III-
Mysteries
Everyone
loves a Mystery. During the early
seventies NBC started the Sunday Night Mystery Movie, a combination of three different
90 minute series in rotation. Outside
the US, these shows were screened separately.
One of the
first was Columbo (1968, 1971-1978)
played by Peter Falk. Columbo was created by William Link,
based on his play ‘Prescription: Murder’, which was the first story to be filmed in 1968
as a movie of the week. The success of
this and the second movie in 1971 saw the series born. Link had said Columbo was inspired by detectives Petrovich
(Crime & Punishment) and Father Brown.(6) What made Columbo different was that the audience saw the murder right up
front, and then watched Lt. Columbo solve it, heart in mouth that the murderer
might escape this time. Lt. Columbo had
the same overcoat throughout all the series, including the later run from
1989-2003, a quiet and unassuming manner, drove a rather dodgy car, had a dog
that failed obedience school, but always asked “just one more question” that
tripped the murderer up. Peter Falk
suggested Columbo’s love of cigars, to ensure he always had a stock of freebies
on hand. The
later series started on the ABC network (1989-2003).
McMillian & Wife (1971-1977) also started with a one-off movie
that had viewers wanting more. Made in a
similar vein to The Thin Man Series
(1957-1959) and Hart to Hart
(1979-1984), the Police Commissioner McMillian, Rock Hudson, and his wife Sally,
played by the lovely Susan Saint James, get themselves involved in murders,
robberies and kidnapping. This series is also set in San Francisco. The joy of
this series is the casting of not only Hudson & James, but also John Schuck
as Sgt. Enright and Nancy Walker as Mildred, the
sarcastic maid/housekeeper, a team of four that worked so well together with
clever scripts, and plenty of location filming.
Next on the
rotation was McCloud (1970-1977),
loosely based on the Clint Eastwood 1968 film Coogan’s Bluff. McCloud
stared Dennis Weaver, best known as Chester(1955-1964) in the early Gunsmoke (1955-1975) episodes and the
father in Gentle Ben
(1967-1969). Once again, the series
started as a movie of the week. It has
two titles, the original ‘ Who Killed Miss U.S.A?’, and now called ‘Portrait of
a Dead Girl’. McCloud, a Marshall from
New Mexico, escorts a prisoner to New York to stand trial for murder. Similar in feel to Due South (1994-1999), with the lead a lawman used to wide spaces
suddenly confined by the city. It was a
hit, and Marshall McCloud was seconded to the NYPD for the duration. The first season only has six episodes, which
was part of another rotation series called Four
in One (1970-1971), along with The
Night Gallery, San Francisco
International Airport and The
Psychiatrist. Only two of those shows were successful.
In 1971, the
series became part of the Mystery Movie rotation. McCloud has
a gentle tounge in cheek air, with the Marshall “borrowing” a police horse to
chase the bad guys, among other things, and the Police Chief, Peter B. Clifford,
played by J.D. Canon, wearing a dismayed look at McCloud’s antics on many
occasions. J.D. Canon has a dry wit that
lifts his character. It’s also one of a few
series to film episodes outside the studio, in Mexico and Sydney to name a few.
The mystery
series did not make a comeback until 1984, with Murder, She Wrote (1984-1996). Most critics have called this the American Miss
Marple. Angela
Lansbury played mystery writer/amateur detective, Jessica Fletcher. Just as Miss Marple she lived in a small
town, and managed to solve many problems of murder. After a while the show became very formulaic
and dull. In season eight they moved
Jessica to New York to refresh the show. The producers were worried about the health of
their star from season six. Angela Lansbury
cut back her appearances on the show, these other episodes have Jessica
Fletcher sitting on a park bench introducing other detectives and their
cases. There was even a crossover
episode with Magnum, P.I.
Diagnosis: Murder (1992,1993-2001) started out as
an episode of Jake and the Fatman (1987-1992) that introduced Dr. Mark Sloan played by Dick Van Dyke. From there two movie pilots and then a weekly
series about a medical doctor who solves crimes with the help of his son, a
homicide detective played by his real-life son, Barry Van Dyke. The series was a bit quirky at the start,
allowing Dick Van Dyke to showcase his talents such as dancing and clowning. After a few episodes this was toned down, and
the series become very much a formula whodunit. However, there were some episodes throughout
the series with various guest stars from classic shows. In season four, Mike Connors appears as Mannix, in the episode called ‘Hard-Boiled
Murder’, a sequel to the Mannix
episode ‘Little Girl Lost’, one of the few episodes that were unsolved. Also in season four Andy Griffiths as Ben
Matlock. In season five, ‘Discards’ has
Robert Culp as an ex tennis pro and ex spy, also Barbara Bain as Cinnamon (Mission Impossible), Robert Vaughan and
Patrick Macnee both playing ex spies.
Bringing back
the mystery series is Castle (2009-). A
famous mystery novelist, Richard Castle, played by the wonderful Nathan Fillion,
is brought in by the NYPD for questioning regarding a copy-cat murder based on
one of his novels. He uses his
connection with the Mayor to become part of the murder team, shadowing
Detective Kate Beckett, played by Stana Katic.
The plots are always intriguing, with a second storyline of Castle as a
dedicated father and often hapless son.
The family theme, with his daughter and his mother, can be the most
satisfying. At least in one episode per
season there is a Firefly/Josh Whedon/Sci Fi reference. This series continues for another year.
American
crime shows today are not only about the right side of the law, but also the
other side, such as Breaking Bad
(2009-2013), a journey of a good man into the darkness of terminal illness and
drug dealing. The with viewers are also
engrossed with serial killers like Dexter
(2006-2013) and Hannibal (2013- ). TV schedules seem to be overtaken with reality
and talent shows, but there will always be room for some crime in the streets.
Next British Crime
Notes
(1)
The Critics’ Choice: The
Best of Crime & Detective TV (1988)- Collins,
Max Allan & Javna John, p.62.
(2)
TV Detectives (1981)- Meyers, Richard, p.68
(3)
Television (1988)- Winship, Michael, p.111
(4)
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. No.6: The Dagger Affair (1965)-McDaniel, David, p.79
(5)
I Spy DVD Season One (2000)
ep.16 The Tiger written by Robert
Culp
(6) Rogerebert.suntimes.com. February 17, 1995.
References
Collins, Max Allan & Javna, John., The Critics’ Choice: The
Best of Crime & Detective TV, New York: Harmony Books, 1988.
Cushman, Marc and LaRosa, Linda J., I Spy: a history and episode guide
to the groundbreaking television series, North Carolina: McFarland, 2007.
Gianakos, Larry James, Television Drama Series Programming: a
comprehensive chronicle, (1959-1975), NJ: Screcrow, 1978.
Heitland, Jon, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Book: the behind the
scenes story of a television classic, New York: St.Martin’s Press, 1987.
Kesler, Susan E, The Wild Wild Wild West: the series,
California: Arnett Press, 1988
Lewis Joe E.& Stempel Penny, Cult TV: The Detectives,
London: Pavilion, 1999
Meyers, Richard, TV Detectives, San Diego: A.S.Barnes, 1981.
The Television Crimebusters Omnibus, Ed:
Peter Haining, London: Bounty, 1994.
Winship, Michael, Television, New York: Random House, 1988.
