Top 10 TV Reporter dramas (1 Viewer)

[Neil Brock]

Lou Grant
Saints and Sinners
The Reporter
Target: The Corrupters
The Andros Targets
Capital News
The Roaring 20s
Wire Service
The Big Story
New York News

 

[mattCR]

There really aren't that many that ever aired that would qualify as real dramas I would consider solid. I mean, if you think about it, you're listing Lou Grant but there are a lot of comedy elements to that; and some of the best really were more comedy oriented. "Murphy Brown" as an example. If we extend it to broadcast media, "NewsRadio".

As much as I disliked/thought it went overboard, HBO's "NewsRoom" would be one of the few that qualifies.

 

[mark-edk]

I don't know if I could list ten, but my #1 would be Kolchak: The Night Stalker. Maybe Lois & Clark would find its way onto the list too.

 

[MCCLOUD]

I agree with Mark in that Kolchak The Night Stalker would be #1 on my list!
Take Care!
Robert

 

[Professor Echo]

LOU GRANT started out strong, but became very preachy and self righteous as it went along, possibly taking a cue from CBS' stalwart MASH which blazed that trail. Also it was so unrealistic with seemingly only two reporters and a single photographer working for a major metropolitan newspaper, to coin a phrase. And all three characters were superior acting, arrogant, selfish and childish, which WAS realistic as many in the news media are just that, but it certainly didn't make for very sympathetic regulars on a weekly series.

 

[PatrickGoodluck]

I agree with others here about Kolchak: The Night Stalker. Also Saints and Sinners deserves to be up the top of the list which starred the late great Nick Adams. Wonderful show and much underrated. I've only seen a clip of The Reporter but would be very interested in seeing this show in full.

 

[Neil Brock]

I agree with Mark in that Kolchak The Night Stalker would be #1 on my list!
Take Care!
Robert

I love Kolchak but I think of it more as a scifi show.

 

[Gary OS]

Originally Posted by Professor Echo /t/326065/top-10-tv-reporter-dramas#post_4014495
LOU GRANT started out strong, but became very preachy and self righteous as it went along, possibly taking a cue from CBS' stalwart MASH which blazed that trail. Also it was so unrealistic with seemingly only two reporters and a single photographer working for a major metropolitan newspaper, to coin a phrase. And all three characters were superior acting, arrogant, selfish and childish, which WAS realistic as many in the news media are just that, but it certainly didn't make for very sympathetic regulars on a weekly series.

+1 on every bit of that, Glen. I hated the Lou Grant show with a passion for the very reasons you outlined. Ed Asner did nothing for me after the Mary Tyler Moore Show. Heck, he was barely tolerable in that series as it was.


Gary "not a good category/genre for me - most of those type shows were, by their very nature, pushy and preachy more times than not" O.

 

[MCCLOUD]

One of the many great things about Kolchak The Night Stalker is that it excelled at so many things-- horror, sci-fi, drama, humor, comedy, saitre! Darren McGavin gave an outstanding performance as Carl Kolchak! Even though Kolchak was only around for 2 TV Movies and 1 Season of 20 episodes Darren McGavin as Carl Kolchak is one of the greatest characters in the history of television in my opinion!
Take Care!
Robert

 

[Neil Brock]

One of the many great things about Kolchak The Night Stalker is that it excelled at so many things-- horror, sci-fi, drama, humor, comedy, saitre! Darren McGavin gave an outstanding performance as Carl Kolchak! Even though Kolchak was only around for 2 TV Movies and 1 Season of 20 episodes Darren McGavin as Carl Kolchak is one of the greatest characters in the history of television in my opinion!
Take Care!
Robert

Love the character and the 2 TV Movies. The series to me was a bit disappointing and missed Dan Curtis. I think they would have been better off not trying to do it on a weekly basis and staying with the occasional movie.

 

[Professor Echo]

I agree with Robert about the character of Kolchak and McGavin's interpretation, inseperably brilliant in conception and execution, but like Neil I also thought the series wasn't as good as the two movies. Still though it was great to see the character and the actor continue, even if the material may have been lacking at times.
One of the things that always pissed me off about THE X FILES, which was so obviously inspired by the Kolchak movies and series, was that they brought in McGavin as a guest star, but didn't have him play Kolchak. That would have been so great, but maybe it was a rights issue?

 

[Richard V]

I agree with Robert about the character of Kolchak and McGavin's interpretation, inseperably brilliant in conception and execution, but like Neil I also thought the series wasn't as good as the two movies. Still though it was great to see the character and the actor continue, even if the material may have been lacking at times.
One of the things that always pissed me off about THE X FILES, which was so obviously inspired by the Kolchak movies and series, was that they brought in McGavin as a guest star, but didn't have him play Kolchak. That would have been so great, but maybe it was a rights issue?

Most likely the case, but it would have been cool, if they had dressed McGavin in that searsucker suit and white hat, white shoes that I think he wore during the TV movies. (without actually calling him Kolchak)

 

[Neil Brock]

Most likely the case, but it would have been cool, if they had dressed McGavin in that searsucker suit and white hat, white shoes that I think he wore during the TV movies. (without actually calling him Kolchak)

Have to wonder if they even investigated the possibility. That reminds me of how on the 90s revival of Burke's Law, they brought in Anne Francis as Honey West, which had been a BL spinoff. Except on the 90s episode, they called her Honey Best!

 

[FanCollector]

My understanding was that McGavin refused to appear as Kolchak when they asked. At first he refused to appear on The X-Files at all, but then he changed his mind, but only if he played a new character.

 

[mark-edk]

When Patrick Macnee guest-starred on a Hardy Boys episode he looked just like John Steed. But to the best of my recollection they never used his name. I think he was called "S" in the credits and in the show he was referred to as 'the man with the umbrella'! At the end of the show he sees an old friend in the distance and starts off after her. 'Oh, Mrs--" he says, carefully avoiding "Peel'.

 

[Professor Echo]

Mark, that reminds me of George Lazenby's cameo in THE RETURN OF THE MAN FROM UNCLE where he was obviously reprising his role as James Bond, but that name was never mentioned.

 

[Neil Brock]

Or the first episode of the New Andy Griffith Show where many of the characters are the same from Mayberry, except for Barney, who is obviously Barney but he's never mentioned by name.