Jump to content

Checkmate (American TV series)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by InternetArchiveBot (talk | contribs) at 00:03, 21 November 2016 (Rescuing 1 sources and tagging 0 as dead. #IABot (v1.2.7.1)). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Checkmate
GenreDetective/Mystery
Created byEric Ambler
Directed byFrank Arrigo
Jules Bricken
Herschel Daugherty
Walter Doniger
Robert Florey
William A. Graham
Tom Gries
Douglas Heyes
James Wong Howe
Robert Ellis Miller
Alexander Singer
Don Taylor
Don Weis
StarringAnthony George
Sebastian Cabot
Doug McClure
Theme music composerJohn Williams
ComposersMarty Paich
Pete Rugolo
Morton Stevens
John Williams
Stanley Wilson
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes70
Production
ProducersRichard Berg
Herbert Coleman
Joseph T. Naar
CinematographyJoseph F. Biroc
Dale Deverman
Ray Flin
Lionel Lindon
Fred Mandl
John L. Russell
Bud Thackery
John F. Warren
EditorsHoward Epstein
Lee Huntington
Tony Martinelli
Running time60 mins.
Production companiesJaMco Productions
Revue Studios
Original release
NetworkCBS
ReleaseSeptember 17, 1960 –
September 1, 1962

Checkmate is an American detective television series starring Anthony George, Sebastian Cabot, and Doug McClure. The show aired on CBS Television from 1960 to 1962 for a total of 70 episodes and was produced by Jack Benny's production company, "JaMco Productions" in co-operation with Revue Studios. Guest stars included Charles Laughton, Peter Lorre, Lee Marvin, Mickey Rooney and many other prominent performers.

Synopsis

The series chronicled the adventures of a private detective agency set in San Francisco. Created by Eric Ambler, the program involves the cases of the detective agency called Checkmate, Inc. Don Corey and Jed Sills run the agency, which specializes in preventing crimes before they happen, from Corey's stylish apartment, supposedly at 3330 Union St. Sebastian Cabot portrays a Ph.D. college professor whom they employ as an adviser. Dr. Hyatt's dachshund Bismarck also appears occasionally. Ken Lynch is frequently seen as police dept. contact Lt. Thomas Brand.

The series was a critical favorite. Many exterior scenes were shot in San Francisco. In 1961 John J. Lloyd won the show's sole Emmy nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction and Scenic Design.[1] The icon for this series is swirling liquid shapes at the opening and closing of each episode with theme music.

In 1962, Gold Key Comics published a short-lived (2 issues) comic book based on the series.

Broadcast History

The series aired on CBS on Saturday in the 8:30-9:30 PM time slot from its début on September 17, 1960 until June 24, 1961. The series was a hit that season, finishing at #21 among all series.[2] It was then reprogrammed to Wednesday in the same time slot from October 4, 1961 to June 20, 1962, where it fell opposite The Perry Como Show on NBC.[3] CBS replaced it with The Beverly Hillbillies.

Distribution

The series was also seen in Canada from 1961 on CTV during that network's initial season.[4]

Cast

Notable guest stars

DVD releases

Timeless Media Group has released two "Best of..." collections on DVD in Region 1. Checkmate: The Best of Season 1[5] was released on October 30, 2009 and Checkmate: The Best of Season 2 was released on March 25, 2008.[6]

Timeless Media Group released Checkmate: The Complete Series on 14 DVDs on June 22, 2010 (Region 1).https://web.archive.org/web/20101129001609/http://timelessvideo.com/dvds/checkmate14dvd.html

References

  1. ^ "Checkmate". Awards & Nominations: Outstanding Achievement In Art Direction And Scenic Design - 1961. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. 2015. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
  2. ^ "1960-1961". TV Ratings. ClassicTVHits.com. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
  3. ^ "1961-1962". TV Ratings. ClassicTVHits.com. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
  4. ^ Braithwaite, Dennis (2 October 1961). "Filmed Accolades Put Private TV Network on the Air". Globe and Mail. p. 4. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ "Best of CHECKMATE". Timelessvideo.com. Retrieved 2012-08-11.
  6. ^ "Best of CHECKMATE Season Two". Timelessvideo.com. Retrieved 2012-08-11.