McClain's Law
| McClain's Law | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Crime drama |
| Created by | Eric Bercovici |
| Written by |
Frank Abatemarco Eric Bercovici Walter Dallenbach Stephen Downing Allison Hock Mark Rodgers Frank Telford Gerald Sanford |
| Directed by |
Corey Allen Kerry Feltham Bruce Kessler Vincent McEveety Gary Nelson James Sheldon |
| Starring |
James Arness George DiCenzo Marshall Colt |
| Composer(s) |
James Di Pasquale (all other episodes and theme) Michael Melvoin ("A Time of Peril") Angela Morley (four: 1.6, 1.10, 1.12, 1.14) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 16 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
Eric Bercovici Richard R. St. Johns |
| Producer(s) |
Robert H. Justman Mark Rodgers |
| Running time | 44 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
Eric Bercovici Productions MGM Television |
| Distributor | Warner Bros. Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Original release | November 20, 1981 – August 24, 1982 |
McClain's Law is an American crime drama television series that aired on NBC during the 1981-1982 season. New episodes ended on March 20, and rebroadcasts continued until August 24, 1982.
Summary
The series starred former Gunsmoke lead James Arness in a rare non-western role as Jim McClain, a former police detective who was medically retired after being wounded in the leg in a gun battle in the line of duty. He returns to duty thirteen years later to avenge the murder and robbery of a friend, and ends up coming out of retirement in order to share his expertise with a younger generation of police officers.[1]
At first, his request to be returned to active duty is met with resistance by police department supervisors. McClain is made to undergo physical fitness tests and a requalification and training program at the police academy. He handily passes all tests and is returned to active duty on the department at his former rank of detective. McClain is tough but compassionate. He is regarded by his colleagues as being an "Old School" cop. He carries a Smith & Wesson .44 caliber revolver when most of his fellow officers carry .38 Special caliber sidearms. His new coworkers come to respect McClain as a consummate professional of unyielding courage. McClain's Law, like several other series from this period, was criticized for its level of violence. The co-stars were Marshall Colt and George DiCenzo. This was Arness' final TV series; hereafter he primarily appeared in a series of made-for-TV movies reprising Gunsmoke.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| James Arness | Detective Jim McClain |
| George DiCenzo | Lieutenant Edward DeNisco |
| Marshall Colt | Detective Harry Gates |
| Conchata Ferrell | Vangie Cruise |
| Carl Franklin | Detective Jerry Cross |
Notable Guest stars
- Barbara Babcock
- Bibi Besch
- Scott Brady
- Julie Carmen
- Pat Corley
- Richard Jaeckel
- Arte Johnson
- Henry Jones
- Art Lund
- Richard Lynch
Episodes
| Ep # | Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot (Part 1) | November 20, 1981 |
| 2 | Pilot (Part 2) | November 20, 1981 |
| 3 | "Requiem for a Narc" | November 27, 1981 |
| 4 | "A Time of Peril" | December 4, 1981 |
| 5 | "Let the Victims Beware" | December 11, 1981 |
| 6 | "Portrait of a Playmate" | December 18, 1981 |
| 7 | "To Save the Queen" | January 8, 1982 |
| 8 | "A Matter of Honor" | January 15, 1982 |
| 9 | "The Sign of the Beast" (Part 1) | January 22, 1982 |
| 10 | "The Sign of the Beast" (Part 2) | January 29, 1982 |
| 11 | "What Patric Doesn't Know" | February 5, 1982 |
| 12 | "Green Light" | February 12, 1982 |
| 13 | "Use of Deadly Force" | February 19, 1982 |
| 14 | "Takeover" | March 6, 1982 |
| 15 | "From the Mouths of Babes" | March 13, 1982 |
| 16 | "The Last Hero" | March 20, 1982 |
DVD release
On June 21, 2016, Warner Archive Collection will release McClain's Law- The Complete Series on DVD in Region 1 for the very first time.[2] This is a manufacture-on-demand (MOD) release, available exclusively through Warner's online store and Amazon.com.
References
- ↑ Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh, The Comprehensive Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows 1946-Present, New York: Ballantine Publishers, 1992, p. 570
- ↑ Official 'The Complete Series' on DVD: Date, Cost, Package Art