MissGoddess

And this little one.....

Brilliant!!!

And how could I forget, the theme to Inspector Morse by Barrington Phelong is one of my very favorites. So melancholy and haunting:

> {quote:title=rohanaka wrote:}{quote}Ok.. clearly I have just got WAY too much time on my hands.. ha. But I got to goofing around on youtube (oh how I love to goof around on youtube..sigh) And found some of my all time fave cop/detective show theme songs.. most of these are in NO order whatsoever.. just as I found them on youtube..but the first three.. would likely be my three MOST favorite of all.. ever. I just have to THANK YOU so much for this fun tour down TV-Music lane! I really appreciate you taking the time to post these videos, too cool! > 1) Hawaii Five O.. do NOT mess with the best. Hands down the way coolest theme song maybe of ANY tv show ever.. ha. With over six million hits on that video I think most people agree. Until I saw the show a few years ago on syndication, I carried with me vivid memories of the intro music and those stunning Hawaiian locations and beautiful Hawaiian girls (one of them looked like Nancy Kwan's twin). > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yevI8xCAKuc > Hill Street Blues (even if I never watched the show much.. I liked the song) This theme song was constantly played on the radio. It's a beautiful piece. > > Moonlighting Love this one, the images and the music. Great lyrics. This show had one of the wittiest scripts on television, that's what won me over. And I have never liked Bruce Willis EXCEPT as "David Addison". He was perfect. > Magnum PI I really like this music, it's so happy and uptempo. Another thing about Magnum, he looked GREAT in Navy Whites. > > Baretta Wow, what a trip! I literally have seen nothing on this show until I watched your video here. I only remember the bird, lol! How marvelous is it that Sammy Davis, jr. does your theme song? > > SWAT (yet another “crush” for me.. whatever happened to Mark > Shera?????) I never saw this one though I really like Steve Forrest (Robert Ulrich was cute, too). This music reminds me of Rockford with that twangy seventies sound, love it! > > Mission Impossible (ok.. I know.. they were "spies" not cops.. but still a way cool theme song) Oh yes, Lalo Schifrin, ha. My friend's ex-fiance is a composer from Argentina (so is Schifrin) and he always HATED Lalo because he envied his success, especially with this theme, lol. It's just about the coolest theme music ever. > There are more I could list, I will stop now (arent' you relieved?? ha) But I enjoyed a little chance to "walk down memory lane" a bit. (so thanks, folks, for putting up w/ me) :-) If you think of any more to post, please do! I'll just add these: The F.B.I. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crCZtW7u-NE&feature=related Johnny Staccato (music by Elmer Bernstein) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDhdfWoJDDw Barnaby Jones The Untouchables (Nelson Riddle) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWJvqQtuOs8&NR=1 The Naked City (Nelson Riddle) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3AbT9kt1LI&feature=relmfu > Oh.. but PS: here are a couple of ones I just remembered that I wanted to list.. I have NEVER seen Peter Gunn..but love the theme song: > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcflCzZlLcQ The best!! Edited by: MissGoddess on Aug 10, 2011 9:56 PM

I have Ellery Queen in my rental queue, too. Never have seen it but it looks pretty good. Movies based on the character go back at least to the 1930s.

> Where did you ever get episodes of *Harry O*? Or is this one you remember watching with your mom? I can't find it anywhere. There used to be a network called "American Life" (I don't know if it still exists or if it's called something else) and they would show the old cop shows (this was like two or three years ago) and some old sit-coms, Harry-O turned out to be one of them. I had not seen them since I was too little to remember. I really liked those I saw. I didn't know it wasn't on DVD or available elsewhere. That's too bad. I thought I'd try RIchard Diamond, too, though I was just reading that many Janssen fans seem to think he only had one note to play in the show. It was a simple character, and Janssen was much better at conflicted ones. That's about what I'm expecting. I don't think it will be all that great, but I'm curious. I also need to check out Peter Gunn. All I know is the music! > > I just remember *Hill Street Blues* being really different. It was more like a play. In fact, I remember at the time thinking that it was like *Detective Story*, at least in feel. I always liked anything that I could watch and absorb good acting in, even if it was way over my head. It has to be one of the most realistic shows, at least it seems every cop show from then on seemed to emulate its realism. The acting was excellent, all around. I liked Ed Marinaro. > No one mentioned *Kojak*..... I never watched it.....but I thought i should bring it up. > > or CHIPS and ADAM 12 with Marty Milner. > Telly is #7 on my list and Marty is #5. :x I was reeeeeeeal little when Adam-12 was on but even then I had a crush on Milner.

Good evening, Mystery Lady! > And see.. I am that way TOO.. but I also like all the "stuff" that goes along w/ many of the detective/crime show genre. I do like to try and solve the mystery (though sometimes I am WAY better at it than others) so I tend to like the shows that don't necessarily spell it out for you ahead of time who the killer/criminal is. But despite that, some of the shows that I like do have that "spoiler" element built in as a regular part of the story.. but often times (like the Columbo movies) even if you DO know who the killer is.. the cat and mouse game they play trying to pin the bad guy down is so much fun, I don't mind. > You and I think Jackie and movieman are leagues ahead of me when it comes to figuring out "who dunnit" since you all seem to prefer the modern shows. They tend to be much more sophisticated with the plots and contrivances that make it challenging for mystery watchers. I guess I prefer the old shows in part because someone as blonde as me can figure them out! Morse always stumped me, I seldom figured out who really did it. I'd be interested to know how you do with them...what do you want to bet you figure them out right away? > > Ha.. I am probably just too nosey NOT to care. I think one of the reasons I like these sorts of shows (and probably Westerns too) so much is that when I was a kid.. we watched what my dad watched on TV.. and that is the sort of stuff HE likes.. ha. So I grew up watching shows like The Rookies, Mannix, Ironsides, The Mod Squad, SWAT, Baretta... even Charlie's Angels. ha. My favorite when I was a KID was Starsky and Hutch (oh my golly.. Oh me.. talk about a crush.. ha. I had SUCH a crush on Starsky.. sigh.. ) ha. > Yes it was the same for me. My Mom was the detective show watcher and we had just one TV. I never heard of The Rookies. How was that one? I've never seen The Mod Squad, either. > I really LIKE shows that study the criminal along w the crime. One show I find myself watching a lot more of lately (despite the fact it sometimes is a bit ridiculous.. and can be a bit more intense w/ some of the "gruesome" is Criminal Minds. I do like the way they really explain criminal behavior and what goes into a lot of the thought processes of some "types" of crimes. But generally speaking I am not so big on a lot of the more recent "gruesome" crime scene investigator show trends.. too much blood and guts (for shock value) and not as much story or character details. (at least in some of the shows I have seen) > I find these shows a little on the "chill" side for my taste. Clinical and I don't mix. > I can see I have been missing out on your Inspector Morse. I don't know why.. but I have not gone down that road. I think from your recommendation.. and now the Movieman too.. I might have been missing out. I need to check into it, I think. > Your mystery loving side might enjoy them. They are quite twisty. > 1) Jim Rockford.. the Rockford Files. (I really do have to say... I thought about this a lot.. and he is my favorite.. hands down) I love how he was just "this guy" and somehow he just kept getting into all these messes.. but STILL maintained a perfect balance between tough and sarcastic.. and bumbling (sometimes) and loveable. Almost a bit of an odd mix for someone so "cool" as James Garner. > Though the show isn't a tippy top favorite of mine, I do love the character. Especially when he'd be in a scene with his father (dear old Noah Beery, jr). What a pair! I watched a documentary recently on these old cop shows and they interviewed Garner. I learned that he was an expert stunt car driver and they let him do most of his driving in the show when it turned out the stunt men they hired weren't as good at it as he is. They even named a driving stunt "The Rockford" after him. > 2) Lenny Brisco.. Law and Order (and I have to say.. that after watching for so many years and doing a comparison.. my fave "team" for that show would be Brisco and Curtis.. oh that cute little Rey.. ha) > That's Jerry Orbach, right? I always liked the actor. I saw him filming the show on Park Avenue once. > 3) Columbo.. Columbo (ha.. what WAS his first name anyway??) I grew up watching those shows and I dearly loved them from as far back as I can remember. I just LOVE the way he plays it all so "close to the vest" and totally makes everyone think he is this "bumbling dope" and then.. whammo. > Who can leave him off their list? > (though we did used to crack up that Sparta Mississippi must have the largest murder per capita rate in the free world.. ha. For such a "smaller" sized community.. a lot of folks sure were "dropping like flies" ha.. But then again, think about Jessica Fletcher and what was it.. ha.. Cabot Cove??? Even SMALLER pool of population vs murder vicitm.. Yikes! Those have to be two of the most dangerous cities to live in of all the places in the continental United States.. HA) > Or Paradise, Mass (the Jesse Stone town). These shows do more to scare people from small towns than anything else! Except maybe the news. > 8) Thomas Magnum.. Magnum PI. I HATED this show when it first came out. MOSTLY because I never watched it.. I was just turned off by all the "hype" about Tom Selleck.. but then I started catching an episode here.. and an episode there.. and then it was just SO not what I thought it was. He was a human being.. not just some guy in shorts with too much hair and a Ferrari. ha. And OH that Higgins.. oh my golly. He made the show as worth watching as Magnum did. I had exactly the same reaction. I never wanted to watch it when it was on, I thought it was all you said there. I thought Selleck smiled too much. Then I started watching when the Hallmark Channel aired it a couple of years ago, and I found they weren't too bad. I love Higgins, too. Great character. > (and I LOVE the Jesse Stone movies that have been coming out these last few years.. way cool. What an INTERESTING character.. also very "real" (almost heartbreakingly so as well, in some respects) and yet totally different from Magnum in just about every way.) > Yes, these shows are very grim really and I like the gravitas of Selleck's character. I like his "backstory". These kinds of detectives hearken to the old style. World weary, usually loners and drinkers. And when you say "heartbreaking"...are you referring by chance to....THE DOG??? Oh my word!!! I BAWLED like you wouldn't believe at that one. Oohhhhhh, that was HARSH. Poor Duke!!! (I think that was his name). I've liked that the show referred a couple of times to classic movies. > Thanks for letting me have a little fun, little gal.. > Thank you! Though I'm not familiar with some on your lists, this conversation has been a very enjoyable read for me.

Hi again, mysteryman: > {quote:title=movieman1957 wrote:}{quote}British Detectives - That's impressive...I'm so glad you all are writing about your reasons for liking the shows, since most of them I've never seen more than a few minutes or a couple of episodes. Chris, you are quite an anglophile when it comes to your detectives! Let me see the Yanks when you get a chance. Of your list, I've only seen the Lynley and Morse shows entirely, the others I've only seen clips. I tried Lewis, but the show was all about Morse for me. I didn't really care about solving crimes in Oxford without him. Lewis is a nice guy, but doesn't carry a show for me. I'm afraid the "Havers" girl ruined the Lynley's for me, she's definintely not my style. I liked Lynley himself, very attractive and nice cars!

Buona sera, Mrs. Johnson, > I am so surprised at your list...you've got some from way back on there! My older sister used to watch Mannix all the time, she was addicted...I just remember Mike Connors thick black hair and monsyllabic style. I'm going to have to check this one out. I just remember him getting beat up a la John Payne every episode. You shouldn't be surprised that I'm an old-school girl. I'm just happy so many of these shows are on DVD or even YouTube, because most I only heard of and several I have but fuzzy memories watching with my Mom. Mannix is one that I never saw to my recollection, but I'm renting it to see what all the fuss is. I did a little net surfing and it is almost always mentioned in people's "top ten" cop shows. It also ran quite a long time, I think six or seven years, which is pretty decent for any series. > I also want to check out Harry O - I really like David Janssen. I'd be curious what you think. It has the seediness of The Rockford Files, but with Harry being a little more serious and more world weary than Jim Rockford. He's rather more like what Bogart would have been like had he played Spade or Marlowe at an older age. Mellower, sadder. > *5. Sgt Mick Belker* Bruce Weitz (Hill Street Blues) - Belker was the dirty, gross street cop, the one who always went undercover tracking drug dealers and pimps, the lowest of the low. You'd usually find him sitting in an alley, cadging handouts from passersby.... but when going after the bad guys, he was as tenacious as a bulldog, using his craziness to capture the stunned and frightened perps, who didn't know what the heck was going on when Belker suddenly came at them in a flurry. He also carried a pet mouse in his pocket.... until it's unfortunate demise. Hill Street Blues was my mother's favorite TV show, probably of all time. I confess I didn't like it but I DID find this character rather fascinating. Maybe it was the mouse. > *12. Poirot* David Suchet - He's persnickety. Observant. Cold. A man who studies human nature. Once in a great while, he is shaken in his faith in himself. I honestly don't know why I like him so much. I enjoyed watching this show for the settings and costumes...they were gorgeous!

Hi movieman, > > Rockford has been a favorite since he was on the air in the 70s. Selleck's "Stone" is a favorite where friends come over to watch or borrow them from me. I like his straight, sparsely worded ways. > So you have the "Stones" on DVD? I just put the four that I have not seen into my Netflix "queue". Based on how much I like them, I may get the series. Right now DeepDiscount.com has them on sale for a little over $7 each, so I'm tempted. I just don't know how often I'll rewatch them. > There's a lot of stuff I wouldn't have thought you were old enough to remember anyway. > I only saw the sixties shows in syndication and the others I re-discovered later on, though I remember my mother watching them. She liked police shows. I got her The Streets of San Francisco DVD for Season One a couple of years ago. She loved that one. I never saw it. > Oh, I have watched the first disc of "M Squad." The print is not that good in its quality. It is interesting watching Marvin in the lead as a policeman. Some were interesting some ordinary. But worth look at least as a curiousity. > I'm curious just for Lee. I have the first disc coming from Netflix. I also put Man With a Camera in my queue. Heard of that one? It stars Charles Bronson as, yes, a picture-snatcher who helps solve crimes. I don't have much high hopes but for curiosity's sake I'd like to see a couple of shows. Another in my queue is Richard Diamond, Private Eye. I like David Janssen and this is him before the success of The Fugitive and later, Harry-O. Also, I want to see Mary Tyler Moore in her television debut (I think all we see is her legs, though!). > One classic I've started to watch again is "Mannix." The early episodes have been fine. The first year is the seeing the light of day for the first time since it ran in '69(?). This one I have never seen, or if my Mom watched I don't remember. It's also in my queue. It gets high marks from many fans and ran quite a while, so I look forward to it.

Thank you for that information, Andy. I think I will wait, or make a trip to my library and see if they have a copy. I live in New York City so there is a good chance. Thanks again.

Oh I should have known you'd bump this thread appropriately! :x :x Now, I'll have to figure out the remote on the new television in our office...

Thanks, Maven! Great poster, Jackie...you should post it in Ben's own thread, too!

> > Her life became her farm, but I don't believe it was all a conscious choice. She had retreated to such a life. I haven't watched the film in about a month, but didn't the judge talk to her about "rejoining society," basically? I'd have to rewatch the scene. I remember her sitting with her legs wide. > Yes, he wanted her to mix more with the towns people, I remember that. She resisted the idea. > > > I'd say they are very familiar demons for some women. The feeling that life and love have passed you by. She has learned to put on a face to make it seem like she has chosen this life, but it's all a tough front. She's hiding from her pain and hurt, just like David. > I can see that. Plus she has to fight pressures from the neighboring ranch and has to be tough to hold out. She knows she could lose her place. So she needed John (and David) as much as they needed her.

Lady B...you mentioned you wanted to see *Trent's Last Case*...did you catch it? I had to work and missed all but the last ten minutes or so. I wish now I had recorded it. It's awful I know the ending and I'm afraid I've spoiled it for the rest of the movie. Did you like it? I was surprised that I liked what I saw of Michael Wilding, who never did much for me. He was good. I never even HEARD of this movie until you mentioned it to me. It baffles me I could be so unaware of an Orson Welles film, lol.

That was a very thoughtful analysis. I hadn't gone quite so deep about Linnett in particular. I suppose she is sort of "buried" out there, and what a lonely life. Her willingness to jump in and help a stranger really says something about what a good heart she has. She reminds me of a younger version of Aline MacMahon's character in *The Man From Laramie*. What do you think Linnett's "demons" are?

How about did you like the film?

> {quote:title=movieman1957 wrote:}{quote}There were 33 Morse films. Though I have seen most of them No. 19 "Greek Bearing Gifts" comes today. I think that is one that I have. > (Do you know his first name? They only mentioned it once.) > Endeavour. His mother was a Quaker. > I'll work on my list. I have two rather distinct groups. One is American TV and the other is the British movie series. I'll get back to you in a while. > Sounds good, I look forward to seeing them.

I loved your list...thank you for writing WHY you liked the shows, yay! I will try to reply later this evening when I get home. What fun. I'll try to think of the music, too. Good point! Movieman, where's yours?? Anyone else? Rey?

Such a torrent of words.

Hi movieman and bride, I have about 24 of the Morse shows, not all of them by far, but I hope to get them all one day. I just love Morse's curmudgeonly character which hides a romantic heart. Most of these shows I discovered in re-runs and now DVDS.

Thank you, Fxreyman! I've added *McCloud* in my NetFlix queue (Dennis Weaver won me over as "Chester") as well as *Mannix*, and *M Squad* which I'm most curious about.

I definintely was thinking of you when I made my list. I was also thinking about why I like some cop/detective shows....and why I have never been able to get into others. I finally boiled it down to the characters. I realize that I'm not necessarily a fan of the genre, nor am I any good at all at solving mysteries (the worst) nor am I curious about criminals and how they do what they do or why...I'm just interested in the lead characters. If I like them, I like the show. If I don't like them, or if they are partnered with someone who really annoys me, I seldom can stay with it.

> {quote:title=FrankGrimes wrote:}{quote}*Let's give him some Elderberry wine while we wait.* > > Yes! Yes! Please do! You must be watching something that I like.

Let's give him some Elderberry wine while we wait.