San Francisco International Airport (TV series)
Encyclopedia
San Francisco International Airport was a television drama
aired in the United States
by NBC
as a part of its 1970-71
wheel series
Four in One
.
The series starred Lloyd Bridges
as Jim Conrad, the manager of the gigantic San Francisco International Airport
, which at the time the series aired was said to be handling over 15,000,000 passengers annually and employing over 35,000 persons. Bob Hatten (Clu Gulager
) was his chief of security, an important role at a time when security was beginning to emerge as a real-life major issue in air transport. June (Barbara Werle) was Conrad's secretary. Airport situations drawn from real life were addressed, such as protesting demonstrators, mechanical malfunctions, and similar problems.
San Francisico International Airport was the second program in the Four in One rotation, following McCloud. The six episodes were first shown in order from late October until early December, 1970, and were then replaced in the Wednesday night 10 PM Eastern time slot by Night Gallery
. Once Night Gallery and The Psychiatrist
had completed their first runs, episodes of all four series were rerun
interspersed with each other. Night Gallery was picked up for the next season as a stand-alone series and McCloud was renewed as an element in a new wheel series, NBC Mystery Movie
, but San Francisco International Airport and The Psychiatrist were cancelled with no more episode
s ordered beyond the initial six.
The pilot
for this series, also called San Francisco International Airport or simply San Francisco International, had been aired in the spring as a TV movie before the series premiered. It was largely similar, but starred Pernell Roberts
as Conrad rather than Bridges. Despite the fact that critical response was underwhelming, the six episodes that comprised the series were ordered—with the stipulation that Roberts be replaced in the starring role by Bridges. This pilot was the subject of an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000
.
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
aired in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
as a part of its 1970-71
1970-71 United States network television schedule
This was the television schedule on all three United States commercial television networks for the fall season beginning in September 1970. All times are Eastern and Pacific, with a few exceptions, such as Monday Night Football....
wheel series
Wheel series
A wheel series is a term applied in the broadcast television industry to a television program in which two or more regular series are rotated with the same time slot...
Four in One
Four in One
Four in One was the umbrella title for a wheel series broadcast in the United States on the NBC television network as part of its 1970-71 schedule in the Wednesday 10 PM Eastern time slot....
.
The series starred Lloyd Bridges
Lloyd Bridges
Lloyd Vernet Bridges, Jr. was an American actor who starred in a number of television series and appeared in more than 150 feature films. Bridges is best known for his role of Mike Nelson in Sea Hunt, the most-popular syndicated American TV series in 1958...
as Jim Conrad, the manager of the gigantic San Francisco International Airport
San Francisco International Airport
San Francisco International Airport is a major international airport located south of downtown San Francisco, California, United States, near the cities of Millbrae and San Bruno in unincorporated San Mateo County. It is often referred to as SFO...
, which at the time the series aired was said to be handling over 15,000,000 passengers annually and employing over 35,000 persons. Bob Hatten (Clu Gulager
Clu Gulager
Clu Gulager is an American television and film actor. He is particularly noted for his co-starring role as William H. Bonney in the 1960–62 NBC TV series The Tall Man and for his role in the later NBC series The Virginian...
) was his chief of security, an important role at a time when security was beginning to emerge as a real-life major issue in air transport. June (Barbara Werle) was Conrad's secretary. Airport situations drawn from real life were addressed, such as protesting demonstrators, mechanical malfunctions, and similar problems.
San Francisico International Airport was the second program in the Four in One rotation, following McCloud. The six episodes were first shown in order from late October until early December, 1970, and were then replaced in the Wednesday night 10 PM Eastern time slot by Night Gallery
Night Gallery
Night Gallery is an American anthology series that aired on NBC from 1970 to 1973, featuring stories of horror and the macabre. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, The Twilight Zone, served both as the on-air host of Night Gallery and as a major contributor of scripts, although...
. Once Night Gallery and The Psychiatrist
The Psychiatrist (TV series)
The Psychiatrist is an American television series about a young psychiatrist with unorthodox methods of helping his patients. Roy Thinnes played the title role of Dr. James Whitman. Luther Adler co-starred as Dr. Bernard Altman, the older psychiatrist with whom Whitman worked...
had completed their first runs, episodes of all four series were rerun
Rerun
A rerun or repeat is a re-airing of an episode of a radio or television broadcast. The invention of the rerun is generally credited to Desi Arnaz. There are two types of reruns—those that occur during a hiatus, and those that occur when a program is syndicated. Reruns can also be, as the...
interspersed with each other. Night Gallery was picked up for the next season as a stand-alone series and McCloud was renewed as an element in a new wheel series, NBC Mystery Movie
NBC Mystery Movie
The NBC Mystery Movie is the general name of an American television series, produced by Universal Studios, that was broadcast by NBC from 1971-77...
, but San Francisco International Airport and The Psychiatrist were cancelled with no more episode
Episode
An episode is a part of a dramatic work such as a serial television or radio program. An episode is a part of a sequence of a body of work, akin to a chapter of a book. The term sometimes applies to works based on other forms of mass media as well, as in Star Wars...
s ordered beyond the initial six.
The pilot
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
for this series, also called San Francisco International Airport or simply San Francisco International, had been aired in the spring as a TV movie before the series premiered. It was largely similar, but starred Pernell Roberts
Pernell Roberts
Pernell Elvin Roberts, Jr. was an American stage, movie and television actor, as well as a singer. In addition to guest starring in over 60 television series, he was widely known for his roles as Ben Cartwright's eldest son, Adam Cartwright, on the western series Bonanza, a role he played from...
as Conrad rather than Bridges. Despite the fact that critical response was underwhelming, the six episodes that comprised the series were ordered—with the stipulation that Roberts be replaced in the starring role by Bridges. This pilot was the subject of an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc., that ran from 1988 to 1999....
.
External links
- Pilot film at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- Series at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...