#harry o

[last-of-the-independents]

Armed and extremely dangerous ANDY ROBINSON masterpost

[tomoleary]

Gray Morrow 1970s TV Detectives Humor Magazine Illustration (mid-1970s). Columbo, Kojak, Police Woman, Get Christie Love!, The Streets of San Francisco, McCloud, Ironside, Cannon, Hawaii 5-0, Adam-12, The Rookies, McMillan & Wife, Harry O, and the Rockford Files. Source

[forever70s]

David Janssen on the Jan. 11 - 17, 1975 cover of TV Guide

[oldshowbiz]

Harry O (1975) with special guest stars Jim Backus, Julius Harris, Brenda Sykes and Cab Calloway

[all-action-all-picture]

Harry O starring David Janssen (1931-1980) as Harry Orwell, ex-cop turned private detective.

The first episode aired in the US on the 12 September 1974. It was a good show with its one big problem being that The Rockford Files debuted one day later. The two beach-dwelling private eye shows were similar in ways and had two perfectly cast lead actors but Rockford was the more light hearted show and he outlasted Harry by a number of years.

The main supporting cast were Anthony Zerbe (b. 1936), Henry Darrow (1933-2021) and a pre-Charlie's Angels Farrah Fawcett (1947-2009) who popped up from time to time as Harry's neighbour. She was underused in the series but was a good foil with her character being bright and breezy and Harry usually being the opposite.

Anthony Zerbe also gives a very watchable performance. I'm more used to seeing him play bad guys. He's outstanding as one of Harry's main contacts in the police and could have held down a cop show of his own. Another police contact Harry has is played by Tom Atkins (b. 1935) who also had a similar recurring role in The Rockford Files.

One of the early working titles for Charlie's Angels was Harry's Angels. Due to the similarities in name the title had to change but in any case Harry O aired its final episode on 12 August 1976 clearing the way for the Angels to debut on 22 September.

The Rockford Files is the better series overall but aside from a few average episodes Harry O stands up well.

[culturalappreciator]

[garak-pussy-indulgence]

It's your girl here with the Harry O screenshots 💞💓💖💘💗 Jim Bracken my beloved

[abriefingwithmichael]

Capt. Jaklin has been trying to nail Joe Kiley for years but witnesses keep disappearing or coming to other tragic ends. Harry is asked to guard a witness against Kiley but someone seems to have betrayed them.

A chase thriller. Very different to a typical episode. 

Great location filming: using beach, cliffside and a hay shed to great effect. 

The ending is very good and is one of the main highlights. 

It’s a smart script with some clever moments. 

As for the real bad guy, the episode works hard to make us think it could be one of two characters. But, despite all efforts, it’s not hard to guess who the villain will turn out to be. 

The Barbara Anderson character isn’t likeable and all the friction with Harry feels forced and wholly unconvincing. Apart from that, this is a strong episode. 

It’s so different to what this show usually delivers that it feels like it almost doesn’t belong. It’s a story that could stand on its own as movie. 

I knew there were one or two episodes of Harry O I hadn’t seen, and this must be one of them as I have no recollection of having seen it before. 

8/10