Another Favortie 50's Cop Show

[n2ize]

As I mentioned in the past I am a big fan of vintage 1950's TV shows, particularly westerns and cop shows. Among my favorites are gems like Dragnet, Highway Patrol, Peter Gunn, Johnny Stacatto and others.

Recently I added another classic gem cop show from the early 50's.. The show is called M-Squad and it starred Lee Marvin as Lt. Frank Ballinger of the Chicago Police. I've been finding episodes scattered around on U-Tube. Great show with plenty of 1950's street scenes and crime scenarios. Even after watching only a couple of episodes it rapidly climbed to the top of my list of favorites.

They can keep todays TV shows and their realty TV crap. I'll take 1950's TV over modern TV any day.

[KG4CGC]

They are reality TV crap?

[n2ize]

They are reality TV crap?

Modern day TV couldn't hold a candle to the TV gems of the 1950's

[NA4BH]

I liked the "And Others" show. You never knew what was going to be on.

[KG4CGC]

Modern day TV couldn't hold a candle to the TV gems of the 1950's
Ha ha :)

In all honesty, I didn't watch television in the 50s.

[w2amr]

Back then we had three channels. 3,6,10, and 12. After we got one of these we had 17,29, and 48.
http://www.wtv-zone.com/dpjohnson/kcit50/uhfconverter.jpg

[N2NH]

Let's see... Sky King, not bad but I doubt if it's even watchable today.

Lassie. Jumped the shark when Timmy was introduced. One of the few shows better in the 50s than in the 60s.

The Jack Benny Show. Missed it then, wouldn't mind seeing it now.

Mr. Lucky. Sounds interesting, but I don't think most people today would think so.

Peter Gunn. Would love to see it. Like the music a lot though.

Highway Patrol. Doesn't stand up to time anymore than CHiPs does.

I'll stick to I Dream of Jeannie, The Addams Family, Green Acres, The Munsters, The Man From UNCLE and The Avengers.

[n2ize]

Ha ha :)

In all honesty, I didn't watch television in the 50s.

I did, but just barely. My parents didn't have a TV back then and I was very young so I mostly looked at TV whhen I was at my Grandparents house. The only shows I vaguely remember from the actual 50's were Robin Hood, Superman, and Perry Mason, and being inb my earliest years I doubt I followed the plots of the show.

During the 1960's and during my teen years in the 70's I started developing an appreciation for some of the old time shows from the 50's. Fast forward to nowadays and the Internet and streaming video. So many old time gems are available online and I have caught up with shows from the 50''s I had never seen before, particularly some of the rarer shows that didn't make it to reruns during the 60's and 70's. Great stuff. I love old vintage TV shows. I enjoy them.

[n2ize]

Let's see... Sky King, not bad but I doubt if it's even watchable today.

Actually there are a few sample episodes of Sky Kind kicking around on line.


Lassie. Jumped the shark when Timmy was introduced. One of the few shows better in the 50s than in the 60s.

Agreed.


The Jack Benny Show. Missed it then, wouldn't mind seeing it now.

I've heard the radio show buut not the TV version. There are probably a few episodes kicking around on UTube.


Mr. Lucky. Sounds interesting, but I don't think most people today would think so.

There are a few episodes kickking around on UTube. I am going to have to check it out. From the description I think it is a show I would like.


Peter Gunn. Would love to see it. Like the music a lot though.

Great show


Highway Patrol. Doesn't stand up to time anymore than CHiPs does.

All cops shows from the 50's don;t exactly stand the test of time because things have changed. Yet in many ways Highway Patrol does stand the test of time. It was one of the first shows to showcase the use of helicopters and aerial surveillance as an adjunct to fighting crime. And many of the crime fighting techniques are pretty much the same today albeit enhanced greatly by modern technology. And the criminal mindset is basically the same today as back then. Besides a good 50's TV show doesn't always have to stand up to time to be good. IMHO Highway Patrol blows away CHiPS.



I'll stick to I Dream of Jeannie, The Addams Family, Green Acres, The Munsters, The Man From UNCLE and The Avengers.

Those are more 60's/70's shows. I am thinking strictly 50's. Munsters and "I Dream of Jeannie" are probably my favorites in that list. Never cared much for the Adams family. Avengers was pretty good.

I won't even get into old westerns from the 50's, both the movie and TV show variety. Few things I love more than a good Western from the old days.

Sea Hunt was also a favorite when I was a youngster because I was fascinated by SCUBA diving.

[n2ize]

Back then we had three channels. 3,6,10, and 12. After we got one of these we had 17,29, and 48.
http://www.wtv-zone.com/dpjohnson/kcit50/uhfconverter.jpg

Yeah... I remember those. Here in the NYC area we had analog TV channels 2,4,7,9,11, and 13. 13 was basically an early incarnation of PBS. In those days it was called "National Educational Television". Same channels exiist today but all digital.

[W5GA]

My all time favorite '50's show was Paladin.
The Man From Uncle....great show!

[n2ize]

My all time favorite '50's show was Paladin.

Oh yeah... "Have Gun Will Travel" is an all time favorite of mine. I also like The Rifleman.

[W3WN]

Speaking of vintage TV...

You did know that most of the kinescope recordings of the shows from the DuMont Network are lost, didn't you?

It was the first TV network. But it had financial and legal problems of a whole variety of sorts. After they ceased operating, the company changed hands & names multiple times... and the recordings were stored in a warehouse. During one of the legal tussels amongst the succesor companies in the early 1970's, the issue of who was going to continue to pay for the storage came up. The story goes that one of the lawyers offered to "take care of it" -- and the recordings were put on a garbage scow & dumped (either out at sea or in the East River, I've heard it both ways) and lost.

Ironically, the core of the DuMont network still exists today. Their original flagship, WDTV-TV Channel 3 Pittsburgh, was sold to Westinghouse, and today is KDKA-TV Channel 2. Their NYC station, WABD TV, later became WNEW Channel 5, and the flagship of the Metromedia owned independant stations (of Soupy Sales fame amongst many others). The Metromedia stations were bought by News Corporation, and became the core of the "new" Fox Network. (WNEW is now WNYW, a call with it's own colorful history).

[X-Rated]

Oh yeah... "Have Gun Will Travel" is an all time favorite of mine. I also like The Rifleman.

Never have seen the first. The Rifleman has stood the test of time. It was very well done and have many good values to have and hold. Connors was a great actor and the writers made a great weekly story.

[N2NH]

It was the first TV network...

Ironically, the core of the DuMont network still exists today. Their original flagship, WDTV-TV Channel 3 Pittsburgh, was sold to Westinghouse, and today is KDKA-TV Channel 2. Their NYC station, WABD TV, later became WNEW Channel 5, and the flagship of the Metromedia owned independant stations (of Soupy Sales fame amongst many others). The Metromedia stations were bought by News Corporation, and became the core of the "new" Fox Network. (WNEW is now WNYW, a call with it's own colorful history).

I grew up watching WNEW. Soupy Sales, Sandy Becker and Sonny Fox. Even when I started to outgrow it, Soupy would corral Little Anthony and the Imperials and later The Rolling Stones, The Hollies and The Yardbirds. He'd have groups that nobody else would (rock was the devil's music back then - or a Commie Plot). Then they had the horror movies. Just when you thought you saw the cheesiest movie of your life, they'd put one even worse the next week...

Best was the movies though.

[N8GAV]

When I hear the name DuMont Network, Jackie Gleason and the Honeymooners comes to mind. The only hit show DuMont really had.

[kf0rt]

We have B&W episodes of Gunsmoke on speed-dial here at the ranch.

Effin' Matt Dillon. Doesn't get much better than that.

[WX7P]

My all time favorite '50's show was Paladin.
The Man From Uncle....great show!

Yes. "Have Gun will Travel". I only saw it in reruns, but it was very cool.

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. I got Christmas toys based on that show. I wish I still had them.

[WX7P]

I really liked "Maverick", again only seen in reruns in the 70's.

"Who was the tall dark stranger there, Maverick was his name".

I noticed in the grocery store today that James Garner has made National Enquirer's "sad last days" headline.

[WX7P]

[QUOTE=N2NH;510314 Sandy Becker [/QUOTE]


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDohat_VBC4


Couldn't find the Bert Kaempfert opening...

[NQ6U]

I really liked "Maverick", again only seen in reruns in the 70's.

Just FYI, the Seventies version of Maverick was a series of entirely new shows, not merely reruns of the old one.

[KG4CGC]

FFW to the mid 70s.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baa_Baa_Black_Sheep_(TV_series)

[XE1/N5AL]

M-Squad: The Complete Series, $52.55 -- http://www.amazon.com/M-Squad-The-Complete-Series/dp/B001ECP576

[W5GA]

Yes. "Have Gun will Travel". I only saw it in reruns, but it was very cool.

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. I got Christmas toys based on that show. I wish I still had them.
I used to have some of the Man from Uncle toys as well. Bet they'd be worth some bucks today. Naploeon Solo and Illya Kuryakin, saying "open channel D" at their pens. What memories!

[WX7P]

Just FYI, the Seventies version of Maverick was a series of entirely new shows, not merely reruns of the old one.

Actually, they were reruns of the old show. Both the James Garner and Jack Kelly versions ran nightly on "There's only one 2". You ought to remember KTVU before they got all Foxed out.

[W3WN]

FFW to the mid 70s.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baa_Baa_Black_Sheep_(TV_series)I didn't know John Larroquette was in that show... of course I never paid much attention to it, outside of the time the network changed the name to "Black Sheep Squadron" to appease morons who thought it was a kids show... and I wish I was joking about that...

[WX7P]

I didn't know John Larroquette was in that show... of course I never paid much attention to it, outside of the time the network changed the name to "Black Sheep Squadron" to appease morons who thought it was a kids show... and I wish I was joking about that...

That was one I used to watch, now I can't figure out why. It was basically Jim West in an airplane surrounded by a bunch of no skill Artemus Gordons.

[N2CHX]

Personally, I don't get the appeal of most of these old shows. Cheesy and reflect a period of history that wasn't nearly as great as many people make it out to be. Not that reality TV is any better. It's kind of like comparing apples to grapefruit though. They are two completely different genre's. Yeah, there are a lot of crappy TV shows being produced with reality shows at the top of that list, but reality TV isn't the only thing being produced.

[WX7P]

Personally, I don't get the appeal of most of these old shows. Cheesy and reflect a period of history that wasn't nearly as great as many people make it out to be. Not that reality TV is any better. It's kind of like comparing apples to grapefruit though. They are two completely different genre's. Yeah, there are a lot of crappy TV shows being produced with reality shows at the top of that list, but reality TV isn't the only thing being produced.

I think TV nostalgia is based on two factors:

1. A lot of the old drama programs were written as stage plays with character development and some really smart dialogue. The old shows made you think. Even though you knew Perry Mason's client was going to get off, it was still fun to try to figure out who did it. It seems like now, all we get is silly reality shows or stuff blowing up.

2. The fascination with old sitcoms, I think, is a yearning for a simpler time. I'm not saying the 50's and 60's were really peachy, but we didn't have the 24 news cycle and constant information bombardment (some of it agenda driven) that we have now. The old shows dealt with the mundane and didn't touch anything controversial. It's safe haven for those that want to escape the now, even though those shows skewed reality severely.

I enjoy some old TV shows just for the cheese factor. Adam-12 is a great one for that. Plus, it's interesting to see how they filmed those old shows. Mondo continuity errors abound. One of my favorites was an old episode of "The Untouchables" from 1959, where the Eliot Ness character was in a car chase after some bad guys. Naturally, the bad guys wrecked their car. The funny part was the accident they showed included some early 50's vehicles when the show was set in the early 30's. Also throw in the guest stars who went on to other things, a lot of times the character they played was nothing like what became famous for later.

[N2CHX]

I think TV nostalgia is based on two factors:

1. A lot of the old drama programs were written as stage plays with character development and some really smart dialogue. The old shows made you think. Even though you knew Perry Mason's client was going to get off, it was still fun to try to figure out who did it. It seems like now, all we get is silly reality shows or stuff blowing up.

I'll give you that. I liked some of the Perry Mason stuff.


2. The fascination with old sitcoms, I think, is a yearning for a simpler time. I'm not saying the 50's and 60's were really peachy, but we didn't have the 24 news cycle and constant information bombardment (some of it agenda driven) that we have now. The old shows dealt with the mundane and didn't touch anything controversial. It's safe haven for those that want to escape the now, even though those shows skewed reality severely.

Simpler time? You mean when women and minorities were even more oppressed and people like you and I would be total and complete outcasts? No thanks. This is why I enjoy shows like Star Trek and Dr. Who so much, because quite frankly I see humanity as better than it was 50 years ago yet still very uncivilized and broken. I long for a time when trivial things like fashion, sexism and religious superstition become irrelevant, as they should be.


I enjoy some old TV shows just for the cheese factor. Adam-12 is a great one for that. Plus, it's interesting to see how they filmed those old shows. Mondo continuity errors abound. One of my favorites was an old episode of "The Untouchables" from 1959, where the Eliot Ness character was in a car chase after some bad guys. Naturally, the bad guys wrecked their car. The funny part was the accident they showed included some early 50's vehicles when the show was set in the early 30's. Also throw in the guest stars who went on to other things, a lot of times the character they played was nothing like what became famous for later.

I guess I can see that. To each their own, and that is fine. I might enjoy that sort of thing occasionally for that reason.

[WX7P]

Simpler time? You mean when women and minorities were even more oppressed and people like you and I would be total and complete outcasts? No thanks. This is why I enjoy shows like Star Trek and Dr. Who so much, because quite frankly I see humanity as better than it was 50 years ago yet still very uncivilized and broken. I long for a time when trivial things like fashion, sexism and religious superstition become irrelevant, as they should be.


I guess I didn't make that clear enough. I should have said "perceived" simpler time. I don't disagree with your comment.

[N2CHX]

I guess I didn't make that clear enough. I should have said "perceived" simpler time. I don't disagree with your comment.

I can see that too. I'm not dissing your enjoying this stuff, just giving my perspective on it. I love Victorian fashion. It's kinda my thing. (Let me clarify my previous statement on fashion by saying that I'm not against fashion or enjoying wearing the things you enjoy, it's more the societal expectations and pressure on how one should look and dress that annoy me) Anyway, I love Victorian fashion and some other things from the Victorian era, but I so would not want to go back to that time with its oppressive laws and social expectations.

[W3WN]

< snip >
Simpler time? You mean when women and minorities were even more oppressed and people like you and I would be total and complete outcasts? No thanks. This is why I enjoy shows like Star Trek and Dr. Who so much, because quite frankly I see humanity as better than it was 50 years ago yet still very uncivilized and broken. I long for a time when trivial things like fashion, sexism and religious superstition become irrelevant, as they should be.
< snip >I didn't take "simpler times" that way either... not that I disagree with your point.

Most of the early sitcoms and dramas glossed over minorities etc. It would appear that many, probably most of them, were written with Midwest corn-belt/bible belt attitudes in mind... or more accurately, the PERCEIVED notion of what those attitudes were. The writing on many of these shows was... at best adequate, often atrocious.

More importantly, very often (and I'm not condoning this, just explaining it), the shows were produced like... sausage. It doesn't have to be good, just be ready to broadcast on Tuesday. So things got rushed. Someone hiring the cast of background & extras for the XYZ show often didn't take the extra time to cast those who were (perceived by them) to be different, unless a script specifically called for it... in other words, they called Central Casting or a casting agency or whomever and said "I need 10 teenagers for this scene, 5 couples. Tomorrow at 8 AM." They didn't specify "and make 2 couples minorities" or any other appropriate designation.

David Gerrold talks about this at length in his book The World of Star Trek (appropo reference, don't you think Kel?) when he talks about how the original series started going downhill in the 2nd season, and completely to pot in the 3rd. And there are many other references, that's the only one that comes to mind at the moment.

I think today, audiences are much less likely to accept on face value a show that week to week demonstrates an all-WASP world. Some do still get away with it... I'm getting a little disappointed with NCIS (my wife has taken quite a liking to it of late) on that regards, but the show has been on so long that people don't seem to notice that most of the background and episode-only players seem to have a WASP background, unless (again) a show explicitly calls for something else.

And again, there are many other examples... and again, today, there are many more shows that DON'T sucumb to this mindset. So things are improving. (Which doesn't justify past poor behavior, just indicates that some of those involved ARE changing things. Just not quite fast enough)

Now, with that said... I think also that the nostalgia has to do with other things. Remembered youth... shows I'd watch with my parents or grandparents, for example

To some people, Dragnet is the "best" cop show because that was the first decent one they saw. Others might say the same about Adam-12. Or Hill Street Blues. Or Law & Order. You sometimes overlook the chessiness factor on the old shows; you have to. (I mean, c'mon, some of those creature/alien costumes on Star Trek were downright silly. Of course, they were much worse on Lost in Space; at least ST tried to hide the zippers! But that's a budget issue, not much the shows could do about that)

And it's always fun to watch the old shows for early appearances by today's "stars".

The reality is that there is much better programming done today that was done years ago. There's also plenty of bad programming still being done today as well...

[n2ize]

Personally, I don't get the appeal of most of these old shows. Cheesy and reflect a period of history that wasn't nearly as great as many people make it out to be. Not that reality TV is any better. It's kind of like comparing apples to grapefruit though. They are two completely different genre's. Yeah, there are a lot of crappy TV shows being produced with reality shows at the top of that list, but reality TV isn't the only thing being produced.

Perhaps it is the fact that I am old and many of these shows bring me back to my childhood days when a lot of things were still as depicted in many of those shows. I mean, I don't feel old, often I feel the same as when I was a kid but, I was born in 1957 so chronological I am old and only about 2 decades away from average life expectancy. So, I was around back when shows like M-Squad, Dragnet, Perry Mason, etc. were still being made and were appearing on TV for the first time. I grew up with black & white TV and we diidn;t have a colour set until 1972 when I was just starting high school. Matter of fact, when my parents got the colour set I inherited the old black && white set and that's how I started learning electronics... I had to dig into the guts of the set and learn to fix it myself in order to keep it running.

I would say the genre of TV show that I like the least ((old or new) is science fiction. Although I will occasionally look at an old "Lost in Space" episode because it was so tacky and absurd that I can't help but laugh... :)

I guess like many old people tend to like the kind of music that was around when they were young, or other elements of their young days so with me I like the old TV shows of the 50's and early 60's. I have looked at some of the modern day stuff thats on TV today and just can't seem to get into it. But give me an old cop or detective show from the 50's/60's or a good old western and I'm happy.

Far as music goes II am a bit different. While my favorite genre is jazz, particularly 1950's BeBop and Post Bop, and classical music, I also like almost all genres including a lot of stuff from the present day.

[X-Rated]

"Simpler Time" I thing was intended to reflect the viewability of the shows back then. Even though lives were complicated, TV shows weren't that difficult to follow. Even regular white guys had it tough being drafted and all if you weren't privileged. I guess their lives weren't all that complicated if they ended up in a pine box.

But even today there are crappy shows on. I really liked "Without a trace" and Poppy Montgomery was great in that show. Then she had the show "Unforgettable" that was truly so bad it is unforgettable.

I still like Adam-12. Emergency. Just because they are old doesn't mean they are good or bad.

[N2NH]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDohat_VBC4


Couldn't find the Bert Kaempfert opening...

Thanks. That's Sandy looking very young. I do remember the Kaempfert opening though. Never saw that one that I remember. Loved the stupid Hambone bits.

[n2ize]

Thanks. That's Sandy looking very young. I do remember the Kaempfert opening though. Never saw that one that I remember. Loved the stupid Hambone bits.

The Kaempfert opening for Sandy's show was "That Happy Feeling".


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9Wx8BRjzoI

[n2ize]

HAMBONE !!

http://www.spatch.net/hambone02.jpg

HAMBONE !!!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6uuIJTkDHk

[KG4CGC]

I didn't know John Larroquette was in that show... of course I never paid much attention to it, outside of the time the network changed the name to "Black Sheep Squadron" to appease morons who thought it was a kids show... and I wish I was joking about that...

That show was all anyone ever talked about when it was on. Suddenly, everyone was a history buff and this pissed off the real history buffs who were viewed as pretty irrelevant and never got any attention. Now people were paying attention, BUT NOT TO THEM!
They were pissed. It was middle school.

[n2ize]

I can see that too. I'm not dissing your enjoying this stuff, just giving my perspective on it. I love Victorian fashion. It's kinda my thing. (Let me clarify my previous statement on fashion by saying that I'm not against fashion or enjoying wearing the things you enjoy, it's more the societal expectations and pressure on how one should look and dress that annoy me) Anyway, I love Victorian fashion and some other things from the Victorian era, but I so would not want to go back to that time with its oppressive laws and social expectations.

Victorian era is modern. I want to go back to the 12th century.

[kb2vxa]

There are so many great shows from my youth I can't name them all. Those kiddy shows in the New York market were locally produced and some done live bloopers and all. As far as Star Trek goes I liked it but wondered if it was about a future society where all are equal and no social injustice why were all the core cast stereotypes? Oh and BTW Trekkies, surely you noticed that each spinoff had a Spock type in it... fascinating. Translation from Vulcan: I haven't got a clue.