Harry O

Harry O
Title screen
Also known as	Harry-O
Genre	Crime drama
Created by	Howard Rodman
Written by	Robert C. Dennis Robert Dozier Larry Forrester Herman Groves Stephen Kandel Joanna Klasson John Meredyth Lucas Howard Rodman Michael Sloan Norman Strum Gene Thompson
Directed by	Richard Benedict Daryl Duke Harry Falk Richard Lang Jerry London Joseph Manduke Russ Mayberry John Newland Jerry Thorpe Paul Wendkos Don Weis
Starring	David Janssen Henry Darrow Anthony Zerbe Farrah Fawcett-Majors Les Lannom Tom Atkins Bill Henderson
Theme music composer	Billy Goldenberg
Composer(s)	Billy Goldenberg Kim Richmond John Rubinstein
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	44
Production
Executive producer(s)	Jerry Thorpe
Producer(s)	Alex Beaton Robert Dozier Buck Houghton Robert E. Thompson
Running time	60 mins. (approx)
Production company(s)	Warner Bros. Television
Release
Original network	ABC
Original release	September 12, 1974 – April 29, 1976
Chronology
Preceded by	Such Dust as Dreams Are Made On (1973) Smile Jenny, You're Dead (1974)

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

Synopsis

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 originally starred as Lt. Manny Quinlan.

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 Lt. Trench of the Santa Monica Police Department, who became Orwell's new foil/contact. (Henry Darrow's character Lt. Manny Quinlan was killed off in a crossover episode.) Most noticeably a lighter tone for the scripts and acting was adopted. Harry would still live in a beach cottage−this time somewhere along the PCH between Santa Monica and Malibu. (This beach location was the same location used for both pilot movies.)

The second season would see a further reworking of the opening credits and theme song and recurring characters added. Anthony Zerbe, who played Lt. Trench won a 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; Paul Tulley as Sgt. Don 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, would later see more time on the road as the series progressed, though it was never entirely reliable. As well, in the San Diego episodes, the bullet in Harry's back noticeably impeded his ability to get around; by second season, even 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 got 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; however, then-ABC president Fred Silverman decided to take the network in a different direction and canceled the series in favor of Charlie's Angels. The last original episode aired on April 29, 1976.^[3] The series cancellation greatly disenchanted star Janssen, who vowed never to participate in a television series again.

Episodes

Pilot Movies

Both pilot movies are set and shot in Los Angeles.

With the exception of Harry Orwell, none of the recurring characters that would feature in the series appear in the pilot movies. As well, the pilot movies contain some details of Harry's backstory that clash with the character as established in the series.

Note that 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 would appear as Gina in the series) plays a character called Mildred.

No. in series	Pilot #	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
0	1	"Such Dust As Dreams Are Made On"	Jerry Thorpe	Howard Rodman	March 11, 1973
Harlan Garrison (Martin Sheen), a member of the gang that shot Harry in a drug store robbery four years earlier, hires Harry to find Garrison's two accomplices. With Sal Mineo, Will Geer, Margot Kidder, and Mel Stewart.
0	2	"Smile Jenny, You're Dead"	Jerry Thorpe	Howard Rodman	February 3, 1974
Harry is hired to protect Jennifer English (Andrea Marcovicci), a model being tailed by a deranged stalker who also appears to have murdered Jennifer's estranged husband. With Clu Gulager, Zalman King, and Jodie Foster as Liberty Cole, a homeless girl who takes up residence in Harry's boat.

Season 1: The San Diego episodes

Episodes 1-13 are set and 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 (5 episodes)
• David Moses as Officer Billings, a patrolman often seen performing crime scene duties (4 episodes)
• G.W. Bailey as Officer Remsen, a patrolman also often seen at crime scenes (3 episodes)
• Mel Stewart as Roy Bardello, Harry's sarcastic mechanic (seen in 2 episodes, referenced in others)

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	1	"Gertrude"	Jerry Thorpe	Howard Rodman	September 12, 1974
The sister of an AWOL sailor hires Harry to find him, and his only clue is one of his shoes mailed to her. With Julie Sommars. Les Lannom, later a series regular in a different role, plays the AWOL sailor. Henry Darrow debuts as Lt. Quinlan.
2	2	"The Admiral's Lady"	Paul Wendkos	Del Reisman	September 19, 1974
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.
3	3	"Guardian at the Gates"	Jerry Thorpe	Stephen Kandel	September 26, 1974
Harry must protect an obnoxious, self-centred 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 and Gordon Jump.
4	4	"Mortal Sin"	Paul Wendkos	Teleplay by Stephen Kandel and Robert Malcolm Young; Story by Robert Malcolm Young	October 3, 1974
A man confesses to murder to a priest and Harry is brought in to help stop the man from killing again. With Laurence Luckinbill.
5	5	"Coinage of the Realm"	Richard Lang	Elroy Schwartz	October 10, 1974
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.
6	6	"Eyewitness"	Richard Lang	Herman Groves	October 17, 1974
A blind teenager is the only witness to a murder. With James McEachin and Rosalind Cash. Margaret Avery, later a series regular in a different role, plays the teenager's older sister.
7	7	"Shadows At Noon"	Paul Wendkos	Robert Dozier	October 24, 1974
Harry infiltrates a mental hospital that holds people as prisoners. With Diana Ewing and Guy Stockwell.
8	8	"Ballinger's Choice"	Jerry Thorpe	Gene Thompson	October 31, 1974
Harry is hired in a divorce case that turns into a murder. With Juliet Mills, Paul Burke and Lisa Gerritsen.
9	9	"Second Sight"	John Newland	Teleplay by Gene Thompson and Barry Trivers; Story by Barry Trivers	November 7, 1974
Fay Conners, a psychic, predicts a series of murders that all come true amid Harry's search for a missing psychiatrist. With Stefanie Powers and Robert Doyle.
10	10	"Material Witness"	Barry Crane	Richard Danus	November 14, 1974
Harry is hired to protect Dr. Noelle Kira, a witness to crimes by one Joe Kiley; Kira hates Harry and the police and it impedes Harry's efforts as he discovers a mole in the department. With Barbara Anderson and Mike Farrell.
11	11	"Forty Reasons to Kill (Part 1)"	Daryl Duke	Stephen Kandel	December 5, 1974
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.
12	12	"Forty Reasons to Kill (Part 2)"	Daryl Duke	Stephen Kandel	December 12, 1974
Harry finds himself framed for murder as his investigation of a 40-acre purchase continues. With Joanna Pettet, Craig Stevens and Bill Quinn.
13	13	"Accounts Balanced"	Robert Michael Lewis	Teleplay by Michael Winder and Herman Groves; Story by Michael Winder	December 26, 1974
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, there was a change in format. 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 pilot movies.

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 Tully as Sgt. Roberts, Trench's quiet assistant
• Hal Williams as Clarence, Harry's new mechanic (3 episodes)
• Kathrine Baumann as Betsy, one of a group of friendly stewardesses who live next door to Harry (3 episodes)
• Farrah Fawcett-Majors as Sue Ingham, another stewardess-next-door seen after Betsy leaves to marry her boyfriend (3 episodes)

• Sue's huge dog Grover appears in two episodes, as Harry is often forced to look after him while Sue's 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 2: Les Lannom as amateur criminologist Lester Hodges, and Margaret Avery as friendly informant Ruby Dome. Henry Darrow would also return for one episode ("Elegy For A Cop") as Manny Quinlan.

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
14	14	"The Last Heir"	Richard Lang	Gene Thompson	January 9, 1975
Harry is hired to smoke out a killer of a woman's heirs. With Jeanette Nolan, Clifford David and Whit Bissell.
15	15	"For the Love of Money"	John Newland	Teleplay by David P. Harmon; Story by Skip Webster	January 16, 1975
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 Tully 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 1 episodes. With Mariclare Costello, Bernie Kopell and Sharon Farrell.
16	16	"The Confetti People"	Richard Lang	Teleplay by Mann Rubin and Herman Groves; Story by Mann Rubin	January 23, 1975
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.
17	17	"Sound of Trumpets"	John Newland	Teleplay by Robert Pirosh and Larry Forrester; Story by Robert Pirosh	January 30, 1975
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.
18	18	"Silent Kill"	Richard Lang	Teleplay by Steven Kandel; Story by John Meredyth Lucas	February 6, 1975
A deaf-mute janitor is framed for arson. With Kathleen Lloyd, Gail Strickland, Lawrence Pressman and Jack Riley.
19	19	"Double Jeopardy"	John Newland	M. Gluck	February 13, 1975
A former crime boss mistakenly believes Todd Conway, an aspiring actor, killed the man's daughter, and the evidence points to Conway when it is found the girl was 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, who plays the semi-regular role of Orwell's neighbor Sue Ingham.
20	20	"Lester"	Richard Lang	Robert C. Dennis	February 20, 1975
A college student who wants to be a detective becomes a suspect in the murder of two coeds. With Richard Schaal and Scott Newman. Debut of Les Lannom's character of Lester Hodges, who became a recurring character in the series' second season.
21	21	"Elegy for a Cop"	Jerry Thorpe	Howard Rodman	February 27, 1975
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 re-purposed footage from the pilot film "Such Stuff 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.
22	22	"Street Games"	Richard Lang	Herman Groves	March 2, 1975
The mother of a teen-age 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 2 remained in Los Angeles. There were some changes to the supporting cast, and the theme was given a second radical re-arrangement.

The season 2 supporting cast includes:

• Anthony Zerbe as Lt. K.C. Trench, Harry's police contact
• Paul Tully as Sgt. Roberts, Trench's assistant
• Farrah Fawcett-Majors as Sue Ingham, Harry's neighbor (5 episodes)
• Bill Henderson as Spencer Johnson, Harry's frustrated mechanic (4 episodes)
• Richard Stahl as Dr. Carl Samuelson, a police pathologist (4 episodes)
• Les Lannom as Lester Hodges, an amateur criminologist who gets mixed up in Harry's cases (3 episodes)
• Margaret Avery as Ruby Dome (a.k.a Ruby Lawrence), an informant Harry is friendly with (3 episodes)
• Susan Adams as Jean Parnell, a police lab technician (3 episodes)
• Barbara Leigh as Gina Walters, Harry's contact at the DMV (seen in 2 episodes, referenced in others)

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
23	1	"Anatomy of a Frame"	Jerry Thorpe	Teleplay by John Meredyth Lucas; Story by Herman Groves	September 11, 1975
Lt. Trench is framed for murder and must hire Harry Orwell to clear his name. With Rene Auberjonois, James McEachin, Gordon Jump, James Hong, Harold J. Stone and an unbilled Gary Sandy.
24	2	"One for the Road"	Harry Falk	Norman Strum	September 18, 1975
An alcoholic lawyer subject to memory blackouts hires Harry to investigate a hit-and-run incident -- even though she is aware that she may well have been the driver behind the wheel. With Carol Rossen, Larry Hagman and Robert Loggia.
25	3	"Lester Two"	Richard Lang	Robert C. Dennis	September 25, 1975
Lester Hodges gets mixed up with Harry when diamond smugglers kidnap Harry's neighbor Sue Ingham. With Ina Balin and -- extremely briefly -- Loni Anderson.
26	4	"Shades"	Richard Lang	Teleplay by Michael Sloan; Story by Eugene Crisci & Ron Jacoby	October 2, 1975
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 Lou Gossett, Jr., Linden Chiles and Anjanette Comer. 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".
27	5	"Portrait of a Murder"	Richard Lang	Robert C. Dennis	October 9, 1975
Harry attempts to clear a retarded 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.
28	6	"The Acolyte"	Harry Falk	Teleplay by Larry Forrester and Robert Blees & Dorothy Robinson; Story by Robert Blees & Dorothy Robinson	October 16, 1975
Harry must rescue a woman taken in by a religious cult. With Bettye Ackerman, Severn Darden, Barry Atwater, Clyde Kusatsu and Sam Jaffe.
29	7	"Mayday"	Jerry London	John Meredyth Lucas	October 23, 1975
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.
30	8	"Tender Killing Care"	Richard Lang	Norman Strum	October 30, 1975
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.
31	9	"APB Harry Orwell"	Richard Lang	Teleplay by William R. Stratton; Story by Alfred Brenner	November 6, 1975
Harry is framed for murder and must escape his cell to find the real guilty party. With Lesley Ann Warren and Michael C. Gwynne.
32	10	"Group Terror"	Russ Mayberry	Dennis Landa	November 13, 1975
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.
33	11	"Reflections"	Richard Lang	Michael Sloan	November 20, 1975
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.
34	12	"Exercise In Fatality"	Russ Mayberry	Kenneth Realman	December 4, 1975
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.
35	13	"The Madonna Legacy"	Richard Bennett	Michael Sloan	December 11, 1975
A former police colleague of Harry's is killed while re-investigating 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.
36	14	"Mister Five and Dime"	Richard Lang	Robert C. Dennis	January 8, 1976
Harry, Lester, and Lt. Trench run into repeated cases of mistaken identity as they pursue a gang of armored car thieves. With Glynnis O'Connor, Michael McGuire, J. Pat O'Malley and Michael Pataki. Harry mentions Lester's mentor Dr. Creighton Fong for the first time in the series.
37	15	"Book Of Changes"	Russ Mayberry	Teleplay by Michael Sloan and Michael Adams; Story by Michael Adams	January 15, 1976
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.
38	16	"Past Imperfect"	Richard Lang	Stephen Kandel	January 22, 1976
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
39	17	"Hostage"	Jerry London	Michael Sloan	February 19, 1976
Lt. Trench is called to a hostage situation at a local liquor store, and soon calls on Harry to act as the non-police 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.
40	18	"Forbidden City"	Richard Lang	Robert C. Dennis	February 26, 1976
Harry investigates the killing of a private detective in Chinatown. With Tina Chen, Ramon Bieri, Benson Fong, James Hong and Jerry Hardin .
41	19	"Victim"	Richard Lang	Teleplay by John Meredyth Lucas and Michael Sloan; Story by John Meredyth Lucas	March 4, 1976
A rape victim hires Harry. With Eugene Roche, Michael Lerner and Cynthia Avila. This was the last episode of the series to be filmed.
42	20	"Ruby"	Richard Lang	Teleplay by Michael Sloan; Story by Susan Glasgow and Michael Sloan	March 11, 1976
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.
43	21	"The Mysterious Case of Lester and Dr. Fong"	Jerry Thorpe	Robert Dozier	March 18, 1976
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 back door pilot intended to launch a spin-off series titled "Fong and Hodges". With Anne Archer, Barry Atwater, Sorrell Booke, Dean Jagger and Roddy McDowell.
44	22	"Death Certificate"	Russ Mayberry	John Meredyth Lucas	April 29, 1976
Harry investigates a doctor suspected by two women of fatal malpractice. With Ruth Roman and Kiel Martin.

DVD release

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.^[4] 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.^[5]

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Result	Category	Recipient
1975	Edgar Award	Nominated	Best Television Episode	Howard Rodman (For episode "Gertrude")
1976	Primetime Emmy Award	Won	Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Drama Series	Anthony Zerbe

References

1. "Television Obscurities - Fall 1974: ABC". tvobscurities.com. Retrieved 2009-04-21.
2. Snauffer, Douglas (2006). Crime Television. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 87. ISBN 0-275-98807-4.
3. Snauffer, Douglas (2006). Crime Television. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 87–88. ISBN 0-275-98807-4.
4. "Harry O DVD news: Announcement for Harry O - The Complete 1st Season - TVShowsOnDVD.com". tvshowsondvd.com.
5. "Harry O DVD news: Announcement for Harry O - The Complete 2nd Season - TVShowsOnDVD.com". tvshowsondvd.com.

External links

• Such Dust As Dreams Are Made On (first pilot) at the Internet Movie Database
• Smile Jenny, You're Dead (second pilot) at the Internet Movie Database
• Harry O at the Internet Movie Database
• Harry O at TV.com
• Harry O at epguides.com