Barry Newman and Susan Howard starred in PETROCELLI, a pleasant if generic series on for two years in the mid-seventies. It followed the format of shows like ROCKFORD FILES (actually coming on at the same time) although was not as good. Petrocelli is an defense attorney in the southwest. A nice way to spend an hour for a couple of years.
What was your favorite pre-2000 detective/cop series?
Without a doubt, Columbo. We never missed an episode; and--because they were in rotation with other NBC detective shows and only aired about once a month--they were big events. Part of it was the novelty--it was a new thing to know WHO the culprit was and watch Columbo figure out how to catch him/her.
I remember thinking MANNIX was too violent. Little did I know...Yes, COLUMBO was good for a very long time. Although after a while that format grew dull.
Lots of shows from the 1970s: Columbo, McMillan & Wife, Barnaby Jones, The Magician with Bill Bixby (but I'd probably laugh at it now), Ellery Queen with Jim Hutton, and -- jumping ahead to the 1990s -- Murder One, the first season only with Daniel Benzali in the lead role. Whatever happened to him? My Dad was a big fan of Hill Street Blues. I remember watching a few episodes every now and then when I was home from college. During the 1980s I rarely watched any TV - college and theater jobs dominated my life.
HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREETS by some distance, though I did like a lot of others. POLICE STORY, BARNEY MILLER, certainly ROCKFORD (probably my #2), MAGNUM, PI for its better, earlier seasons (though it doesn't hold up well at all), NYPD as well as NYPD BLUE (neither of which hold up that well), CAGNEY AND LACEY, COLUMBO worked well, if mechanically, when the chemistry was pretty good and the scripts were better (the revival was terrible); certainly the 1970s ELLERY QUEEN. I liked PETER GUNN when I could see it (mostly holds up). I liked TOMA back when, though haven't seen it since. A few of the HAWAII FIVE-Os rose above the typical run, triumphed over Jack Lord.
That was one of the running jokes, wasn't it? That people mispronounced his name. There were a lot of good character actors in the TV shows of that era. Rockford was - and is- a gem. like Harry O, too.
I think I barely saw PETROCELLI. Interesting that although I liked the better episodes of LAW AND ORDER a lot, despite their rigid formula, it didn't occur to me. And I might've been unfair to NYPD BLUE, the better episodes hold up better than HILL STREET's do.
I vaguely remember this, Patti. For a moment I thought you meant the Judd Hirsch series where he played a lawyer. (Can't remember the title.) But I do remember Barry Newman. Yup. Good series. I watched it. But don't remember Susan Hayward being in the show at all.
We watched it for one reason - Jackie liked it.
ReplyDeleteJeff M.
If we're talking pre-Hill Street Blues/1970s here I guess the show we watched the longest was IRONSIDE.
ReplyDeleteJeff M.
Without a doubt, Columbo. We never missed an episode; and--because they were in rotation with other NBC detective shows and only aired about once a month--they were big events. Part of it was the novelty--it was a new thing to know WHO the culprit was and watch Columbo figure out how to catch him/her.
ReplyDeleteI remember thinking MANNIX was too violent. Little did I know...Yes, COLUMBO was good for a very long time. Although after a while that format grew dull.
ReplyDeleteI don't know why I read this as pre-1980. Pre-2000 it was HILL STREET BLUES, period. I never liked COLUMBO. Every episode was the same.
ReplyDeleteJeff M.
It sounds goofy now, but I was a big fan of STARSKY & HUTCH followed by BARETTA. Complete fantasies of Law Enforcement!
ReplyDeleteLots of shows from the 1970s: Columbo, McMillan & Wife, Barnaby Jones, The Magician with Bill Bixby (but I'd probably laugh at it now), Ellery Queen with Jim Hutton, and -- jumping ahead to the 1990s -- Murder One, the first season only with Daniel Benzali in the lead role. Whatever happened to him? My Dad was a big fan of Hill Street Blues. I remember watching a few episodes every now and then when I was home from college. During the 1980s I rarely watched any TV - college and theater jobs dominated my life.
ReplyDeleteI remember this show. I liked it quite a lot. Had completely forgotten it until you mentioned it
ReplyDeleteI really liked Petrocelli. Did he ever finish that house?
ReplyDeleteHOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREETS by some distance, though I did like a lot of others. POLICE STORY, BARNEY MILLER, certainly ROCKFORD (probably my #2), MAGNUM, PI for its better, earlier seasons (though it doesn't hold up well at all), NYPD as well as NYPD BLUE (neither of which hold up that well), CAGNEY AND LACEY, COLUMBO worked well, if mechanically, when the chemistry was pretty good and the scripts were better (the revival was terrible); certainly the 1970s ELLERY QUEEN. I liked PETER GUNN when I could see it (mostly holds up). I liked TOMA back when, though haven't seen it since. A few of the HAWAII FIVE-Os rose above the typical run, triumphed over Jack Lord.
ReplyDeleteSergio Angelini liked PETROCELLI, he mentioned a while back...it ran on BBC after the US run...and enjoyed listening to people mispronounce the name.
ReplyDeleteMURDER ONE was pretty clever, and I liked the second season as well.
ReplyDeleteThat was one of the running jokes, wasn't it? That people mispronounced his name. There were a lot of good character actors in the TV shows of that era. Rockford was - and is- a gem. like Harry O, too.
ReplyDeleteLots of better ones, clearly. But I liked Barry Newman in this.
ReplyDeleteI think I barely saw PETROCELLI. Interesting that although I liked the better episodes of LAW AND ORDER a lot, despite their rigid formula, it didn't occur to me. And I might've been unfair to NYPD BLUE, the better episodes hold up better than HILL STREET's do.
ReplyDeleteDragnet. I could watch it every night for the rest of my life.
ReplyDeleteI vaguely remember this, Patti. For a moment I thought you meant the Judd Hirsch series where he played a lawyer. (Can't remember the title.) But I do remember Barry Newman. Yup. Good series. I watched it. But don't remember Susan Hayward being in the show at all.
ReplyDelete