"The F.B.I." (1965) TV series 1965-1974

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Directors:

Carl Barth
Earl Bellamy

Writers:

Norman Borisoff (story)
Jonathan Box (writer)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

Release Date:

19 September 1965 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Crime

Plot:

The cases of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Plot Keywords:

FBI | Based On Film | Police | Acronym In Title

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Efrem Zimbalist Jr.	...	Inspector Lewis Erskine / ... (239 episodes, 1965-1974)
Philip Abbott	...	Arthur Ward / ... (163 episodes, 1965-1974)
Marvin Miller	...	Narrator (117 episodes, 1966-1974)
William Reynolds	...	Special Agent Tom Colby / ... (108 episodes, 1966-1974)

Runtime:

60 min (239 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Angeles National Forest, California, USA

Company:

Quinn Martin Productions (QM)

Trivia:

For this series, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., was provided with an FBI identification card that had a recent photograph of him, fingerprints from his Army service, and an identification number that was only one digit less than a genuine number.

Movie Connections:

Featured in ABC's 50th Anniversary Celebration (2003) (TV)

Soundtrack:

F.B.I. Theme

It's back..and on the Americas Network! (formally the Good Life Network)

This is one of those series that raised the "Lost" generation, and that was my generation.

I was watching this program when I was 5 years old and I swore I was going to grow up to work for the F.B.I. -- that's how wonderful and influential this program was.

I learned what kidnapping, extortion, drug traffic etc., all of it was...and I knew what the consequences were if you did it..and I wanted to be a part of the team of folks to put these guys/gals out of business.

Not a lot of special effects, this Quinn Martin series relied on story..and told the story well. If I remember my "Media 101" from college, I believe the FBI was part of the "Ben Brady" programming touch...Ben Brady brought A LOT of ground breaking stories to television including the first prime time soap opera, "Peyton Place"..which we all knew made stars out of many. This is what made this series, the FBI, captivating..and dare I say..."Patrotic".

This was Washington, DC, the Nation's Capitol back in the day....where the FBI was respected and looked upon to perform duties we the layman knew nothing about. But hey, I'm only 5 years old watching this...so besides that, what got me hooked was how "cool" Det. Erskin was!

He had a convertible RED Mustang!!! He would travel the world, take out the criminals...and then at the end cruise Washington, DC in a RED CONVERTABLE MUSTANG!!! And...end up at his Washington, DC Brownstone!! I mean, how cool of a job was THAT?!?!?!

Erskin had a lot of cool American made cars (well, back then they were American made), and let me just say, the theme music was one of the best themes there was. I dare anyone out there to say that that orchestration does not make your heart swell with American pride. Well...it did make mine. Still does, when I hear it.

This IS still one of the great series and even today, TV shows with the FBI cannot touch the stories of this one. As a fellow poster wrote: Hawaii 5-0 is just as classic as this..and when I think of the better crime series for my generation (and with the best theme songs ever written for TV!!!) : The Mod Squad, Hawaii 5-0, Mission Impossible, The FBI is one of the bests as well.