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Shaft (TV series)

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This article is about the television film series. For the 1971–1973/2000–2019 theatrical film series, see Shaft (franchise) § Feature films.
Shaft
Richard Roundtree and Ed Barth in "The Killing", 1973.
GenreDetective fiction
Based onShaft
by Ernest Tidyman
StarringRichard Roundtree
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Production companyMGM Television
Original release
NetworkCBS
ReleaseOctober 9, 1973 (1973-10-09) –
February 19, 1974 (1974-02-19)
Related
Shaft  (2000 film)

Shaft is a television series that aired along with Hawkins during 1973–74 television season on The New CBS Tuesday Night Movies. Broadcast every third week, the series is a follow-up continuation of the three feature films that preceded its release. Starring Richard Roundtree as private detective John Shaft, it serves as the fourth installment overall in the Shaft franchise. Ed Barth costars as Al Rossi.[1]

Production

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Because it was to be aired on over-the-air television, CBS felt that the narrative of Shaft needed to be toned down as compared to the original three films. Now instead of opposing the police, Shaft worked with them, creating conflicts with Hawkins starring cinema legend James Stewart, another police series with a starkly different viewership. Contemporary analysts suggested that since Shaft and Hawkins appealed to vastly different audience bases, alternating them only served to confuse fans of both series, giving neither one the time to build up a large viewership.[2][3][4][5] A further contributor to its ratings failure was competition from other crime drama series starring African-American private investigators, NBC's Tenafly and ABC's Get Christie Love!.[6] Richard Roundtree himself publicly expressed his disdain for the small-screen version of Shaft.[7][8]

Episodes

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Nº Title Original air date
1"Shaft and the Enforcers"October 9, 1973 (1973-10-09)
When a lawyer friend fails to return home after successfully defending a man accused of slaying a police officer, Shaft is summoned by the wife. When the lawyer and his client are fished out of the river, Shaft discovers they are the latest in a line of similar murders that have stumped police Lieutenant Al Rossi for months.
2"Shaft and the Killing"October 30, 1973 (1973-10-30)
An ex-girlfriend of Shaft’s, Diana Richie, is badly beaten and ends up in hospital. Shaft goes up against the pimp who delivered the beating, but when the pimp later turns up dead Shaft is the chief suspect.
3"Shaft and the Hit-Run"November 20, 1973 (1973-11-20)
Shaft is hired to help David Oliver, who is accused of killing Eddie Simmons in a hit-run with a stolen car. The investigation leads Shaft to come up against Clifford Grayson who is running an illegal gambling joint and for whom Simmons was a collector.
4"Shaft and the Kidnapping"December 11, 1973 (1973-12-11)
Three kidnappers, disguised as black men, break into Williamson’s house in a small upstate town and kidnap Nancy and leave the banker bound and gagged. They demand a ransom of $250,000 be delivered by John Shaft the next day.
5"Shaft and the Cop Killer"January 1, 1974 (1974-01-01)
Shaft is asked by a former high school classmate to help her husband, Police Officer Jerry Tyler, who has been accused of taking bribes. Although Shaft accepts Tyler’s story of being framed up by bar owner, Larry Doyle and his stooge, Brock, he declines the case but offers to seek help from the police. But when Lt Al Rossi is shot, Shaft takes a personal interest.
6"Shaft and the Capricorn Murders"January 29, 1974 (1974-01-29)
Gil Kirkwood, a financier in deep corporate trouble, fakes his own death in a fire which was also meant to kill his wife, Joanna, who is independently wealthy. With his wife dead, and himself presumed dead, Kirkwood had hoped to escape to South America with $3 million in diamonds from her safe deposit box. But when Joanna is rescued from the fire she hires Shaft, who has previously worked for her father, to investigate.
7"Shaft and the Murder Machine"February 19, 1974 (1974-02-19)
Shaft puts himself up as bait for hit-man Richard Quayle who inadvertently murders the fiancee of a friend whilst carrying out the assassination of a state witness.

Cast and characters

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A private detective working with the New York Police Department (NYPD). Roundtree reprises his role from the theatrical Shaft film series.
An NYPD police lieutenant working with Shaft. Barth replaces Angelo Gnazzo, who portrayed the character in Shaft's Big Score! (1972).

Overview

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List indicator(s)
  • This table only shows characters that have appeared in three or more films in the series.
  • A dark grey cell indicates that the character was not in the film or that the character's presence in the film has yet to be announced.
Character Episodes
The Enforcers The Killing Hit-Run The Kidnapping Cop Killer The Capricorn Murders The Murder Machine
1973 1974
John Shaft Richard Roundtree
Lt. Al Rossi Ed Barth
The Detective Rudy Doucette Rudy Doucette Rudy Doucette
The Hood Arnold Roberts Arnold Roberts
Laura Parks Judie Stein Judie Stein
The Pit Boss Nick Borgani
The Sportsman Robert Strong Robert Strong
Marshall Cunningham Robert Culp
Det. Sgt. Lew Turner Richard Jaeckel
Gerald Felk Kaz Garas
Juan Otero Rafael Campos
Charles Dawson Noah Keen
Judge McCormick Dean Jagger
Bobby Michael Gregory
Gordon Dana Charles Boyd
Walter Anderson Maurice Hill
Stan Burgess Harv Selsby
Dr. Helen Connors Jeanne Sorel
Sister Elizabeth Diana Webster
Jane Cunningham Barbara Babcock
Cathy Cunningham Melissa Sue Anderson
Court Member Dusty Cadis
Numbers Peter Elbling
Court Member Bill Hickman
Don Lewis Richard Lawson
Diana Richie Ja'net DuBois
Kyle Bruckner Leonard Frey
Sergeant Duff Michael Ansara
Sonny Bruckner Michael Pataki
Stanley Hollister Henry Beckman
Archie McGill Ron Soble
Victor Perrine Jared Martin
Captain Rigano Val Avery
Charley Vito Scotti
Jack Benjamin Louis Guss
Mrs. Richie Royce Wallace
Logan Albert Popwell
Selma Thomas Jacque Lynn Colton
Judge Graves Michael Fox
Judge Weinberg Jack Bernardi
Iggie Lou Kane
Bailiff Benjie Bancroft
Courtroom Spectator Al Beaudine
Court Clerk Billy Beck
Court Reporter Dick Cherney
Juror George Holmes
Passerby Kathryn Janssen
Workman Danny Sands
Gambler Eddie Smith
Detective Nico Stevens
Tom Oliver Howard Duff
Marcus Lowell Percy Rodrigues
Ann Lowell Judy Pace
David Oliver Tony Geary
Paul Hanson Don Matheson
Clifford Grayson Tony Curtis
Charles Harris Nicky Blair
Mona Pat Delaney
Secretary Paula Shaw
Pit Boss Ted Jordan
Jacquard Jason Wingreen
Mrs. Pattion Shirley Anthony
Hoods Fred Carson
Bill Catching
Croupiers Sig Frohlich
Joseph La Cava
Dealer Bob Harks
Club Patrons Eddie Garrett
Robert Hitchcock
Joe Pine
Bartender Shep Houghton
Eddie Simmons Charlie Picerni
Pit Boss Hank Robinson
Crouper George Washburn
Elliot Williamson Paul Burke
Nancy Williamson Karen Carlson
Matthew Potter Nicholas A. Beauvy
Beck Greg Mullavey
Hayden Timothy Scott
Leo Vic Brandt
Sheriff Bradley Frank Marth
Deputy Walter Philip Kenneally
Deputy Daley Erik Holland
Deputy Milton Frank Whiteman
Mr. Tolliver Stephen Coit
Debbie Jayne Kennedy
Potter Richard Stahl
Cab Driver Joseph Petrullo
Bank Customer Robert Casper
Wally Doyle George Maharis
Officer Charles Tyler James A. Watson Jr.
Tom Donegan Richard Schaal
Brock Arch Johnson
Marcia Tyler Kim Hamilton
Eve Talya Ferro
Capt. Brian Brewster Darren McGavin
Dr. Meyer Gene Elman
Helen Rossi Mitzi Hoag
Tony Max Gail
Marks Joseph George
Cargill Peter Canon
Bartender Vic Christy
J. L. Teague Don Knight
Gil Kirkwood David Hedison
Joanna Kirkwood Cathy Lee Crosby
Harry Praeger Robert Phillips
Fire Investigator Bert Freed
Frank Lucas Arthur O'Connell
Bank Clerk June Dayton
Bank Officer Dean Harens
Myrna Candice Rialson
Carol Thelma Pelish
Nicky Jo Ella Deffenbaugh
Police Officer David Armstrong
Franklin Carter George Bryson
Boermer Edward Colmans
Gunther Gil Perkins
Detective Ray Pourchot
Intern Walter Smith
Richard Quayle Clu Gulager
Louise Quayle Fionnula Flanagan
Henry Kassner Mills Watson
Gerald Wallace Joe Warfield
Frank Higget Sheldon Allman
Plainclothesmen John Garwood
Glenn Robards
Bookie Danny Wells
Moon Bill Walker
Girl Janice Durkin
Higget's Bodyguard Sid Haig
Corman Than Wyenn

References

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  1. ^ Obenson, Tambay A. (2 October 2011). "Warner Bros Releasing Short-Lived "Shaft" TV Series Collection To DVD".
  2. ^ Serafino, Jason (28 June 2012). "The 10 Worst TV Shows Inspired By Movies". Complex.
  3. ^ Murray, Noel (9 November 2011). "Shaft: The TV Movie Collection". The A.V. Club.
  4. ^ Hicks, Chris (7 October 2011). "'Shaft' TV movies come to DVD". Deseret News. Archived from the original on July 16, 2014.
  5. ^ King, Susan (30 October 1994). "Retro : Return of the Short Timers : SERIES THAT DIDN'T LAST MORE THAN A SEASON GET A SECOND SHOWING ON TNT". Los Angeles Times.
  6. ^ Walker, David F. (August 2020). "Fifty Years of Shaft". RetroFan (10). United States: TwoMorrows Publishing: 9.
  7. ^ Mooney, Joshua (August 15, 1997). "Scowling 'Shaft' In His Past, Roundtree's Even Taking On Comedy". Archived from the original on September 22, 2015.
  8. ^ "Richard Roundtree." Unsung Hollywood. Nar. Gary Anthony Williams. Exec. Prod. Frank Sinton, Arthur Smith, Kent Weed, and Mark Rowland. TV One, 25 Mar. 2015. Television.
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