The F.B.I.

As opposed as some people commented here, FBI hated "The FBI" TV show, Hoover's right hand at the time tried to cancel the show multiple times citing it as "shocking" (nowadays it seems very light, though).

As FBI wasn't able to cancel the show, they reviewed each episode (more specifically, Clyde Tolson). They even checked actors background before accepting them in the show.

It is a very interesting watch. Seeing the customs and FBI views of criminals and crimes. There is romance and drama as well, but that part is from QM Production writer or director of each episode.

Nevertheless, it is a much for fans of QMP's works. I'm a fan of The Fugitive, for example.

Indeed, yes, I remember this series... and I don't believe I've seen it in reruns myself, although I'm aware of it being rerun on stations I could not receive. I think I tuned into this two to four years before it came to an end in 1974. I am old enough to remember that the show was produced with the cooperation of the director of the FBI, whats-his-name, um, J. Edgar Hoover. The last season or so had different names since Hoover had died.

I really liked the way they set up the episodes, showed the crimes being initiated, the charges being shown on the screen. The oft-repeated scene of showing Erskine listening on the phone at the same time as a crime victim or victim's family. Erskine going under cover, like masquerading as a blind man. The high school boys trapping a friend in an old mine shaft or whatever and discovering, just after they were arrested, that the field had been leveled and buried with fill.

This would be good to see on DVD, but I'd be happy if it was rerun on one of the cable specialty channels.

I don't think it was an accident that The FBI came to television when it did and left when it did. If J. Edgar Hoover was one thing it was that he was conscious of the image of his agency. He really did personally supervise films like The Street With No Name, The House On 92nd Street, and The FBI Story, anything where the Bureau was involved. And it was never shown in a bad light.

But in 1965 we had just lost a president through assassination and while the FBI does not have direct responsibility for presidential protection, the rumblings about Hoover's relationship with the Kennedys were being heard. I think Hoover felt that the FBI needed some good publicity so this show was aired.

It wasn't a bad show, it wasn't the best police action adventure show on television, but it had its share of well acted episodes. Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. was a stalwart defender of law and order and he was ably assisted first by Stephen Brooks and later William Reynolds for most of the show's run and then Shelley Novack. Take a look at the cat list, a whole lot of people who later became prominent appeared in this show.

Hoover died in 1972, rather suddenly and the FBI then became a casualty of the Watergate Scandal. It was put forth in that film The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover that if Hoover had lived a few more years, Watergate would never have seen the light of day. I think there's some truth to that. In any event acting director L. Patrick Gray was forced to resign in the whole Watergate mess and a show about The FBI just wasn't a big item any more for television.

Indirectly I think the show was a casualty of Watergate as well though it was probably nearing its end in any event. No coincidence it ended in the year Richard Nixon resigned as president.

Still The FBI is both a reflection of the times and it somehow stood outside the changes that were going on in America during its run.

One day I was changing channels on the remote and could you believe that the seldom seen Quinn Martin series was part of an History of Television and Radio special? Indeed,it was ahead of its time and when I was a kid growing up it was a Sunday night staple in the house opposite whatever came on that night either 60 minutes or some James Bond movie afterwards. Efrem Zimbalist,Jr. was the John Walsh of his day,taking down all types of criminals,rapists,terrorists,and serial killers who were breaking the law,and brought to justice with the help of special agents who worked under him in the FBI. An interesting part about the show is at the end,Efrem would stepped out of his character and give you a report of criminals and fugitives who were wanted by the FBI and would tell you that these people were extremely armed and dangerous. Could you believe that Lex Barker (who played in the Tarzan movies of the 1950's) was the head of security for the FBI as a special agent? Yes,he was for the entire shows' nine year run which was on ABC from 1965-1974,and was of the longest running crime shows ever on television. I had a friend who was asking me if they have any of these episodes on videocassettes,and if they do,you do not want to miss one single episode of The FBI. A Quinn Martin Production.

I can still hear it now... The four notes of the series theme, and that familiar voice over, "The F.B.I, A Quinn Martin Production!"...

Great show, great cast, and well deserving of a run in syndication, someplace. Or sold by Time-Life on video. I am amazed that this show is buried somewhere, and not seen. "Hawaii Five-O", was missing in action for years, and then came back to life, so why not this gem.

And remember this, car nuts out there, how Inspector Erskine would, at the end of the show, hop into a new Ford Motor Company product? A friend of mine and I would bet on what it might be, that week. A new pointy nosed 1970 T-bird? A lowly Custom 500, LTD, or Mustang? I wonder if Ford's catch phrase slogan of that era, "Ford has a Better Idea", came from "F.B.I"? See the connection?