These 90 minute to 2 hours series were mostly padding.
James tried with her Sally for the Nora/Pam vibe. I do remember these episodes though so they must have stood out from the pack. James, Walker got tiresome after a while, Schuck was overused, and Hudson was mostly charming, which he did well. Sadly, as Susan Saint James role decreased (for off screen reasons) the show increased Schuck and overused the character of Enright.Īll MCMILLAN & WIFE episodes can be found on YouTube at the moment. MCMILLAN & WIFE was not a favorite of mine but I watched the series for Sally McMillan (Susan Saint James) and Sgt Enright (John Schuck) and their “padding” scenes with the Commissioner (Rock Hudson). With any series, especially television, characters are more important than plot in bringing back viewers every week. Hoch Mini-Review by Mike Tooney: McMILLAN & WIFE (1971-77).”
Could it be “The Spy Who Didn’t Exist,” EQMM, December 1967? Any ideas?ġ7 Responses to “A TV Series / Edward D. PostScript: I must confess that I have no idea what story the third episode is based on. No more eloquent testimony against the obtuseness of Hollywood can be adduced.”
The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) lists just 9 films derived from his works (9/900 = 1 percent). Hoch was - with over 900 short stories to his credit - the movie and TV media have made virtually no use of his output. On Mystery*File a few years ago it was noted: “As prolific as Edward D. This one gets a few points for a plot twist but then loses them for being rather predictable, overlong, and just plain boring.Īnd there you have it. spy, with a “dead” espionage agent bumping off former colleagues. Teleplay: Don Mankiewicz and Gordon Cotler. Guest cast: Dana Wynter, Nehemiah Persoff, Stephen McNally, Donna Douglas, Steve Forrest, Vito Scotti, William Bryant, Ross Hagen, Catlin Adams.
“The Man Without a Face.” Season 3, Episode 4. Once again we have padding, such as the attempt on the victim’s life just after the opening credits, but it could have been worse. If memory serves, both the story and the show have the same solution. Hoch, AHMM, February 1965.Ī business executive crashes through a window in a high rise and hits the ground - over three hours later. Based on “The Long Way Down” by Edward D. Guest cast: Barbara Feldon, James Olson, Tom Bosley, Dick Haymes, Edward Andrews, Tom Troupe, John Fiedler, Barbara Rhoades. “Freefall to Terror.” Season 3, Episode 3. In both cases, the central problem is the same: How could a bullet from the accused’s gun kill the victim without him firing it - and from twenty feet away instead of inches as the forensics data show? While there is some padding, this episode doesn’t waste too much time. In Hoch’s story, it’s Captain Leopold who gets framed for murdering his ex-wife in the show it’s slightly off kilter Sgt. Based on “The Leopold Locked Room” by Edward D. Brooks, Edmond O’Brien, Lorraine Gary, Kenneth Mars, Charles Nelson Reilly, Michael Ansara, Paul Winchell, John Astin.
The results, of course, were predictably mixed. Hoch, master of the impossible crime tale, were adapted for this series. So it is something of a pleasant surprise to note that several stories by Edward D. Still, the cast was amiable even if the stories dragged. Sometimes the padding was more interesting than the story - which is hardly a recommendation - with Nancy Walker as the McMillan’s housekeeper stealing most scenes. ( Quincy had a similar premise.) McMillan & Wife was also too long, an hour and a half to two hours, inevitably leading to a lot of “padding” and “business” that had little or nothing to do with the main plot. This TV series, a star vehicle for Rock Hudson, came close to being a fantasy, what with Police Commissioner Hudson personally solving murder cases best left to the homicide detectives. Regular cast: Rock Hudson, Susan Saint James, John Schuck, Nancy Walker.