Crime on Screen: American part 3

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.