Questions about series pilots from the 1960s & ‘70s (1 Viewer)

[Neil Brock]

Pick up this book and you can see all of them, ones that made it to series and the many that didn't.

https://pictures.abebooks.com/isbn/9780306801563-us-300.jpg

 

[KPmusmag]

Starski and Hutch was a tough movie of the week before turning into a regular buddy buddy series.

Do you know if that movie is included in the DVD release? I love that show, but some episodes did get silly as time went. The early episodes have some grit.

 

[JohnHopper]

Do you know if that movie is included in the DVD release?

Yes, the movie of the week is included in the Sony set and it is the added value of that series.

https://tinyurl.com/y7mflkzx

 

[sjbradford]

It was not unusual back then for networks to produce feature-length pilots and actually test them by airing them prior to picking up the regular series. That happened with quite a few of the Aaron Spelling series, like “Love Boat” “Charlie’s Angels”, and “Fantasy Island”. Those all had pilots which aired prior to moving to series, and their ratings warranted a series pickup. But they were all intended as pilots.

Contrast this with “The Homecoming”, which aired as a TV movie and not intended to lead to a series. But when it rated well, CBS asked the producers to turn it into a series, and “The Waltons” was the result. Had “The Homecoming” been intended as a pilot, the casting would have been different: Patricia Neal wouldn’t have been cast, because the network worried about how her health would affect her commitment to a series; Edgar Bergen wouldn’t have been cast, because he didn’t want to to a series; etc.

 

[Jack P]

And one key difference in the Charlie's Angels pilot as opposed to the series was the presence of David Ogden Stiers in a role that the powers that be felt was unncessary (especially since David Doyle's Bosley was also already present). The future of MASH would have been impacted if they'd felt otherwise!

 

[Blimpoy06]

And one key difference in the Charlie's Angels pilot as opposed to the series was the presence of David Ogden Stiers in a role that the powers that be felt was unncessary

I liked the presentation and tone of the 90 minute Charlie's Angels. It felt like Charlie had a larger organization and more resources.

 

[Jack P]

Of course in a pilot film, you have a higher budget typically that can help foster that illusion which isn't going to be possible to maintain in a regular series. The pilot film for "Ellery Queen" had a big enough budget to allow for two scenes of location shooting in NY that wasn't possible in the series itself.

 

[vincefan]

Far too many to name, but a few off the top of my head:

Sarge: The Badge or the Cross (Sarge)
The Whole World is Watching and The Sound of Anger (Bold Ones: Lawyers)
A Clear and Present Danger (Bold Ones: Senator)
Deadlock (Bold Ones: Protectors)
Scalplock (Iron Horse)
A Pattern of Morality (Owen Marshall)
A Matter of Humanities (Marcus Welby)
The City (Man and the City)
Dial Hot Line (Matt Lincoln)
The Psychiatrist: God Bless the Children (The Psychiatrist)
San Francisco International (San Francisco International Airport)
Ironside
Tenafly
The Female Instinct (Snoop Sisters)
The D.A.: Murder One & The D.A.: Conspiracy to Kill (The D.A.)

Tons of others, but I don't have time now to list them all. Not to mention the fact that loads of TV movies were pilots which didn't sell.

Thanks for even mentioning and remembering "Dial Hot Line" (Matt Lincoln). Warner Archive told me they would release it if they owned it. Am i correct in saying that NBCUniversal, the least consumer friendly distributor, owns it?

 

[Neil Brock]

Thanks for even mentioning and remembering "Dial Hot Line" (Matt Lincoln). Warner Archive told me they would release it if they owned it. Am i correct in saying that NBCUniversal, the least consumer friendly distributor, owns it?

Yes, and it was syndicated in the 80s in one of their many movie packages but I don't recall it showing up anywhere.

 

[John*Wells]

there was a 1954 Dragnet Film as well Which I purchased 2 years ago.

https://www.amazon.com/Dragnet-Jack...F8&qid=1538568713&sr=8-5&keywords=dragnet+dvd