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. Continue reading
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