My Friend Tony

Last updated
My Friend Tony
My friend tony.jpg
Genre Crime drama
Created by Ivan Goff
Ben Roberts
Warren Duff
Starring James Whitmore
Enzo Cerusico
Theme music composer Earle Hagen
ComposersEarle Hagen
Richard Shores
Hugo Friedhofer
Carl Brandt
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes16
Production
Executive producer Sheldon Leonard
ProducersArt Seid
Ernest Frankel
Running time45–48 minutes
Production companiesSheldon Leonard Productions, in association with NBC (filmed at Paramount Studios)
Original release
Network NBC
ReleaseJanuary 5 (1969-01-05) –
September 28, 1969 (1969-09-28)
Related
The Danny Thomas Hour

My Friend Tony is an American crime drama that aired on NBC starting on January 5, 1969. [1] The last rerun episode aired on September 28, 1969. [2] The pilot was broadcast as an episode of the anthology series The Danny Thomas Hour on March 4, 1968. [3]

Contents

Synopsis

The series features Enzo Cerusico as the title character, Tony Novello, and James Whitmore as John Woodruff, a professor of criminology who served in Italy during World War II. As a child, Novello had been a street urchin who survived as a pickpocket, with Woodruff being one of his intended victims. [1] Woodruff kept in touch with Tony, who later became one of his students. [4]

The premise of the series was that the adult (and reformed) Novello had emigrated to the United States and joined Woodruff in a private investigation team. Novello handled the legwork and physical side of the investigations while Woodruff conducted painstaking analysis of the most obscure clues. [1]

NBC slotted My Friend Tony in the 10 p.m. Eastern timeslot on Sundays, following Bonanza . [1] The network ended production of the series after 16 episodes [5] but continued airing reruns of the show through that summer. The program aired for the last time on September 30, 1969. [1]

Reception

Despite having the highly successful Bonanza as its lead-in, Sheldon Leonard — who developed My Friend Tony and was its executive producer — attributed the program's low ratings to its timeslot.

"First, the 10-to-11 P.M. time spot didn't take full advantage of Enzo's youthful audience, as shown by his flood of fan mail, which exceeds anything in our experience," Leonard told TV Guide . "Second, because of the one-hour length and the network's commitment to 27 new projects all demanding air time, there was no 8 or 9 o'clock spot into which to move it," [5]

Some critics gave a poor review to My Friend Tony, calling the series "hackneyed and confusing" ... "the kind of minimal fare that has been ground out ad nauseam" ... "mundane" and "bilge." [5]

Others found the series enjoyable. One reviewer praised the acting of the two stars, plus the low amount of violence shown onscreen, during a time when many groups were concerned about TV violence. [4] Another mentioned the "pleasantly convoluted plots." [6]

Newspaper columnist Clarke Williamson reported that viewers liked the series, but found it difficult to watch regularly since it was often preempted. [7]

Episodes

No. Title Directed by Written by Original air date
1"Corey Doesn't Live Here Anymore" Arthur Marks Jerrold L. LudwigJanuary 5, 1969 (1969-01-05)
City officials ask Professor Woodruff and Tony to set up a detective lab to fight crime using modern methods.
2"Death Comes in Small Packages"UnknownJerry ThomasJanuary 12, 1969 (1969-01-12)
A stolen attache case contains a vial of germs that could kill millions. Woodruff and Tony must find it before the thieves realize what they have.
3"Voices" Christian Nyby Jerry Chodorov and Kay GreenJanuary 19, 1969 (1969-01-19)
Woodruff's old friend (played by Julie Adams) becomes suicidal over the pressures of running a high-fashion career and stolen clothing designs.
4"Let George Do It"UnknownUnknownJanuary 26, 1969 (1969-01-26)
When Woodruff and Tony are hired to investigate an accidental death they are targeted as the next "accident" victims.
5"The Lost Hours"Arthur Marks Jackson Gillis February 2, 1969 (1969-02-02)
An important scientist's career could be ruined by scandal if Woodruff and Tony can't clear his name.
6"The Hazing"UnknownUnknownFebruary 16, 1969 (1969-02-16)
Woodruff and Tony investigate the disappearance of a foreign exchange student. Harrison Ford has a guest role.
7"Encounter" Lewis Allen James L. Brooks February 23, 1969 (1969-02-23)
Woodruff helps an old friend (played by Geraldine Brooks) who is accused of murdering her husband.
8"Dead Reckoning"UnknownUnknownMarch 9, 1969 (1969-03-09)
The practices of spiritualists are investigated, and Tony becomes a believer in their abilities.
9"Wedding Cake Blues"UnknownUnknownMarch 23, 1969 (1969-03-23)
A wealthy socialite (played by Rose Marie) hires Woodruff and Tony to find out who is threatening her fiancé.
10"The Twenty Mile Jog"UnknownUnknownApril 13, 1969 (1969-04-13)
Pat O'Brien plays a former political boss who hires Woodruff and Tony to help his son (played by Dwayne Hickman) who has a police record and has once again gotten into trouble.
11"Molly"UnknownUnknownMay 18, 1969 (1969-05-18)
A street vendor's fruit stand is destroyed by fire, but the arson investigation turns into a homicide case.
12"Computer Murder"Richard WechslerMichael ZagorMay 25, 1969 (1969-05-25)
Woodruff and Tony search for an acid-throwing woman who blinded 3 bachelors who had used a computer dating service. Sheree North had a guest role.
13"Casino"UnknownUnknownJune 1, 1969 (1969-06-01)
The prime minister of a South American country hires Professor Woodruff because he believes crooked gamblers are ruining casino profits. (Episode listed as being postponed from March 2nd.)
14"Kidnap"Harvey HartJackson GillisJune 8, 1969 (1969-06-08)
Woodruff and Tony search for a girl kidnapped soon after her grandparents won $70,000 in a lottery.
15"The Shortest Courtship"UnknownUnknownJune 15, 1969 (1969-06-15)
Tony becomes a reluctant bridegroom when he's blackmailed into helping international smugglers. William Windom has a guest role.
16"Welcome Home, Jerry Stanley"UnknownUnknownJune 22, 1969 (1969-06-22)
Monte Markham plays a parole released from prison who is determined to prove his innocence. His family hires Woodruff and Tony to investigate.

Original TV tie-in novel

In 1969, Lancer Books published an original novel by William Johnston, named for the series. Because it was meant to be available shortly after the show's January, 1969 debut, Johnston had to write it without having seen an episode, basing his interpretation on pre-air materials (which may have included some combination of a press kit, a show bible, a sample script and/or production photos). Subsequently, the novel is a fair approximation of the TV series, but lacks any reference to the WWII backstory that brought John Woodruff and Tony Novello together as well as Tony's Italian accent.

Related Research Articles

<i>Bonanza</i> American western television series

Bonanza is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 12, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 431 episodes, Bonanza is NBC's longest-running Western, the second-longest-running Western series on U.S. network television, and one of the longest-running, live-action American series. The show continues to air in syndication. The show is set in the 1860s and centers on the wealthy Cartwright family, who live in the vicinity of Virginia City, Nevada, bordering Lake Tahoe. The series initially starred Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, Dan Blocker and Michael Landon and later featured Guy Williams, David Canary, Mitch Vogel and Tim Matheson. The show is known for presenting pressing moral dilemmas.

<i>The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour</i> American comedy series

The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour is an American comedy and variety show television series hosted by the Smothers Brothers and initially airing on CBS from 1967 to 1969.

The following is the 1963–64 network television schedule for the three major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States. The schedule covers primetime hours from September 1963 through August 1964. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series cancelled after the 1962–63 season.

The following is the 1971–72 network television schedule for the three major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States. The schedule covers primetime hours from September 1971 through August 1972. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series cancelled after the 1970–71 season. All times are Eastern and Pacific, with certain exceptions, such as Monday Night Football. This season would be the first time the prime time schedule would be shortened to three hours, giving the 7:30 p.m. slot back to local stations, as implemented in the Prime Time Access Rule.

<i>Godzilla</i> (1978 TV series) American animated monster television series

Godzilla is an American animated monster television series produced by Hanna-Barbera, in association with Henry G. Saperstein. The series aired on NBC on September 9, 1978 with the title The Godzilla Power Hour. The series continued to air until 1981, packaged with other series under various titles.

The following is the 1957–58 network television schedule for the four major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States. The schedule covers primetime hours from September 1957 through March 1958. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series cancelled after the 1956–57 season.

The 1995–96 daytime network television schedule for the six major English-language commercial broadcast networks in the United States covers the weekday and weekend daytime hours from September 1995 to August 1996. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series canceled after the 1995–96 season.

The 1996–97 daytime network television schedule for the six major English-language commercial broadcast networks in the United States covers the weekday and weekend daytime hours from September 1996 to August 1997. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series canceled after the 1995–96 season.

The 1998–99 daytime network television schedule for the six major English-language commercial broadcast networks in the United States in operation during that television season covers the weekday daytime hours from September 1998 to August 1999. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series canceled after the 1997–98 season.

The 1999–2000 daytime network television schedule for the six major English-language commercial broadcast networks in the United States in operation during that television season covers the weekday daytime hours from September 1999 to August 2000. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series canceled after the 1998–99 season.

The 2006–07 daytime network television schedule for the five major English-language commercial broadcast networks in the United States in operation during that television season covers the weekday daytime hours from September 2006 to August 2007. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series canceled after the 2005–06 season.

The 2007–08 daytime network television schedule for the five major English-language commercial broadcast networks in the United States covers the weekday daytime hours from September 2007 to August 2008. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, and any series canceled after the 2006–07 season.

The 2009–10 daytime network television schedule for four of the five major English-language commercial broadcast networks in the United States covers the weekday daytime hours from September 2009 to August 2010. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, and any series canceled after the 2008–09 season.

The 2010–11 daytime network television schedule for four of the five major English-language commercial broadcast networks in the United States covers the weekday daytime hours from September 2010 to August 2011. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, and any series canceled after the 2009–2010 season.

In regard to children's programming, the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) has aired mostly programming from Walt Disney Television or other producers. This article outlines the history of children's television programming on ABC including the various blocks and notable programs that have aired throughout the television network's history.

The 2011–12 daytime network television schedule for four of the five major English-language commercial broadcast networks in the United States covers the weekday daytime hours from September 2011 to August 2012. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, and any series canceled after the 2010–11 season.

The 2017–18 daytime network television schedule for four of the five major English-language commercial broadcast networks in the United States covers the weekday daytime hours from September 2017 to August 2018. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, and any series canceled after the 2016–17 season.

The 2020–21 network late night television schedule for the four major English-language commercial broadcast networks in the United States covers the late night hours from September 2020 to August 2021. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series canceled after the 2019–20 television season.

The 2021–22 network overnight television schedule for the three major English-language commercial broadcast networks in the United States covers the overnight hours from September 2021 to August 2022. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series canceled after the 2020–21 television season.

The 2022–23 network overnight television schedule for the three major English-language commercial broadcast networks in the United States covers the overnight hours from September 2022 to August 2023. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series canceled after the 2021–22 television season.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows – 1946–present (9 ed.). Ballantine Books. p. 941. ISBN   978-0345497734 . Retrieved 2023-12-21.
  2. ↑ Television schedule listing, The Montgomery Advertiser, September 28, 1969, page 42
  3. ↑ After 5 Television Programs, Fort-Worth Star-Telegram, March 4, 1968, page 20
  4. 1 2 Jingo, 'My Friend Tony' Could be Hit; Competition Keen, The Post-Crescent, January 12, 1969, Page 66
  5. 1 2 3 Goodwin, Fritz, The operation was a failure ... but the patient survived, TV Guide, May 31-June 6, 1969, pages 12-14
  6. ↑ Gerstel, Judith, 'My Friend Tony' Is a Jolly Hour, The Minneapolis Star, February 4, 1969, page 47
  7. ↑ Williamson, Clarke, Top View, Scrantonian Tribune (Scranton, PA), June 15, 1969, page 66
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.