MOST WANTED: 1976-77, Robert Stack, Pre-Order Amazon (1 Viewer)

[Bob Gu]

Amazon has MOST WANTED, up for pre-order, with no release date. It is a CBS Home Entertainment Mod.

MOST WANTED was a Quinn Martin Production, on ABC, starring Robert Stack, Shelly Novack, and Jo Ann Harris. A police show that had a pilot and 21 episodes. Pulled after April 1977.

I remember the show was on Saturday nights and was pre-empted or delayed, much of the time, for football, which probably screwed up the shows ratings.

 

[Flashgear]

Thanks Bob for posting this.
I imagine that Most Wanted is the QM show that Neil Brock notified us as having been recently transferred to a modern tape or digital format...great news that CBS is giving it's MOD program more momentum (wonder what this might mean for some other CBS owned shows?) and issuing this on DVD...As I was overseas in 1976 - 77, I don't remember this show at all, although I've seen one episode since ("Hit Man")...Jonathan Etter's book on QM says that the show was a very unhappy experience for Robert Stack, with much behind the scenes infighting and production turmoil...the older and long running QM shows (Fugitive, FBI, Cannon, Barnaby Jones, Streets of S.F.) were said to be very harmonious and happy sets...with production teams who were very tight and mutually supportive...it seems that some of the new hires were not up to making Most Wanted a well oiled machine, and Stack's younger co-stars left him exasperated at times...though Shelly Novack was not an unknown quantity to QM, having been a regular on the latter seasons of The FBI...by this point she was having personal problems and bringing those to work...apparently Most Wanted's pilot delivered a very strong showing in the Nielsen ratings, and the ongoing show did pretty well, sometimes in the top 10...as Bob said above, the show must have suffered from the many pre-emptions (in some time zones) for Football...it had a strong lead in with Starsky and Hutch...but was up against Carol Burnett Show and the last half of NBC Saturday Night Movie...

 

[Randy Korstick]

If they are not going to continue the regular releases of Bonanza, The Beverly Hillbillies and Petticoat Junction I really wish they would continue those series through their MOD program. I don't care about the extras just give us remastered episodes and a minimum of 2 seasons a year. This includes Gunsmoke if they have given up on retail releases for that show. It would also be nice to see Our Miss Brooks and The High Chaperall come out this way since remastered seasons already exist.

 

[Flashgear]

I agree, Randy...it's hard to figure out what is happening with CBS, considering the new MOD program...like yourself, I wish they would convey some information as to the direction they intend to follow with physical disc, especially in reference to the stalled or slow release schedule CBS shows you mention...I finally cracked and got the R2 complete PAL series 30 disc set of High Chapparal, and they look stunning...In addition to Beverly Hillbillies, Petticoat Junction, Bonanza and Gunsmoke, I really hope they do new transfers for The Defenders too...so Shout Factory can release the other 3 seasons of that Great show...

 

[JamesSmith]

Well. That was a surprise. I'm always amazed that shows I've totally forgotten about, are released. And I hadn't been expecting them at all.

James

 

[RBailey]

I just hope it DOES get released. I've had the CBS Home Entertainment release of BEST OF THE WEST on order since October of last year and still no announcement on actual release date.

 

[JamesSmith]

Maybe they'll do Robert Stack's next show; Today's FBI. I recall enjoying the pilot.
I also hope they put out Counterstrike or Strike Force

James

 

[Dave Lawrence]

Maybe they'll do Robert Stack's next show; Today's FBI. I recall enjoying the pilot.
I also hope they put out Counterstrike or Strike Force

James

Today's FBI was a Mike Connors show, not Stack. It aired the same season as Stack's Strike Force (1981/1982). I'd like to see both shows released.

As for Most Wanted, I've never seen it, but (a) it's a 70s cop show, (b) it stars Robert Stack, and (c) it's a QM show. So I feel very good about blind buying it. Happy to see these more obscure shows getting announced recently (Lock-Up.from ClassicFlix announced last week, now this from CBS).

 

[ToddR2]

Thanks, Bob. When Neil mentioned that another QM show was coming, my first thought was Dan August, with Most Wanted second. I don't remember much about the show, but I'll surely pick it up for the pleasure of watching JoAnn Harris.

 

[Regulus]

Amazon has MOST WANTED, up for pre-order, with no release date. It is a CBS Home Entertainment Mod.

MOST WANTED was a Quinn Martin Production, on ABC, starring Robert Stack, Shelly Novack, and Jo Ann Harris. A police show that had a pilot and 21 episodes. Pulled after April 1977.

I remember the show was on Saturday nights and was pre-empted or delayed, much of the time, for football, which probably screwed up the shows ratings.

Frequent pre-emptions were the death of many shows. More often than not if a game over ran its time slot the program scheduled next was "Joined in Progress". I remember when a two-part episode of The Wonderful World of Disney had the misfortune of being over ran TWICE by football games. Those of us on the east coast got to see 15 minutes of part one and ten minutes of part two. I FINALLY got to see this episode in its entirety after getting it on a "Homemade DVD".

I look forward to getting this show when it comes out. I only got to see only a handful of episodes because of all the pre-emptions.

 

[GMBurns]

I probably won't get Most Wanted, but as James wrote earlier this week, any classic tv on dvd being released is better than no classic tv. I am really glad for anything from the 1950's to 1970's to get a release. But it would be nice to know what CBS is up to this time. Their brief foray into MOD a few years ago got my hopes up, especially with the release of Cannon season 3. But then it fizzled, so it would be nice to know what their strategy (if they have one) is this time. Why now? Why these shows? Why not Cannon or Barnaby Jones, that must have been more popular than some of the one or two season shows they are releasing now. What of the other one season shows they have supposedly licensed to VEI, like Longstreet, the Magician, Nero Wolfe? Will they use this route for the seemingly very popular shows like Gunsmoke and Bonanza? Or is this just a brief flash in the pan, that will ultimately disappoint? If CBS could come clean and tell us at least in broad outline what their plan is I would be very supportive. But I feel like a jilted lover, who believed once too often that their partner had really sobered up for good this time.

 

[Pathfiner]

I have the 'Most Wanted' pilot TV Movie on VHS - it also features Tom Selleck, and involves Nuns being sexually assaulted !

I would certainly go for this show on DVD

just wish they would finally release 'The Name of The Game' too...!!

I saw a Gene Barry episode 'The Protector' up on youtube - but dubbed into Latino ! - it was screened overseas by TCM and was a strong first season GB segment episode where Robert Young plays a millionaire who decides to put a private Army together to restore his idea of values to America...

unlike COZI TV or Encore TV screenings it still had the opening graphic in the correct rotation order
- Gene Barry / Tony Franciosa / Robert Stack 'Starring in'....

 

[Neil Brock]

it seems that some of the new hires were not up to making Most Wanted a well oiled machine, and Stack's younger co-stars left him exasperated at times...though Shelly Novack was not an unknown quantity to QM, having been a regular on the latter seasons of The FBI...by this point she was having personal problems and bringing those to work

Uh, Shelly Novack was a man.

 

[jperez]

Maybe that was the problem.

 

[John Karras]

Amazon has MOST WANTED, up for pre-order, with no release date. It is a CBS Home Entertainment Mod.

MOST WANTED was a Quinn Martin Production, on ABC, starring Robert Stack, Shelly Novack, and Jo Ann Harris. A police show that had a pilot and 21 episodes. Pulled after April 1977.

They eventually burned off the last 2 episodes in August of '77

 

[Flashgear]

Uh, Shelly Novack was a man.

Thanks for catching the typo...yes, I know who Shelly Novack was...in football, he was behind on the depth chart to the great Lance Alworth of the San Diego Chargers, and thus never played a game there...no fault of his own...Alworth was a hall of famer, and the Chargers were one of the best teams in the league...their strength one of the reasons for the susequent AFL/NFL merger...I'm feeling sorry for San Diego fans these days, with the coming move of the Chargers to LA...

In getting back to Most Wanted, I think I'll pick this up when it becomes available...for Robert Stack, more than anything...and the usual great QM guest stars...but it's well down my list of desired QM shows which are thus far not available...New Breed, Dan August, Banyon, Manhunter and Tales of the Unexpected rank much higher for me...

 

[Dave Lawrence]

Has anyone seen any news/update about Most Wanted? I hope it hasn't been cancelled, but months after the original announcement, I haven't seen any mention of a release date.

 

[RBailey]

Amazon hasn't cancelled this yet. I'm hopeful for this and BEST OF THE WEST which I ordered in October of last year. Both are still twisting in the wind. Hope I live to get these!!

 

[Cowboy]

Someone asked Cbs on their Facebook page about release date.They said "no updates at this time,
check Amazon". I want this show after seeing Jo Ann Harris in "The Beguiled" film.

 

[Bob Gu]

Now that CBS Mod and Amazon have finally released HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE: Season 2, and BEST OF THE WEST, can MOST WANTED be far behind?

I see a "Public Domain" company has a release of the Most Wanted pilot at Amazon. Stay away.