Longstreet

This was probably my favorite show of the 70's. I don't think I've ever seen an actor portray a blind person than James Franciscus. He was constantly tilting his head to hear better, rather than staring straight ahead with a blank stare like most actors portraying blind people. The stories were interesting, and there were great supporting actors, most notably Marlyn Mason, seeing-eye dog Pax, and of course Bruce Lee. I was originally drawn to this show because of Bruce Lee, but soon found I was really into the plight of this man and his struggles. Unfortunately, this was another good series that wound up on the chopping block way too soon.

A series that truly had depth and got you into the character more then any series today. Brilliantly scripted, directed and acted. Anyone having issues coping with life on any level will find the show inspiring. Yes the mystery aspect was well done, but more well done is the portrayal of a man overcoming impossible odds to strive and persevere. Add to this some bonus episodes of the incomparable Bruce Lee and you have a winner of a series. It's a true crime that the series did not continue, because it had a depth rarely found in series of the time, or in fact on TV today. Longstreet is one of those rare treasures waiting to be found by those who wish to dig.

Like the film "Marlowe," the only claim to fame of this rather insignificant series is its inclusion of aspiring actor Bruce Lee as a recurring character.

Nobody seems to remember it for anything other than that. Still, a special DVD with all of the episodes starring Lee would be worthwhile.

From the 1960s and 70s, there were numerous detective series where the lead character had a unique characteristic: wheelchair-bound Ironside, trench coat-wearing Columbo, senior citizen Barnaby Jones, etc. In the case of the watchable series "Longstreet", James Franciscus played the New Orleans-based insurance agent whose was blinded by an explosion that killed his wife and is determined to continue investigating cases despite his affliction.

The priorities "Longstreet" developer/executive producer Stirling Silliphant had were similar to his earlier shows ("Route 66" and "Naked City", in which Franciscus appeared in the first season): character studies over plot. This is not to say that the show's plots were uninteresting. Franciscus' compelling performance kept my interest, as well as support from Marlyn Mason as assistant Nikki and Peter Mark Richman as Duke.

Most martial arts fans remember the series less for Franciscus and more for Bruce Lee, who played Li Tsung, Longstreet's Jeet Kune Do instructor for just four episodes. Lee made such a strong impression, it's a shame that the producers/writers were unable to incorporate Lee in more episodes. At the same time, if Lee were made a regular, he may have not signed on for "Enter the Dragon" in his tragically short film career.

"Longstreet" was an early success in the show's only season on ABC. Unfortunately, it was overshadowed in mid-season when NBC's "Ironside" moved into the same time slot. ABC canceled "Longstreet" at the last possible moment despite having better ratings than a number of ABC shows.

There are many short-lived series like "Longstreet" that deserve to be rediscovered. I hope CBS/Paramount will consider releasing the series from their large vaults to DVD and web streaming.

I liked Longstreet, it was a great series and I loved James Franciscus, so handsome and great actor. Later I saw him in the episode of some series (I don't remember in what series) where he played a greedy young man who wanted to kill his wealthy aunt to get her money. I have searched in IMDb for that series and I have asked in the groups about it but I could never found it.