Fighting crime in the (fictional) borough of Isola
NBC-TV's 87TH PRECINCT's one-season run may have been the result of having to compete against CBS's THE DANNY THOMAS SHOW and its spinoff, THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW. Thirty episodes of "87th" aired between 9/25/61 and 4/30/62. Reruns continued until September and then it vanished, seemingly forever. This DVD release of such an obscurity is quite astonishing, and it gives us TV cop show fans a chance to see what might've been: a long, successful run, if only...
Based on the novels of Evan Hunter (aka Ed McBain), the precinct is located in an area of a fictional town that's much like Manhattan. Regular cast members: Robert Lansing (Det. Steve Carella), Ron Harper (Det. Bert Kling), Norman Fell (Det. Meyer Meyer) and Gregory Walcott (Det. Roger Havilland).
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Dawn Wells (#18) played Mary Ann on GILLIGAN'S ISLAND. Alvy Moore (#14, #25) was scatterbrained Hank Kimball on...
Another Outstanding Police Drama from the 1960s
I was happy to read about the upcoming release of the "87th. Precinct" tv series, one of the many outstanding b/w, noirish police dramas from that period. This well-done series was based on the series of books by "Ed McBain," the pseudonym of novelist/screenwriter Evan Hunter. (I met McBain/Hunter at a signing for a new 87th. Precinct novel years ago. I don't think most of the people there knew of the writer's double-identity. While most asked him about the new book, I asked him why the birds attacked Bodega Bay, since Hunter was the screenwriter for my favorite Hitchcock film: "The Birds" He seemed amused by my question.)
87th. Precinct ran for one season, (1961-1962,) Monday nights at 9 on NBC. It was prematurely cancelled by NBC the same day as the show that followed it: the classic Boris Karloff-hosted suspense drama: "Thriller." Too bad, as they were two excellent series.
87th Precinct had an excellent cast that went on to bigger things. Three years later the...
If you're a fan of Ed McBain, you'll really enjoy this!
Never mind that it's in black and white, from the early 1960s, with no special effects to speak of. It follows some of the McBain novels pretty closely and gives a nice feel for the gritty city which was a character in his 87th Precinct series. The cast is better than average; quite a few went on to notable careers. Robert Lansing is a bit more macho than the Steve Carella portrayed in the books, but it works well enough. There is some of the snarky humor, toned down for the censors but present to leaven the grim tales of murder and the like. Similarly, gruesome details are edited out - a very pleasant change from today's guaranteed bloodbaths and forensic details. If you haven't read any of the police procedurals, though, this series might not hold you in its grip, compared with later gems like "Hill Street Blues". If you're already familiar with the 87th Precinct, especially the earliest books in the series, you will really enjoy these DVDs.
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