nature of this 13-episode series I’ll describe the father-son relationship. Brian and Nick try to form a bond, but Brian often puts a strain on their relationship by unofficially helping his son with the cases he’s working on despite his son wanting to accomplish things on his own.

Viewers get some laughs from Hudson’s character trying to hide his parallel investigations from Scalia and from the bickering between the pair when the son inevitably gets wise to Dad’s meddling. Continue reading

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PARIS (1979-1980) FORGOTTEN TELEVISION STARRING JAMES EARL JONES

PARIS (1979-1980) – This 13-episode cop show was created by the one and only Steven Bochco. James Earl Jones took his first starring role in a television series as Woody Paris of the Los Angeles Police.

Paris commanded a unit of detectives, one of whom was played by Michael Warren, future Hill Street Blues star for Bochco. More importantly, Jones met and later married his white Paris costar Cecilia Hart. They remained together until her death in 2016.

Woody Paris also taught a criminology course at a city college. His wife was portrayed by Lee Chamberlain.

If you get the chance to watch James Earl Jones’ performance in this hour-long series, please do so. He masterfully plays a sharp detective, skilled leader and devoted husband helped immensely by his unforgettable voice and his gravitas.

THE EPISODES:

PARIS – Woody Paris risks career suicide as he and his unit investigate the murder of the wife of a Los Angeles City Councilman. The late woman’s lover is the chief suspect but Paris comes to believe that the councilman himself may be the killer when he learns of the man’s covered-up incidents of domestic violence. Directed by Jackie Cooper and cowritten by Steven Bochco, whose future Hill Street Blues collaborators Barbara Babcock and Kiel Martin guest star. Continue reading

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