Harry O was (and still is) my favorite dramatic series ever. As the private eye genre goes, it is on a par with Howard Hawks's inimitable The Big Sleep. David Janssen conveyed the perfect mixture of compassion and toughness, and his interactions with (friendly) Henry Darrow (the first season) and (irascible) Anthony Zerbe (the second) were wonderful to behold.
I can still remember the kicked-in-the-stomach feeling I got when I heard the show was cancelled, an event that was all the more heartbreaking because it didn't need to be -- Harry O was doing pretty well in its Thursday 10pm time slot, coming in slightly behind the godawful Barnaby Jones. Harry's rating averaged around a 17, which today any TV show would die for. But ABC was riding high at the time, and network head Fred Silverman glibly cancelled a number of "marginal" shows. For prematurely ending the brilliant Harry O I consider Silverman the 4th worst person who ever lived, coming in after Hitler, Stalin, and George W. Bush.
Incidentally, does anyone get as annoyed as I with all the praise heaped on The Rockford Files, a contemporary of Harry O and with its coy attitude maybe about a 10th as good. And James Garner is a nice guy, but he doesn't have the depth of the great Janssen.
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Lucaslover
15 years ago
"Incidentally, does anyone get as annoyed as I with all the praise heaped on The Rockford Files, a contemporary of Harry O and with its coy attitude maybe about a 10th as good. And James Garner is a nice guy, but he doesn't have the depth of the great Janssen. "
I enjoyed The Rockford Files but have to admit The Rockford Files was no Harry O. There were resemblances between the two series--both featured world weary private detectives (no longer in their first youth), both popular with the ladies, who lived on the beach. The Rockford Files had a light, comedic tone to it to fit James Garner's "Maverick" persona, and I consider it a very enjoyable way to pass a few hours in watching it since it's now out on DVD.
However, Harry O is the superior series. There's nothing like watching David Janssen display his immense dramatic abilities on the small screen, and Harry O was the perfect vehicle for him (pun intended as he was often shown riding the city bus system or driving a dilapidated sports car (which offers echoes of Detective Columbo's auto).
Another great joy is watching all the actors who showed up in the episodes as guests and featured players--remember Clu Gulagher as the police detective in the pilot episode Smile, Jennie, You're Dead? I am a Henry Darrow fan but have to admit that Anthony Zerbe's character had more rapport with Harry. They just zinged in their scenes together. I'm not sure the writers knew exactly how to write for Darrow whom I later adored in High Chaparral and the soap Santa Barbara
My big regret is that there were only two seasons, but I am so grateful for the two I've got now.
"Loyalty counts. . ." Lucas Buck
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mustang2006
15 years ago
Yes, Janssen was the man. And it was a dumb move to cancel this fun, interesting series. Don't forget Farrah Fawcett was in it in the beginning, too!
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rogerscorpion
15 years ago
Harry Orwell, was my all-time fave TV PI. I read a Detective Magazine, a few years ago, which picked Rockford as the best PI show of all time, but I disagree.
Harry O wax it, for me.
Carpe Noctem
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Clintessence
13 years ago
Harry's verbal fencing with both Manny and Trench was excellent, but a little better with Zerbe's character. I would say it was on par with the give-and-take of Magnum and Higgins. Well--almost.
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ttimgents
13 years ago
Two different detective shows with two different approaches to the genre. I liked them both. If I had to pick one, I'd probably go with Harry O, but I'd sure miss Rockford.
I believe I read that Janssen and Garner used to run into each other occasionally and discussed the trials and tribulations of making their shows. Both shows did on-location shooting in Malibu when the setting for Harry O was changed from San Diego to LA. Looking closely at some of the Harry O episodes, it appears the location of his beach house was just south of the Malibu pier while Rockford's trailer was just north of the Malibu pier.
I've noticed that several scenes in Harry O were filmed in spots that were more closely associated with Rockford: the Malibu Pier itself and the restaurant on the parking lot where Rockford's trailer was located.
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SnoozeAlarm
11 years ago
>>> 4th worst person who ever lived, coming in after Hitler, Stalin, and George W. Bush.
I don't think Bush belongs in the same league as people responsible for the murders of tens of millions of innocent human beings.
I cried because I had no shoes üntil I met a man with no sole. ~ Ancient Disco Proverb
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