Naked City (TV series)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Naked City was a television series which aired from 1958 to 1963 on the ABC television network. It was inspired by the 1948 motion picture of the same name, and mimics its dramatic "semi-documentary" format.
Filmed on location in New York City, the series centers on the detectives of NYPD's 65th Precinct, but episode plots were often focused more on the criminals and victims portrayed by guest stars. Primary writer Stirling Silliphant nurtured a focus on intelligent drama with elements of comedy and pathos, leading to significant critical acclaim for the series, and leading film and television actors of the time sought out guest-starring roles. In addition, extensive location shooting made New York as much a star of the series as any of the actors.
The series first aired in 1958 as a half-hour series, which, while critically acclaimed, did not garner high ratings. Cancelled by ABC after its first season, one of the show's sponsors, along with production staff, lobbied the network to revive the show as an hour-long series, which premiered in 1960.
The 1960 version of the series featured Paul Burke as Detective Adam Flint, a sensitive and ploddingly cerebral cop in his early thirties who does much of the legwork in the episodes. Horace McMahon portrayed his seasoned and long-suffering superior, Lieutenant Parker. McMahon's character was also a regular in the earlier half-hour format series.
The series was notable for featuring young New York stage actors who later became major stars. Among the future stars to appear in the series were Robert Duvall, Robert Redford, Jon Voight, Burgess Meredith, Sandy Dennis and, in a small role, Dustin Hoffman.
In addition to Silliphant, who went on to win an Academy Award for his script of In the Heat of the Night, writers of Naked City episodes included veteran film noir writer Sidney Boehm and blacklisted screenwriter Arnold Manoff, writing under the pseudonym "Joel Carpenter."
The theme song of the series, "Somewhere in the Night" by musician Billy May, became popular in its own right and appears in many jazz music compilations to this day.
| Irvin Kershner | |
|---|---|
| 1950s | Stakeout on Dope Street | The Young Captives |
| 1960s | Hoodlum Priest | Face in the Rain | The Luck of Ginger Coffey | A Fine Madness | The Flim-Flam Man |
| 1970s | Loving | Up the Sandbox | S*P*Y*S | The Return of a Man Called Horse | Eyes of Laura Mars |
| 1980s | Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back | Never Say Never Again |
| 1990s | RoboCop 2 |
| Productions | American Perfekt (1999) |
| Television | "Naked City" (1958–1963) | "The Rebel (1959–1961) | "Cain's Hundred" (1961–1962) | "Ben Casey" (1961–1966) | "Kraft Suspense Theatre" (1963–1965) | Raid on Entebbe (1977) | "Amazing Stories" (1985–1987) | SeaQuest DSV (1993) |
