Wire Service
| Wire Service | |
|---|---|
 Dane Clark as Dan Miller, 1956. | |
| Genre | Drama |
| Written by | Al C. Ward Frederick Brady |
| Directed by | Lance Comfort Tom Gries |
| Starring | Dane Clark George Brent Mercedes McCambridge |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 37 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Warren Lewis Don Sharpe |
| Producer | Buck Houghton |
| Running time | 45–48 minutes |
| Production company | Desilu Productions |
| Original release | |
| Network | ABC |
| Release | October 4, 1956 – June 17, 1957 |
Wire Service is an American television drama series that aired on ABC as part of its 1956-57 season lineup.
Synopsis
Wire Service focuses on three reporters for the fictional Trans Globe wire service,[1] which was similar to (and obviously inspired by) real-life news wire services such as the Associated Press and United Press International. It was the first hour-long, weekly scheduled dramatic series with continuing characters to last a full season on network television.[citation needed] However, the three reporters functioned independently of each other,[2] meaning that the series was essentially three different ones sharing a time slot and title.
This program was aired at 9 p.m. (Eastern time) Thursdays from September 1956 to February 1957, when it was moved to Mondays at 8:30. It was not renewed for a second season, and the last prime time broadcast under this title was in September 1957. However, when a gap developed in the ABC schedule in February 1959, the episodes starring Dane Clark (only) were then rebroadcast under the title Deadline for Action.[3] The last of these repeat episodes was broadcast on September 13, 1959.
The program was produced by Desilu Productions at Desilu Studios in Hollywood, California.
The series sometimes delved into topics that were controversial for its era. They included profiteering, nuclear testing, and prison reform.[4]
Cast
- Dane Clark as Dan Miller[1]
- George Brent as Dean Evans[1]
- Mercedes McCambridge as Katherine Wells[1]
The producers were Don Sharpe and Warren Lewis.[2]
Home video
A DVD set, Wire Service Volume 1, was released by Alpha Video on March 1, 2016.[5]
Episodes
| Episode # | Episode Title | Original Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Blood Rock Mine" | October 4, 1956 |
| 2 | "Campaign Train" | October 11, 1956 |
| 3 | "Hideout" | October 18, 1956 |
| 4 | "The Johnny Rath Story" | October 25, 1956 |
| 5 | "Night of August 7th" | November 1, 1956 |
| 6 | "Conspiracy" | November 8, 1956 |
| 7 | "The Tower" | November 15, 1956 |
| 8 | "Deported" | November 22, 1956 |
| 9 | "Until I Die" | November 29, 1956 |
| 10 | "The Avengers" | December 6, 1956 |
| 11 | "The Deep End" | December 12, 1956 |
| 12 | "High Adventure" | December 20, 1956 |
| 13 | "The Block Rock Mine" | December 27, 1956 |
| 14 | "Chicago Exclusive" | January 3, 1957 |
| 15 | "World of the Lonely" | January 10, 1957 |
| 16 | "The Third Inevitable" | January 17, 1957 |
| 17 | "Flowers for the General" | January 24, 1957 |
| 18 | "The Comeback" | January 31, 1957 |
| 19 | "Atom at Spithead" | February 11, 1957 |
| 20 | "El Hombre" | February 18, 1957 |
| 21 | "Profile of Ellen Gale" | February 25, 1957 |
| 22 | "Dateline Las Vegas" | March 4, 1957 |
| 23 | "Forbidden Ground" | March 11, 1957 |
| 24 | "No Peace in Lo Dao" | March 18, 1957 |
| 25 | "A Matter of Conscience" | March 25, 1957 |
| 26 | "Misfire" | April 1, 1957 |
| 27 | "The Indictment" | April 8, 1957 |
| 28 | "Ninety and Nine" | April 15, 1957 |
| 29 | "The Oil Man" | April 22, 1957 |
| 30 | "Run, Sheep, Run" | April 29, 1957 |
| 31 | "The Death Merchant" | May 6, 1957 |
| 32 | "Violence Preferred" | May 13, 1957 |
| 33 | "The Last Laugh" | May 20, 1957 |
| 34 | "Confirm or Deny" | May 27, 1957 |
| 35 | "Four Minutes to Shot" | June 3, 1957 |
| 36 | "The Washington Story" | June 10, 1957 |
| 37 | "A Death at Twin Pines" | June 17, 1957 |
References
- ^ a b c d Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of television shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 1185. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.
- ^ a b McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 919. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
- ^ Books, Tim; Marsh, Earle (1979). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows : 1946 - Present. New York: Ballantine Books. p. 689. ISBN 0-345-25525-9.
- ^ O'Brien, Scott (Spring 2015). "George Brent: Hollywood's Mysterious Lone Wolf". Films of the Golden Age (80): 55.
- ^ "Wire Service Volume 1". TCM Shop. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
External links
- 1956 American television series debuts
- 1957 American television series endings
- 1950s American television series
- American Broadcasting Company network shows
- American drama television series
- Black-and-white television programs
- English-language television programs
- Television series by CBS Television Studios
- Television series by Desilu Productions