Mercy Killings? Private Eye Shows That Woulda Never Been Contenders
Okay, not every P.I. show that gets canned deserves tears. And Lord knows, there have been plenty of shows built around private eyes that were less than stellar. But these were so bad you have to wonder how they got on air at all. What stinkeroos have I missed?
- Ace Crawford, Private Eye
(1983, CBS)
Remember good ol’ Tim Conway from The Carol Burnett Show? Well, in this alleged laugh riot, he played a bumbling private eye without a clue. Or a joke that wasn’t covered in dust. It lasted only five episodes, but it seemed much longer. - South of Sunset
(1993, CBS)
Just one look, that’s all it took. A single airing and it was clear that Glenn Frey, as a Los Angeles private eye, was more of a turkey than an Eagle. Any acting cred he accumulated from his Miami Vice dalliance was nowhere to be seen. Lasted one episode. - Dellaventura
(1997-98, CBS)
Danny Aiello, coasting on a career high after Do the Right Thing, and a bunch of other Aiellos gather together to demonstrate how to not do the right thing. It lasted 13 episodes. - Snoops
(1999, ABC)
Oh, that every P.I. show looked this sexy! Pouty lips, come-hither eyes, cheekbones you could cut paper with… and that was just the men. But under the surface? Zip. Hard to believe hotshot writer/producer David E. Kelley created this brain-dead mess, about an LA detective agency. It was camp. Without humour. Lasted eleven episodes.
FURTHER INVESTIGATION
- Brilliant But Cancelled
14 Private Eye Shows That Coulda Been Contenders
Report respectfully submitted by Kevin Burton Smith.
