Welcome to David Susskind's New York.
Susskind, best remembered as a prominent talk show host in the Big Apple for many years, was also one of the founding fathers of Talent Associates, which produced mostly sitcoms during its relatively short existence in the 60's & 70's. The studio is best known for, of course, Get Smart, the classic spy spoof that ran for five seasons on NBC (1965-9) and CBS (1969-70), and a pair of critically acclaimed but short-lived dramas that presented a realistic picture of life in New York. We've previously reviewed both Smart and N.Y.P.D., so let's take a look at that other drama, East Side/West Side.
George C. Scott starred as social worker Neil Brock, who did his level best to help the poor and downtrodden, the disadvantaged, the so-called "lost causes" of the city. Part of the reason the show was cancelled after one season was because of issues between Scott and CBS executive James Aubrey, who wasn't exactly a programming genius.
I was but an infant when East Side was launched, so I don't know if my folks ever watched this show. I have had occasion to check it out, thanks to episodes being available on YouTube. I think this might've recently aired on Decades (check local listings) after its last cable home was the defunct Trio channel.
Anyway, let's check out this episode from October 1963, "I Before E Except After C", co-written by Ossie Davis.
Guest stars William Daniels (later of Captain Nice, Knight Rider, St. Elsewhere, & Boy Meets World) & Howard Da Silva would team again more than a decade later in the musical, "1776". By then, Da Silva was well established for his portrayals of Benjamin Franklin, including a 1-man show that eventually merited a TV special.
Rating: A.
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