The Lawless Years

"The Lawless Years" was a mid-season replacement in the 1958-59 TV season, predating the better known "Untouchables" by about six months. As other reviews have stated, the similarities between "Lawless Years" and "Untouchables" are striking: a stubborn detective who gathers a team of unstoppable agents to fight crime during the Prohibition era.

The setting for this show, however, was New York City, which here seemed to lack some of the color of Chicago. The criminals, unlike the flamboyant bad guys that populated the Second City, seemed almost interchangeable from episode to episode. Barney Ruditsky's squad was likewise void of any strong personality.

The dry subtleties in "The Lawless Years" make their episodes appear like a possible pilot for "The Untouchables". (The pilot for the Eliot Ness show originally aired on Desilu Playhouse.) The reason the latter is remembered, in my opinion, is due to the stronger characterizations and better scripts on "The Untouchables".

"The Lawless Years" works as an enjoyable fill-in-the-blank crime procedural, but if the viewer wants a better taste of the flavor of the Prohibition era, best to stick with "The Untouchables"