PBS Series: 'Pioneers of Television' - Crime Dramas

The second season of this fascinating series titled "Pioneers of Television" on television shows, along with its actors and producers, featured an episode on one of the most popular and enduring TV genres of all time, the crime dramas. In its first season there were four episodes that focused on late night talk shows, game shows, variety shows and sitcoms. Variety shows are no longer around, though reality TV has made them into results shows featuring guest artists and digital short comedy skits.

Sitcoms are still around, but once again reality TV has all but decimated this genre. Throughout the decades crime dramas have stayed true and remain steadfast from its early days of crime radio programs to the brutal reality of today's television crime and police procedural dramas. A number of shows were focused due to their innovations and being the exceptional pioneers of television.

Dragnet - "The names have been changed to protect the innocent"

In the late 1940s "Dragnet" was a popular radio program that eventually became a series on the new medium of television. Instead of focusing on the crime itself, it dealt with the behind-the-scenes of law enforcement, especially the victims and family members. This semi-documentary TV show based each episode on a real crime in the Los Angeles area, but the names have been changed to protect the innocent.

That was always announced at the beginning of the show much like what the "Law & Order" franchises do today in a similar fashion. One unique feature of the show was its deadpan delivery of the lines from Jack Webb, the star and creator of "Dragnet." Even the actors were required to read the teleprompter on the set in a monotone. This gave it a street credibility ambience. It was a show that literally drew me in. Even with the actors sounding like robots, the writing was top-notch. Many of today's crime dramas have "Dragnet" to thank.

Mission Impossible - "This tape will self-destruct in five seconds"

Many may be more familiar with the film series of the same name starring Tom Cruise during the '90s and '00s. Before it reached the silver screen it was a popular spy thriller/espionage TV series set during the Cold War era. They were a team of American government agents. Various actors appeared for a season or two throughout the "Mission Impossible" run from 1966 to 1973.

Primarily the show was lead by the character of Jim Phelps who would receive a recorded message that had the famous ending quote "this tape will self-destruct in five seconds." Afterwards you'd see smoke. Each week they had a mission to accomplish that would take them on a lot of twist and turns as well as playing cat and mouse. Leonard Nimoy, Martin Landau and Barbara Bain were actors who appeared on the show. One notable character, Barney Collier, was an African-American electronics and mechanical genius on the team played by Greg Morris.

I Spy - Bill Cosby Changes Television in a Leading Role

If ever there was a true pioneer on a television series it would have to be this one. It is well-known as being a breakthrough in the mid 1960s, because it was the first primetime TV show to have an African American actor in a leading role. Bill Cosby's and Robert Culp's characters help develop the "buddy genre" for television. Like "Mission Impossible" it was another secret agent show following on the success of the James Bond films. Cosby and Culp played the top agents from the Pentagon. As their cover Culp was the playboy tennis bum and Cosby, the tennis trainer/coach. Initially the show's producer wanted to fire Bill Cosby due to his poor performances. Robert Culp stated he would leave also if Cosby was ever fired. Bill Cosby would eventually win three consecutive Emmys for his leading role in "I Spy."

Hawaii Five-O - The First TV Show Featuring Asians in Significant Roles

Here was a crime drama show that finally represented Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders and other Asians on prime time. Now it is a reboot series that made its premiere on September 20, 2010. The original premiered on the same month and day in 1968. This state police series based their name on Hawaii being the 50th state in the Union was an early police procedural program. Steve McGarrett, a former naval officer was appointed by the Hawaiian Governor to lead this force. It was interesting to see film clips of the original and compare them with the current show. There is definitely a difference, but this series dealt with terrorism, international organized crime and other criminal issues not addressed in primetime shows before. "Hawaii Five-O" became the longest running crime drama series until 2003 with "Law & Order" surpassing the mark.

Police Woman - A Breakthrough for Women

Only two other TV shows had featured women in a leading role solving crime. None of them were police officers from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). The actress, Angie Dickinson, broke the mold to become the first woman to portray a female police officer from a major city in primetime. She was beautiful, sexy, smart, and daring. The show "Police Woman" premiered in 1974. Sergeant Pepper Anderson oftentimes went undercover to catch criminals, rather than pounding the beat. Angie Dickinson is pleased to be a heroine and a pioneer.

Several other shows were highlighted within the one-hour telecast on PBS, but these particular shows were very significant with their contributions. It is ironic how reality TV has either eliminated or radically changed some TV genres, yet crime dramas and police shows have managed to premiere season after season with at least a handful from each of the major networks. That's not even counting the cable TV channels too. Crime dramas are here to stay and they have no intention of ever leaving or fading. That's why they are the "Pioneers of Television."

SOURCES:

Pioneers of Television, PBS.org

The Free Encyclopedia, Wikipedia