Saturday, December 16, 2023

Countdown to Christmas: Merry Christmas to The Force on Patrol (The Naked City, 1958)

 Naked City was just a half-hour series, under the handle, The Naked City, in its first season. ABC cancelled the show, but sponsors managed to lobby for a revival, albeit in the 1 hour format that we're all familiar with.

John McIntire and James Franciscus were the stars that first season, but when the series returned, both were gone. McIntire, as memory serves, moved on to Wagon Train. Franciscus would return in Mr. Novak.

Frank Sutton, six years before Gomer Pyle, USMC, guests in "Merry Christmas to The Force on Patrol":


McIntire chose not to return, preferring to return to his ranch, but as we know, Wagon Train and a stint on The Virginian changed that.

Rating: A.

2 comments:

Mike Doran said...

For The Record:
John McIntire asked out of Naked City about two-thirds of the way through the first season: 'Lt. Muldoon' was killed off quite spectacularly at the start of Episode 25, "The Bumper", with Horace McMahon as 'Lt. Parker' coming in immediately as replacement.
McMahon came back after the gap year, and stayed through to the three hour-long years.
Look Things Up.

hobbyfan said...

I did, and I tried to remember.