Harry O

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Harry O
Warner Bros. Television
Original release
NetworkABC
ReleaseSeptember 12, 1974 (1974-09-12) –
April 29, 1976 (1976-04-29)
Related
  • Such Dust as Dreams Are Made On (1973)
    Smile Jenny, You're Dead (1974)

Harry O, sometimes spelled Harry-O, is an American private detective series that aired for two seasons on ABC from 1974 to 1976. The series starred David Janssen, and Jerry Thorpe was executive producer. Harry O followed the broadcast of two pilot films: firstly Such Dust as Dreams Are Made On (which aired on March 11, 1973) and secondly (with noticeable retooling) Smile Jenny, You're Dead (which aired on February 3, 1974), both starring Janssen.[1]

Synopsis

David Janssen starred as the title character Harry Orwell, a San Diego cop forced into retirement when he is shot in the back. To support himself, he sets up a private investigation practice out of his beach house on Coronado Island, in San Diego. Henry Darrow, (formerly of the 1967-71 NBC hit Western series, The High Chaparral), originally starred as Lt. Manny Quinlan, his friend and police contact.

For the second half of the first season, the series was retooled, with the location of the series shifted to

Los Angeles, California, due to the high production costs of filming in and around San Diego.[2] The retooling consisted of more than just a location change; a revised theme song and incidental music were composed and new supporting characters were added, notably the irascible Lt. Trench of the Santa Monica Police Department, who became Orwell's new foil/contact. (Henry Darrow's character, Lt. Quinlan, was killed off in a crossover episode.) Most noticeably, a lighter tone for the scripts and acting was adopted. Harry still lived in a beach cottage−this time somewhere along the Pacific Coast Highway between Malibu
and Santa Monica. In "Reflections", episode five of season two, he gave the address as "1101 Coast Road" (this beach location was the same location used for the second pilot movie).

The second season had a further reworking of the opening credits and theme song, and recurring characters were added.

Primetime Emmy Award
for his role on the series.

Recurring characters included Farrah Fawcett-Majors, as Harry's attractive next-door neighbor and sometime girlfriend Sue Ingram/Ingham; Paul Tulley as Sgt. Roberts, Lt. Trench's assistant; Les Lannom as Lester Hodges, a bumbling private-eye wannabe; Tom Atkins as Sgt. Frank Cole; and Bill Henderson as Spencer Johnson, Harry's frustrated car mechanic.

Harry's small Austin-Healey, which spent almost all of the first season in non-running condition, later had more time on the road as the series progressed, though it was never entirely reliable. Also, in the San Diego episodes, the bullet in Harry's back noticeably impeded his ability to get around; by the second season, though the bullet's existence was mentioned in passing, Harry was miraculously able to run, jump, and engage in strenuous physical activity with seemingly no issues.

Reception and cancellation

Ratings for the series were initially fair, and they received a boost after the series was retooled in January 1975. Harry O was picked up for a second season and continued to gain viewership and critical acclaim. Then-ABC president Fred Silverman, though, decided to take the network in a different direction and cancelled the series in favor of Charlie's Angels. Farrah Fawcett-Majors, supporting player to Janssen's Harry O, was selected as one of the three stars of that new series.

The last original episode aired on April 29, 1976.[3] The series' cancellation greatly disenchanted its star Janssen, who had found and shaped probably his most ideal character ever in Harry Orwell; he thus vowed never again to participate in another television series . He would do so, though, later, in the miniseries Centennial (1978–79).[4][circular reference]

Syndication

The show was rerun late at night on

GoodLife TV Network
in the early 2000s. The first pilot movie still receives occasional airings.

The series is occasionally presented in weekend binges on the

Decades
and on weekday afternoons on MeTV+.

Episodes

Pilot movies

Both pilot movies are set and were shot in Los Angeles.
With the exception of Harry Orwell, none of the recurring characters who would feature in the series appear in the pilot movies. The pilot movies also contain some details of Harry's backstory that clash with the character as established in the series.
Two of the actors who would feature in the series play different roles in Such Dust as Dreams are Made On; Les Lannom (who played Lester Hodges in the series) plays a student, while Mel Stewart (seen as Harry's mechanic Roy in the series) plays Harry's police contact, Sgt. Granger.
In the second pilot movie, Smile Jenny, You're Dead, Barbara Leigh (who appeared as Gina in the series) plays a character called Mildred. A character called Mildred also appeared in the first pilot movie, played by Marianna Hill.
No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
Pilot1"Such Dust as Dreams are Made On"
Howard Rodman
March 11, 1973 (1973-03-11)
Harlan Garrison (Martin Sheen), a member of the gang that shot Harry in a drugstore robbery four years earlier, hires Harry to find Garrison's two accomplices. It stars Sal Mineo, Will Geer, Margot Kidder and Mel Stewart. Portions of this movie were re-edited and reused (in a very different context) in the first-season episode "Elegy For A Cop"; the two stories are not compatible within the same series continuity.
Pilot2"Smile Jenny, You're Dead"Jerry ThorpeHoward RodmanFebruary 3, 1974 (1974-02-03)
Harry is hired to protect Jennifer English (Andrea Marcovicci), a model being tailed by a deranged stalker who also appears to have murdered her estranged husband. It stars Jodie Foster as Liberty Cole (a homeless girl who takes up residence in Harry's boat), Clu Gulager, and Zalman King.

Season 1: The San Diego episodes

Episodes 1-13 are set and were shot in San Diego.
The supporting cast for the San Diego episodes includes:
  • Henry Darrow as Lt. Manny Quinlan, Harry's sometimes antagonistic police contact
  • Tom Atkins as Sgt. Frank Cole, Quinlan's none-too-bright assistant (five episodes)
  • David Moses as Officer Billings, a patrolman often seen performing crime-scene duties (four episodes)
  • G. W. Bailey as Officer Remsen, a patrolman also often seen at crime scenes (three episodes)
  • Mel Stewart as Roy Bardello, Harry's sarcastic mechanic (seen in two episodes, referenced in others)
No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
11"Gertrude"Jerry ThorpeHoward RodmanSeptember 12, 1974 (1974-09-12)
The sister of a sailor absent without leave, Gertrude (Julie Sommars) hires Harry to find him, and the only clue is that his left shoe was mailed to her. However, another clue then arrives in the form of two fake shore patrol officers. Les Lannom, later a series regular in the role of Lester Hodges, plays the AWOL sailor. Henry Darrow debuts as Lt. Quinlan.
22"The Admiral's Lady"Paul WendkosDel ReismanSeptember 19, 1974 (1974-09-19)
Harry is hired to find an admiral's wife, who is presumed dead by the police, but who turns out to be alive and in genuine danger. With Leif Erickson and Sharon Acker
33"Guardian at the Gates"Jerry ThorpeStephen KandelSeptember 26, 1974 (1974-09-26)
Harry must protect an obnoxious, self-centered architect (
Barry Sullivan), who witnessed a murder and is oblivious to attempts on his own life. This was the first episode filmed for the regular series. With Linda Evans, Anne Archer, Richard Kelton and Gordon Jump
44"Mortal Sin"Paul WendkosT : Stephen Kandel
S/T : Robert Malcolm Young
October 3, 1974 (1974-10-03)
A man confesses to murder to a priest, and Harry is brought in to help stop the man from killing again. With Laurence Luckinbill
55"Coinage of the Realm"Richard LangElroy SchwartzOctober 10, 1974 (1974-10-10)
Harry must find a man who is needed to donate a kidney to his daughter, and who also has two hired killers on his trail. With Kenneth Mars, Joan Darling, and Florence Stanley
66"Eyewitness"Richard LangHerman GrovesOctober 17, 1974 (1974-10-17)
A blind teenager is the only witness to a murder. It stars James McEachin and Rosalind Cash. Margaret Avery, later a series regular in a different role, plays the teenager's elder sister. Both Hal Williams and Bill Henderson, who later play Harry's mechanics in the Los Angeles episodes, also appear in this episode as different characters.
77"Shadows At Noon"Paul WendkosRobert DozierOctober 24, 1974 (1974-10-24)
Harry infiltrates a mental hospital that holds people as prisoners, and then finds that he cannot get out, either. With Diana Ewing and Guy Stockwell, it aired one year before the movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, but 12 years after the eponymous novel that inspired the movie.
88"Ballinger's Choice"Jerry ThorpeGene ThompsonOctober 31, 1974 (1974-10-31)
Harry is hired to track down a wealthy missing pal with a penchant for extramarital affairs, but the investigation soon reveals a number of sordid -- and deadly -- details. With Juliet Mills, Paul Burke, and Lisa Gerritsen
99"Second Sight"John NewlandT : Gene Thompson
S/T : Barry Trivers
November 7, 1974 (1974-11-07)
Fay Conners (Stefanie Powers), an apparent psychic, predicts a series of murders that all come true amid Harry's search for a missing psychiatrist. Also starring Robert Doyle.
1010"Material Witness"Barry CraneRichard DanusNovember 14, 1974 (1974-11-14)
Dr. Noelle Kira witnesses the killing of a witness to crimes by one Joe Kiley. SDPD Captain Pete Jaklin, because of the killing of other witnesses, hires Harry to protect Kira. She dislikes Harry, but when they are followed to a beach house, Harry realizes a mole is in the department, so Jaklin and he have to find the mole. With Barbara Anderson, James Olson, and Mike Farrell
1111"Forty Reasons to Kill (Part 1)"Daryl DukeStephen KandelDecember 5, 1974 (1974-12-05)
A friend of Harry's is framed for drug dealing when he tries to purchase a parcel of land. With Joanna Pettet, Broderick Crawford, Craig Stevens, and Paul Benedict
1212"Forty Reasons to Kill (Part 2)"Daryl DukeStephen KandelDecember 12, 1974 (1974-12-12)
Harry finds himself framed for murder as his investigation of a 40-acre purchase continues. With Joanna Pettet, Craig Stevens and Bill Quinn
1313"Accounts Balanced"Robert Michael LewisT : Herman Groves
S/T :
Michael Winder
December 26, 1974 (1974-12-26)
Harry is hired by a woman who believes her husband is having an affair. With Robert Reed, Gerrit Graham, and Jerry Hardin, this was the last episode shot in San Diego, and the final episode for Lt. Quinlan as a regular.

Season 1: The Los Angeles episodes

Beginning with episode 14, a change in format was made. Behind the scenes, new production staff members were brought in, and on-camera, the entire supporting cast was dropped. Filming moved from San Diego to Los Angeles.
Episode 14 was a stand-alone story that sent Harry out to perform his investigations in a remote desert location.
From episode 15, Harry relocated to Los Angeles, moving his residence to the same location seen in the second pilot movie.
The supporting cast for the Los Angeles episodes (from episode 15) includes:
  • Anthony Zerbe as Lt. K.C. Trench, Harry's new police contact
  • Paul Tulley as Sgt. Roberts, Trench's quiet assistant
  • Hal Williams as Clarence, Harry's new mechanic (three episodes)
  • Kathrine Baumann as Betsy, one of a group of friendly stewardesses who live next door to Harry (three episodes)
  • Farrah Fawcett-Majors as Sue Ingram,[5] another stewardess-next-door seen after Betsy leaves to marry her boyfriend (three episodes)
  • Sue's huge dog Grover appears in two episodes, as Harry is often forced to look after him while Sue is away.
  • Betsy's massive boyfriend Walter is often mentioned, but never seen
Seen in one episode each were two characters who would become recurring players in season two: Les Lannom as amateur criminologist Lester Hodges, and Margaret Avery as friendly informant Ruby Dome. Henry Darrow also returned for one episode ("Elegy for a Cop") as Manny Quinlan.
No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
1414"The Last Heir"Richard LangGene ThompsonJanuary 9, 1975 (1975-01-09)
Harry is hired to smoke out a killer of a woman's heirs. With Jeanette Nolan, Clifford David, and Whit Bissell
1515"For the Love of Money"John NewlandS : Skip Webster
T : David P. Harmon
January 16, 1975 (1975-01-16)
A woman helps her boyfriend steal $25,000 and now the boyfriend has disappeared. This is the first episode with Anthony Zerbe as Lt. Trench and Paul Tulley as Sgt. Roberts, and the first episode actually set in Los Angeles. The opening theme song is also completely reworked for this and all future season-one episodes. With Mariclare Costello, Bernie Kopell, Sabrina Scharf, and Sharon Farrell
1616"The Confetti People"Richard LangT : Herman Groves
S/T : Mann Rubin
January 23, 1975 (1975-01-23)
An arthritic painter and his wife frame his brother, a mental patient, for murder, until the plan goes awry and the painter is shot dead by the brother. With Diana Hyland, Scott Hylands, John Rubinstein, and Marsha Hunt
1717"Sound of Trumpets"John NewlandT : Larry Forrester
S/T : Robert Pirosh
January 30, 1975 (1975-01-30)
A recently released jazz trumpeter is pursued by a vengeful record executive who has a left-handed knife killer take the trumpeter's daughter hostage. With Julius Harris, Brenda Sykes, Jim Backus, and jazz legend Cab Calloway
1818"Silent Kill"Richard LangS : John Meredyth Lucas
T : Steven Kandel
February 6, 1975 (1975-02-06)
A deaf-mute janitor is framed for arson. With Kathleen Lloyd, Gail Strickland, Lawrence Pressman, and Jack Riley
1919"Double Jeopardy"John NewlandM. GluckFebruary 13, 1975 (1975-02-13)
A former crime boss mistakenly believes Todd Conway, an aspiring actor, killed the man's daughter, and Harry smokes out the real killer when the girl was found to be pregnant. With Kurt Russell, Will Kuluva and Ben Piazza, Linda Dano appears very briefly as the murder victim. This is also the first episode with Farrah Fawcett-Majors, who plays the semiregular role of Orwell's neighbor, Sue.
2020"Lester"Richard LangRobert C. DennisFebruary 20, 1975 (1975-02-20)
A college student who wants to be a detective becomes a suspect in the murder of two female students. With Richard Schaal and Scott Newman, Les Lannom's character of Lester Hodges, who became a recurring character in the series' second season, makes his debut.
2121"Elegy for a Cop"Jerry ThorpeHoward RodmanFebruary 27, 1975 (1975-02-27)
Harry pursues the killer of his former police friend, Manny Quinlan. About 15 minutes of this episode (all contained in the show's second half) consists of reused and repurposed footage from the pilot film Such Dust as Dreams are Made On. Kathleen Lloyd and Sal Mineo appear in both newly shot and recycled footage; Henry Darrow receives "Special Guest Star" billing for his reprisal of the role of Lt. Quinlan (all in newly-shot footage). Also in newly-shot footage, Margaret Avery debuts as Ruby Dome, who will become a recurring character in season 2.
2222"Street Games"Richard LangHerman GrovesMarch 2, 1975 (1975-03-02)
The mother of a teenaged girl who is an addict hires Harry to find her after her boyfriend is murdered by a narcotics dealer. With Maureen McCormick and Philip Sterling

Season 2

Season two remained in Los Angeles. Some changes were made to the supporting cast, and the theme was given a second radical rearrangement.
The season-two supporting cast includes:
  • Anthony Zerbe as Lt. K.C. Trench, Harry's police contact
  • Paul Tulley as Sgt. Roberts, Trench's assistant
  • Farrah Fawcett-Majors as Sue Ingham,[6] Harry's neighbor (five episodes)
  • Bill Henderson as Spencer Johnson, Harry's frustrated mechanic (four episodes)
  • Richard Stahl as Dr. Carl Samuelson, a police pathologist (four episodes)
  • Les Lannom as Lester Hodges, an amateur criminologist who gets mixed up in Harry's cases (three episodes)
  • Margaret Avery as Ruby Dome (or Ruby Lawrence'), an informant with whom Harry is friendly (three episodes)
  • Susan Adams as Jean Parnell, a police laboratory technician (three episodes)
  • Barbara Leigh as Gina Walters, Harry's contact at the DMV (seen in two episodes, referenced in others)
No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
231"Anatomy of a Frame"Jerry ThorpeS : Herman Groves
T : John Meredyth Lucas
September 11, 1975 (1975-09-11)
An informant for Lt. Trench is murdered; Trench himself is implicated and must hire Harry Orwell to clear his name. With René Auberjonois, James McEachin, Gordon Jump, James Hong, Harold J. Stone, and an unbilled Gary Sandy
242"One for the Road"Harry FalkNorman StrumSeptember 18, 1975 (1975-09-18)
An alcoholic lawyer subject to memory blackouts hires Harry to investigate a hit-and-run incident, though she is aware that she may well have been the driver behind the wheel. With Carol Rossen, Larry Hagman, and Robert Loggia
253"Lester Two"Richard LangRobert C. DennisSeptember 25, 1975 (1975-09-25)
Lester Hodges gets mixed up with Harry when diamond smugglers kidnap Harry's neighbor Sue Ingham. With Ina Balin and—extremely briefly—Loni Anderson
264"Shades"Richard LangS : Eugene Crisci, Ron Jacoby
T : Michael Sloan
October 2, 1975 (1975-10-02)
A housekeeper is accused of killing a small-time hood; Harry is hired to clear her name and must work with the hood's ex-partner to find the real killer. With
G.W. Bailey
, seen occasionally as Officer Remsen during the San Diego episodes, also plays a police officer in this episode, identified in the credits as "Garner".
275"Portrait of a Murder"Richard LangRobert C. DennisOctober 9, 1975 (1975-10-09)
Harry attempts to clear a developmentally disabled young man accused of a series of murders he says were committed by "a lion"—a clue to the murderer's actual identity. With Adam Arkin and Katherine Helmond
286"The Acolyte"Harry FalkT : Larry Forrester
S/T : Robert Blees, Dorothy Robinson
October 16, 1975 (1975-10-16)
Harry must rescue a woman taken in by a religious cult. With Bettye Ackerman, Severn Darden, Barry Atwater, Clyde Kusatsu, and Sam Jaffe
297"Mayday"Jerry LondonJohn Meredyth LucasOctober 23, 1975 (1975-10-23)
A pilot friend of Harry's dies in a plane crash, and Harry discovers he was involved in an attempted murder. With Bruce Kirby, Maggie Blye, Linda Kelsey, and Geoffrey Lewis
308"Tender Killing Care"Richard LangNorman StrumOctober 30, 1975 (1975-10-30)
Harry investigates the shady nursing home where Spencer's parents live, while Sue has Harry look for the missing father of three children who have just arrived from Hong Kong. With Kenneth Mars, Howard Hesseman, Jester Hairston, and Robert Ito
319"APB Harry Orwell"Richard LangS : Alfred Brenner
T : William R. Stratton
November 6, 1975 (1975-11-06)
Harry is framed for murder, and must escape his cell to find the real guilty party. With Lesley Ann Warren, and Michael C. Gwynne
3210"Group Terror"Russ MayberryDennis LandaNovember 13, 1975 (1975-11-13)
A psychiatrist hires Harry to pose as a patient, to help smoke out a killer among the members of her therapy group. With Joanna Pettet and Linda Lavin
3311"Reflections"Richard LangMichael SloanNovember 20, 1975 (1975-11-20)
Harry is forced to relive his bitter divorce when his ex-wife is involved in a murder. With Felicia Farr, Andrew Robinson, and Peter Donat
3412"Exercise In Fatality"Russ MayberryKenneth RealmanDecember 4, 1975 (1975-12-04)
A hotheaded policeman is accused of murder when the boyfriend who fathered his daughter's unborn child is found dead; making it worse for Harry, a former lover returns to his life and gets swept into the case. With Ralph Meeker
3513"The Madonna Legacy"Richard BennettMichael SloanDecember 11, 1975 (1975-12-11)
One of Harry's former police colleagues is killed while reinvestigating an old murder, and Harry learns that a violent man convicted of the murder was recently released. With John Colicos, Christine Belford, and Jack Riley
3614"Mister Five and Dime"Richard LangRobert C. DennisJanuary 8, 1976 (1976-01-08)
Harry, Lester, and Lt. Trench run into repeated cases of mistaken identity as they pursue a gang of armored-car thieves. Harry mentions Lester's mentor Dr. Creighton Fong for the first time in the series. With Glynnis O'Connor, Michael McGuire, J. Pat O'Malley, and Michael Pataki
3715"Book of Changes"Russ MayberryT : Michael Sloan
S/T : Michael Adams
January 15, 1976 (1976-01-15)
A witness to the murder of a gambling club owner hires Harry to find the club owner's book of clients, which has been stolen by extortionists. With Barbara Rhoades and Barbara Cason
3816"Past Imperfect"Richard LangStephen KandelJanuary 22, 1976 (1976-01-22)
A con artist takes his ex-partner and Harry hostage to get back a suitcase he claims contains several thousand dollars, and they are themselves pursued by two mob hitmen. With Susan Strasberg, Tim McIntire, Granville Van Dusen, and David Opatoshu
3917"Hostage"Jerry LondonMichael SloanFebruary 19, 1976 (1976-02-19)
Lt. Trench is called to a hostage situation at a local liquor store, and soon calls on Harry to act as the nonpolice intermediary the hostage-taker has demanded. With John Rubinstein, George Murdock, Quinn Redeker, Colleen Camp, and Tim Thomerson. Guest star Rubinstein also composed the score for this episode.
4018"Forbidden City"Richard LangRobert C. DennisFebruary 26, 1976 (1976-02-26)
Harry investigates the killing of a private detective in Chinatown. With Tina Chen, Ramon Bieri, Benson Fong, James Hong, and Jerry Hardin
4119"Victim"Richard LangT : Michael Sloan
S/T : John Meredyth Lucas
March 4, 1976 (1976-03-04)
A rape victim hires Harry. With Eugene Roche, Michael Lerner, and Cynthia Avila, this was the last episode of the series to be filmed.
4220"Ruby"Richard LangS : Susan Glasgow
S/T : Michael Sloan
March 11, 1976 (1976-03-11)
Harry must help one of his informants after a youth gets mixed up in a car theft that results in the death of a policeman. With Joe Ruskin
4321"The Mysterious Case of Lester and Dr. Fong"Jerry ThorpeRobert DozierMarch 18, 1976 (1976-03-18)
Lester Hodges and his mentor, Dr. Creighton Fong (Keye Luke), work together to find the murderer of members of Lester's family. Harry is seen only in a supporting role, and is absent for long stretches of screen time, as this episode was a backdoor pilot intended to launch a spin-off series titled Fong and Hodges. With Anne Archer, Barry Atwater, Sorrell Booke, Dean Jagger, and Roddy McDowall
4422"Death Certificate"Russ MayberryJohn Meredyth LucasApril 29, 1976 (1976-04-29)
Harry investigates a doctor suspected by two women of fatal malpractice. With Ruth Roman and Kiel Martin

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Recipient Result Ref.
1975 Edgar Allan Poe Awards Best Episode in a TV Series Howard Rodman (for "Gertrude") Nominated [7]
1976 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Anthony Zerbe Won [8]

Home media

On July 11, 2012, Warner Bros. released Harry O: The Complete First Season on DVD in region 1 via their Warner Archive Collection. This is a manufacture-on-demand (MOD) release, available exclusively through Warner's online store and only in the US.[9] The 6-disc set features all 22 episodes of the season as well as the original pilot tele-film Such Dust as Dreams Are Made On. The second and final season was released by Warner Archive on February 5, 2013.[10]

References

  1. ^ "Television Obscurities - Fall 1974: ABC". tvobscurities.com. Retrieved 2009-04-21.
  2. .
  3. .
  4. ^ Centennial (miniseries)
  5. ^ "Harry O - The Complete 1st Season" DVD edition: In the episode "Lester", Harry introduces Sue to Neil Valentine. Both Harry and Valentine pronounce her family name with an "r".
  6. ^ "Harry O - The Complete 2nd Season" DVD edition: In the episode "Lester Two", Sue is referred to as "Miss Ingham" by other characters, including Lt. Trench.
  7. ^ "Category List – Best Episode in a TV Series". Edgar Awards. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  8. ^ "Harry O". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
  9. ^ "Harry O DVD news: Announcement for Harry O - The Complete 1st Season - TVShowsOnDVD.com". tvshowsondvd.com. Archived from the original on 2012-07-15.
  10. ^ "Harry O DVD news: Announcement for Harry O - The Complete 2nd Season - TVShowsOnDVD.com". tvshowsondvd.com. Archived from the original on 2013-02-08.

External links