Rarest dramas of the 60s (1 Viewer)

[Neil Brock]

Criteria is: no broadcast airings anywhere in the videotaping era and very few, if any, episodes circulating on 16mm film.

The Islanders, Acapulco, The Americans, The Witness, Gunslinger, Mr. Garlund, Dan Raven, Straightaway, The Investigators, Greatest Show on Earth, Redigo, Temple Houston, The Great Adventure, For the People, Slattery's People, The Reporter, Mr. Broadway, Kentucky Jones, Legend of Jesse James, Trials of O'Brien, Convoy, The Road West, The Man Who Never Was, The Danny Thomas Hour, My Friend Tony, The New People, The Survivors.

 

[Bert Greene]

Although it's from 1959-60, how about "Troubleshooters?" I've always been curious about that one. Has that one ever been around the collecting circuit all that much?

 

[Bob Gu]

I remember TROUBLESHOOTERS...Keenan Wynn on a motorcycle. I don't remember seeing the network run, but saw some episodes when it was shown in the early seventies, syndicated with another missing United Artists/MGM show from 1959-60, TALES OF THE VIKINGS.

 

[Neil Brock]

I remember TROUBLESHOOTERS...Keenan Wynn on a motorcycle. I don't remember seeing the network run, but saw some episodes when it was shown in the early seventies, syndicated with another missing United Artists/MGM show from 1959-60, TALES OF THE VIKINGS.

I didn't include the first run syndication shows as there are a bunch more series on that list. The two mentioned above, as well as Adventures of the Sea Hawk, Adventures of the Seaspray, The Beachcomber, Case of the Dangerous Robin, The Cheaters, The Blue Angels, King of Diamonds, Miami Undercover, World of Giants, Best of the Post, Pony Express and Two Faces West.

 

[Vic Pardo]

Criteria is: no broadcast airings anywhere in the videotaping era and very few, if any, episodes circulating on 16mm film.

The Islanders, Acapulco, The Americans, The Witness, Gunslinger, Mr. Garlund, Dan Raven, Straightaway, The Investigators, Greatest Show on Earth, Redigo, Temple Houston, The Great Adventure, For the People, Slattery's People, The Reporter, Mr. Broadway, Kentucky Jones, Legend of Jesse James, Trials of O'Brien, Convoy, The Road West, The Man Who Never Was, The Danny Thomas Hour, My Friend Tony, The New People, The Survivors.

The only show in your list (and in this entire thread) that I may have seen an episode of is "Mr. Broadway" (1964). At the very least, I remember being aware of it and it being on when I could have watched it. Plus, I was a fan of Craig Stevens, probably from seeing episodes of "Peter Gunn" when I was a kid, which seems kind of unlikely in retrospect, but I must have.

I'm intrigued by the fact that the female lead in "Mr. Broadway" is Asian, the character of Toki played by Lani Miyazaki, whom I've not previously heard of and who had a sparse, intermittent career in the 1960s. That was quite a rarity back then. While there were plenty of Asian actresses who regularly guest-starred in shows (Lisa Lu, Nobu McCarthy, France Nuyen, Nancy Kwan, Irene Tsu, etc.), I can't think of any who actually starred in a series before Miyoshi Umeki in "The Courtship of Eddie's Father" (1969). (Lisa Lu was a regular on one season of "Have Gun Will Travel," but it was quite a small part.) I'd love to see some episodes of "Mr. Broadway" mainly to see what kind of role Toki was.

 

[jperez]

The Canadian series Wojeck, starring John Vernon, was a big hit in its home country and I'm sure it was exported and even dubbed into Spanish, because I remember seeing it in Puerto Rico. I remember it as a great, gritty and realistic series about a coroner, and it's said that it served as a clear inspiration for Quincy and the like. One thing I remember impressing me very much at the time was that in an episode Vernon's character is assaulted and hit on the head, and after that we see him in a wheelchair, coming out of the hospital and taking his time to go back into action. I found it very refreshing and probably much more true to life than the usual fare of action heroes going right back to the fire after being hit or even taking a bullet or two.
Another thing... I think it was also one of the first TV series to feature female frontal nudity at the time.

 

[Tom.W]

Another one that started in 1959 and ran for a couple of seasons is Manhunt. Also Shannon (1961) but there are probably too many episodes on 16mm to qualify for Neil's criteria.

 

[Rick Thompson]

The American history series, The Great Adventure. Great Richard Rodgers theme.