"Magnum on Ice"

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

I have been waiting decades to catch this puppy again:

On January 12, 2022 at 12:00 AM, the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel is running the (season 3 episode eight) Murder She Wrote - "Magnum on Ice" with Tom Selleck.
It is part two to the Magnum PI episode "Novel Connection"(season 7 ep. 9).
"Novel Connection" premiered on 11-19-86, "Magnum on Ice" four days later on 11-23-86.
I watched both at the time but since then have only seen "part one" during regular Magnum viewing and frankly it's annoying not to be able to view both in the Magnum rerun package.
I remember at the time wondering how they were going to run these "split" 2 parters in syndication so we viewers weren't cheated.
Didn't CBS do this with other series? I seem to recall one night they had a common story line on 4 sitcoms back to back. Or was that NBC? It got a lot of press at the time.

In any event I have "Novel Connection" recorded and look forward to watching it paired with it's sequel for the first time.

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

I have been waiting decades to catch this puppy again:
On January 12, 2022 at 12:00 AM, the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel is running the (season 3 episode eight) Murder She Wrote - "Magnum on Ice" with Tom Selleck.
It is part two to the Magnum PI episode "Novel Connection"(season 7 ep. 9).
"Novel Connection" premiered on 11-19-86, "Magnum on Ice" four days later on 11-23-86.
I watched both at the time but since then have only seen "part one" during regular Magnum viewing and frankly it's annoying not to be able to view both in the Magnum rerun package.
I remember at the time wondering how they were going to run these "split" 2 parters in syndication so we viewers weren't cheated.
Didn't CBS do this with other series? I seem to recall one night they had a common story line on 4 sitcoms back to back. Or was that NBC? It got a lot of press at the time.
In any event I have "Novel Connection" recorded and look forward to watching it paired with it's sequel for the first time.

For those who enjoyed the aforementioned Magnum PI/Murder She Wrote crossover, there is another even more intriguing stunt cross over.
For the many Mannix fans here, they can enjoy a Mannix episode from 1973 and it's sequel/resolution of the same case 24 years later on Diagnosis: Murder.
The 1973 Mannix  episode "Little Girl Lost"(season 7 episode 4) is going to be shown Tuesday, January 18 at 2:05 AM on MeTV. 

Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel runs Diagnosis: Murder every day from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
So in a few short weeks they will be up to 1997's "Hard Boiled Murder", (season 4 episode 17), the sequel or crossover episode with Connors again as Mannix, working on the "Little Girl Lost" case.
Actors Beverly Garland, Julie Adams and Pernell Roberts reprise their roles from the original as well.
 These shows will be a hoot to record and then sit down to watch both, a quarter of a century between the two. 

[NotthatRick]

Great stuff. Thanks for posting this!

[Pahonu]

I have been waiting decades to catch this puppy again:
On January 12, 2022 at 12:00 AM, the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel is running the (season 3 episode eight) Murder She Wrote - "Magnum on Ice" with Tom Selleck.
It is part two to the Magnum PI episode "Novel Connection"(season 7 ep. 9).
"Novel Connection" premiered on 11-19-86, "Magnum on Ice" four days later on 11-23-86.
I watched both at the time but since then have only seen "part one" during regular Magnum viewing and frankly it's annoying not to be able to view both in the Magnum rerun package.
I remember at the time wondering how they were going to run these "split" 2 parters in syndication so we viewers weren't cheated.
Didn't CBS do this with other series? I seem to recall one night they had a common story line on 4 sitcoms back to back. Or was that NBC? It got a lot of press at the time.
In any event I have "Novel Connection" recorded and look forward to watching it paired with it's sequel for the first time.

For those who enjoyed the aforementioned Magnum PI/Murder She Wrote crossover, there is another even more intriguing stunt cross over.
For the many Mannix fans here, they can enjoy a Mannix episode from 1973 and it's sequel/resolution of the same case 24 years later on Diagnosis: Murder.
The 1973 Mannix  episode "Little Girl Lost"(season 7 episode 4) is going to be shown Tuesday, January 18 at 2:05 AM on MeTV. 

Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel runs Diagnosis: Murder every day from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
So in a few short weeks they will be up to 1997's "Hard Boiled Murder", (season 4 episode 17), the sequel or crossover episode with Connors again as Mannix, working on the "Little Girl Lost" case.
Actors Beverly Garland, Julie Adams and Pernell Roberts reprise their roles from the original as well.
 These shows will be a hoot to record and then sit down to watch both, a quarter of a century between the two. 

Hey Dobie,
Thanks for all the information! I have the Mannix episode set to record on my DVR. I knew Mike Connors had appeared in Diagnosis Murder but didn’t realize the connection to Mannix. The reason I knew Mike Connors appeared is a bit of a convoluted story but an interesting one. I worked as a PA on Baywatch from 1993-1995 and because they shot on a different schedule from other series to take advantage of the weather, I had winters off. I picked up some work on Diagnosis Murder for a few episodes in 1994 when it was new and became friends with crew member Kalai Strode. He was the son of the Hollywood great Woody Strode. We kept in touch for several years and he later mentioned to me that Mike Connors had appeared on the show. I heard he had passed away several years ago after retiring and moving back to Hawaii. I haven’t thought about any of that in quite some time. Thanks again for the details and could you please post when that Diagnoses Murder episode is set to air? Many thanks in advance!

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

Great stuff. Thanks for posting this!

You are welcome Rick.
I have just finished viewing "Novel Connection" and "Magnum on Ice", the stunt two parter from 1986.

Three highlights stood out for me -
Then 45 year old Jessica Walters had allure to spare as the uber horny Joan Fullton.
Despite dressing in ever sexier outfits, every guy she hit on, from the bellboy to Magnum, rejected her.
Must be something in the water in Hawaii because that ain't happening in Hoboken baby.
Then there was Higgins brawling with Andrew Prine, attacking him with his patented karate chop and yell and - for the only time in the series? - it actually worked!
Down went Prine, rolling and trading punches on the floor with a Tasmanian Devil like Higgins pounding away at each other. Awesome!
I just had to rewind and watch that scene 2 more times.
Then there was the scene where everybody sits down for dinner and Magnum was relegated to the little "kids" table. It was hilarious, as were his facial expressions.
I can relate as I am the 2nd youngest of some 50 cousins and didn't make it to the adult table during Holidays till I was 40. Okay, maybe not 40.

But other than those moments I was underwhelmed by this 2 parter.
The script seemed like a first draft in need of rewrites.
Maybe they thought they could coast on the novelty factor of it being a 2 part crossover, or didn't feel as much responsibility for the end result with a crew of writers
from another series involved.
The scenes with the beyond obnoxious witch "Pamala Bates" were grating, though they were seemingly supposed to be humorous.
Being locked up in one of Ivan's dangling cages in a VC jungle camp would be a day at the beach compared to having to spend time with her.
The character was a pointless distraction, crying to be edited out in rewrites.
Another problem occurred later on because the Magnum episode would have to stand alone in rerun packages.
So a crappy, false, unsatisfactory ending was jury rigged together at the end of "Novel Connection".
Thus the last 5 minutes should be excised from your brain when watching these episodes in tandem.

Just go on to "Magnum on Ice" which ignores and contradicts the phony Magnum ending, continuing the original plot.
The Murder She Wrote is more lively than the first part, but it's just more routine doings as well with a script that also needs rewrites when you
come down to it.
If like me you MUST see this two parter, to be part of the entire Magnum PI experience, then it's well worth seeing.
Especially as the now "new" ending for the Magnum part one is a cheat and a fraud for the viewer.
It's not anywhere near what it could have been. A missed opportunity and a shame.

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

I have been waiting decades to catch this puppy again:
On January 12, 2022 at 12:00 AM, the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel is running the (season 3 episode eight) Murder She Wrote - "Magnum on Ice" with Tom Selleck.
It is part two to the Magnum PI episode "Novel Connection"(season 7 ep. 9).
"Novel Connection" premiered on 11-19-86, "Magnum on Ice" four days later on 11-23-86.
I watched both at the time but since then have only seen "part one" during regular Magnum viewing and frankly it's annoying not to be able to view both in the Magnum rerun package.
I remember at the time wondering how they were going to run these "split" 2 parters in syndication so we viewers weren't cheated.
Didn't CBS do this with other series? I seem to recall one night they had a common story line on 4 sitcoms back to back. Or was that NBC? It got a lot of press at the time.
In any event I have "Novel Connection" recorded and look forward to watching it paired with it's sequel for the first time.

For those who enjoyed the aforementioned Magnum PI/Murder She Wrote crossover, there is another even more intriguing stunt cross over.
For the many Mannix fans here, they can enjoy a Mannix episode from 1973 and it's sequel/resolution of the same case 24 years later on Diagnosis: Murder.
The 1973 Mannix  episode "Little Girl Lost"(season 7 episode 4) is going to be shown Tuesday, January 18 at 2:05 AM on MeTV. 

Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel runs Diagnosis: Murder every day from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
So in a few short weeks they will be up to 1997's "Hard Boiled Murder", (season 4 episode 17), the sequel or crossover episode with Connors again as Mannix, working on the "Little Girl Lost" case.
Actors Beverly Garland, Julie Adams and Pernell Roberts reprise their roles from the original as well.
 These shows will be a hoot to record and then sit down to watch both, a quarter of a century between the two. 

Hey Dobie,
Thanks for all the information! I have the Mannix episode set to record on my DVR. I knew Mike Connors had appeared in Diagnosis Murder but didn’t realize the connection to Mannix. The reason I knew Mike Connors appeared is a bit of a convoluted story but an interesting one. I worked as a PA on Baywatch from 1993-1995 and because they shot on a different schedule from other series to take advantage of the weather, I had winters off. I picked up some work on Diagnosis Murder for a few episodes in 1994 when it was new and became friends with crew member Kalai Strode. He was the son of the Hollywood great Woody Strode. We kept in touch for several years and he later mentioned to me that Mike Connors had appeared on the show. I heard he had passed away several years ago after retiring and moving back to Hawaii. I haven’t thought about any of that in quite some time. Thanks again for the details and could you please post when that Diagnoses Murder episode is set to air? Many thanks in advance!

Hi Pahonu,
Woody Strode! He was great in every role I have seen him in, a real pro. He co-starred in one of my fave Westerns - that likely more than inspired The Wild Bunch - called
The Professionals(1966). I envy you hanging with his son, he must have had some good stories.
As for 1997's "Hard Boiled Murder", (season 4 episode 17), from Diagnosis Murder, as near as I can figure out it will air on February 8 at 11:00 AM on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
channel. The schedule currently doesn't go that far as yet so I'm spit balling here.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ralph Bellamy: "You bastard!"
Lee Marvin: "Yes sir. In my case an accident of birth. But you sir, you're a self-made man."
The Professionals (1966)

[Pahonu]

I have been waiting decades to catch this puppy again:
On January 12, 2022 at 12:00 AM, the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel is running the (season 3 episode eight) Murder She Wrote - "Magnum on Ice" with Tom Selleck.
It is part two to the Magnum PI episode "Novel Connection"(season 7 ep. 9).
"Novel Connection" premiered on 11-19-86, "Magnum on Ice" four days later on 11-23-86.
I watched both at the time but since then have only seen "part one" during regular Magnum viewing and frankly it's annoying not to be able to view both in the Magnum rerun package.
I remember at the time wondering how they were going to run these "split" 2 parters in syndication so we viewers weren't cheated.
Didn't CBS do this with other series? I seem to recall one night they had a common story line on 4 sitcoms back to back. Or was that NBC? It got a lot of press at the time.
In any event I have "Novel Connection" recorded and look forward to watching it paired with it's sequel for the first time.

For those who enjoyed the aforementioned Magnum PI/Murder She Wrote crossover, there is another even more intriguing stunt cross over.
For the many Mannix fans here, they can enjoy a Mannix episode from 1973 and it's sequel/resolution of the same case 24 years later on Diagnosis: Murder.
The 1973 Mannix  episode "Little Girl Lost"(season 7 episode 4) is going to be shown Tuesday, January 18 at 2:05 AM on MeTV. 

Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel runs Diagnosis: Murder every day from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
So in a few short weeks they will be up to 1997's "Hard Boiled Murder", (season 4 episode 17), the sequel or crossover episode with Connors again as Mannix, working on the "Little Girl Lost" case.
Actors Beverly Garland, Julie Adams and Pernell Roberts reprise their roles from the original as well.
 These shows will be a hoot to record and then sit down to watch both, a quarter of a century between the two. 

Hey Dobie,
Thanks for all the information! I have the Mannix episode set to record on my DVR. I knew Mike Connors had appeared in Diagnosis Murder but didn’t realize the connection to Mannix. The reason I knew Mike Connors appeared is a bit of a convoluted story but an interesting one. I worked as a PA on Baywatch from 1993-1995 and because they shot on a different schedule from other series to take advantage of the weather, I had winters off. I picked up some work on Diagnosis Murder for a few episodes in 1994 when it was new and became friends with crew member Kalai Strode. He was the son of the Hollywood great Woody Strode. We kept in touch for several years and he later mentioned to me that Mike Connors had appeared on the show. I heard he had passed away several years ago after retiring and moving back to Hawaii. I haven’t thought about any of that in quite some time. Thanks again for the details and could you please post when that Diagnoses Murder episode is set to air? Many thanks in advance!

Hi Pahonu,
Woody Strode! He was great in every role I have seen him in, a real pro. He co-starred in one of my fave Westerns - that likely more than inspired The Wild Bunch - called
The Professionals(1966). I envy you hanging with his son, he must have had some good stories.
As for 1997's "Hard Boiled Murder", (season 4 episode 17), from Diagnosis Murder, as near as I can figure out it will air on February 8 at 11:00 AM on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
channel. The schedule currently doesn't go that far as yet so I'm spit balling here.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ralph Bellamy: "You bastard!"
Lee Marvin: "Yes sir. In my case an accident of birth. But you sir, you're a self-made man."
The Professionals (1966)

He was a really nice guy and he did have lots of stories. His father was sick and died not long after we met. Part of the reason we became friends is that I mentioned to him seeing his father many times while growing up. Woody had retired to a town in the San Gabriel Valley outside LA called Glendora. I grew up in the next town, Azusa, and he was a bit of a local celebrity. I remember him as a really big man who wore moccasins around as he was part Native American. Kalai’s mother was descended from the last queen of Hawaii. There were lots of Hollywood stories as well, and Kalai had a pretty long career in production, including working on one of my wife’s favorite movies as a teen, The Lost Boys.

Thanks for the Diagnosis Murder information. I’ll definitely keep an eye out.

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

For those of you who recorded the 1973 Mannix  episode "Little Girl Lost" recently on MeTV I definitely found the date it's 24 years later sequel is going to air.
According to the HALLMARK MOVIES & MYSTERIES SCHEDULE, 1997's "Hard Boiled Murder", (season 4 episode 17), Diagnosis Murder, will indeed air
on February 8 at 11:00 AM.

An aside -
Roger E. Mosley fans may want to check out the season 4 "The Rookies" episode #13, Dead Heat (1975), free on You Tube.
He dominates the doings.The elevator scene between Roger and George Stanford Brown is riveting television, taking up the last half hour.
You will be glued to your seat.
Though it was clearly borrowed from the film "Report To The Commissioner"that came out earlier in 1975, I think "the elevator stand off" is much better here than the film version.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"What? Over? Did you say 'over'? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!"
Animal House (1978)

"What we've got here...is failure to communicate."- Warden (Strother Martin) in Cool Hand Luke (1967)

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

An aside -
Roger E. Mosley fans may want to check out the season 4 "The Rookies" episode #13, Dead Heat (1975), free on You Tube.
He dominates the doings.The elevator scene between Roger and George Stanford Brown is riveting television, taking up the last half hour.
You will be glued to your seat.
Though it was clearly borrowed from the film "Report To The Commissioner"that came out earlier in 1975, I think "the elevator stand off" is much better here than the film version.

How did the standoff in the elevator resolve? Did the cop trick Mosley into taking his unloaded gun? This is just a guess on my part but I'm betting that's what happened because IMDB says this episode was remade in 1984 as an episode of T.J. HOOKER called "Deadlock" (which I have seen). Same scenario with 3 robbers. First half is a standoff with the trio, second half is the elevator standoff with the ring leader. In both episodes the ring leader in the elevator is named Rawlins. Mosley plays him in ROOKIES and Dennis Lipscomb on HOOKER. In the latter Lipscomb was a real piece of work. The elevator standoff was pretty intense - the highlight.

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

Roger E. Mosley fans may want to check out the season 4 "The Rookies" episode #13, Dead Heat (1975), free on You Tube.
He dominates the doings.The elevator scene between Roger and George Stanford Brown is riveting television, taking up the last half hour.
You will be glued to your seat.
Though it was clearly borrowed from the film "Report To The Commissioner"that came out earlier in 1975, I think "the elevator stand off" is much better here than the film version.

How did the standoff in the elevator resolve? Did the cop trick Mosley into taking his unloaded gun? This is just a guess on my part but I'm betting that's what happened because IMDB says this episode was remade in 1984 as an episode of T.J. HOOKER called "Deadlock" (which I have seen). Same scenario with 3 robbers. First half is a standoff with the trio, second half is the elevator standoff with the ring leader. In both episodes the ring leader in the elevator is named Rawlins. Mosley plays him in ROOKIES and Dennis Lipscomb on HOOKER. In the latter Lipscomb was a real piece of work. The elevator standoff was pretty intense - the highlight.

Hi Ivan,
It's slightly different in regards as to how the two exchange their guns.
Stanford Brown and Mosley are pointing their guns at the other, the stuck elevator suddenly lurches and they are thrown into each other. They break and in the scramble each has wound
up with the other's gun. Mosley is in a panic as the now working elevator will soon reach the floor where the police are waiting.

Stanford Brown smiles and tells him his police gun was empty the whole time, he used his guts and smarts to slicker a foe who could have killed him at any moment.

Mosley has to decide if his (police) gun really is empty or is he being gamed by this cop, in his eyes a mortal enemy though now respected.
These two have been playing "street" mind games since entering the lift, with "signifying" moments which became de facto bridges between them.

Amazingly at this point the viewer is actually rooting for Mosley to do the right thing and be partially redeemed though earlier he had casually murdered the security guard.
It's a shock when Mosley suddenly decides to kill Stanford Brown and as he squeezes the trigger several times - it's empty - you feel let down.
The acting in this episode is outstanding.

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

Roger E. Mosley fans may want to check out the season 4 "The Rookies" episode #13, Dead Heat (1975), free on You Tube.
He dominates the doings.The elevator scene between Roger and George Stanford Brown is riveting television, taking up the last half hour.
You will be glued to your seat.
Though it was clearly borrowed from the film "Report To The Commissioner"that came out earlier in 1975, I think "the elevator stand off" is much better here than the film version.

How did the standoff in the elevator resolve? Did the cop trick Mosley into taking his unloaded gun? This is just a guess on my part but I'm betting that's what happened because IMDB says this episode was remade in 1984 as an episode of T.J. HOOKER called "Deadlock" (which I have seen). Same scenario with 3 robbers. First half is a standoff with the trio, second half is the elevator standoff with the ring leader. In both episodes the ring leader in the elevator is named Rawlins. Mosley plays him in ROOKIES and Dennis Lipscomb on HOOKER. In the latter Lipscomb was a real piece of work. The elevator standoff was pretty intense - the highlight.

Hi Ivan,
It's slightly different in regards as to how the two exchange their guns.
Stanford Brown and Mosley are pointing their guns at the other, the stuck elevator suddenly lurches and they are thrown into each other. They break and in the scramble each has wound
up with the other's gun. Mosley is in a panic as the now working elevator will soon reach the floor where the police are waiting.

Stanford Brown smiles and tells him his police gun was empty the whole time, he used his guts and smarts to slicker a foe who could have killed him at any moment.

Mosley has to decide if his (police) gun really is empty or is he being gamed by this cop, in his eyes a mortal enemy though now respected.
These two have been playing "street" mind games since entering the lift, with "signifying" moments which became de facto bridges between them.

Amazingly at this point the viewer is actually rooting for Mosley to do the right thing and be partially redeemed though earlier he had casually murdered the security guard.
It's a shock when Mosley suddenly decides to kill Stanford Brown and as he squeezes the trigger several times - it's empty - you feel let down.
The acting in this episode is outstanding.

Ha! That's actually exactly how it happened in the T.J. HOOKER episode. You just jogged my memory. Hooker (Shatner) had the empty gun the whole time and was pointing it at Rawlins, hoping he would never suspect or question whether it's empty. Then they ended up with each other's guns, at which point Hooker reveals that his gun was empty all along. Rawlins is incredulous! It's a great moment! And yes he does pull the trigger. Click.

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

Roger E. Mosley fans may want to check out the season 4 "The Rookies" episode #13, Dead Heat (1975), free on You Tube.
He dominates the doings.The elevator scene between Roger and George Stanford Brown is riveting television, taking up the last half hour.
You will be glued to your seat.
Though it was clearly borrowed from the film "Report To The Commissioner"that came out earlier in 1975, I think "the elevator stand off" is much better here than the film version.

How did the standoff in the elevator resolve? Did the cop trick Mosley into taking his unloaded gun? This is just a guess on my part but I'm betting that's what happened because IMDB says this episode was remade in 1984 as an episode of T.J. HOOKER called "Deadlock" (which I have seen). Same scenario with 3 robbers. First half is a standoff with the trio, second half is the elevator standoff with the ring leader. In both episodes the ring leader in the elevator is named Rawlins. Mosley plays him in ROOKIES and Dennis Lipscomb on HOOKER. In the latter Lipscomb was a real piece of work. The elevator standoff was pretty intense - the highlight.

Hi Ivan,
It's slightly different in regards as to how the two exchange their guns.
Stanford Brown and Mosley are pointing their guns at the other, the stuck elevator suddenly lurches and they are thrown into each other. They break and in the scramble each has wound
up with the other's gun. Mosley is in a panic as the now working elevator will soon reach the floor where the police are waiting.
Stanford Brown smiles and tells him his police gun was empty the whole time, he used his guts and smarts to slicker a foe who could have killed him at any moment.
Mosley has to decide if his (police) gun really is empty or is he being gamed by this cop, in his eyes a mortal enemy though now respected.
These two have been playing "street" mind games since entering the lift, with "signifying" moments which became de facto bridges between them.
Amazingly at this point the viewer is actually rooting for Mosley to do the right thing and be partially redeemed though earlier he had casually murdered the security guard.
It's a shock when Mosley suddenly decides to kill Stanford Brown and as he squeezes the trigger several times - it's empty - you feel let down.
The acting in this episode is outstanding.

Ha! That's actually exactly how it happened in the T.J. HOOKER episode. You just jogged my memory. Hooker (Shatner) had the empty gun the whole time and was pointing it at Rawlins, hoping he would never suspect or question whether it's empty. Then they ended up with each other's guns, at which point Hooker reveals that his gun was empty all along. Rawlins is incredulous! It's a great moment! And yes he does pull the trigger. Click.

Ivan,
I'd like to see that TJ Hooker to see how Shatner handled the part. He may ham it up at times but I think he is an excellent actor, despite what some say.
The more things change the more they stay the same, in this case ABC raiding scripts from other series it ran(and I assume had a piece of).
From what you said in this case TJ Hooker apparently swiped everything but the kitchen sink from this The Rookies episode.
Previously ABC rotated original Maverick and 77 Sunset Strip scripts between Surfside Six, Bronco, Hawaiian Eye and others in the late 50's/60's.
One time during a writers strike they took 77 Sunset Strip and Maverick scripts, changing just the character names and nothing else
(besides changing horses for cars) and ran them as is for Hawaiian Eye.
Maverick creator Roy Huggins may have been a deserved TV legend but because Hollywood screwed him countless times out of created by/writing credits
he carried a grudge which he assuaged by stealing countless times himself. His Alias Smith & Jones is amazing for it's boldness in swiping entire stories, characters
and scenes from Westerns like The Virginian and Bonanza. I'd bet money there isn't one entirely original episode in it's run, the last time I saw an episode I was floored
because by happen chance I had just seen a The Virginian that mirrored 2/3 of the Alias Smith and Jones.
But I digress. Thank you for the TJ Hooker information.

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

Roger E. Mosley fans may want to check out the season 4 "The Rookies" episode #13, Dead Heat (1975), free on You Tube.
He dominates the doings.The elevator scene between Roger and George Stanford Brown is riveting television, taking up the last half hour.
You will be glued to your seat.
Though it was clearly borrowed from the film "Report To The Commissioner"that came out earlier in 1975, I think "the elevator stand off" is much better here than the film version.

How did the standoff in the elevator resolve? Did the cop trick Mosley into taking his unloaded gun? This is just a guess on my part but I'm betting that's what happened because IMDB says this episode was remade in 1984 as an episode of T.J. HOOKER called "Deadlock" (which I have seen). Same scenario with 3 robbers. First half is a standoff with the trio, second half is the elevator standoff with the ring leader. In both episodes the ring leader in the elevator is named Rawlins. Mosley plays him in ROOKIES and Dennis Lipscomb on HOOKER. In the latter Lipscomb was a real piece of work. The elevator standoff was pretty intense - the highlight.

Hi Ivan,
It's slightly different in regards as to how the two exchange their guns.
Stanford Brown and Mosley are pointing their guns at the other, the stuck elevator suddenly lurches and they are thrown into each other. They break and in the scramble each has wound
up with the other's gun. Mosley is in a panic as the now working elevator will soon reach the floor where the police are waiting.
Stanford Brown smiles and tells him his police gun was empty the whole time, he used his guts and smarts to slicker a foe who could have killed him at any moment.
Mosley has to decide if his (police) gun really is empty or is he being gamed by this cop, in his eyes a mortal enemy though now respected.
These two have been playing "street" mind games since entering the lift, with "signifying" moments which became de facto bridges between them.
Amazingly at this point the viewer is actually rooting for Mosley to do the right thing and be partially redeemed though earlier he had casually murdered the security guard.
It's a shock when Mosley suddenly decides to kill Stanford Brown and as he squeezes the trigger several times - it's empty - you feel let down.
The acting in this episode is outstanding.

Ha! That's actually exactly how it happened in the T.J. HOOKER episode. You just jogged my memory. Hooker (Shatner) had the empty gun the whole time and was pointing it at Rawlins, hoping he would never suspect or question whether it's empty. Then they ended up with each other's guns, at which point Hooker reveals that his gun was empty all along. Rawlins is incredulous! It's a great moment! And yes he does pull the trigger. Click.

Ivan,
I'd like to see that TJ Hooker to see how Shatner handled the part. He may ham it up at times but I think he is an excellent actor, despite what some say.
The more things change the more they stay the same, in this case ABC raiding scripts from other series it ran(and I assume had a piece of).
From what you said in this case TJ Hooker apparently swiped everything but the kitchen sink from this The Rookies episode.
Previously ABC rotated original Maverick and 77 Sunset Strip scripts between Surfside Six, Bronco, Hawaiian Eye and others in the late 50's/60's.
One time during a writers strike they took 77 Sunset Strip and Maverick scripts, changing just the character names and nothing else
(besides changing horses for cars) and ran them as is for Hawaiian Eye.
Maverick creator Roy Huggins may have been a deserved TV legend but because Hollywood screwed him countless times out of created by/writing credits
he carried a grudge which he assuaged by stealing countless times himself. His Alias Smith & Jones is amazing for it's boldness in swiping entire stories, characters
and scenes from Westerns like The Virginian and Bonanza. I'd bet money there isn't one entirely original episode in it's run, the last time I saw an episode I was floored
because by happen chance I had just seen a The Virginian that mirrored 2/3 of the Alias Smith and Jones.
But I digress. Thank you for the TJ Hooker information.

Yep, there's a lot of plots that get reused from show to show. Often scene-for-scene, word-for-word. Especially if on the same network. And in the case of THE ROOKIES and T.J. HOOKER they were both Spelling-Goldberg productions. Actually there are 2 episodes of T.J. HOOKER that also mimic almost scene for scene 2 episodes of THE STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO, another ABC show. Although that one was by Quinn Martin, not Spelling-Goldberg. HOOKER's "The Assassin" and "Murder by Law" are clones of SOSF's "Target: Red" and "Judgment Day", respectively.

You can find all the HOOKER episodes online for free. Just google the title. I believe dailymotion.com plays them. So you can watch "Deadlock" and see how it compares to the ROOKIES episode.

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

Ivan wrote:
Yep, there's a lot of plots that get reused from show to show. Often scene-for-scene, word-for-word. Especially if on the same network. And in the case of THE ROOKIES and T.J. HOOKER they were both Spelling-Goldberg productions. Actually there are 2 episodes of T.J. HOOKER that also mimic almost scene for scene 2 episodes of THE STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO, another ABC show. Although that one was by Quinn Martin, not Spelling-Goldberg. HOOKER's "The Assassin" and "Murder by Law" are clones of SOSF's "Target: Red" and "Judgment Day", respectively.
You can find all the HOOKER episodes online for free. Just google the title. I believe dailymotion.com plays them. So you can watch "Deadlock" and see how it compares to the ROOKIES episode.

Hi Ivan,
Thank you for the info regarding dailymotion. I will watch TJ Hooker's take on The Wookies episode. I enjoy Shatner, but missed watching TJ Hooker at the time it was
first on. In your opinion is the series worth investing the time to catch all the episodes?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"When Shemp pours on the charm, no dame can resist him!"
This actual quote was uttered by -
A) Jennifer Anniston
B) Hallie Berry
C) Moe Howard
D) Eleanor Roosevelt

Answer is C.

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

Hi Ivan,
Thank you for the info regarding dailymotion. I will watch TJ Hooker's take on The Wookies episode. I enjoy Shatner, but missed watching TJ Hooker at the time it was
first on. In your opinion is the series worth investing the time to catch all the episodes?

Hmm, this might be a little difficult to answer. When I was an early teen this was absolutely my favorite cop show (I was watching it in reruns in the mid 90s). Better than other cop shows I watched at the time like HUNTER, IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT, etc. I didn't compare it to HAWAII FIVE-O (which I also watched and loved at the time) because for some reason I didn't see FIVE-O as a "cop" show. No black and whites, sirens, flashing lights, police uniforms, etc. T.J. HOOKER had all that so it was THE cop show! Throw in lots of chases and car crashes and it was the show for me! But looking at it today it definitely feels dated and cheesy, more so than other shows from the decade. HUNTER feels less cheesy in comparison. Same with IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT. But if you're in the right mood or you have nostalgic memories of the show (like me) you can find some enjoyment out of it, especially with certain episodes (like the aforementioned "Deadlock"). Also put me in the camp who consider the Shat to be a hammy actor. Jack Lord he ain't when gritting his teeth and reading someone the riot act. It's actually funny seeing him grit his teeth and call someone "scum" for the umpteenth time in every episode.

I'll say one thing. Its theme song (by Mark Snow) is one of the coolest themes in TV history! Especially seasons 3-5. Seasons 1 & 2 still had a bit of that 70s sound to it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hci3fWEx-JA

And who can forget the episode where Hooker and Romano in their black and white (4-Adam-30) chase perennial baddie Richard Lynch in an airplane down the runway? I have vivid childhood memories of that one and then the shootout in the abandoned bus yard https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7EuZA1cqvQ