THE DA
NBC/Universal/
Jack Webb /
13x30m-e /
1971
Executive Producer: Jack Webb
Crime drama series.
Exploits of a crusading district attorney.
With:- ROBERT CONRAD
HENRY MORGAN
THE DAIN CURSE
CBS/Martin Poll / 3x120m-e / 1978
Writer: Robert Lenski / Novel: Dasheill Hammett / Music: Charles Gross / Camera:
Andrew Laszlo / Director: E.W. Swackhamer
Crime drama serial.
In the 1920's a private detective finds himself
investigating a murder.
With:- JAMES COBURN /
JEAN SIMMONS /
JASON MILLER /
HECTOR ELIZONDO /
PAUL STEWART /
BEATRICE STRAIGHT /
DAVID CANARY /
PAUL HARDING /
ROLAND WINTERS
THE DAKOTAS
ABC/Warner /
19x60m-e / 1962 black and white
Western drama series.
A quartet of do-gooders fight crime after the end of
the Civil War.
With:- LARRY WARD /
JACK ELAM /
CHAD EVERETT /
MIKE GREENE
DAKTARI
CBS/MGM/Ivan Tors /
89x60m-e /
1966-69
Creator/Executive Producer: Ivan Tors / Producer: Leonard Kaufman
Drama series.
Adventures of vet Dr Marsh Tracy working in Africa.
The title is actually Swahili for Doctor and the show
was filmed in a Los Angeles Safari Park.
With:- MARSHALL THOMPSON as
Dr Marsh Tracy / CHERYL MILLER as
Paula Tracy / YALE SUMMERS as
Jack Dane / HEDLEY MATTINGLY as Hedley / HARI RHODES as
Mike Makula / ROSS HAGEN as
Bart Jason / ERIN MORAN as
Jenny Jones
DALLAS
CBS/Lorimar / 356x60m-e / 1978-91
Creator: David Jacobs /
Theme Music: Jerrold Imel / Executive Producer: Philip Caprice
Primetime
soap Dallas is probably one of the biggest soaps
ever with J.R. being one of the best known soap
characters.
Dallas was set in the Texas town of the same
name and concerned itself with the machinations
of the Ewing family who were heavily involved in
the oil business. The family were Jock (who
later died), mother Miss Ellie. sons J.R. (John
Ross) (married to the alcoholic Sue Ellen),
Bobby (married to the beautiful Pam) and Gary
(who played little part in this series but
became a major player in spin off Knots
Landing). Gary's daughter Lucy also lived with
the family at their palatial ranch South Fork.
The show became incredibly popular throughout
the world with the (almost certainly) evil J.R.
quickly becoming the star attraction. J.R. and
Bobby came into regular conflict with rival oil
man Cliff Barnes (who was Pam's brother) who
believed the Ewings had cheated his father
Digger out of his millions. Massive storylines
included the infamous 'Who Shot J.R.'
campaign (for the record it was Kristin) when
J.R.'s machinations and schemings almost
led to his death.
There was also the infamous wiping out of what
had gone in an entire season after the character
of Bobby was brought back to life (Patrick Duffy
left the show but then decided to come back -
Several new characters/storylines had been
introduced in this season which meant they had
to be abandoned on his return). Interestingly in
the spin off show Knots Landing Bobby stayed
well and truly dead. Over the years Bobby and
J.R. divorced their wives (although both later
remarried), it was also revealed that Ray Krebbs
(who ran the South Fork ranch) was in fact
Jock's illegitimate son).
Later melodramatic episodes saw J.R. placed in a
mental institution (a plot on his part that
backfired). The series finished on a fantasy
note with a strange character showing J.R. (who
was about to commit suicide) what life would
have been like for his family and friends if he
hadn't been born (very It's A Wonderful Life).
See also the spin off Knots
Landing. A prequel movie to the series called Dallas: The early Years
appeared in 1986 with Larry Hagman telling the story of his family's early days.
With:- LARRY HAGMAN as John Ross (J.R.)
Ewing / BARBARA BEL GEDDES as Eleanor Southworth (Miss Ellie) Ewing) / DONNA
REED as Miss Ellie (1984-85) / JIM DAVIS as John Ross (Jock) Ewing / PATRICK
DUFFY as Bobby Ewing / VICTORIA PRINCIPAL as Pamela Barnes Ewing / CHARLENE
TILTON as Lucy Ewing Cooper / STEVE KENALY as Ray Krebbs / LINDA GRAY as Sue
Ellen Ewing / KEN KERCHEVAL as Cliff Barnes / TINA LOUISE as Julie / DAVID WAYNE
as Willard 'Digger' Barnes (1) / KEENAN WYNN as Willard 'Digger' Barnes (2) /
TED SCHACKELFORD as Gary Ewing / JOAN VAN ARK as Valene Ewing / FERN FITZGERALD
as Marilee / MARY CROSBY as Kristin Shepard / JARED MARTIN as Dusty Farlow /
SUSAN HOWARD as Donna Culver Krebbs / TOM FUCELLO as Dave Culver / MEGAN
GALLAGHER as Louella / TYLER BANKS as John Ross Ewing III (1) / OMRI KATZ as
John Ross Ewing III (2) / JOEL FABIANI as Alex Ward / AUDREY LANDERS as Afton
Cooper / ANNE FRANCIS as Arliss Cooper / MONTE MARKHAM as Clint Ogden / HOWARD
KEEL as Clayton Farlow / MORGAN BRITTANY as Katherine Wentworth / LOIS CHILES as
Holly Harwood / PRISCILLA PRESLEY as Jenna WQade / MARTIN E. BROOKS as Edgar
Randolph / ALEXIS SMITH as Jessica Montfort / DEBORAH SHELTON as Mandy Winger /
DACK RAMBO as Jack Ewing / BARBARA CARRERA as Angelica Nero / GEORGE CHAKARIS as
Nicholas / SHEREE J. WILSON as APRIL STEVENS / STEVE FORREST as Ben Stivers/Wes
Parmalee / JACK SCALIA as Nicholas Pearce / GEORGE KENNEDY as Carter McKay / IAN
McSHANE as Don Lockwood / KIMBERLY FOSTER as Michelle Stevens / GAYLE HUNNNICUT
as Vanessa Beaumont / LESLEY-ANNE DOWN as Stephanie Rogers / SHANNON WILCOX as
Anita
DAN AUGUST
ABC/Quinn Martin /
26x60m-e /
1970-71
Producer: Adrian Samish
Crime drama series.
Police detective Dan August tackles his cases out in sunny California (Santa
Louisa to be precise).
With:- BURT REYNOLDS as
Dan August /
RICHARD ANDERSON as Chief George Untermeyer /
NORMAN FELL as Detective Sergeant Charles Wilentz / NED ROMERO as Det Joe Rivera
/ ENA HARTMANN as Katy Grant
DANGER THEATRE
Fox/Universal / 7x30m-e / 1993
11 July - 22 August
Creator/Executive Producers: Robert Woltershorff,
Penelope Spheeris,
Greg Beeman, Mark Jean
Comedy. An anthology featuring two spoof shows. The Searcher (about a lone biker, helping people in need) and Hawaii
Five-O spoof Tropical Punch.
With:- ROBERT VAUGHAN as Host / THE
SEARCHER DEIDRICH BADER as
The Searcher /
TROPICAL PUNCH ADAM WEST as
Capt Mike Morgan / BILLY NORRISSETTE as
Det Tom McCormick / PETER NAVY TUIASOSOPO as
Det Al Hamoki
DANIEL BOONE
NBC/Arcola/Fesspar/ Fox /
165x60m-e /
1964-70
Executive Producers: Aaron Spelling, Aaron Rosenberg /
Theme Music: The Imperials
Western drama series.
Exploits of Kentucky frontiersman Daniel Boone. See also Young
Dan'l Boone.
With:- FESS PARKER as
Daniel Boone / ALBERT SALMI as Yodkin / ED AMES as Mingo / PATRICIA BLAIR as
Rebeca Boone
THE DANNY KAYE SHOW
CBS/Dena Pictures /
124x60m-e /
1963-67
Producers: Perry Lafferty, Robert Scheerer
Entertainment.
Variety, music and sketch show with film star Danny
Kaye, also offering regular support was Harvey Korman
DAN RAVEN
NBC/Columbia /
43x60m-e / 1960 black and white
Crime drama series.
Exploits of a Sunset Strip based detective.
Dan Raven......................................... SKIP HOMEIER
DANTE
NBC/Four Star /
26x30m-e / 1960 black and white
Drama series.
Stories of a semi-shady nightclub owner, the character
had previously appeared in an episode of Four Star
Playhouse.
With:- HOWARD DUFF as Dante
DARK
ANGEL
Fox-Cameron-Eglee / 1x120m-e x60m-e / 2000
Executive Producers: James
Cameron, Charles Eglee
Scifi drama. Sometime in the
future the genetically altared female Max roams San Francisco (devastated by
War) looking for her fellow genetically altared buddies whilst being pursued by
the military.
With:- Jessica Alba as Sara
Rutherds - Max / Alimi Ballard as Herbal Thought / Nicole Bilderback as Brin /
Jennifer Blanc as Kendra / Richard Gunn as Sketchy / William Gregory Lee as Zach
/ J. C. MacKenzie as Normal / Valarie Rae Miller as Cindy / John Savage as
Lydeker / Michael Weatherly as Logan Cale - Eyes Only
THE DARK SECRET OF HARVEST HOME
MCA/Universal / 1x120m-e 1x145m-e / 1978
Writer: Jack Guss / Novel: Harvest Home by Thomas Tyron / Producer: Jack Laird /
Director: Leo Penn
Spooky serial.
A family move from the city to the 'sticks' and find
themselves caught in Witchcraft and demonology.
With:- BETTE DAVIS /
DAVID ACKROYD /
JOANNA MILES /
ROSANNA ARQUETTE /
RENE AUBERJONOIS
DARK
SHADOWS
ABC-Dan Curtis Prod / 1225x30m-e
/ 1966-71 (First Episode: 27 June 1966)
Creator:
Dan Curtis
Soap
Operas don't come much more bizarre than Dark
Shadows, in fact its safe to say that it was
probably the worlds first supernatural soapie.
Intended to be that way from the start the
series began with Victoria Winters arriving in
the town of Collinsport, Maine to act as a
governess for David Collins at the family home
of Collinwood.
The
show really picked up with the arrival of Barnabas Collins on 14 April 1967,
Barnabas just
happened to be a centuries old vampire of course
and with his coming the show began to move into
the realms of time travel with for months
sometimes the action shifting to the
1700's.
Big plotlines included Dr Julia Hoffman trying
to rid Barnabas of his 'curse'; Victoria Winters
being transported back to 1795 and later going
insane. Another vampire Angelique also arrived
in 1968 to play a major role and then later in
the year Werewolf Chris Jennings also appeared.
In 1969 a major storyline involved Barnabas
travelling back to 1897 to try and help a
werewolf descendant Quentin Collins. The last
two years of the show featured many parallel
time storylines showing what might have happened
if the characters had made different choices.
The show was pretty popular for most of its run
and even garnered a top twenty hit single in
1968 with 'Quentin's Theme'. There were also two
feature film spin offs House of Dark
Shadows (1970) and Night of Dark
Shadows (1971) and also in 1991 the
series underwent a brief revival on NBC with Ben
Cross as Barnabas and Lysette Anthony as
Angelique.
Dark Shadows was videotaped rather than
broadcast live, so all of the episodes are still
extant but one thing the show got a reputation
for was its on-air bloopers or gaffes, this was
because the ABC execs of the time were heavy
into cost cutting and refused to allow retakes,
also the show was pretty effects laden (effects
which often went wrong it must be said). The
show ended on 2 April 1971, it had been getting
lower ratings for awhile and it was decided to
replace it with a revival of the quiz show
"Password". Many viewers were most
upset and there were hundreds of letters of
protest to TV Guide who took the step of
commissioning Sam Hall to write an article tying
up all the loose ends left by the ending of the
show. There is still an active fan club and
there have numerous books and websites devoted
to the show too.
The show has been seen in syndication since the
late seventies and is also a regular part of the
scifi channel's line up.
With:- JONATHAN FRID as Barnabas
Collins / JOAN BENNETT as Elizabeth/Judith Collins / NANCY BARRETT in nine
different roles including Carolyn Stoddard Hawkes / CLARICE BLACKBURN as Mrs
Sarah Johnson / DON BRISCOE as Tom/Chris Jennings / JOEL CROTHERS as Joe Haskell
/ THAYER DAVID in 7 different roles / LOUIS EDMONDS as Roger Collins / DAVID
FORD as Sam Evans / GRAYSON HALL as Dr Julia Hoffman / DAVID HENESY as David
Collins / KATE JACKSON as Daphne Harridge / ALEXANDRA MOLTKE as Victoria Winters
/ KATHRYN LEIGH-SCOTT as Maggie Evans
DARK
SHADOWS
NBC / x60m-e x120m-e / 1991 (13
January to 22 March)
A brief revival of the previous
entry continuing the gothicy vampire tales of the Collins family with Barnabas
being accidentally revived and tangling with Professor Woodward and also having
to deal with the witch Angelique. Again the action moved being the present and
the past.
With:- BEN CROSS as Barnabas
Collins / BARBARA BLACKBURN as Carolyn Stoddard / LYSETTE ANTHONY as Angelique
Bouchard / APOLLO DUKAKIS as Reverend Amos / RALPH DRISCHELL as Dr Roberts /
JEAN SIMMONS as Naomi Collins / BARBARA STEELE as DrJulia Hoffman / ADRIAN PAUL
as Jeremiah Collins / ROY THINNES as Roger Collins / WAYNE TIPPET as Dr Fisher /
MICHAEL T. WEISS as Joe Haskell / JULIANNA McCARTHY as Abigail Collins / STEFAN
GIERASCH as Profesor Woodward/Joshua / VERONICA LAUREN as Sarah Collins
DARK SKIES
NBC/Columbia/Bryce Zybel / 1x120m-e
18x60m-e /
1996-97
Creators: Bryce Zabel, Brent V. Friedman /
Alien Effects: Todd Masters Co. / Executive Producers: Bryce Zabel, James D. Parriott
Scifi drama series.
In the early 1960's John Loengard and Kimberly Sayers discover that an Earth
takeover by aliens called The Hive is under way; A government agency, led by
Frank Bach and called Majestic-12, has been set up to to try and counter the
alien threat. The alien invasion had begun in 1947 (with the notorious Roswell
crash). Most of the action was centered around actual events of the 1960's
(death of Kennedy, Beatles conquering America etc). The cancelled after one
season show was intended to obviously carry on and subsequent seasons would have
continued the action through the 1970's, 1980's etc.
With:- ERIC CLOSE as
John Loenguard / MEGAN WARD as
Kimberly Sayers / J.T. WALSH as
Capt Frank Bach / JERI LYNN RYAN as Juliet (1997) / CHARLEY LANG as Dr Charlie
Halligan / CONOR O'FARRELL as Phil Albano / TIM KELLEHER as Jim Steele
THE DA'S MAN
NBC/Universal/Jack
Webb /
26x30m-e / 1958 black and white
Writer: James Moser / Technical Advisor: Harold Danforth / Director: Joseph E.
Parker / Producer: Frank Latourette / Executive Producer: Jack Webb, for Mark 7
Productions
Crime drama series.
Exploits of an undercover agent intent on bringing the
bad guys to justice.
With:- JOHN COMPTON as SHANNON / Ralph Manza as Al Bonacorsi / Herb Ellis
A DATE WITH JUDY
ABC /
39x30m-e / 1951-52 black and white
Sitcom.
Exploits of a Santa Barbara teen. Based on a radio
series and also a film.
With:- PATRICIA CROWLEY /
JUDSON REES /
ANNA LEE
A DATE WITH THE ANGELS
ABC /
39x30m-e / 1957 black and white
Sitcom.
Ups and downs of a young married couple.
With:- BETTY WHITE /
BILL WILLIAMS /
RUSSELL HICKS /
ISOBEL ELSOM /
BURT MUSTIN
THE DATING GAME
Columbia Tristar/ Brian Graden Prod. / x30m-e /
1996-
Executive Producers: Brian Graden, Jeff Olde,
Lois Clark Curren /
Theme Music: Jim Latham
Game show.
Various single people all looking for love allow host
Brad Sherwood to help them in their choice.
THE DAVE KING SHOW
NBC
'Kraft Music Hall Presents' / 19x30m-e /
1959
Writers: Sid Green, Dick Hills, Mel
Brooks
Comedy.Dave King had been spotted by American TV execs performing on his own UK show and was given this
similar sketch based series in the states. The writers
Green and Hills also appeared.
THE DAVE THOMAS COMEDY SHOW
CBS/REM Prod / 5x30m-e / 1990 28 May - 25 June
Writers: Mike Bayouth, Anson Downes,
Mike Myers, Dave Thomas / Script Editor: Michael Short / Producer: Kimber Rickabaugh
/ Director: Paul Miller
Comedy.
Sketch based series starring Canadian Dave Thomas,
also featured were Anson Downes, Teresa Ganzel, Don Lake,
Fran Ryan, Julie Fulton and David Wiley. Each edition also
featured a big name guest star; These were John Candy,
Dan Ackroyd, Chevy Chase, Martin Short and Catherine
O'Hara.
DAVY CROCKETT
ABC/Walt Disney / 5x52m-e / 1954-55 black and white
Creator/Executive Producer: Walt Disney / Music: George Bruns / Producer: Bill Walsh
Western drama serial.
The life of the King of the Wild Frontier himself who led the
famous stand at the Alamo. The episodes were quickly
re-edited and given a cinema release.
Davy Crockett................................. FESS PARKER
Georgie Russell.............................. BUDDY EBSEN
DAWSON'S CREEK
Warner/Columbia /
x60m-e / 1998-2002
Creator: Kevin Williamson
Drama series.
Stories of a group of teenagers growing up and coming
to terms with life and the world in a small Boston
suburb. The group, whose main focus was the Dawson of the title, had this habit
of coming over like world weary thirtysomethings, especially in their modes of
speech. There was a sort of spin-off show called "Young Americans"
where one of the characters was first introduced in a Dawson's Creek episode.
With:- JAMES VAN DER BEEK as Dawson / KERR SMITH as
Jack McPhee / KATIE HOLMES as
Joey Potter / EDDIE MILLS as Ty / MICHELLE WILLIAMS as
Jennifer Lindley / JOSHUA JACKSON as Pacey / MEREDITH MONROE as
Andie McPhee
THE DAY AFTER
ABC / 1x120m-e /
1983
Writer: Edward Hume / Director: Nicholas Meyer
Scifi drama.
A nuclear missile wipes out a town in Kansas, leaving
the survivors to cope with the aftermath.
With:- JASON ROBARDS /
JOBETH WILLIAMS /
JOHN LITHGOW /
STEVE GUTTENBERG
THE DAYS AND NIGHTS OF MOLLY DODD
NBC/Lifetime/Finnegan/
Just You and Me Kid /
65x30m-e /
1987-91
Creator/Producer: Jay Tarses
Sitcom.
Episodes in the somewhat life of thirty something Molly Dodd,
a sometime singer and sometime worker in a bookshop. NBC
cancelled the show after one season but cable channel Lifetime
picked it up.
Molly Dodd....................................... BLAIR BROWN
Florence Bickford.............................. ALLYN ANN McLERIE
Davey McQuinn................................ JAMES GREENE
Mamie Groinick(S1).......................... SANDY FAISON
Dennis Widmer(S1)........................... VICTOR GARBER
Det Nathaniel Hawthorne(89-91)......... RICHARD LAWSON
Fred Dodd....................................... WILLIAM CONVERSE-ROBERTS
Moss Goodman............................... DAVID STRAITHAIRN
Nick Donatello ................................ JAY TARSES
Nina Shapiro .................................. MAUREEN ANDERMAN
DC FOLLIES
Syndication/Sid and Marty
Krofft /
73x30m-e /
1987-89
Creator/Executive Producers: Sid and Marty Krofft
Comedy.
A kind of American Spitting Image.
Puppets of various American political figures and
celebrities meet and have fun in the Washington bar of
the title presided over by the human Fred Willard.
DEAD LAST
WB / x60m-e / 2001
Fantasy drama series. A pop band
trying to hit the big time discover a cursed amulet that puts them in touch with
the recently dead who they have to help by tying up any loose ends so they can
move on.
with:- Tyler Labine as
Scott / Kett Turton as Vaughn / Sara Downing as Jane / Wayne Pere as
Dennis
DEADLINE
Official /
39x30m-e / 1959 black and white
Music: Fred Howard
An anthology series about journalists.
Narrated by Paul Stewart.
DEADLY
GAMES
UPN / x60m-e / 1995-96 (First
Episode: Tuesday 5 September 95 / 8.00pm)
Scifi drama series. Video games
designer Gus Lloyd finds (thanks to a typically freakish TV occurence) that all
the evil characters he has created are let loose in the real world.
With:- CHRISTOPHER LLOYD as
Sebastian Jackal / JAMES CALVERT as Gus Lloyd / CYNTHIA GIBB as Lauren Ashbourne
/ STEPHEN T. KAY as Peter Rucker
DEAN MARTIN'S COMEDY CLASSIC
NBC/Claude Prod / 1x60m-e / 1981 /
12 May
Writer: Bill Box / Producers: Greg Harrison, Lee Hale / Director: Greg Harrison
Comedy.
Excerpts of classic clips from the Dean Martin Show(see below). Guests included Orson
Welles, Frank
Sinatra, Peter Falk, Marty Feldman, Bob Newhart and
Goldie Hawn.
THE DEAN MARTIN SHOW
NBC/Claude Prod./
1965-74
Producers: Greg Harrison, Lee Hale
Entertainment.
Comedy, variety and music series starring Mr Laidback
himself Dean Martin. Martin's chorus girls were called
The Gold Diggers.
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