Harry O

In 1973 I failed to watch this private eye show. It would take many years of maturity until I rediscovered how great David Janssen's The Fugitive was. It has become one of my all-time favorites. It was excellent on many levels and taking to it's full potential was David Janssen. Given the chance in 2018 to see episodes of Janssen's post fugitive show Harry O was a no-brainer, I was in.

This is a show that fits with the natural on-screen persona of Janssen, not the other way around. Harry O is a retired cop on an early disability. He now spends his days working the occasional private case and living on the beach in San Diego. We don't, at least in the early episodes, know much about Harry's back story because what's important is where he's headed. He's somewhat of a loner, rather cool, but definitely a thinker. He doesn't drive a flashy car, in fact he rarely drives as his is a beater most often in for repairs. There's good elements here to make an interesting character and Janssen is adept at playing one that is layered yet not at all flashy.

Harry is a thinker, not a head knocker. Still he does get in some spots where his thinking put him in a bit of a precarious situation. Janssen, again, is perfect in this persona. Combine this with some fair writing (it's not as sharp or deep as that of The Fugitive) and Harry O is a very watchable and entertaining show. While it doesn't have the deep hook of his previous work, David Janssen gives this show legs. I like location filmed shows and San Diego is a nice backdrop in addition. At the point of the first episode I don't see a story arc like The Fugitive and I must say I think the previous show's episodes building to an arc will be missed. That said, I do recommend Harry O to fans of Janssen and those who like crime shows that don't condescend in bombast.

Harry O is being rerun on cable channel Good Life on Monday nights at 8:00pm and again at 11:00pm. They are still doing the Lt. Quinlan days. This is as of November 29, 2005. Harr O was a great show (actually, still is). It was David Janssen at his best. His rapport with Anthony Zerbe as Lt. Trench is wonderful. Les Lannom had David/Harry down to a "T". Question: Did Harry ever wear anything other than the tweed sport coat, blue button down shirt, dark tie, and khaki pants - or - the shorts and jacket? And yes, a DVD of the show would be great! The show always had the cream of the crop guest stars from the 70's. Many of the younger ones became stars in their on right. What ever happened to Les "Lester" Lannom and Paul Tulley as Sgt. Roberts?

If ever a series deserved a better fate, it's this one. A quirky, three-dimensional main character, interesting plots and smart dialogue. It should have lasted

years, lasted 44 episodes. Janssen was terrific (better than in The Fugitive, a show where you only had to see the first episode and the last), his supporting players were almost as good and the writing, particularly by creator Howard

Rodman, was a cut above the typical TV fare. Yes, it was just another detective show and it did follow some of the typical cliches, but hey, it also provided a poignancy and adult (not X-rated, but intelligent) point of view rarely seen on the little screen. Hey, Warner Brothers (I think)! Where's the DVD collection?

My wife and I watched the show when it first went into syndication. 78-79? We both enjoyed it. I particularly liked the way David Jansen portrayed this character. Smooth and cool. David's smirk really worked portraying Harry. Very low key approach that works. Farrah Fawcett was very low key and actually funny in her roll. Another gem in the show was Anthony Zerbe. The verbal barbs and sparring with 'Harry' were excellent. The original fugitive series was pretty good but over time the plots grew weak and the show seemed to crawl along. I check every now and then to see if 'Harry O' is available anywhere EVEN on VHS! great show!

This was one of the best shows on television. The writing and the photography was outstanding. David Janssen was one of my very favorite actors and I really miss him. He had "mumbling" down to an art form and his understated style of acting was second to none. Harry-O made me feel good every time I would sit down and watch. Harry Orwell was an everyman's type of guy. You could relate to him. I think it was because you could sense his vulnerability. Episodes did not always end on a happy note and that added some credibility to the character and his profession. Warner Brothers needs to hurry up and release this series to DVD. I would buy the entire series in a heart beat. A classic!!