Harry O (the David Janssen-starring series)

[OceanBlue]

Going to add a new show to my rotation of older series, the David Janssen-starring series Harry O (which co-starred Henry Darrow

[Show spoiler]and later Anthony Zerbe).

But before the two season series (from what I've heard about it, it should have lasted longer), there are two pilot TV films (Such Dust As Dreams Are Made On and Smile Jenny, You're Dead).

The Warner Archive Collection released both seasons in the States, with a separate DVD release of the second pilot Smile Jenny, You're Dead (Such Dust As Dreams Are Made On is included as a bonus feature in the first season DVD set).

Below is the thumbnail artwork for second pilot TV film Smile Jenny, You're Dead and the two subsequent seasons:

[OceanBlue]

Started watching the first season last night (the episode "Gertrude"). I'm going to hazard a guess and say this first episode wasn't remastered. It has a transfer similar to that of the second pilot "Smile Jenny, You're Dead" (looked a bit rough on the edges at times, not faded, but not full of colour).

Both pilots ("Such Dust As Dreams Are Made On" and "Smile Jenny, You're Dead") began and ended with what appeared to be the original logos (the Warner Bros. Television logo on a red background).

On the whole I was impressed with the first episode. Looking forward to continuing with the rest of the series (which I've read had a revamp around halfway through the first season, including

[Show spoiler]the late Henry Darrow being replaced by Anthony Zerbe).

The two pilots were shot in areas of Los Angeles, but the series premiere "Gertrude" was definitely shot on location in San Diego (where the show was set). Eighties detective series Simon & Simon was set in San Diego (with the exception of the episode "Pirate's Key", which was shot somewhere in Florida), but was shot in and around Los Angeles.

[AnamorphicWidescreen]

Never heard of this series before - Thanks for the posts. Sounds interesting. I may try to check this out. Though, it may be a while - given I've a huge back-log of other shows/movies in my queue.

[OceanBlue]

Originally Posted by AnamorphicWidescreen

Never heard of this series before - Thanks for the posts. Sounds interesting. I may try to check this out. Though, it may be a while - given I've a huge back-log of other shows/movies in my queue.

A quick recap to help you out:

- the first (unsuccessful) pilot "Such Dust As Dreams Are Made On" is available as a bonus feature on the last disc in the Harry O: The Complete First Season DVD set from the Warner Archive Collection

- the second (successful) pilot "Smile Jenny, You're Dead" was released separately as a 'manufactured-on-demand' DVD release.

[OceanBlue]

Watched the first season episode "The Admiral's Lady" this past weekend, and I continue to very much like this series. I wasn't quite sure where they were going with the story, and even when the culprit's motive was revealed (which on the one hand seemed original, and on the other hand it might have seemed repetitive (like a typical detective show storyline) I thought it was well done.

And regarding the end credits, they ended with a Warner Bros. Television logo from I think the eighties. The episode's transfer, like with "Gertrude", wasn't remastered. But it didn't look faded either (I noticed a red or green vertical line down the left-hand side of the picture throughout the episode).

Loving the San Diego locations in this show (in this episode I liked the scenes shot along the coastline and under the pier).

Guest stars included John McMartin and Sharon Acker.

[OceanBlue]

Firstly, I'm starting off with an end credits logo update. Last night, I finished off watching the second disc in the Complete First Season DVD set, and so far only the episodes "Gertrude" and "Ballinger's Choice" have had the end credits end with the original (I think) Warner Bros. Television logo (black and white logo on top of a red background). The logo at the end of "Ballinger's Choice" was a bit faded, but at least it was the original logo (all the episodes inbetween have ended with a Warner Brothers Television - A Time Warner Company logo from either the eighties or nineties).

Secondly, while one or two episodes inbetween "Gertrude" and "Shadows at Noon" I liked, I wouldn't say I was really impressed by them. However, "Shadows at Noon" and "Ballinger's Choice" I was impressed by (in the former, Harry gets himself admitted into a psychiatric hospital, and in the latter (which even though I lost track of what was going on, I still kind of 'got it'), Harry investigates a man's disappearance (actor Paul Burke guest-starred in the latter). One of the high points in the latter for me was a boat chase which took in some of the San Diego coastline (including that bridge which crosses some of the ocean/sea (it's seen in Simon & Simon's title sequence as well).

[OceanBlue]

In the past week, watched two further episodes from the San Diego era of the first season, "Second Sight" and "Material Witness".

On the whole I thought "Second Sight" was very good. What prevented me from saying it was excellent was that

[Show spoiler]I was hoping that Stefanie Powers' character was in fact faking her blindness, that it was a cover and she was the real killer (it ended up being someone else, who was seen and heard briefly towards the end of the episode).

"Material Witness", on the other hand, was near to being excellent. It was like a chase movie, reminding me of the Clint Eastwood-starring The Gauntlet (which was released in cinemas around three years later). Even if towards the end it lost the non-stop chase, it was still a decent ending.

Up next is a two-parter called "Forty Reasons to Kill", then the last episode (technically the penultimate) with the late Henry Darrow as the first of Harry Orwell's two police contacts on the show. Not far from when the show was revamped (including the show moving back to Los Angeles (where the two pilot TV films were filmed).

Harry O is a difficult show to get into, but you are rewarded with your patience. The lead character comes across as grumpy, he prefers to travel by bus (instead of driving a car), the car he mainly drives doesn't run very well, and he doesn't like using guns.

[OceanBlue]

The next mini-reviews/reviews will be in reverse. Last night, I watched the episode "The Last Heir", an excellent episode but also a bizarre one. This was partly because it (and I agree with what I read on (I think) Wikipedia) was a sort-of standalone episode which didn't take place in or around San Diego (where the first season had been set at, up to and including the previous episode "Accounts Balanced") or Los Angeles (where the show would move to in the next episode "For the Love of Money").

It was a classic Agatha Christie-style whodunnit, with Harry and a group of people stranded in a mansion out in the desert with a killer among them. I didn't quite hear what

[Show spoiler]Harry said to (or asked) the older female owner of the mansion (played by Jeanette Nolan) at the end of the episode,

but I still thoroughly enjoyed the episode as a whole. It is best going into this episode cold (don't read anything (or much) about the episode's plot before you watch it).

Up to this point in the first season, it said at the end of each episode's end credits that filming took place in or around San Diego (and possibly the Burbank Studios). But at the end of "The Last Heir" it just said that this episode was filmed at the Burbank Studios.

[OceanBlue]

Couldn't fit it all into the title bar for this post. Watched in the past week, the first episode of the Los Angeles era of the show, "For the Love of Money". Debuting in this episode (replacing Henry Darrow) was actor Anthony Zerbe (also in an Also Starring role, as Harry's second police contact Lieutenant Trench). And I've got to say, they absolutely nailed it from the off. An excellent episode, and the move from San Diego to Los Angeles (where the two pilot TV films were filmed) didn't bother me (it felt like a seamless change of scenery, atmosphere and mood).

Based on this episode alone, I thought the screen chemistry between David Janssen and Anthony Zerbe was very entertaining, especially the witty dialogue and humour (this included the scenes with another new character, Zerbe's character's detective partner. The humour came from the detective partner being mostly silent).

The case Harry was working on kept my interest (the guest stars included Sharon Farrell (a few years before she starred in some of the final season of Hawaii Five-O) and Bernie Kopell (two to three years before The Love Boat started). In this same season (when it originally aired in the States), Bernie Kopell also guest-starred in a third season episode of The Streets of San Francisco).

As a whole, this episode got the Los Angeles era off to a great start.

[OceanBlue]

Resumed watching the WAC's DVD release of the second and final season recently. I count on less than five fingers how many episodes so far in the series have had the end credits end with the original Warner Bros. Television logo (red background with black shape in the centre with white logo on top). The most recent season 2 episode I watched (a few nights ago), "APB Orwell" ended with the original closing logo. An excellent episode on the whole (very detailed with a maybe straightforward resolution).

As there were only two seasons (there should have been a third, but I think the show was a victim of circumstances beyond it's control (it's to do with the series Charlie's Angels which started on US TV a few months after Harry O's last episode premiered), and if the original film elements can be found (ideally with the closing logo restored), I hope Harry O is in the works for a Blu-ray upgrade by the Warner Archive Collection.

[Twilight62]

Originally Posted by OceanBlue

I hope Harry O is in the works for a Blu-ray upgrade by the Warner Archive Collection.

That would be great!

[harry o]

"Gertrude" is my favorite season one episode of "harry o" delighted to discover this thread !!