Revisiting Lost Magic
Remember those forgotten '70s shows that barely made a blip on the radar? Well, grab your bell bottoms as we look back at some interesting series that totally deserved better.
Nichols (1971–1972)
Set in the fictional city of Nichols, Arizona, in 1914, this series differed from traditional Westerns. The main character, a sheriff also named Nichols, rode a motorcycle and an automobile rather than a horse. He did not carry a firearm and preferred opting for non-violent solutions.
Preview Clip | Nichols | Warner Archive by Warner Bros. Classics
Nichols (1971–1972) (Cont.)
Nichols was shot and avenged by his identical twin brother, Jim Nichols (also played by Garner), who then became the new sheriff. However, NBC stopped the series before the episode aired. The network panicked when the show failed to generate the expected ratings.
Get Christie Love! (1974–1975)
This American crime drama TV series starring Teresa Graves as an undercover female detective aired on ABC from January 22, 1974, to April 5, 1975. The role made Graves the second Black female lead in a non-stereotypical role for a US weekly series.
Get Christie Love (1974) | Full Movie | Teresa Graves | Harry Guardino by Fandor
Get Christie Love! (1974–1975) (Cont.)
Apparently, the series wasn't a hit, as it ended the season at number 72 out of 84 programs on air. As a devout Jehovah's Witness, Graves insisted on projecting her religious values onto her role. Such increasing restrictions weakened the series.
Get Christie Love (1974) | Full Movie | Teresa Graves | Harry Guardino by Fandor
Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974–1975)
Carl Kolchak wasn't your typical reporter. He chased monsters through Chicago's darkest corners, with Darren McGavin bringing an unforgettable intensity to the role. It is said that he later grew unhappy with the show's "monster of the week" format and an exhausting filming schedule.
Kolchak The Night Stalker - Horror in the Heights, 1974 by retiredcanadian
Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974–1975) (Cont.)
Despite lasting only one season, Kolchak: The Night Stalker developed a cult status and significantly influenced later television horror shows. Chris Carter even cited Kolchak as a "tremendous influence" in creating The X-Files. The show holds a 7.8/10 rating on IMDb.
Kolchak The Night Stalker - Horror in the Heights, 1974 by retiredcanadian
Quark (1977–1978)
Buck Henry turned the mundane concept of garbage collection into an interstellar comedy adventure. The show took place on a United Galaxy Sanitation Patrol Cruiser, an intergalactic waste scow that operated out of the United Galaxy Space Station Perma One in 2226.
Quark (1977–1978) (Cont.)
Adam Quark, the central character, works with his peculiar crew to collect “space baggies” in order to clean up trash in space. Unfortunately, it had low ratings and got canceled after just eight episodes. However, Gene Roddenberry praised its intelligent approach to humor before its cancellation.
The Fantastic Journey (1977)
Here comes the Bermuda Triangle series. At its heart was Roddy McDowall's mysterious Varian, leading a band of time-displaced travelers through strange realms. While the show lasted ten episodes, its visual effects and complex mythology earned it a dedicated following.
The Fantastic Journey : TV Series Episode 4 02/24/1977 by Retro TV
The Fantastic Journey (1977) (Cont.)
Modern audiences continue to find its unique charm, as evidenced by its surprising 72% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. As per reports, NBC had invested around $200,000 per episode in this series, but it suffered from network tinkering and was rushed into production.
The Fantastic Journey : TV Series Episode 5 03/10/1977 by Retro TV
Ghost Story/Circle Of Fear (1972–1973)
The series attracted remarkable talent behind and in front of the camera. Horror masters William Castle and Richard Matheson crafted scripts while future stars like Jodie Foster delivered great performances. Due to a drop in ratings, it was retitled Circle of Fear mid-season.
Circle Of Fear (TV 1973) :01x14 - Death's Head by Winston Essex
Ghost Story/Circle Of Fear (1972–1973) (Cont.)
Along with new opening title graphics and theme music, Sebastian Cabot was no longer the presenter. NBC claimed the retooling was to tone down the supernatural elements. Audiences were used to sizable twist endings in other anthologies, but those were rare in this particular show.
♦TV Classics♦ 'THE NEW HOUSE' (Ghost Story S01 E01) by Rob's Dream Theater
Gemini Man (1976)
Gemini Man was crafted to replace the previous season's The Invisible Man, using simpler and less expensive special effects. Although 12 episodes were produced, the show was cut short after five episodes because of failing ratings and relatively high production costs.
Gemini Man , Ep 1 (1976) #throwbacktv ,#geminiman #throwbacktvmovies by ThrowbackTVMovies
Gemini Man (1976) (Cont.)
The remaining six episodes were not aired in the United States, but the entire series was seen in Britain with somewhat greater success. It featured Ben Murphy as Sam Casey, a secret agent for INTERSECT (International Security Techniques), a government think-tank specializing in secret missions.
Gemini Man , Ep 1 (1976) #throwbacktv ,#geminiman #throwbacktvmovies by ThrowbackTVMovies
The Starlost (1973–1974)
Harlan Ellison's ambitious Canadian production took viewers aboard a massive generation ship that explored isolated societies and environmental themes. Despite working within effects limitations, the show's complex storytelling became famous after winning a Writers Guild Award.
1973 THE STARLOST EP1 by BY THE GODS OF SCIENCE FICTION
The Starlost (1973–1974) (Cont.)
It is said that the budget was slashed when the BBC passed on an 8-episode miniseries, leading to the show being sold into syndication. Apparently, the show mixed third-rate television production techniques with bizarre illiteracy of form and content and bare-bones production values.
The Starlost - 4k - (1973-1974) - CTV by Classic TV Zone
Search (1972–1973)
Search was an American science fiction series that aired on NBC from September 1972 to August 1973. Created by Leslie Stevens, the show was about World Securities Corporation, a high-tech worldwide private investigation company. It centered around the revolutionary Probe Control.
Preview Clip | Search | Warner Archive by Warner Bros. Classics
Search (1972–1973) (Cont.)
It finished the season with a 14.6 average audience, and it was rated #63 out of 75 shows. As the show started to sink, critics found it to be contrived and gimmicky. One reviewer even described it as “something aborted by Star Trek”.
Preview Clip | Search | Warner Archive by Warner Bros. Classics
The Evil Touch (1973–1974)
Produced by Amalgamated Pictures Australasia in association with Olola Productions Australia, each episode presented a self-contained thriller or horror story, often with a twist ending. It explored themes like the occult, science fiction, murder schemes, and whodunits. Darren McGavin and Leslie Nielsen were two of its guest actors.
The Evil Touch - The Lake starring Robert Lansing by LansingFan1
The Evil Touch (1973–1974) (Cont.)
Despite Australian television being in black and white at the time, the series was filmed in color to increase its international appeal. Australian viewers were far less taken with the series, however, and it stayed only a few episodes on Channel 9 before being dropped.
THE EVIL TOUCH - Seeing is Believing - UNCUT by Maljardin
Executive Suite (1976–1977)
This series was based on the 1954 film of the same name and revolved around the personal and professional lives of the board members at the Cardway Corporation. This was a large conglomerate in California. It starred Mitchell Ryan as Don Walling, the company chairman.
Executive Suite - CBS Fall Season Promo (1976) by sinrob1
Executive Suite (1976–1977) (Cont.)
The show's commitment to realism included consulting with actual executives on scripts, earning praise from The New York Times for its “unprecedented realism”. Executive Suite aired on Monday nights and was up against Monday Night Football on ABC and The Rockford Files on NBC, leading to low ratings.
CBS 1976-77 Executive Suite Promo!!! by videoholic50s60s70s
Mrs. Columbo (1979)
Mrs. Columbo (later called Kate Columbo, Kate the Detective, and Kate Loves a Mystery) is an American drama series that initially centered on the wife of Lieutenant Columbo from the Columbo series. Kate Mulgrew acted as Kate Columbo, a news reporter and crime solver.
Mrs. Columbo (S01E01) - Kate Mulgrew, Rene Auberjonois by Deconstructed Cheese Fondue
Mrs. Columbo (1979) (Cont.)
The writing quality of Mrs. Columbo was considered deplorable. Unlike the original Columbo, which had carefully plotted stories, this series suffered from routine contract writers. The show's execution was also inept and did not manage to create a compelling mystery.
