City of Angels (1976 TV series)

Last updated
City of Angels
City of Angels Title Card.jpg
Created by Stephen J. Cannell
Roy Huggins
Starring Wayne Rogers
Elaine Joyce
Clifton James
Philip Sterling
Country of originUnited States
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producerJo Swerling Jr.
Production companiesRoy Huggins-Public Arts Productions
Universal Television
Release
Original network NBC
Original releaseFebruary 3 (1976-02-03) 
May 18, 1976 (1976-05-18)

City of Angels is a 1976 American television series created by Stephen J. Cannell and Roy Huggins, who had previously worked together on The Rockford Files . American mystery novelist Max Allan Collins has called City of Angels "the best private eye series ever." [1]

Contents

Plot

Wayne Rogers plays a determined but not wholly ethical private detective, Jake Axminster, who looks out for himselfand somewhat less aggressively for his clientsamid the corruption of Los Angeles, California, in the mid-1930s. He is aided in his investigative efforts by two friends: his ditzy blonde secretary, Marsha Finch (Elaine Joyce), who also runs a call-girl business on the side, and attorney Michael Brimm (Philip Sterling). Brimm is called upon frequently to defend Axminster from charges (mostly trumped-up) leveled against him by Lieutenant Murray Quint (Clifton James), a fat, cigar-chomping, and thoroughly crooked member of the Los Angeles Police Department.

Axminster drives a 1934 ragtop Studebaker and keeps his office in downtown L.A.’s historic Bradbury Building, phone number OXford-8704. (Brimm’s office is located just across the hall.) For his services, Axminster charges $25 a day plus expenses. Although Brimm describes him as “Mr. Play-It-Safe,” [2] Axminster regularly places himself in danger by helping friends and annoying the police with his questions. His efforts frequently result in his being beaten up. So often does Quint order his thrashing, that Axminster has taken to having nude photographs shot of himself in order to prove later on how aggressive the cops were in their interrogations. [3]

The detective drinks coffee addictively. When one client asks him whether his habit keeps him up, Axminster responds, “No, but it helps.” He appears to be constantly in debt, and he’s not above borrowing money from friends and even from his bootblack, Lester (Timmie Rogers). [4] Axminster “gripes in general about the cost of staying alive. ‘All the angels left this burg about 20 years ago,’ is his succinct summation of the 1930s ...” [5]

Background

Rogers as 1930s L.A. private eye Jake Axminster. Wayne Rogers City of Angels 1976.JPG
Rogers as 1930s L.A. private eye Jake Axminster.

Inspired by the 1974 film Chinatown , [6] City of Angels adopted the same cynical view of Depression era Los Angeles, a place where Hollywood and crime competed for attention. This series also found its roots in Roy Huggins’ hard-boiled 1946 detective novel, The Double Take, [7] which had earlier provided the source material for another Huggins-created series, 77 Sunset Strip . Individual installments of this show were based on real-life events. The three-part pilot episode, “The November Plan,” was based on a notorious 1933 American conspiracy known as the Business Plot, which involved wealthy businessmen trying to bring down United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt in a coup. Another episode, "The Castle of Dreams," featured a pricey brothel where the prostitutes were movie-star lookalikes. That establishment was based on the historical T&M Studio (later fictionalized in L.A. Confidential as the "Fleur de Lis Club"). During the show's run, Nazism, communism, railroad-riding hoboes, and the Ku Klux Klan all figured into the plots.

Like Banyon , an earlier and similar American series set in Los Angeles, City of Angels was short-lived. Only 13 hour-long episodes were produced before NBC decided to cancel the program. Critics argued that the TV audience did not easily connect with Rogers as a tough, wise-cracking gumshoe. TV Guide's Cleveland Amory wrote: [8] "Altogether, Mr. Rogers does not seem completely at home in his part, but he does assault the Bogart-style dialogue with appeal, if not aplomb. When, in the first episode, a starlet (Meredith Baxter Birney) can't afford to pay him, she offers him her rings and he says he'll have them appraised. 'You aren't very subtle,' she says. 'You want subtlety,' he says, 'it'll cost 10 bucks a day more.'"

Series co-creator Huggins was said to have thought Rogers was miscast. [9] Meanwhile, Rogers had his own gripes. An "associate of his" was quoted in TV Guide as saying that "Wayne actually tore up Angels scripts while they were shooting on the set and rewrote them himself. He hated the material they gave him." [10] That article continued:

Rogers says, "Angels is a classic example of convoluted, disconnected, bad storytelling." The show had share-of-audience figures of 50%, 31% and 29% for the first three episodes—certainly a respectable record for a mid-season replacement. "These were fine episodes, written by Steve Cannell," says Rogers. "After that, the others couldn't match Cannell's pace and the bottom fell out."
He mostly blames lack of story preparation time for the demise of Angels. "Often we'd have only an outline in hand, with the shooting deadline almost upon us. Sometimes we'd have a script only at the very last minute. I never heard of a show where you shot through the night and ran out of darkness, but that's what happened to us.
"The other big factor was that we'd see someone lost or murdered on page 1 of the script and Jake Axminster would be hired to handle the matter. Then we'd have 49 pages of red herrings. On page 50 we'd come back to the initial thesis. We were seeing non sequiturs all over the place. You can't get away with that."

Wayne Rogers was paid $25,000 a week for his starring role in City of Angels, [11] his first series since departing from M*A*S*H the previous year.

The series' theme music was composed by Nelson Riddle. [12]

City of Angels was repeated on the A&E Network for several years beginning in 1990, and then made another brief appearance as part of a package of Universal series airing on TV Land, starting in 1999.

Episodes

Note that Roy Huggins is credited as a writer under his own name for episodes 1, 2, 3 and 9, and as "John Thomas James" for episodes 4, 6, 7, 8 and 11.

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
1"The November Plan, Part I" Don Medford Story by: Stephen J. Cannell & Roy Huggins
Teleplay by: Stephen J. Cannell
February 3, 1976 (1976-02-03)
2"The November Plan, Part II"Don MedfordStory by: Stephen J. Cannell & Roy Huggins
Teleplay by: Stephen J. Cannell
February 10, 1976 (1976-02-10)
3"The November Plan, Part III"Don MedfordStory by: Stephen J. Cannell & Roy Huggins
Teleplay by: Stephen J. Cannell
February 17, 1976 (1976-02-17)
4"The Parting Shot"Sigmund Neufeld, Jr.Story by: John Thomas James
Teleplay by: Philip DeGuere, Jr.
February 24, 1976 (1976-02-24)
5"A Lonely Way to Die" Douglas Heyes Douglas HeyesMarch 2, 1976 (1976-03-02)
6"The House on Orange Grove Avenue"Robert DouglasStory by: John Thomas James
Teleplay by: Stephen & Elinor Karpf
March 16, 1976 (1976-03-16)
7"Palm Springs Answer"Alan ReisnerStory by: John Thomas James
Teleplay by: Merwin Gerard
March 23, 1976 (1976-03-23)
8"The Losers" Barry Shear Story by: John Thomas James
Teleplay by: Gloryette Clark & John Thomas James
April 6, 1976 (1976-04-06)
9"A Sudden Silence"Douglas HeyesStory by: Roy Huggins
Teleplay by: Douglas Heyes
April 13, 1976 (1976-04-13)
10"The Castle of Dreams"Robert DouglasStory by: Stephen J. Cannell & Philip DeGuere, Jr.
Teleplay by: Stephen J. Cannell
April 20, 1976 (1976-04-20)
11"Say Goodbye to Yesterday" Jerry London Story by: John Thomas James
Teleplay by: Gloryette Clark
May 4, 1976 (1976-05-04)
12"The Bloodshot Eye" Hy Averback Philip DeGuere, Jr.May 11, 1976 (1976-05-11)
13"Match Point" Ralph Senensky Richard BoethMay 18, 1976 (1976-05-18)

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wayne Rogers</span> American actor

William Wayne McMillan Rogers III was an American actor, known for playing the role of Captain "Trapper" John McIntyre in the CBS television series M*A*S*H and as Dr. Charley Michaels on House Calls (1979–1982).

<i>The Rockford Files</i> Television series

The Rockford Files is an American detective drama television series starring James Garner that aired on the NBC network from September 13, 1974, to January 10, 1980. Garner portrays Los Angeles private investigator Jim Rockford, with Noah Beery Jr. in the supporting role of his father, Joseph "Rocky" Rockford, a retired truck driver. The show was created by Roy Huggins and Stephen J. Cannell. Huggins had created the television show Maverick (1957–1962), which starred Garner, and he wanted to create a similar show in a modern-day detective setting. In 2002, The Rockford Files was ranked No. 39 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen J. Cannell</span> American television producer, writer, novelist and occasional actor (1941–2010)

Stephen Joseph Cannell was an American television producer, writer, novelist, occasional actor, and founder of Cannell Entertainment and the Cannell Studios.

<i>Maverick</i> (TV series) American TV series (1957–1962)

Maverick is an American Western television series with comedic overtones created by Roy Huggins and originally starring James Garner as an adroitly articulate poker player plying his trade on riverboats and in saloons while traveling incessantly through the 19th-century American frontier. The show ran for five seasons from September 22, 1957, to July 8, 1962 on ABC.

<i>The Greatest American Hero</i> Television series

The Greatest American Hero is an American comedy-drama superhero television series that aired on ABC. Created by producer Stephen J. Cannell, it premiered as a two-hour pilot movie on March 18, 1981, and ran until February 2, 1983. The series features William Katt as teacher Ralph Hinkley, Robert Culp as FBI agent Bill Maxwell, and Connie Sellecca as lawyer Pam Davidson. The lead character's surname was changed from "Hinkley" to "Hanley" for the latter part of the first season, immediately after President Ronald Reagan and three others were shot and wounded by John Hinckley Jr. on March 30, 1981. The character's name was reverted to "Hinkley" after a few months had passed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glenn Corbett</span> American actor (1933–1993)

Glenn Corbett was an American actor in movies and television for more than thirty years. He came to national attention in the early 1960s when he replaced George Maharis in the cast of the popular CBS adventure drama Route 66. He followed this with roles in high-profile films and television shows, including a guest role in the original Star Trek series, the daytime soap opera The Doctors, the prime-time soap Dallas, and movies such as Chisum with John Wayne, as one of Jimmy Stewart's sons in Shenandoah, and the World War II epic Midway.

<i>Hunter</i> (1984 American TV series) 1984–1991 American police drama television series

Hunter is an American crime drama television series created by Frank Lupo, which ran on NBC from September 18, 1984, to April 26, 1991. It stars Fred Dryer as Sgt. Rick Hunter and Stepfanie Kramer as Sgt. Dee Dee McCall. The title character Sgt. Rick Hunter is a wily, physically imposing, often rule-breaking homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doug McClure</span> American actor (1935–1995)

Douglas Osborne McClure was an American actor whose career in film and television extended from the 1950s to the 1990s. He is best known for his role as the cowboy Trampas during the entire run from 1962 to 1971 of the series The Virginian and mayor turned police chief Kyle Applegate on Out of this World.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Quade</span> American actor

John William Saunders III, better known by the stage name John Quade, was an American character actor who starred in film and in television. He was best known for his role as Cholla, the leader of the motorcycle gang the Black Widows in the Clint Eastwood films Every Which Way but Loose (1978) and its sequel Any Which Way You Can (1980).

<i>Profit</i> (TV series) American TV series or program

Profit is an American drama television series that originally aired in 1996 on the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series was created by David Greenwalt and John McNamara, and starred Adrian Pasdar as the eponymous lead character Jim Profit. In February 2008 repeat episodes began airing on Chiller, and in October 2010 on CBS Action.

Roy Huggins was an American novelist and an influential writer/creator and producer of character-driven television series, including Maverick, The Fugitive, Hunter, and The Rockford Files. He became a noted writer and producer using his own name, but much of his later television scriptwriting was done using the pseudonyms Thomas Fitzroy, John Thomas James or John Francis O'Mara.

Elaine Joyce is an American actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Doucette</span> American actor (1921–1994)

John Arthur Doucette was an American character actor who performed in more than 280 film and television productions between 1941 and 1987. A man of stocky build who possessed a deep, rich voice, he proved equally adept at portraying characters in Shakespearean plays, Westerns, and modern crime dramas. He is perhaps best remembered, however, for his villainous roles as a movie and television "tough guy".

City of Angels may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim Manners</span> American television producer, director, and actor

Kim Manners was an American television producer, director and actor best known for his work on The X-Files and Supernatural.

<i>Toma</i> (TV series) Television series

Toma is an American crime drama television series that ran on ABC from March 21, 1973, to May 10, 1974. The series stars Tony Musante as a real-life detective Dave Toma, who was a master of disguise and undercover work. Susan Strasberg and Simon Oakland also star in supporting roles as his wife and his boss, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shady Deal at Sunny Acres</span> 10th episode of the 2nd season of Maverick

"Shady Deal at Sunny Acres", starring James Garner and Jack Kelly, remains one of the most famous and widely discussed episodes of the Western comedy television series Maverick. Written by series creator Roy Huggins (teleplay) and Douglas Heyes (story) and directed by Leslie H. Martinson, this 1958 second season episode depicts gambler Bret Maverick being swindled by a crooked banker after depositing the proceeds from a late-night poker game. He then surreptitiously recruits his brother Bart Maverick and a host of other acquaintances to mount an elaborate sting operation to recover the money.

<i>Hawk</i> (TV series) Television series

Hawk is a crime drama series starring Burt Reynolds, which aired on ABC from September 8, 1966 to December 29, 1966. The Screen Gems series was Reynolds' first starring role in a television series since leaving Gunsmoke the previous year.

References

  1. Pierce, J. Kingston. "Killers, Cover-ups and Max Allan Collins." January Magazine, September 1999.
  2. "The Castle of Dreams" - Episode 10
  3. "A Lonely Way to Die" - Episode 5
  4. "The November Plan, Part II" - Episode 2
  5. Wilkins, Barbara. "TV's 'Manure,' Says Wayne Rogers, Who Plays the Angles as Skillfully as 'City of Angels'." People, March 8, 1976.
  6. Thompson, Robert J. (1990). Adventures on Prime Time: The Television Programs of Stephen J. Cannell. Praeger Publishers. ISBN   0-275-93330-X. Pg. 74. Excerpts of the book can be found here
  7. Pierce, J. Kingston. "The Book You Have to Read: 'The Double Take,' by Roy Huggins." The Rap Sheet, January 9, 2009.
  8. Amory, Cleveland. Review: City of Angels.TV Guide, April 10, 1976. Pg. 35.
  9. Smith, Kevin Burton. "Jake Axminster." The Thrilling Detective Web Site.
  10. Stump, Al. "The Wonderful Wizard of Bucks." TV Guide, July 10, 1976. Pgs. 20-22.
  11. Stump, pg. 21.
  12. TelevisionTunes.com