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Interesting Questions, Facts and Information
- There are a total of 35 general entries. We are selecting 30 for display.
Special Topics
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 Interesting Questions, Facts, and Information
 Characters and Actors
Jack Albertson. Jack Albertson played Ed Brown, the owner of a small neighborhood repair garage in the Chicano community, East Los Angeles. Ed was viewed by many in the community as a crabby elderly man with little or no compassion for the residents in the community, in short, he was seen as part of the "establishment" or "The Man".
Enter Chico Rodriguez, a young hip Chicano man, recently discharged from the U.S. Army, and seeking a job in the garage. Ed reluctantly hired the man and what resulted was a bond of friendship. Through friendly banter, discussions and disagreements, the two found a strong mutual respect for each other, despite the differences in ethnic culture.
The series reached its high point when it ended the 1974 season as the #3 rated television program in the Nielsen Television Ratings.
The course of the series took a major turn with the sudden and unexpected death of Fredie Prinze near the end of the third season.
The chemistry between the characters was exceptional, and was well received by viewers.
During the fourth season (following the death of Prinze), a new character, Raul (Gabriel Melgar) was introduced as a pre-teen runaway from Mexico who sought shelter in Ed's garage, and was subsequently adopted by Ed, but the chemistry shared by Ed and Chico was lost, and declining ratings resulted in a cancellation of the series following the fourth season.
"Chico and the Man" aired a total of 88 half hour episodes during its run.
The message sent by the series was captured in the shows catchy upbeat theme song.
"Chico and the Man"
Written and performed by Jose Feliciano
"Chico, don't be discouraged,
The Man he ain't so hard to understand
Chico, if you try now,
I know that you can lend a helping hand.
Because there's good in everyone
And a new day has begun
You can see the morning sun if you try.
And I know, things will be better
Oh yes they will be for Chico and the Man
Yes they will for Chico and the Man."
Juliet Mills. Juliet Mills starred in the role of British Nanny Phoebe Figalilly.
Clinton College professor Harold Everett, a recent widower, hired nanny Phoebe Figalilly to assist him with the raising of his three kids. The nanny manages the household assisted by using what appeared to be mystical and magic powers, to the wonderment and amazement of the kids.
"Nanny and the Professor" premiered in January of 1970, as a mid-season replacement series, and completed three seasons and 54 half hour episodes.
The premise of the series is best described in the series theme song:
"Nanny and the Professor" Theme Song
written by Steve Zuckerman and Fred Calvert
"Soft and sweet
Wise and wonderful
Oooh, our mystical, magical Nanny
Since the day that Nanny came to stay with us
Fantastic things keep happening
Is there really magic in the things she does
Or is love the only magic thing that Nanny brings
You know our nanny showed us you can make the impossible happen
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Nanny told us have a little faith and lots of love.
Phoebe Figalilly is a silly name
And so many silly things keep happening
What is this magic about nanny
Is it love? Or is it magic."
| Mitchell Ryan starred in the title role of a 1973 police drama series that centered around a team of specialized police officers for the Los Angeles Police Department. What was the name of the series? | TV Title Characters and Series of the '70s
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Chase. "Chase" was a one hour police drama series, starring Ryan in the title role as Captain Chase Reddick, leader of an elite team of detectives who specialized is handling and solving difficult or extremely violent cases.
Originally the unit was comprised of Sergeant Sam MacCray (Wayne Maunnder), who was a specialist in handling police dogs, Officer Fred Sing (Brian Fong) who was an expert motorcycle rider, Officer Steve Baker (Michael Richardson), an expert car driver, and Officer Norm Hamilton (Reid Smith), the team helicopter pilot. The officers used their skills to track down, locate, and apprehend suspects when is some cases standard police tactics and procedures were ineffective. .
After airing 14 of the 24 episodes, the series was re-tooled (due in part to low ratings) with only Ryan and Maunder remaining in their roles. The three characters added to replaced the original cast members were, Officer Frank Dawson (Albert Reed), Officer Ed Rice (Gary Crosby), and Officer Tom Wilson (Craig Gardner). The series was cancelled after its first season.
Glenn Ford. Ford starred in this modern crime series as Sam Cade, the sheriff of Madrid County, located somewhere in the Southwestern United States.
Cade patrolled his sprawling desert county primarily by Jeep, and was aided by his trusted deputy, J. J. Johnson, played by veteran actor Edgar Buchanan.
Cade returned to his home and became sheriff after successful careers in the military as a naval aviator and a stint as an agent with the FBI, bringing with him his knowledge and technical expertise in modern law enforcement procedures. Cade was considered a "tough" law enforcement officer, but his attitude was always tempered with compassion and fairness for the public he served.
"Cade's County" broadcast a total of 24 hour long episodes on the CBS Network.
| Lloyd Bridges starred in the title role of a 1975 police drama series about a veteran police detective who chose to return to foot patrol in his urban community. What was the name of the series? | TV Title Characters and Series of the '70s
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Joe Forrester. Bridges starred in the title role as Joe Forrester, a veteran plain clothes detective who felt that his skills and talents could be best utilized by returning to uniform and walking a beat in the downtown section of Los Angeles..
As the "cop on the beat", Forrester became familiar with the people and merchants of his assigned area, and was always there when needed to lend a hand or combat the criminal element that threatened his community.
"Joe Forrester" aired during the 1975/76 television season with 23 hour long episodes.
The series was one of three spin-off series from the highly acclaimed police anthology series "Police Story" which aired from 1973-1977. The character and series premise for Joe Forrester were introduced in a season two episode of "Police Story" entitled "The Return of Joe Forrester".
Two other police drama series, "Police Woman" (1974) starring Angie Dickinson, and "David Cassidy-Man Under Cover" (1978) starring David Cassidy, started as episodes from "Police Story".
NYPD - New York Police Department. The majority of the activities in this series took place in the detective squad room of the New York Police Department's 12th precinct.
Captain Barney Miller commanded a squad of eclectic detectives, including Sergeant Phillip Fish (Abe Vigoda) elderly, slow moving senior detective, Detective Stanley "Wojo" Wojciehowicz (Max Gail), a younger somewhat naive detective, Sergeant Ron Harris (Ron Glass), a hip and intellectual African American detective who also wrote a best selling book about the job, and Sergeant Nick Yamada (Jack Soo), an Asian American detective who was slow moving but possessed a quick wit and a sense of humor.
Most of the stories revolved around the interesting assembly of suspects, victims, and persons of interest who for one reason or another were brought into the station.
Barney Miller was both the father figure to his men as well as the "voice of reason" in dealing with situations.
"Barney Miller" remained on the air for eight (8) television seasons, producing 188 half-hour episodes.
In 1982, the series was awarded the Primetime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Comedy Series".
In 1977, series regular Abe Vigoda left the show to star in his spin-off series, "Fish" which chronicled the home life of Sgt. Fish, his wife Bernice (Florence Stanley) and their brood of adopted children. The series aired for two seasons. At the conclusion of the run, Vigoda returned to the Barney Miller cast.
Herschel Bernardi. Bernardi plays the title role of Arnie Nuvo, a blue collar long time dock worker employed by the Continental Flange Co., who unexpectedly receives a promotion to an executive management position in the company, a career move he neither anticipated nor was prepared for.
Arnie struggles to find a balance between his friends on the loading dock and his new white collar management cronies, lead by his boss, Hamilton Majors, Jr. (Roger Bowen).
Arnie uses good old "common sense" to handle and resolve problem situations that arose in his new position as "Head of Product Improvements".
"Arnie" aired on the CBS Television network for two seasons (1970-1972), completing 48 thirty minute episodes.
police officer. Dominick Delvecchio was a lawyer and detective sergeant with the Los Angeles Police Department and divided his time between his two passions. Delvecchio approached police work and his acquired knowledge as a lawyer served him well.
Delvecchio devoted much of his off duty time to honing his skills as a lawyer in preparation for taking the Bar exam.
Delvecchio work with a partner, sergeant Paul Shonsky (Charles Haid) and a stern but fair supervisor, Lieutenant Macavan (Michael Conrad) in the police department's Washington Heights Division.
"Delvecchio" aired for one season (1976-1977), broadcasting 22 episodes.
Three of the series regular cast members (Charles Haid, Michael Conrad, and George Wyner) reunited in 1971 to become part of the ensemble cast of the critically acclaimed series "Hill Street Blues".
| In a 1979 drama series, Joe Don Baker was the title character, portraying the tough and determined Chief of Detectives for the New York City Police Department. What was the name of the series? | TV Title Characters and Series of the '70s
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Eischeid. Baker played Earl Eischeid, Chief of Detectives and an imposing figure who displayed strong compassion for the crime victims he encountered, and a great deal of respect for the hard working detectives working under his command.
He often praised his staff with his signature phrase "Ya done good" to show his pleasure. Eischeid firmly believed in "leading by example" and it was not unusual for him to personally get involved in the solving of a crime.
"Eischeid" aired for one season (1979-1980) with 13 episodes.
| During the 1971 television season, a title character played by Hal Holbrook was featured in one of the four weekly rotating drama series that aired under the banner of "The Bold Ones". Which show featured the character Hays Stowe?
| TV Title Characters and Series of the '70s
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The Bold Ones: The Senator. Hal Holbrook starred in the tile role as U.S. Senator Hays Stowe in the series.
The series ran as part of rotating dramas on "The Bold Ones" (1969-1973)
The critically acclaimed episodes of "The Senator" aired nine 60 minute episodes during only season (1970-71).
The series earned a total of nine Primetime Emmy nominations in 1971, winning in 5 categories including "Outstanding Series - Drama", and "Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Drama Series" for Hal Holbrook,
| "Perry Mason" (1957):
Raymond Burr may forever be remembered for his portrayal as legendary defense attorney Perry Mason. Over the nine season run of the series, Perry Mason handled nearly 600 trial cases and maintained an impressive record. In total, how many times was Perry Mason on the losing side of a verdict? | TV Title Characters and Series of Yesteryear
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3. Perry Mason's first defeat came in episode 26 of season 6 in "The Case of the Witless Witness", first broadcast May 16, 1963.
Perry lost the verdict in "The Case of the Deadly Verdict", episode 4 in season seven, first aired on October 17, 1963.
The third negative verdict against one of Perry Mason's clients came in episode 26 of season 9 in "The Case of the Dead Ringer", first seen on April 17, 1966.
The popular series ran for nine seasons with 271 episodes between 1957 and 1966. The series remained as one of the top rated TV shows for the first five seasons of its run, reaching the number five position on the 1961-62 Nielsen Television ratings list.
Along with Raymond Burr, the stellar cast included Barbara Hale as Della Street, Perry's hard working secretary and assistant, and William Hopper as Paul Drake, a private investigator Perry employed to locate witnesses and clues for pending cases.
Perry's adversary and the loser of most cases was District Attorney Hamilton Berger, played by William Talman, who was often aided by Lt. Tragg (Ray Collins), a dedicated police investigator who always seem to be in search of the true facts, even if the results were in Mason's favor.
"Perry Mason" was a true syndication blockbuster, with reruns of the series being broadcast almost continually since the series ended in 1966. Episodes were being shown as late as 2012 in some syndication markets.
John Beresford Tipton. Radio voice actor John Frees played the title role of multi-billionaire John Beresford Tipton in this 30 minute drama series.
Camera angles for the scenes featuring the title character were always shot from behind him so the back of his chair, his arm, and hand were only seen by the audience. Throughout the run of the series, his face was never shown.
Marvin Miller starred as Michael Anthony, the executive secretary to Tipton.
Tipton resided in a mansion on "Silverton", his 60,000 acre estate. When needed, Anthony would be summons to the den of the mansion by Tipton.
Episodes started with Anthony, always impeccably dressed in a dark suit, entering Tipton;s den (office), standing before him, and asking, "You send for me, sir?".
Tipton who was usually sitting behind his desk with his Chess set on it, would make a few comments about his decision, and hand Anthony a note with the name of the next millionaire he had selected. Anthony after accepting the note would bow his head, and leave the room.
At the beginning of each episode, Michael Anthony, looking directly into the camera, would speak to the audience.
"My name is Michael Anthony. And until his death a few years ago, I was the executive secretary to the late John Beresford Tipton, Jr. John Beresford Tipton, a fabulously wealthy and fascinating man, whose many hobbies included his habit of giving away one million dollars, tax free each week, to a person who had never met him; indeed, had never even heard of him".
The only stipulations for the gift was that besides their spouse, they would not reveal the source or amount of their sudden wealth to anyone.
The remainder of the story would show how the gift affected each of the new millionaires, and how they chose to use the money. Most of the stories had happy ending, but there were those who let the money change their lives for the worst.
The series aired for six seasons, 1955-1960, with 206 episodes.
During the first season, Michael Anthonys opening monologue was changed. The original version made no reference to the passing of John Beresford Tipton. A number of viewers believed the stories to be based on actual events and television stations throughout the nation were deluged with request from viewers inquiring as to how they could get on Tipton's list. The monologue script was changed.
| "The Life of Riley" (1949 & 1953):
William Bendix may be best remembered as the title character in the long running 1953 series. Four years prior, another actor played the title character in a one season version of the series. In the 1949 series, who played the role of Chester A. Riley? | TV Title Characters and Series of Yesteryear
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Jackie Gleason. Gleason played the title role in the ill fated 1949 version of the sitcom.
Along with Gleason were Rosemary DeCamp as his wife Peg Reilly, and Sid Tomack as bis best friend Jim Gillis. The series aired 26 episodes in its only season. CBS canceled the series due to low ratings. It was believed that Jackie Gleason could not generate a following for the series. It was also felt by network officials that Gleason did not have a real future in television.
The network was wrong.
Gleason went on to star in "The Jackie Gleason Show" (1952-1957), "The Honeymooners" (1955), "The Jackie Gleason: American Scene Magazine" (1962), and "The Jackie Gleason Show" (1966).
CBS returned "The Life of Riley" to the air in 1953 with William Bendix in the title role. Bendix had previously play the role of Chester A. Riley both in the 1949 movie and on the "Life of Riley" radio program which ran from 1944 -1951. It was Bendix's commitment to the 1949 movie that prevented his from accepting the title role on the 1949 series.
The 1953 series starring William Bendix was a success with 217 episodes during its six season run (1953-1958). During the run of the series, "The Life of Riley" was ranked in the top 30 television shows during four of the six seasons it was broadcast.
Along with Bendix were Marjorie Reynolds who played his wife, Peg, and Tom D'Andrea as his best friend Gillis.
The series revolved around Chester A. Riley, a wing riveter at Cunningham Aircraft Plant, who was a big hearted man and was totally devoted to his family, his job, and his friends. The Riley's had two children, daughter Babs (Lugene Sanders) and a son, Chester A. Riley, Jr. (Wesley Morgan), who was most often referred to on the show as "Junior".
The senior Riley had a knack for turning small minor problems and situations into problems of major proportions, often as a result of advise received from his best friend, Gillis. When this occurred, Riley would often express his frustration and indignation with his signature catchphrase, "What a revolting development this is". In the end, Riley always seem to rectify the problem.
Bank Vice President. Cosmo Topper was the conservative Vice President of a Los Angeles, California bank. He and his wife Henrietta (Lee Patrick) lead a quiet life. The couple purchased a home at an estate sale that once was owned by George and Marion Kerby, a fun loving couple who were killed by an avalanche while on a skiing vacation.
After moving into their new home, Cosmo discovered, to his shock, that the home was still occupied by the ghost of the former owners.
The Kerby's were only visible and able to be heard by Cosmo Topper.
The Kerby's felt that Topper was a bit too stuffy and formal, so they decided to try and inject a little excitement into Cosmo's quiet world by involving him in a number of different scenarios. As the Kerby's were seen and heard only by Topper, this made his explanations of unusual events made to others difficult and often not plausible.
Along with the Kerby's was Neal, their pet St. Bernard dog, who also died in the accident while trying to save them. Neal, who wore a small flask around his neck filled with an alcoholic beverage, developed a drinking problem and a passion for drinking Martinis. Topper could see Neal lapping up martinis from his feeding bowl, but to everyone else, Neal was invisible, so his bowl appeared to empty on its own.
The series "Topper", based on a 1937 movie (of the same name) aired for two seasons (1953-1955), producing 78 black and white 30 minute episodes.
The opening narration for the show, spoken over the series bouncy theme music, introduced the cast as:
"Anne Jeffreys as Marion Kerby, the Ghostess with the Mostess,
Robert Sterling as George Kerby, That most Sporting Spirit,
and Leo G. Carrol, host to said ghost as ... Topper".
Series stars Anne Jeffreys and Robert Sterling were real life man and wife.
| "The Amos 'n' Andy Show" (1951):
This series made the successful transition from popular radio series to television series. Alvin Childress played one of the title characters. What was his occupation? | TV Title Characters and Series of Yesteryear
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cab company owner and operator. In the series, Amos Jones was the owner of the Fresh Air cab company in the Harlem section of New York City. Amos served as the narrator on the show, explaining the plots of each episode at the beginning of the show. Amos always appeared businesslike and was always neatly dressed in his cab driver uniform.
The stories centered around a group of lodge brothers, members of the Mystic Knights of the Sea lodge.
Most episodes involved Andrew Hogg "Andy" Brown, a rotund, good natured but gullible guy (played by Spencer Williams) and his lodge brother George "Kingfish" Stevens (played by Tim Moore), who was a slick conniving attorney, always searching for a "get rich quick" scheme, or swindling money from his fellow lodge brothers, especially Andy.
Part of the series followed the home life of "The Kingfish" as he was known, and his verbal bouts with his sassy wife, Sapphire (Played by Ernestine Wade), and his mother-in law, referred to simply as "Mama" (played by Amanda Randolph).
Other memorable characters were Algonquin J. Calhoun (Johnny Lee), a fast talking, slightly shady attorney, and Ligntnin' (Nick Steward) the slow witted, slow moving janitor/handyman in the apartment building.
The series was an adaptation of the highly successful and long running radio comedy series, "Amos 'n' Andy", starring voice actors and character creators Freeman Gosden (as Amos) and Charles Correll (as Andy). The radio series ran continuously in some format from 1928 until 1960.
The television cast was comprised of African American actors in the main roles.
The actors were advised by the producers at CBS to keep their speech patterns and voices as close as possible to those of the Caucasian actors who originated the roles on radio to insure character continuity.
The television series produced 78 episodes between 1951 and 1953. While popular with the audience, the series drew sharp criticism from the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) who felt the series portrayed a negative image and stereotype of life in the African American community. Through their boycotting of the shows sponsors, they were finally able to have the show removed from the air in 1953.
Pronents of the NAACP position noted that the series portrayed a positive image of a middle class African American community, where the members were all working professionals that included business owners, doctors, lawyers, policemen, and judges. The series was nevertheless cancelled, even though at the time, it was considered by many as one of the funniest sitcom series to be aired.
| "Circus Boy" (1956):
The title character, Corky, was being raised by Joey the Clown and the performers of the Burke and Walsh Circus. Which blond haired young actor played the title role? | TV Title Characters and Series of Yesteryear
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Micky Braddock. With his natural dark hair dyed blond for the role, young actor Micky Braddock played the title role of Corky.
Braddock, born George Michael Dolenz in later years returned his hair to its darker natural color, dropped his stage name and gained fame under his true surname, becoming the drummer and lead soloist for the television music group "The Monkees" (1966).
In the series, young Corky was orphaned when his parents, the aerial performers known as The Flying Falcons were killed in a trapeze accident.
Corky was adopted by his uncle, Joey the Clown (Noah Beery, Jr.) who was also with the circus and cared for by all of the members of the Burke and Walsh Circus, which was owned by Big Tim Champion (Robert Lowery).
Corky became the "water boy" for a baby elephant, and continued to travel from town to town with the circus.
"Circus Boy" ran 49 episodes, filmed in black and white, during its two seasons.
The series opening showed a crowd of townspeople cheering on the circus performers as they arrived, first Big Tim Champion on horseback waving his hat to the crowd, Joey the clown riding on a wagon, and Corky riding on the back of Bimbo, the baby elephant, smiling and waving to the assembled group.
Kirby Grant. The title character, Schuyler "Sky" King (Kirby Grant) was a "gentleman rancher" who owned a vast spread near Grover, Arizona (a fictitious location). King checked his "Flying Crown Ranch" property by using his personal twin engine Cessna airplane named "Songbird".
When not tending to ranch duties, Sky King would lend a helping hand to the local sheriff, Mitch Hargrove (Ewing Mitchell) using his airplane to search for lost hikers and campers and capturing bad guys who threatened the serenity of his peaceful community.
Sky King lived on his ranch with his niece, Penny (Gloria Winters), who always seem to find some peril that Sky would rescue her from, and his nephew, Clipper (Ron Haggerty), who also occasionally needed to be rescued by his "Uncle Sky".
"Sky King" ran for four seasons, with 72 episodes. When the original series completed its run in 1955, it became one of the more popular series to enter the syndication market, and remained in reruns (often in Saturday morning time slots) for the next 20 years.
While professional stunt pilots did the majority of the flying for the series, Kirby Grant was an accomplished licensed pilot, and on occasion personally flew the Cessna for scenes in the series.
| "The Adventures of Rin-Tin-Tin" (1954):
The title character of this action series was a German Shepherd dog, owned by a young boy being raised on a frontier military outpost. Which army Calvary detachment were the boy and his dog assigned? | TV Title Characters and Series of Yesteryear
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B Company. Unlike most TV series, the opening credits showed the character under their character name only. References to the actor's name appeared only during the closing credits.
During the opening credits, the camera pans in on child actor Lee Aaker, who is identified on the screen as "Rusty-'B' Company". Others pictured characters identified during the opening credits are "Lt. Rip Masters" (James Brown) and "Sgt. Biff O'Hara" (Joe Sawyer).
The series premise: A young boy is orphaned after his parents are killed in an Indian attack on their frontier settlement. Rusty and his pet German Shepherd (Rin Tin Tin) are adopted and cared for by the troopers at Fort Apache, a cavalry outpost somewhere in the West.
Rust is provided with a military cavalry uniform in his size, and given the rank (honorary) of Corporal. Rusty and Rin Tin Tin move around the fort doing chores and improving the morale for the troopers.
Rusty's primary care takers are the fort's commanding officer, Lt. Ripley "Rip" Masters and the company sergeant, Biff O'Hara.
At times when (for example) a soldier is attacked by an Indian scout outside the gates for the fort, Rusty would yell "Yo Rinty" and the dog sprang into action and attacked the adversary. Rin Tin Tin would then respond to Rusty's command to end the attack when commanded to "Stand at ease", and would leave the scene when ordered by his master with, "Rin Tin Tin, Dismissed".
Described as a "Children Adventure series, "Rin Tin Tin" produced 166 episodes between 1954 and 1959.
The series remained in syndication demand, with the color episodes being rebroadcast as late as 2010.
| "Casey Jones" (1958):
Alan Hale, Jr. played the title character as the legendary railroad train engineer behind the throttle of the "Cannonball Express". What was the engine number of his locomotive? | TV Title Characters and Series of Yesteryear
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1. Starring in the series with Alan Hale, Jr. were Mary Lawrence as Casey's wife Alice, Bobby Clark as his son, Casey Jones, Jr., Dub Taylor as Casey's locomotive fireman, Wallie Sims, and Eddy Waller as train conductor, Red Rock Smith.
In this children's Western series, the activities of Casey and his family and crew were chronicled as he worked as a steam locomotive engineer for the Midwestern and Central Railroad during the late 19th century.
Much of the premise and background for the series could be heard in the opening theme song for the series.
"The Ballad of Casey Jones" (TV series version)
"Stop, look, listen cause you're gonna hear.
A brand new story bout a great engineer.
He's the greatest of them all we claim.
Number one his engine, Casey Jones his name.
Casey Jones, steamin' and a rollin'.
Casey Jones, you never have to guess.
When you hear, the tootin' of the whistle.
It's Casey at the throttle of the Cannonball Express"
"Casey Jones" ran for one season (1958-1959) with 32 episodes.
| "The Lone Ranger" (1949):
Clayton Moore played in the title role of the famed masked man in 169 of the 221 episodes of this classic Western series. In Moore's absence, who played the role in the remaining 52 episodes? | TV Title Characters and Series of Yesteryear
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John Hart. John Hart played the title role in the third season only.
For that season of production, Clayton Moore chose to "sit out" the season due to a salary dispute with the producers. The matter was resolved, and Moore returned to his signature role for the final two seasons of the series.
"The Lone Ranger" aired for eight seasons, with new episodes being produced in only five seasons. The fifth and final season of the series was filmed in color.
The series, targeted on children, served as a vehicle to instill moral standards for the viewers, with the Long Ranger becoming not only a television icon, but a role model for young viewers to follow. The Long Ranger often became involve in fist fights with outlaws and was known to occasionally shoot a gun out of the hand of a villain, but unlike many westerns of the time, The Lone Ranger never killed one of his foes.
In the series, The Lone Ranger, along with his faithful Indian companion Tonto (Jay Silverheels) rode the plains, visiting towns and outposts, and setting right the wrongs and injustices that they encountered.
He was known as the "Masked Man" by many, and never stopped long enough to be thanked by those he helped by his deeds. He only left a single "silver bullet" as a reminder and symbol of his presence. The Lone Ranger was always seen riding away from the locations, yelling his signature phrase, "Hi-yo Silver, away!"
Tonto called him "Ke-mo-sah-bee", which in his Indian language meant "trusted friend". John Reid was one of five Texas Rangers ambushed as they were in pursuit of the Butch Cavendish gang, a band of ruthless outlaws. All of the Rangers were left for dead, but unknown to the gang one survived his serious injuries. Found near death by Tonto, the lone survivor was nursed back to health. To disguise the fact that there was a survivor, five graves were dug. The surviving Ranger recovered to again uphold the law, but disguised himself by always wearing a mask.
New episodes were produced for five of the eight seasons of the run of the series.
The series earned Emmy nominations in 1950 and 1951. Reruns of classic episodes were aired for over 60 years after the production of the series ended.
"The Lone Ranger" started as a radio series in 1933, gained almost instant popularity, and remained on radio through 1954, producing 1,933 episodes.
Jay Silverheels was feature in all 217 of the television episodes.
Viewers of the series were alerted by the sound of the rousing theme music from the "William Tell Overture", written by Gioacchino Antonio Rossini, announcing the start of the show.
Nearly all viewers were familiar with the opening narration for the series, delivered by voice announcer Fred Foy:
"A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty "Hi Yo Silver", The Lone Ranger."
"With his faithful Indian companion Tonto, the daring and resourceful masked rider of the plains led the fight for law and order in the early west. Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear. "The Lone Ranger" rides again."
The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok. A real favorite among the younger viewers, "The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok" made an impression on young minds.
The stories were a fictional account of real life figure James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok. The message in the episodes was very basic. The good and honest always triumphed over evil and the bad.
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The series followed U.S. Marshal "Wild Bill" Hickok and his sidekick, Deputy U.S. Marshal Jingle P. Jones as they rode throughout the territory solving problems, capturing outlaws, and bringing law and justice to the towns in the wild West.
Guy Madison cut a handsome and dashing figure in the title role as the famed relentless lawman. His friend and partner, Jingles, played by Andy Devine, brought a touch of comic relief to the series.
The opening credit sequence for the series showed Wild Bill Hickok riding at full speed on his horse, "Buckshot", heading straight towards the camera, with his guns blazing, obviously in pursuit of a dangerous outlaw. Riding several yards behind him was his sidekick, 300 pound deputy Jingles P. Jones, riding his horse, "Joker", with one hand holding his hat and yelling (in his signature raspy voice), "Hey Wild Bill, wait for me".
The series started in syndication in 1951, and ran for eight season, ending in 1958 with 112 episodes. From 1955 until 1958, the series ran on the CBS network. Episodes proved to be so successful that the series also ran concurrently from 1957 to 1958 on the ABC network.
Separate from the television series, performers Guy Madison and Andy Devine also played their roles on 271 episodes of "Wild Bill Hickok" on radio from April, 1951 until December or 1954.
The series received an Emma nomination in 1955 for "Best Western or Action Series".
| "Beulah" (1950):
During the three seasons of this ground breaking sitcom series, three different actresses portrayed the title character. Which actress did NOT, at some point, star in the title role? | TV Title Characters and Series of Yesteryear
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Butterfly McQueen. Actress Butterfly McQueen appeared in the first season of the series as "Oriole", another domestic servant on the series, but never starred in the title role.
Ethel Waters starred in the title role through the first and most of the second season (1950-1951).
When Waters quit the show in the second season, Hattie McDaniel starred as Beulah for the final six episodes of the season. McDaniel was forced to leave the series due to illness, and Louise Beavers played the role from late 1951 until the series ended in 1952.
"Beulah" made its mark in television history because it was the first sitcom series to star an African American actress in the lead role.
"Beulah" aired for three seasons from 1950 through 1952 with 87 half hour episodes. During its entire run, "Beulah" was seen on Tuesday nights, in the 7:30pm time slot.
In the show, Beulah, a domestic worker, seem to have a skill for helping to resolve the daily situations and problems of the family that she worked for.
"Beulah" was a television adaptation of "The Beulah Show", a very popular and successful radio show broadcast on the CBS radio network from 1945 until 1954.
| "Sergeant Preston of the Yukon" (1955):
Dick Simmons starred in the title role of the courageous Mountie who patrolled and brought law and order to the Yukon Territory. Sgt. Preston was always aided by one, and sometimes two, non human companions. What were their names? | TV Title Characters and Series of Yesteryear
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Yukon King and Rex. Sergeant Preston was a member of the Northwest Mounted Police, and usually represented the only law enforcement in the wild Yukon Territory. During the Winter, Sgt. Preston covered his beat riding a dog sled, pulled by a team of Alaskan Husky dogs. His lead dog and companion was "Yukon King", who was described in the opening narration as the "swiftest and strongest lead dog".
Sgt. Preston often yelled as he was being pulled, "On King, on you Huskies".
During the Spring and Summer months when there was no snow on the ground, Sgt. Preston rode his horse, "Rex". Yukon King was always seen running next to Sgt. Preston and Rex.
For the episodes filmed in color, Sgt. Preston cut a dashing figure with his dark mustache, his scarlet tunic uniform jacket with yellow chevrons on his shoulders, and yellow leg stripe and his brown official "Mountie" campaign hat.
While Yukon King and the other sled dogs were referred to as Alaskan Huskies, they were in fact Alaskan Malamutes.
"Sergeant Preston of the Yukon" ran for three seasons (1955-1958) with 78 episodes.
Most of the filming for the series was done in and around Ashcroft, Colorado, with some filmed footage in California (Big Bear Valley, Bear Valley, and in the San Bernardino National Forest).
The rousing and stirring opening theme song and much of the music for the series was from the "Overture to Donna Diane", a musical score written in 1894 by Emil Nikolaus von Reznicek.
| "The Adventures of Superman" (1952):
George Reeves starred in the title role as the "Man of Steel". Missing the first season, which performer did not play the role of their character for the entire run of the series? | TV Title Characters and Series of Yesteryear
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Noel Neill as Lois Lane. Noel Neill took over the part at the beginning of the second season in 1953, and remained in the role until the series ended in 1958.
During the first season, Phyllis Coates played the role of the feisty reporter for the "Daily Planet" opposite Reeves.
The producers of the series took a brief hiatus after the first season to seek sponsorship for the show. During that time, Coates became committed to another acting project, and was unavailable when the series returned for its second season.
Producers hired Noel Neill for the part based on her past performances in the role in the 1948 and 1950 theater productions of "Superman".
Neill was slated for the seventh season of the series, which was abruptly cancelled following the unexpected death of star George Reeves.
"The Adventures of Superman" ran for six seasons (1952-1958) with 104 episodes.
When the series started filming episodes in its third season, a decision that made the series, which was extremely popular and highly sought, was to start filming in color. Reruns of the series ran in syndication for over 40 years after the original run ended, and commanded top price in the syndication market.
One necessary change when the series started filming in color was to change the colors of Superman's costume. For the black and white episodes, Superman wore a brown, gray, and white costume. The colors provided the required contrast for black and white film.
For the color episodes, Superman wore the traditional red, blue, and yellow costume to match the images in the "Superman" comic books.
Radio announcer Bill Kennedy spoke the opening narration for the show:
"Faster than a speeding bullet!
More powerful than a locomotive!
Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound!"
("Look up in the sky." "It's a bird". "It's a plane". "It's Superman").
Yes, it's Superman ... strange visitor from another planet who came to Earth
with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men.
Superman ... who can change the course of mighty rivers,
bend steel in his bare hands, and who disguised as Clark Kent,
mild mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper
fight a never ending battle for truth, justice, and the American way".
"And now, another exciting episode in "The Adventures of Superman".
| "The Cisco Kid" (1950):
Duncan Renaldo starred in the title role on this Western series, that was very popular among young viewers. What distinctive "first" did the series mark in television broadcast history? | TV Title Characters and Series of Yesteryear
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first series filmed in color. The series began production in 1949, with episodes filmed exclusively in color.
While this marked a major breakthrough and achievement in television history, the vast majority of viewers saw the series in black and white. When the series ended its run in 1958, less than 0.05% of households had color television sets.
"The Cisco Kid" ran for six seasons (1950-1956) with 156 half hour episodes.
Starring with Renaldo was Leo Carrillo, who played Cisco's sidekick "Pancho", a gregarious and likable character who had a knack for mangling the English language, and added the element of comic relief for the series.
Although they were considered to be outlaw desperadoes, they traveled and helped those who were less fortunate, and righted wrongs. They were the Western version of "Robin Hood".
The series also made stars Duncan Renaldo and Leo Carrillo the first Hispanic stars of a regular TV series.
In 1953, the series was nominated for an Emmy Award for children's programming.
In 1955, the series was reported to be the most popular TV series among children in America.
| Among Stuart Whitman's 180 plus movie and television credits are characters such as Sergeant Walters on 13 episodes on the 1958 series "Highway Patrol", Jonathan Kent in 10 episodes of "The Adventures of Superboy (1985), and the role as Mr. Willis on five episodes in season 11 (1990) of "Knots Landing" (1979). On what 1967 television series did he star as the lead character Jim Crown? | Old Time TV Characters, Actors, And Shows
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Cimarron Strip. "Cimarron Strip" was one of only three western series to air 90-minute episodes during the 1960s. Set in 1888 in the territory known as the Oklahoma Pandhandle (portions of Texas and Oklahoma), U.S. Marshal Jim Crown (Stuart Whitman) maintained law and order over the sometimes violent frontier areas, facing Indians, outlaws, and shifty and corrupted business men who threatened the peacefulness of the territory. Crown was a steel jawed, no nonsense lawman.
The series costarred Jill Townsend as shop keeper Dulcey Coopersmith, Randy Boone as Francis Wilde, Crown's sometimes deputy marshal and Percy Herbert as MacGregor, who often assisted Crown when needed.
"Cimarron Strip" aired 23 episodes in the 1967 television season.
The other two 90-minute westerns to air in the 1960s were "Wagon Train" (1957-1965), and "The Virginian (1962-1971).
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"The Rounders" (1966) was a western comedy series starring Ron Hayes, Patrick Wayne and Chill Wills.
"Lawman" (1958) was a western series starring John Russell, Peter Brown and Peggie Castle.
"Stagecoach West"(1960) was a western drama series starring Wayne Rogers, Robert Bray and Richard Eyer.
| Jim Davis starred as fireman Wes Cameron for two seasons on the 1958 syndicated series "Rescue 8". The series focused on the adventures of the Los Angeles County Fire Department's Rescue Unit in the Hollywood area.
In 1978, Davis was one of the original cast members on one of the longest running prime time series. What series provided Davis with the final acting role of his life? | Old Time TV Characters, Actors, And Shows
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Dallas. Jim Davis played the family patriarch, John Ross "Jock" Ewing on the very popular and long running prime time series "Dallas" (1978). Davis appeared in 77 episodes of the series during the first four seasons. It was during filming of season for that he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. Davis reduced his work load while filming, and unfortunately passed away while the fourth season was being aired.
The series producers chose to continue his role into the fifth season before writing out the character. For the first 13 episodes of season five, there were references to Jock being away on business trips. It was in the 13th episode that Jock was reported to be killed in a helicopter accident in South America.
"Dallas" aired 357 episodes over 14 seasons. The series was listed on the Nielsen Ratings in the top ten for seven of the series' 14 seasons. The series claimed the number one season ratings in 1980, 1981 and 1983.
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"Bonanza" (1959) was a highly rated, long running western series starring Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, Ban Blocker, Michael Landon and Victor Sen Yung.
"Falcon Crest" (1981) was a prime time soap opera starring Jane Wyman, Robert Foxworth, Susan Sullivan and Lorenzo Lamas.
"M*A*S*H" (1972) was a critically acclaimed military medical drama with a stellar cast including Alan Alda, Wayne Rodgers, Loretta Swit, Gary Burghoff, Larry Linville, McLean Stevenson, Jamie Farr and Harry Morgan.
| Two of the most memorable roles played by Bob Denver were as beatnik Maynard G. Krebs on "The Many Loves Of Dobie Gillis" (1959), and as the first mate on the S.S. Minnow on "Gilligans Island" (1964). Denver later starred as Rufus Butterworth on a situation comedy series also starring Herb Edelman and Joyce Van Patten. What was the name of this series that aired for two seasons? | Old Time TV Characters, Actors, And Shows
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The Good Guys. "The Good Guys" was the story of two lifelong friends, Rufus Butterworth (Bob Denver), a cab driver, and Bert Gramus (Herb Edelman), who owned and operated a small eating establishment called Bert's Diner. Rufus and Bert were constantly exploring "get rich quick" schemes that would give them a financial boost, but always seem to fall short of their goals. In the second season, Rufus sold his taxi cab, and went into a partnership with Bert after the diner was relocated. While running the diner, they still tried to find ways to make quick money, but again, never quite found their pot of gold. The series showed the warm and strong friendship between the guys. Joyce VanPatten co-starred as Bert's wife, Claudia.
Low ratings resulted in the cancellation of the series at the end of the second season, despite the network's efforts to improve ratings by featuring former "Gilligan's Island" alumni Jim Bakus and Alan Hale Jr. in cameo and recurring roles in the second season. Due to the poor print quality of the film used on the show, the series never went into syndication in the United States.
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"Many Happy Returns" (1964) was a situation comedy series about a department store complaint department starring John McGiver, Elenor Donahue and Mickey Manners.
"The Baileys of Balboa" (1964) was a situation comedy about a marina charter boat service starring Paul Ford, Sterling Holloway and John Dehner.
"It's About Time" (1966) was a situation comedy about two American Astronauts who returned from their space mission, landing on a prehistoric earth, complete with cave people. The series starred Frank Aletter, Jack Mullaney, Imogene Coca and Joe E. Ross.
| William Daniels played the role of Dr. Mark Craig on the long running, highly acclaimed medical drama series, "St. Elsewhere" (1982). At the same time, Daniels also provided the voice for K.I.T.T. on the series "Knight Rider" (1982). Daniels starred in the role of Carter Nash in a 1966 half hour comedy series. What was the title of that series? | Old Time TV Characters, Actors, And Shows
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Captain Nice. Carter Nash was a very mild mannered police chemist who, by accident, discovered a liquid formula that when taken transformed him into the crime fighting superhero, Captain Nice. Captain Nice could fly, but had difficulty in controlling his fear of heights. A good son, Captain Nice followed the directions of his mother (Alice Ghostly) in selecting crimes and criminals to confront. His mother also made his superhero costume which bore the insignia initials "CN" for Captain Nice. The initials also referred to his alter ego, Carter Nash.
"Captain Nice" aired 15 half hour episodes during the 1967 television season.
Trivia Note:
William Daniels was one of the few actors to be part of the cast of two television series that ran at the same time. Daniels appeared in all 137 episodes of "St. Elsewhere" from 1982-1988, and was the unseen voice of the automated car K.I.T.T. for all 82 episodes of "Knight Rider" from 1982-1986.
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"Mr. Terrific" (1967) was a situation comedy starring Stephen Strimpell as Stanley Beamish, a quiet shy gas station attendant who became a super hero/crime fighter after ingesting a pill. His powers had a one hour time limit. Costarring were Dick Gautier and John McGiver.
"Good Morning World" (1967) was a situation comedy about a morning radio team, Lewis and Clark, on a small radio station. The series starred Joby Baker as David Lewis and Ronnie Schell as his partner, Larry Clarke. The finicky station manager was played by Billy DeWolfe.
"My Mother the Car" (1965), was a situation comedy series, often considered by TV critics as one of the worst series of all time. The series revolved around attorney Dave Crabtree who, while shopping for a new car, found his dearly departed mother reincarnated in the form of a car, a talking car... a 1928 Porter to be exact. Dave purchased the car and followed his mother's directions and advice. The series starred Jerry Van Dyke, Maggie Pierce, and Avery Schreiber, with Ann Southern providing the voice of the car.
| Martin Milner starred for seven seasons as Officer Pete Malloy on the series "Adam-12" (1968). George Maharis starred as Jonathan Croft on the series, "The Most Deadly Game" (1970). On what 1960 series did they co-star as Tod Stiles and Buz Murdock? | Old Time TV Characters, Actors, And Shows
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Route 66. In the series, the two young restless men set out on a journey in a Corvette convertible to explore America. The travels of Tod and Buz took them to some of the most beautiful parts of the country, where they often assimilated into the local communities, faced contemporary issues and problems of the day, and experiencing the many cultures and activities that form the nation.
"Route 66" aired for four seasons (1960-1964). The 116 episodes were filmed in 40 different states, with two episodes being filmed in Canada. The series was known for its rich cinematography and scenery. George Maharis left the series in the third season due to illness and Glenn Corbett occupied the passenger seat for the fourth and final season.
The catchy instrumental theme song written by Nelson Riddle, was among the first TV series theme songs to make the "Billboard Magazine" top 30 list.
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"Arrest and Trial" (1963) was a 90-minute crime drama series that devoted the first half of each episode to the arrest of criminals by Sgt. Nick Anderson (Ben Gazzara) with the second half of the episode showing the prosecution and trial of the defendant by Assistant District Attorney John Egan (Chuck Connors)
"The Felony Squad" (1966) was a police drama starring Howard Duff as Sgt. Sam Stone, who was partnered with Det. Jim Briggs (Dennis Cole), as they maintained law and order in an unspecified major west coat city.
"Surfside 6" (1960) was a detective series featuring Lee Patterson, Troy Donahue, and Van Williams as Miami Beach investigators, whose office was a houseboat whose address was used as the series title.
| For two seasons (1963-1965), Gene Barry starred as suave, millionaire homicide police captain Amos Burke in series "Burke's Law". For the third season (1965-1966), the show was retooled, the cast was changed, and Amos Burke took on a new profession. What was Amos Burke's new job title? | Old Time TV Characters, Actors, And Shows
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secret agent. "Amos Burke, Secret Agent" was the title of the new show. No longer an eccentric police captain who was chauffeured to crime scenes in his Silver Cloud Rolls Royce, Burke became an operative for U.S. Intelligence, and traveled the globe as a secret agent. The change was prompted by the success of the many popular "spy" movies and TV series of the day. The new premise was not enough to sustain the series, which ran only 17 episodes before being cancelled.
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