Ken Wahl and Ray Sharkey in Wiseguy

Robert Culp and Bill Cosby in I Spy

James Garner and Jack Kelly in Maverick

Everybody in Barney Miller

Rock Hudson and Nancy Walker in McMillan and Wife

Katheryn Winnick and Katheryn Winnick in Big Sky (need to get a room)

You have spelled out the weakness. Why, with that kind of cast (and I'd add the direction was also consistently very good plus the content was perfect for its time), was the MTM show not near the top of the top tier?

I think you have to come to the conclusion that the scripts, despite multitudes of great moments, didn't consistently rise to the occasion. The much celebrated funeral episode was typical of this: great moments but overall not all that great.

I agree Barney Miller is under-appreciated, even though it is very highly appreciated.

You seem to be suggesting that Jahana Hayes is NOT a very very bad person. How could that be? All these random people in the ads over & over again say she's done all these terrible things to the world economy; they wouldn't lie to us, would they?

> Logan is pro choice

... as long as he doesn't have to do anything about it. For example: he would vote against any legislation to codify Roe v Wade.

He has other code-word positions, e.g. he "has no interest" in gutting programs such as Social Security. Yeah, sure.

I think he will be a "moderate" to the extent that if such draconian bills come up and the Republican majority is overwhelming enough to pass without his vote, he may be given dispensation by Republican leadership to abstain. But if his vote is needed, it will be there.

> She also has been seen putting on a coat

I had no idea. Why isn't she in jail. much less running for office?

I saw the ads and Jahana Hayes is apparently responsible for global inflation and the global recession that may happen next year or sometime in the next few years. She is, according to these ads, a very very bad person.

Seems like we need to vote against her to eliminate global inflation and prevent this possible future recession from happenning. Seems like a good deal.

The Night Stalker (1972)

Not exactly a pilot but "inspiration" for the TV series that followed two years later.

Great script co-authored by Richard Matheson. Produced and directed by people who really knew how to get quality by doing TV, rather than trying to imitate theatrical movies on TV. Can't see it with fresh eyes today because the series itself just repeated the formula to death but the original was really good.