DISCOVER--the television series of Stephen J. Cannell
by jonabbott56 | Public
As the 1970s began, and several creative spirits began to reinvent certain film and TV genres that had stagnated or become outdated and redundant, western and detective cliches in particular were either swept away or parodied. The Rockford Files did a little of both for the private eye genre, starting out under the guidance of TV veteran and former pulp novelist Roy Huggins as a fairly straightforward contemporary detective series, set--as was the '70s style--in the sunlight. By the third season, writers such as Cannell, Juanita Bartlett, and David Chase (The Sopranos) had, with the willing collaboration of lead actor James Garner, while retaining the enjoyably convoluted plots, moved the series into the realm of satire and character comedy, zinging numerous well-deserving aspects of the 1970s in the process. 120 episodes, incorporating the pilot, and including several two-part stories and extra-length episodes.
Pilot and ten episodes; pilot sometimes incorporated into the series as a three-parter (!).
Pilot and 34 episodes. Also known as Black Sheep Squadron, and briefly before that, Baa Baa Black Sheep. Pilot sometimes marketed as The Flying Misfits.
Five episodes and a pilot. Dennis Dugan's youthful investigator (first introduced as an irritant in The Rockford Files) was far too annoying to hold down this series about a nerdy amateur with Chandler and Spillane fantasies.
Four episodes and a pilot. Encouraged by the moderate success of Black Sheep Squadron, Cannell and Conrad re-teamed for this rather dull and old-fashioned detective show. A major snooze.
Nine episodes and a pilot. After spending almost the entire 1970s in the Cannell-ish cowboy cop show McCloud, it was way too soon for Dennis Weaver to present himself to the public in a new cop series... especially one that wasn't anywhere near as good.
Twelve episodes and a pilot. One of Cannell's personal favourites, this Rockfordian p.i. series was just a little too quirky to catch on with a large audience.
Pilot, 42 episodes, and a dismal reboot pilot. Cannell did for American television what Stan Lee did for American comics, and so his send-up of super-hero comics was always going to be interesting, at the very least. While the production values were poor, the cast was superb, and former Rockford writers ensured the scripts and satirical elements were up to scratch.
Five episodes and a pilot. Almost immediately cancelled as soon as it went on the air, this was a brave attempt to do something different but still belongs in the WTF were they thinking column. At least it connected Cannell with Perry King for Riptide.
93 episodes and a pilot (with a different actor playing Face).
65 episodes and a pilot. Ridiculous rubbish about a vigilante judge who forces a parolee to help him bring malcontents who have exploited the legal system to justice. The likeable cast made it work, and as the series wore on, the writers spent more time avoiding the premise than using it...
Twelve episodes and a pilot. Cannell's attempt to do another A-Team. Never quite worked.
150 episodes and a pilot; several multi-part stories.
Pilot, 72 episodes including double-length reboot, and later TV movie.
Pilot and six episodes.
Pilot and 12 episodes. a second shot for Richard Grieco.
Jon is not on Facebook, but can reply to comments here, at the base of this list.
Obsessed with the popular culture of the 1960s and surrounding decades, Jon Abbott has been writing about film and TV for over thirty years in around two dozen different publications, trade, populist, and specialist. He is the author of several books, including
Irwin Allen Television Productions 1964-1970,
Stephen J. Cannell Television Productions: A History of All Series and Pilots,
The Elvis Films,
Cool TV of the 1960s: Three Shows That Changed the World, and Strange New World: Sex Films of the 1970s.
See his Amazon author's page, and his other lists on the IMDB, all under the pre-fix DISCOVER. ” - jonabbott56