Naked City (1958–1963) User Reviews (38)

When television was first rate

[eronavbj-1 · 8/10 · 29 March 2008]

This one is the kind of series that made early TV the first rate entertainment is was (but seldom is today). Naked City was also the fertile ground wherein the show "Route 66" was also born. One of the early episodes--"Four Sweet Corners"--was about two young guys who teamed up to go against a neighborhood gang. Those two (played by Bobby Morris and George Maharis) would be the catalyst for the Route 66 series, except Bobby Morris died unexpectedly, so Martin Milner starred opposite Maharis in Route 66.

Actress Lois Nettleton, one of the guest stars on Naked City, explained why the show was so well done, saying that it, "..focused on the atmosphere and reality of the people involved in the story. It was more personal." She is right. They just don't put this kind of effort into dramatic shows today. The star of this show was actually the streets New York City. You can't beat that kind of casting.

For a good take on the series, I recommend Jim Rosin's book, "Naked City, The Television Series." Then get some DVDs of the show and see why it was ahead of its time.

New York and its people were the real stars

[thebuckguy · 8/10 · 22 December 2007]

As others have noted, Naked City was essentially an anthology series (a now gone genre that was common in the late 50s/early 60s), rather than a "police procedural". The scripts varied in quality and some veered a bit too much toward the sentimentality and sanctimony that passed for quality television in the show's era. Nonetheless, it provided many sides of New York and probably showed off the city better than any subsequent New York-based show. "Naked City" was put together by many of the same people responsible for "Route 66", which was the yin to this show's yang--restless loners who went everywhere (rather than cops rooted in New York) and and served up a similar range of characters in places all over the country, with similar kinds of scripts. Whatever the limits of the writing, the show was well-acted and had strong regulars, as well as a range of guest stars and bit players that seems amazing from our vantage point in the present.

Regarding previous comments: The city has changed less than one might expect in the last few decades. I rented a DVD that included a scene at 3rd Ave & 68th St. A few days before, I happened to be in that area--except for one corner, much of the area looks much as it did in that 1961 episode. As for the "diversity" of the show and NYC: New York in 1960 had a much smaller proportion of minorities than cities such as Cleveland, Chicago, St. Louis, Washington DC, etc. Also, the big drug-fueled crime wave of the late 60s to the 80s had not begun and the racial disparity in arrests and incarceration was not as large as it has become in the present day. African Americans lived in Harlem, but also middle class sections of Queens and economically mixed areas of Brooklyn; it was never as ghettoized as many other places such as LA or Chicago and there was a significant middle class. In 1960, New York still was very much a city of Irish, Italian, & Jewish immigrants and their descendants, with healthy doses of Greeks, Eastern European gentiles, Scandinavians, and others. In addition, the show's occasional African-American guest star or even its inclusion of Black faces in crowds were radical steps for their time and the sort of thing that engendered sponsor resistance. Even after the passage of Civil Rights laws, Black faces were rare on television. Naked City was far ahead of its time, even if it seems anachronistic now. Pontiac may have been a sponsor, which would explain the 4 door hardtops (top of the line cars in their day) for the cops and old Fords for the perps. OTOH, location filming was novel and has never been cheap, so the expendable perp cars would have been potential junkers.

My guess is that "Naked City" was popular among everyday police officers for the same reason that "Barney Miller" was--it humanized the individual cop, showed the tedium of their job, and portrayed the world of odd and unexplainable characters that filled their day. It's doubtful that anyone would want to identify with the likes of Andy Sipowicz (NYPD Blue), even he that seems more realistic to a TV viewer.

All about the background

[arieliondotcom · 9/10 · 23 June 2007]

The real fun of this film isn't the acting or the story, it's the background. To travel into a time machine and see non-actors going about their daily lives in so many scenes, unaware that they are being filmed (you wonder if there was some 'splaining to do, Lucy, when people were filmed where they shouldn't have been or with people they shouldn't have been with). As a younger (cough, cough) member of a New York family (and I'm Italian so take "family" however you like...I miss the Sopranos already...) it was great to literally see the "old stomping grounds" that my brothers and sisters and parents knew and saw every day.

Others may enjoy the story, but for me, it's all about the background. A great city, unaware of being observed.

Finely wrought time capsules of a bygone New York

[luciferjohnson · 8 October 2003]

Few TV shows in history sustained such a high level of acting, production and writing. Naked City was a showcase for up-and-coming stage actors, such as Robert Duvall, Dustin Hoffman, Robert Redford, Ed Asner--the list goes on and on. But leads--Burke, McMahon and Bellaver--were superb. Some episodes were nothing short of breathtaking. A good example is "Hold for Gloria Christmas," starring Burgess Meredith as a Greenwich Village poet. It was filmed entirely in the Village, and the cast included Herschel Bernardi, Eileen Heckhart and--a real treat for theater buffs--a rare appearance by the famed acting teacher and Group theater veteran Sanford Meisner. The best episodes were like that--character studies, filmed in the early Sixties, finely wrought time capsules of a New York that no longer exists.

A masterpiece of TV crime dramas unequaled today

[carmike · 10/10 · 22 May 2001]

I came across "Naked City" three years ago when the series was aired on German television for the first time, to my knowledge. Since it was shot in black-and-white, the show got only a dismal slot in the early morning hours, running always between three and five a.m. Thank God for videotape recorders. Not knowing what to expect, I was stunned the very first time I watched a "Naked City" recording. Here was a crime drama show that was intelligently written, expertly produced, with first-class acting and excellent on-location photography. A show with actors that look like real people, a show that keeps you glued to your chair without having to resort to the eternal mindless shootouts and car chases modern TV series seem unable to do without. Even after being dubbed in German, which normally detracts from the qualities of a show, it was still a joy to watch. Whenever the show was on, I went to great lengths to record it, gladly adding another episode to my video archives. "Naked City" is a real treasure that proves that television does not necessarily cater only to the needs of people unable to follow an intricate plot. I will keep these "Naked City" videos forever.

Best TV show ever made!!!

[inframan · 10/10 · 15 November 1999]

There was no episode of this show that wasn't riveting & first rate. Every NY-based (I'm NY-based & have been off & on since I was a kid) cop show ever made from Kojak through Law & Order & NYPD Blue is totally derivative of Naked City. Interesting that for the first year the characters were based on the movie & they were great, but the replacements were even better. Just a brilliant brilliant show.

A TV Series Featuring: Paul Burke, James Franciscus, Nancy Malone, Horace McMahon, John McIntyre, Harry Bellevar! And Starring The One and Only, THE BIG APPLE!

[redryan64 · 10/10 · 9 March 2008]

In the Year of Our Lord 1958, the Western reigned supreme on the 3 Networks and in syndication. We once counted about 30 'Oaters' that we saw in our house that we saw on a more or less regular basis. But others genre had their stars rising in their particular Zodiacal Signs and were gaining in popularity. Cops 'n' Robbers had been a staple on TV from the earliest days; a carry over perhaps from some of those series movies like featuring the likes of CHARLIE CHAN, SHERLOCK HOLMES, BOSTON BLACKIE (Chester Morris-type), THE SAINT, THE FALCON and THE THIN MAN.

The transition to Television brought us early series like THE PLAIN CLOTHESMAN, ROCKY KING (with Roscoe Karns and his Son, Todd Karns) BOSTON BLACKIE (Kent Taylor-type), MAN AGAINST CRIME (with Ralph Bellamy as Mike Barnett) and even an early DICK TRACY (with, who else? Ralph Byrd). A little later some new waves of Cop/Detective shows came along. We saw titles like PERRY MASON (oooh! A Lawyer!), THE THIN MAN TV (with Peter Lawford & Phyllis Kirk), CHECKMATE (Anthony George, Doug McClure, Sebastian Cabot), PETER GUN (Blake Edwards' brainchild with Craig Stevens, Lola Albright & Herschell Bernardi) MANNIX (Mike 'Touch' Conners) and Warner Brothers' Cloned Series of 77 SUNSET STRIP, HAWAIIN EYE, BOURBON STREET BEAT and SURFSIDE SIX.

There were others, but as one TV Columnist we recall in the Chicago American had observed, it got to a point where all of the good police work being done on our TV screens was done by the Private "I's". The 'Flatfoot' on the Beat was mostly being portrayed as the helpers.

This was all to change and the likes of Jack Webb's DRAGNET and RACKET SQUAD would struggle to get to the pinnacle; but by the 1970's regular Policeman, be they uniformed or plainclothesmen, were rising to be the top. They soon would be the one program type to fill in so much of the programming schedules. They were in a sense, "the New Westerns." One of the main reasons, other than Mr. Jack Webb's efforts that we have enjoyed our HILL STREET BLUES, HOMICIDE, NYPD BLUE and LAW & ORDER group is the quality displayed and subsequent success of NAKED CITY (Shielle Productions/Screen Gems TV, 1958-63).

The idea for the Series sprang from Mark Hellinger's NY specific crime drama, THE NAKED CITY (Hellinger Productions/Universal Pictures, 1948) In it the drama of murder, the primary investigation and follow-up, all play out against the back-drop of what is (I being a super-sensitive Chicagoan) doubtless the greatest city in the World. Never before had a movie set in NY been filmed completely there and on such a grand scale; using the best settings in the 5 Burroughs as the most magnificent scenery of an urban nature anywhere; as well as the use of countless thousands, or even millions of extras.

There was very in common between the Film and the Series; although James Franciscus did portray the Detective Jimmy Halloran, who was Don Taylor's character in the film. And Mr. Franciscus was in the 1st Season's Episodes; which were only ½ Hour in Length and seemed to meet with only Luke warm response from the public. The series was on hiatus for the next season of 1959-60; only to return as an hour long series in the 1960-61 season. But Paul Burke as Det. Adam Flint replaced James Franciscus as the lead.

It seems that the hour long episodes put the series over the top; perhaps allowing more time for characterization, plot development and good old shoot-em-up Action! In retrospect, we can only say that NAKED CITY has proved to be one of the finest Dramas in TV History, Cop Show or not. Now ain't it grand that Hindsight is always 20-20?

Greatest Detective Show Of All Time

[phylladel · 10/10 · 25 December 2010]

As a kid, I watched the premier of Naked City on TV and instantly fell in love with it. Watched every episode from the first season of half-hour shows to the three seasons of hour-long episodes. Everything about the show was great but what has forever been etched in my memory were the three hauntingly beautiful theme songs of this series. There was the original, "This Is The Naked City" written by George Duning. The second theme, which initiated the hour-long episodes, was "Naked City Theme", aka "Somewhere In The Night" by Billy May. The theme for the final season was "The New Naked City Theme" by Nelson Riddle. They were all gorgeous pieces of music that added to the powerful character of the series. The great scripting, gritty photography and memorable music make this my all-time favorite show of any kind.

A classic

[jameselliot-1 · 8/10 · 22 September 2007]

My uncle worked as an electrician on Naked City and my father was friendly with the very talented Paul Burke (Adam Flint). Watching some episodes on Image's DVD set, it struck me how bizarre and outre Naked City really was. I hadn't seen the show since I was a boy. I remembered the fantastic photography, the crisp, beautifully lit black & white compositions and the documentarian style of the cinematography. There was an amazing power in the way the photographers captured the gritty, grimy, gloomy city streets filled with crumbling tenements and garish storefronts, made all the more depressive by the black & white camera-work. (When they shot street scenes, you could see people gathering in the background, staring into the camera.) Instead of a realistic police procedural, NC's overly dramatic scripts, oddball characters and off-Broadway theatrical dialogue came close to surrealism. It's great to see at least a few episodes on DVD.

Riviting stories

[dicmar_rot · 10/10 · 3 February 2006]

I recently saw a picture of James Franciscus in reading a local TV news magazine. I instantly remembered the series "Naked City". I could not miss an episode when he and actor John Mcintire starred together. They absolutely worked great together. I remember how disappointed I was when they left the series. That was forty-eight years ago. I was fifteen years old at the time. For me,their work together never became routine. I remember the show through Lt.Muldoon mentoring James Franciscus's character. That was the heart of each story. The beginning of the show was always prefaced by the narrator saying "There are eight million stories in this city,this is one of them. It is great to have a chance to comment on these two actors.

Naked and Alive In New York City

[StrictlyConfidential · 7/10 · 23 July 2018]

(*TV show quote*) - "There are 8 million stories in the Naked City. This has been one of them."

If you enjoy watching 1950's TV Crime/Dramas like "Dragnet" and "The Untouchables" - Then - "Naked City" is sure to be right up your alley when it comes to its overall entertainment-value.

Yes. At times - These 1-hour, b&w episodes did lay it on pretty thick with the element of soap opera. But, that aside - The show's strive towards gritty realism and hard-edged drama was, often-enough, sufficient to hold my interest (for the most part).

What I also liked about "Naked City" was its use of plenty of outdoor location shooting on the streets of NYC. As well - The regular cast of this show (and the guest stars) usually put in fairly convincing portrayals of their characters.

nyc

[aimless-46 · 10/10 · 3 April 2008]

The 138 episodes (all in B&W) of the police drama "Naked City" were originally broadcast on ABC from 1958-1963. The series started in a 30-minute format (39 episodes), took a year long break and return in a 60-minute format. The series was filmed in the old Biograph Studios in the Bronx, famous as the studio where D.W. Griffith got his start.

Image Entertainment's 3 DVD release "Naked City - Set 1" contains an assortment of twelve of the hour-long episodes from seasons 2 and 3. The titles, episode numbers, and original air-dates are detailed below.

Although the title makes it sound like a racy exploitation series it is actually the total opposite. Many consider this gritty crime drama the best ever of its genre and the title reflects a focus on stripping away the glamor off NYC and exposing its ugly inside; at least to the extent that they could get away with on broadcast television during those years.

"Naked City" is a follow-up to the 1948 film noir feature of the same name. Both movie and television series utilized extensive location shooting and they definitely have a different feel than the Hollywood product of that era. Also unusual was featuring jazz music by Billy May and Nelson Riddle.

The show never stopped changing its cast, it was a bit like "Police Story" in this regard as it made its guest stars (it drew a lot of big names from Broadway) the show's greatest asset.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

22 March 1961: (2-20) The Fault in Our Stars; 12 April 1961: (2-22) A Memory of Crying; 17 May 1961: (2-27) Make-Believe Man; 21 June 1961: (2-32) Take and Put; 18 October 1961 (3-4) The Fingers of Henri Tourelle; 15 Nov 1961: (3-7) Which Is Joseph Creely?; 6 Nov 1961: (3-10) Requiem for a Sunday Afternoon; 13 Dec 1961: (3-11) Ooftus Goofus; 3 Jan 1962: (3-13) The Face of the Enemy; 24 Jan 1962: (3-16) The Contract; 14 Feb 1962: (3-19) Let Me Die Before I Wake; 28 Feb 1962: (3-20) To Walk Like a Lion

Frank Serpico would not have been amused.

[revtg1-2 · 6/10 · 20 December 2006]

An odd show, if you watch it closely. First of all, it ran from 1958 until 1963 and it was about honest cops in New York City. It had some great performers, but some of the scripts, especially those done by Sterling Silliphant, were a little pretentious bordering on klutzy. Not as stilted, formulated, pretentious or klutzy as Dragnet, but borderline. The other thing interesting is in the episodes done in 1961 the detectives drove brand new Oldsmobiles and Pontiacs but the blue suits guys drove 1953-54 Fords. In one episode the mean hit man, whose speciality was killing people with a car, drove a 1950 or 1951 Buick chasing the cops who were in a 1950 Oldsmoblie. Now that's low budget. The character of the main focus, a hard working detective played by James Franciscus, is a little too introspective and self doubting to be a good New York street cop. The same demeanor was carried on by Paul Burke. A cop in New York with those kinds of hang ups would have lasted about one month. New York City, even in those days, was a lot more interesting than the show is able to present it. No real New York native characters. Just the mysterious Emerald City and hard working, deticated public servant cops putting it all on the line. That and Wheaties is as all-American as in got on TV back then. Good show for car buffs who like to see the old machines in action again, though.

Gritty but flawed

[jdc121 · 5/10 · 21 November 2019]

Decades before Dick Wolf brought us the "Law and Order" franchise, "Naked City" took to the streets of New York and gave us a gritty look at the day-to-day lives of the officers of the NYPD. Much like the original "Law and Order", "Naked City" focused mostly on the detectives who investigated major crimes. L&O had its Lenny Briscoe, NC had its Frank Arcaro, both grizzled veterans of the police force. Also similar in personality were NC's Lt. Mike Parker and L&O's DA Adam Schiff.

Much of the action was filmed on the actual streets of the city during all four seasons, adding to its realism. Again, L&O followed suit decades later.

Where "Naked City" fell down, however, was with the inclusion (from the 2nd season forward) of Detective Adam Flint and his Boy Scout persona. This character was pretty unbelievable and his "Kissy Face and Huggy Bear" routine with his Girl Scout fiance Libby really took away from the enjoyment of the rest of the series.

On the whole, "Naked City" is well worth your time, but it's really sad that the writers decided to include such stomach-turning characters in an otherwise excellent show.

Just absolutely one of the best

[ggrg408 · 22 March 2006]

I wholeheartedly agree with everything said about the show.It was absolutely one of the best ever, cop or no cop TV show. Even the title of each show was original and brilliant IMO. The show stands out even more after being subjected to all the drivel shown nowadays.Even though color hadn't come full circle at that time, I think the b/w format just added to the whole personality of the show and characters. I've got to add to my collection.Stirling Shilliphant was one of the geniuses behind the show's success no doubt.Someone mentioned that Leonard was the narrator but I think Paul Brees narrated most of the shows.His voice-over was a perfect fit too. In fact I can't think of anything that wasn't "perfect". The casting was terrific, the story lines, the on- location shots of Gotham,the title of each show...I could go on and on. The regular detectives actually looked and acted like real detectives compared to what they show today. It may be partly nostalgia but watching the video reminded me of why I liked it so much even back then.

Top series

[searchanddestroy-1 · 10/10 · 15 March 2018]

I will never get tired of watching the episodes of this TV show. It's film noir, drama, never comedy, focusing of many interesting characters to whom so many tragedies occur. You deal here with so smart, intelligent stories, moving topics in the line of ROUTE 66 Tv show. Social schemes are shown with many details: loneliness, vengeance, unemployement, and the NY city surroundings enhance this urban jungle atmosphere. You find gangsters, hired killers, Nazis, ex soldiers normal folks like you and me, rotten cops, poor dudes in whom to can recognize yourself. But I warn you, this is dark, gritty, sometimes violent and gloomy, desperate and depressing to watch. Realistic at the most. Watch it at all cost.

This Is The Best Of The Best

[he88 · 10/10 · 5 December 2019]

The Naked City is great on so many levels. First like the Twilight Zone we see several big name stars like Robert Duval at the start of their Carreras (I own the complete DVD set I know he is different characters on at least two episodes). It's also a great glimps at New York City in the early 1960's. The one thing that really stood out was the lack of congestion on the streets. Main streets and freeways didn't look too bad and some side streets had little to no traffic at all. That and just so many shots of New York makes it a bit of fun history.

As for the series itself. Each episode is a stand alone so you don't need to know what happened before. These cops are tough because they are going up against tough criminals, but it all seems plausible and not ripped from a cheap dime novel. I really like this series. Between the "Naked City" "and the "Untouchables" series I have the Chicago and NY crime waves from the 30's to the 60's covered

One of the best cop shows of the genre from the golden age of television...the Emmy award winning "Naked City"

[rcj5365 · 9/10 · 20 December 2013]

Few shows in television history have sustained a high level of directing as well as acting,production and writing. The anthology series "Naked City" was one example of just how fine a great television series was during that time. "Naked City" produced by Sterling Silliphant and Herbert B. Leonard under his production company Shelle Productions for Screen Gems Television/ABC-TV ran for four seasons on the air with the exception of it's first season which lasted one season and 39 episodes that aired from its premiere on September 30,1958 until June 23,1959. It was the first series to be filmed on location within New York City and was in classic black and white with locations filmed at the Biograph Studios and in sections of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island and other areas. During the 1958-1959 season the two principal players was James Franciscus and John McIntyre. This half-hour version of "Naked City" was canceled by ABC after one season. Then on October 12,1960,an hour long version of "Naked City" premiered with Paul Burke and Horace McMahon replacing James Franciscus and John McIntyre. This hour long version lasted three seasons producing 99 episodes,all in classic black and white that aired from October 12,1960 until May 29,1963. In all,a total of 138 episodes were produced for ABC.

During the show's fantastic run,it included some of the best writers and best actors in television history and it shows in the Four Prime-Time Emmys it won for Best Drama Series (1959,1961,1962,1963),and was nominated for three Golden Globes as Best Prime-Time Drama Series in 1962.

The best writers for this series came from Frank R. Pierson to Barry Trivers, Howard Rodman, Richard Levinson, Ivan Goff, Ben Roberts, to Sy Salkowitz, Stanley Kallis, Sterling Silliphant, Charles Beaumont, Alvin Sargent, Ken Kolb among others who contribute to some of the great episodes.

Some of the best top-notch directors ranging from newcomers like Sydney Pollack to Richard Donner and future Hollywood director Arthur Hiller to such greats as David Lowell Rich, Jack Smight, William Conrad, Paul Wendkos, Bernard McEveety, Robert Gist, Paul Stanley, James Sheldon, Boris Segal, Irvin Kershner, Ralph Senensky, Harry Harris, Vincent McEveety, to Lawrence Dobkin and Marc Daniels among others. But what made the show stand out was the acting were some episodes were nothing short of breathtaking but were absolutely incredible.

This series was a showcase for up and coming actors who made their debuts here ranging from Gene Hackman, Robert Redford, Dustin Hoffman, Brock Peters, Dabney Coleman, Jessica Walter, Eli Wallach, Peter Falk, Dennis Hopper, Bruce Dern, Roddy McDowell, Martin Sheen, Diane Ladd, Christopher Walken, to Jon Voight, Robert Duvall, William Shatner, James MacArthur, Burt Reynolds, Telly Savalas, Susan Oliver, Leonard Nimoy to future up and coming actors like Sandy Dennis, James Caan, George Segal to Robert Blake, Valerie Harper, Brenda Vaccaro, Greg Morris, to Ivan Dixon and Vic Morrow. Others were Suzanne Pleshette, Felicia Farr, Jack Klugman, Burgess Meredith, Godfrey Cambridge, Jack Lord, Leslie Nielsen, to Gilbert Roland, Carroll O' Connor, David Janssen, Cicely Tyson, Hari Rhodes, Ricardo Montalban to others like Barry Morse, Jan Sterling, Janice Rule, Piper Laurie, Diahann Carroll, to guest stars Jo Van Fleet, Edward Asner, Richard Basehart, Constance Ford, to others like Herschel Bernardi, Eileen Heckhart, James Coburn, Dick York, Maureen Stapleton, Robert Culp, Cliff Robertson, Robert Vaughn to Lee Grant, Charles Bronson, Lois Nettleton, Walter Matthau, Sylvia Sidney, to George Maharis, Martin Milner, Mark Goddard, Glenn Corbett, Barbara Eden, George C. Scott, Barbara Harris, James Earl Jones, and a rare appearance by the famed acting teacher Sanford Meisner and one episode had a rare guest star appearance featuring Dorothy Dandridge. The show also had the rare occasion for actors who were just starting out and one episode had future television actors Conrad Bain and Franklin Cover in small roles along with future Oscar winning actress Faye Dunaway in bit parts.

"Naked City" was a series that featured a "ethnicity" of fine acting in various roles and for an anthology drama it did not stray away from several subject matters even though this was one of the great cop shows ever produced from television's golden age.

Terrific show has lots to offer!

[jolem53 · 8/10 · 3 May 2012]

I've watched a dozen or so episodes and I am very much impressed. The episodes I've seen are the hour-long ones, so they are from the second season or later. For starters, this is a real 'who's who' of guest stars. I just watched an episode from 1962 starring a young William Shatner playing a Burmese Buddhist. It seems every show I've seen has one or several big-name actors.

Good acting, good writing. There is certainly a grittiness to this show. Ahead of its' time in some ways. I very much enjoy this title. I catch the shows on 'RTV,' which stands for Retro TV. Watched I Spy, Route 66, other old shows. Naked City however, is a real hoot. I have IMDb open as a watch the shows. Blows me away all the guest actors they have. Good stuff!

A Great Show From a Different Time...

[SamHardy · 10/10 · 29 November 2013]

Not every great actor gets to be recognized for great work. Most of the good actors working today have names most of us will never know. But there was a time when TV was THE place to showcase you talents as an actor. The 1950's and 1960's provided tons of actors chances to show what they could do, and many went on to become well known names. But most of them , for reasons that were not their fault, practiced their art in relative obscurity.

That's why I love watching shows like The Naked City. Yes Virginia, there was a golden time when great writing and really fine acting made TV such a pleasure to watch.

Back then producers had much more time to develop characters and situations because an hour show like The Naked City had far fewer interruptions for commercials. An hour show really was pretty close to an hour.

Every time I watch an episode of this fine program I am reminded of just how much change has not been kind to TV. Now a days it's really hard to find good writing and good acting on prime time TV. Constant interruptions for commercials and flashy graphics have distracted us from developing plot lines that people can relate to. The stories in The Naked City were about real people in situations that almost anyone could relate to.

I Just finished watching a fine episode that featured Jack Warden and Carol O'Connor. O'Connor would go on to star in All In The Family but he was doing fine dramatic work in TV and movies long before that. And sadly, Jack Warden is still a name most people draw a blank on.

I love those dramatic shows from the 50s and 60s. You just don't see those kind of lovingly crafted shows anymore. Too bad....

Best New York Police Stories

[agbertgra · 10/10 · 14 November 2022]

All our great actors work here. Anyone who played broadway and went to Hollywood did an hour on this show.

It gives me great pleasure to watch great thoughtfully written stories.

Themes that relate to todays sad and wonderful time.

From the beginning with James Fransiscus to Paul Burke, we see honest people working. Criminals with lives we don't want to live, innocent people believing lies at the attempt at happiness.

The poor and rich tempted to the other side. Mistakes made and violence. A persons nightmare at the inability to support a family.

The pathetic lives of normal people with heart breaking problems. Their desperate account of trying to survive.

And the police who do their job and care about people of New York City.

Before my time, this show floored me

[jeremy3 · 10/10 · 7 November 2013]

Growing up watching all the tv shows and movies of the 70s when this show came to classic TV I nearly fainted during every episode. Dustin Hoffman's first role I knew of was in 1967. Yet, here he is ten years earlier! Then, there were episodes with Jon Voigt and Christopher Walken as teens. It was a Who's Who of nearly every future star.

The other thing I like is, although I was not born in the 1950s, I knew that Happy Day and American Graffiti romanticized the decade. This TV Show was gritty. It showed destitution, poverty, and hardship that most nostalga movies and tv shows completely overlook.

The stories were great. I really liked the one where the city is on strike, and all police are sleeping on cots at the station with very little time to rest. That seems very real World to me. So, The Naked City is great because nearly episode has guest stars that were virtually unknown at the time, but now legends. Also, it was very real. You can see how it influenced later cop shows.

An NYC version of Twilight Zone

[rquisenb · 4/10 · 30 November 2006]

Loved the gritty/real Manhattan / New York City scenes – somewhat like Law and Order or NYPD Blue. The sharp picture quality on the DVD was much better than if I had watched this show originally on a 1961 television. Many top-flight actors made guest appearances, and Paul Burke, the star of the show and who later appeared in Dynasty, was great. Watched several episodes from 1961 on one DVD: The Fault In Our Stars (a pretty good classic detective story), Take and Put (a funny farce), Make Believe Man (too "dark" a story – didn't watch much of it). Stories remind me somewhat of Twilight Zone. Since Twilight Zone isn't really my cup of tea, probably won't rent any more episodes.

One of the best police dramas in television history

[JAtheDJ · 18 May 2004]

Naked City is an anthology series. Its stories are realistic and filled with compassion, pathos and immense human interest. The characters honestly portray the ambitions and emotions of people, rich and poor, living in New York.

The city is as much the star of the show as the actors. Filmed in black and white on location, the show visually captures the New York cityscape in the early 1960's, before the major building boom began.

The excellent cinematography, the forthright performances of the cast and guest performers, and the first-rate writing and direction make Naked City a gem to watch.

My Favorite Cop Show from the 60's

[comixdraw · 9/10 · 22 February 2009]

This was a great human interest police show with the "wet streets" look and feel of New York City. It had a classic film noir look reminiscent of "The Third Man" with Orson Wells. The two lead actors, Horace McMahon and Harry Bellaver were once referred to as "the two homeliest actors on television", but handsome Paul Burke (12 O'clock High?) was brought in for some contrast. I'll never forget Mickey Rooney's guest starring role as Ooftus Goofus, who would sneak into his dads supermarket after closing and change all the prices to ridiculous lows to get even with the old man. It never went into reruns, no doubt because it was shot in black and white.