For Your Batty Consideration: McMillan and Wife

After a failed attempt to get John Schuck on the podcast in Season 9, we delivered with McMillan and Wife, an NBC Mystery Wheel show that also features Rock Hudson and Susan Saint James. "Cop of the Year" is not only a great Schuckcase, but a solid example of the series in fine form (I called it my favorite of the series) and a story loaded with interesting performers.

Links:

Our podcast episode
Show notes and YT playlist

Anonymous Batty Insider says: "If John Schuck doesn't get some kind of Batty after the guys seemingly built an entire episode around him, I'll eat my Rewind Stubbs t-shirt! I've been talking about episode selection this Batty season, and this is an example of the series being helped by the choice of an exceptional installment. We'll see if it pays off for Mac and Wife at the ceremony."

YouTube Spotlight: Access Code (1984)

This segment from the 1984 TV movie Access Code makes the McMillan and Wife playlist because of the presence of Michael Ansara, who guests in "Cop of the Year."

Unfortunately, the uploader lays in a modern Muse song over the original footage, which is a little discombobulating, but it's really hard to find a lot of info about this movie. In fact, I kind of regret putting it in the playlist now.

I thought at first it was a made-for-TV movie, but I can't confirm that, nor can I confirm it got a theatrical release. Was it a straight-to-video feature? In 1984? I do know that it received multiple spiffy-looking VHS releases.

Here is Encyclopedia.com's reprint of the VideoHound review:

Government agents attempt to uncover a private organization that has gained control of nuclear weapons for the purpose of world domination. A ragged patchwork of disconnected scenes meant to test the virtue of patience. 90m/C VHS . Martin Landau, Michael Ansara, MacDonald Carey; D: Mark Sobel.

Power Rankings: Guest stars in "Cop of the Year"

There's little point in ranking the cast members of McMillan and Wife--John Schuck, duh--but there are so many interesting people in Season 3's "Cop of the Year" that it is fun to rate them. Remember, this is based on how these people would do if they squared off on a neutral site in Banff, Alberta:

1) John Astin: I'm counting him as a guest, even though the character Sykes appeared in two other episodes, because I hadn't seen those others when I watched "Cop of the Year." Astin's offbeat energy and interactions with Mac and Enright really elevate the episode and add some flavor to what could have been a standard "lab guy" police show character.

2) Lorraine Gary: She's melodramatic, yes. She's over the top, yes. She's--where was I going with this? Oh, yes, she's entertaining and creates a memorable villain. It's another unique persona that adds to the distinctive nature of the episode.

3) Edmond O'Brien: EOB is just so easy to dislike in this one, bringing the heat right away as Enright's former father-in-law. Even when you realize he's suffering from long-term paste poisoning (NOTE: This is total conjecture from us and not stated in the teleplay), you can't help but hate the old cuss.

4) Vito Scotti: You could be forgiven for assuming his information-wielding Alonzo is a regular on the series. At least, I hope so, because I assumed that! It appears that though he was in several other episodes, this was the only one where he played Alonzo, and he did exactly what you'd want Vito Scotti to do.

5) Michael Ansara: I was a  little disappointed the show didn't do more with his hotshot lawyer who defended Enright, but as I mentioned on the podcast, that one cool semi-argument scene he had with Mac was stellar.

6) Karate guy: All right, the man has a name. It's Colby Chester, and he had a long run on The Young and the Restless and all kinds of solid credits. I still think of him as Karate Guy because of his aggrieved brother's threats to Mac, even though I don't think karate was even the martial art he bragged about practicing.

7) Charles Nelson Reilly: "Hey, Chuck, be 'eccentric' and annoying." "You got it!"

8) Kenneth Mars: A notable performer who is relatively subdued here.

9) Paul Winchell: It's barely a cameo, and I don't think he even gets a close-up, so that's why he gets the bottom spot--not due to the long-simmering feud between he and Mike that we exposed on the pod.

Show Notes and Video Playlist: Episode 10-11: McMillan and Wife

*McMillan and Wife aired 6 seasons and 40 episodes as part of the NBC Mystery Movie from 1971-1977, though the sixth season without Susan St. James was titled McMillan.

*Here is the video playlist for this week! It is full of goodness for all the little Shucksters out there, plus commercials, promos, and clips from the rare and short-lived programs we mention in the episode! All this plus a clip from Nosey, the Sweetest Skunk in the West AND Rock Hudson sitting down to talk bloopers with Dick Clark!

And remember, you can always visit our official YouTube channel for all of our podcasts and episode-specific playlists for each one!

*John Schuck did indeed represent Holmes and Yoyo when he appeared on Battle of the Network Stars in 1976.

*Our Tucker's Witch episode is right here.

*The pro football episode Mike mentions is Season 1's "Death is a Seven Point Episode." The :"rare dual role" episodes I mention are Season 2's "Terror Times Two" and Season 3's "Cross and Double Cross."

*Devlin Connection lasted a mere 13 episodes on NBC in Fall 1982. Jack Scalia joined Rock Hudson in the detective show.

*"Cop of the Year" premiered Sunday night, November 19, 1972, at 8:30 EST on NBC as the third episode of the second season.

*Anna and the King, executive produced by Gene Reynolds, lasted only 13 episodes on CBS despite co-starring Yul Brynner and Samantha Eggar.

*Harvey Korman didn't direct a ton of shows in the Seventies but went on to direct 31 episodes of Mama's Family according to IMDB.

*Patton (1970, Fox) won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director (Franklin Schaffner), and 5 others including Best Actor for star George Patton at the 1971 Academy Awards. Scott, in a famous Oscar moment, declined to accept. 

This first broadcast screening on ABC on 11/19/72 was a huge success and notable for offering a major theatrical release "only" two years after it was in theaters. 

*Nancy Walker left the series after season 5 (along with St. James) to star in The Nancy Walker Show, which lasted only--say it with me--13 episodes on ABC. Schuck's turn in Holmes and Yoyo did not lead to him leaving the series, though his role was reduced in the final season.

*John Astin appeared in two other Season 2 episodes as Sykes and directed two other episodes of the series: The aforementioned "Death Is a Seven Point Favorite" and the first season's "Murder by the Barrel." Later he directed 4 episodes of Holmes and Yoyo!

*The movie director that Mac talks to is played by George Seaton, who directed movies including Miracle on 34th Street, The Country Girl (and he won an Oscar for its screenplay) and Airport.

*Edmond O'Brien (1915-1985) won an Academy Award for 1954's The Barefoot Contessa. He was in a handful of roles after his appearance in "Cop of the Year,"  He retired relatively early in 1974. I wanted to show him some love here since I couldn't find a way to get him into the playlist.

*The article I mention on the pod is by Herbie J. Pilato and is available here.

*Schuck's appearance on Gilbert Gottfried's podcast is right here.

Episode 10-11: McMillan and Wife

This week, we focus on another spoke of the NBC Mystery Wheel with McMillan and Wife, starring Rock Hudson, Susan Saint James, and most importantly John Schuck! In "Cop of the Year," Schuck's Sergeant Enright finds himself accused of murdering his ex-wife. He and Mac (with a little help from the great John Astin) work to clear his name and find the real killer.

#podcast #tv #retrotv #seventies #rockhudson #susansaintjames #johnschuck #mcmillanandwife #mystery

 

Check out this episode!

Tomorrow on Battle of the Network Shows...