What a sacrilege!!
I am formerly known as HillieBoliday....Member since May 2006
.....Done to this show during the last and 6th season!
What was Jack Webb, and the rest of those who were guilty in destroying what was once a very iconic and entertaining television show thinking???!!!
This new version of 77 Sunset Strip, looked like a ghost town compared to the original show!
The Stuart Bailey character seemed to digress from being a highly successful, polished, debonair, classy and refined Private Investigator; to a lonely, just starting, amateur Shamas all by himself gum shoe; who was worried about getting rubber checks in return for his service! When they stuck this in the place of the classy, sexy, hi browed, Brook's Brothers suits/skinny tie wearing, beautiful, Brylcreemed,fine-assed, handsome detectives; and their 'mink, diamond, Pearl draped, and perfectly coiffed victims/femme fatales of the original 77SS...It was a MAJOR travesty!
Jack Webb was obviously dilusional and believing his own hype...When he had Stu Bailey narrating as the episode progresses.....And then having him come back to an office that looked like it was housed in a dark, dismal, empty, delapidated and abandoned building!
To add insult to injury...They took away his Thunderbird, and relegated him to catching cabs and thumbing rides...WTH!
Somebody should line up the WHOLE directing/production team....Starting with whomever brainstormed this total ravaging of a wonderful show...And go down the entire line...Slapping them upside the head! To take away the family/team player aspect of the Bailey & Spencer investigating team; really trashed the show! The absence of Jeff, Kookie, Suzanne, Captain Gilmore, Roscoe, Rex, J.R., Frankie Ortego Trio, and Dino's Lodge; made the new show extremely depressing and totally empty!
The only redeeming aspect of this show...Was the new theme song. Although it was totally different from the original; the music was melodic, haunting, classy and poignant.
The theme song from the original series had clever lyrics, music that was so representative of that era, fun, light, breezy...And served to describe what you were about to see in each episode. With that being said...It was one of my favorites...And a great example of the lyrical/musical talents of Mack David and Jay Livingston. But my hat definitely goes off to Bob Thompson for creating a beautiful and haunting piece of musical delight, with its magnificent arrangement and orchestration as the new theme song! Though only short-lived....I pull the new theme up on YouTube just so I can listen to it over, and over again!!
"OOhhhooo....I'M GON' TELL MAMA!"