The Hero is an American television sitcom that aired on NBC on Thursday nights at 9:30 p.m. Eastern from September 8, 1966 to January 5, 1967.[1] It was the first television series for Richard Mulligan.
| The Hero | |
|---|---|
| Created by | Leonard Stern |
| Starring | Richard Mulligan |
| Theme music composer | Jack Marshall |
| Composer | Jack Marshall |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Leonard Stern Daniel Melnick |
| Producer | Jay Sandrich |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company | Talent Associates |
| Original release | |
| Network | NBC |
| Release | September 8, 1966 – January 5, 1967 |
After reports of possible cancelation of the series surfaced in the fall of 1966, the National Association for Better Broadcasting (NABB) wrote to NBC and to sponsors Lever Brothers Company and R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company asking that it not be canceled. Frank Orme, NABB's executive director, said that ending the series would undermine writers' and producers' efforts to come up with shows "that would reverse the continuing decline in standards of network entertainment programming."[2]
Premise
editThe series centers on Sam Garret, the star of a fictional Western television series titled Jed Clayton — U.S. Marshal. In contrast to the Western's success onscreen, Garret is "a clumsy bloke offscreen."[3] An article in The New York Times described the character as "a good-natured family man with 10 thumbs and a fear of horses."[2]
Other characters include Garret's wife, Ruth, and their son, Paul. Fred Gilman and his son, Burton, are the Garrets' neighbors.[3]
Cast
edit- Richard Mulligan as Sam Garret[3]
- Mariette Hartley as Ruth Garret[3]
- Bobby Horan as Paul Garret[3]
- Victor French as Fred Gilman[3]
- Marc London as Dewey[3]
- Joey Baio as Burton Gilman[3]
Episodes
edit| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "A Night to Remember to Forget" | Robert Ellis Miller | Bill Idelson & Sam Bobrick | September 8, 1966 |
| 2 | "The Big Return of Little Eddie" | Unknown | Leonard Stern & Don Hinkley | September 15, 1966 |
| 3 | "Pardon Me, But Your Party's Showing" | Unknown | Bill Idelson & Sam Bobrick | September 22, 1966 |
| 4 | "Curiosity Killed a Key" | Unknown | Roswell Rogers | September 29, 1966 |
| 5 | "Rumble Without a Cause" | Unknown | Ronald Axe & Sydney Zelinka | October 6, 1966 |
| 6 | "The Kid's Revenge" | Unknown | Roswell Rogers | October 13, 1966 |
| 7 | "The Matchmaker" | Unknown | Bill Idelson & Sam Bobrick | October 20, 1966 |
| 8 | "The Day They Shot Sam Garret" | William Wiard | Austin Kalish & Irma Kalish and Leonard Stern | November 3, 1966 |
| 9 | "If You Loved Me, You'd Hate Me" | Unknown | Budd Grossman | November 10, 1966 |
| 10 | "Universal Language" | Unknown | Roswell Rogers | November 17, 1966 |
| 11 | "I Wouldn't Wish It on a Dog" | Unknown | Bill Idelson & Sam Bobrick | November 24, 1966 |
| 12 | "The Truth Never Hurts...Much" | Unknown | Martin Ragaway | December 1, 1966 |
| 13 | "Who Needs a Friend in Need?" | Unknown | Bill Idelson & Sam Bobrick | December 8, 1966 |
| 14 | "I Have a Friend" | William Wiard | Joseph C. Cavella & Carol Cavella | December 15, 1966 |
| 15 | "My Favorite Father" | Unknown | Roswell Rogers | December 22, 1966 |
| 16 | "The Terribly Talented Trayton Tyler Taylor" | Unknown | Arne Sultan | January 5, 1967 |
Production
editLeonard Stern was the series's creator and executive producer. Jay Sandrich was the producer for Talent Associates.[3] Sixteen episodes were filmed in color at Paramount Studios in Hollywood.[4] It was broadcast at 9:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursdays.[5]
References
edit- ^ Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (June 24, 2009). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. Random House Publishing Group. p. 606. ISBN 978-0-307-48320-1. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
- ^ a b Adams, Val (October 20, 1966). "N.B.C. Will Film 5 'Today' Shows in Britain". The New York Times. p. 87. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 375. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
- ^ Leszczak, Bob (November 8, 2012). Single Season Sitcoms, 1948-1979: A Complete Guide. McFarland. p. 77. ISBN 978-0-7864-9305-0. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
- ^ Shubilla, Thom “Beefstew” (April 26, 2022). Primetime 1966-1967: The Full Spectrum of Television's First All-Color Season. McFarland. pp. 194–195. ISBN 978-1-4766-4502-5.
External links
edit
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