Readers of TV Century 21 should remember Captain Amos Burke of Homicide very well, as he featured in the first 51 issues of the comic, as well as in a couple of specials and the first TV Century 21 Annual.
I loved the series as a kid, with its glossy look, tongue in cheek humour and A list (for the time) guest stars.
Gene Barry was perfect as the suave and immaculately dressed Amos Burke, who always unmasked the killer each week, and invariably got the girl.
Although, it was a popular series in the sixties it was filmed in black and white which isn't something modern mainstream TV channels are keen to broadcast feeling that it might put off younger viewers, which is a shame as a lot of these old black and white series are pretty good. Ask most Voyage.. Man from Uncle or even Avengers fans about their thoughts on those particular series' original black and white first seasons and most will invariably say they are better than a lot of their respective later colour episodes.
Burke's Law did return in colour in the nineties, with an ageing Gene Barry reprising his role as Amos Burke. It was reasonably popular, but like most remakes, when it comes to choice the original was best.
I did write an article for the blog about the show a while back so if anyone is interested please take look.
http://projectswordtoys.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/its-burkes-law.html
In that article I do say that, although I was happy to see Burke's Law in the TV Century 21 comic I thought it was a little incongruous to find the strip featured. However, that mystery seems near to solving having recently seen A.P. Films and Century 21 head of merchandising, Keith Shackleton who mentioned that several American series were given publishing licenses to Gerry Anderson's company, as part of a deal to publish a Supercar comic in America. It leads me to think that Burke's Law was among those series.
Watched it in the '60s, watched it in the '90s (and enjoyed it), and will be watching it again so thanks for the heads up.
ReplyDeleteGlad to help, Kid, and pleased to hear you're a fan like me : )
DeleteDid you know that the part of Amos Burke was played by Dick Powell in the pilot episode?
DeleteTalking Pictures TV have already shown that , Kid. As you'll know it was shown as part of the Dick Powell Theatre series. Sadly Dick Powell died in 1963, the year Burke's Law started.
DeleteYet another show I didn't see first time round! Just what was I doing! ha ha. I shall check it out this time. That jigsaw reminded me that i found a stack of them in a charity shop years ago. In lovely nick and all complete. Went on my toy stall at the time along with some perfect Sapphire and Steel puzzles found a local boot sale. There's something quite wonderful about the box art of jigsaws, although many old ones are often incomplete, which is a pain!
ReplyDeleteYou've got to have Freeview HD, it's not on standard Freeview.
ReplyDeleteI knew that Freesat doesn't have it, but I didn't know the standard version of Freeveiw didn't show it, Yorkie. Oddly enough Talking Pictures TV isn't a HD channel either.
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