Switch (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Switch is an American
action-adventure, tongue-in-cheek
detective series
starring Eddie Albert
and Robert Wagner
, who worked as private eyes, for a deceptive sting operation. It was broadcast on the CBS
network for three seasons between September 9, 1975 and August 20, 1978, bumping the Hawaii Five-O
detective series to Friday nights.
and was similar to The Rockford Files
, which debuted a year earlier. It was created by Glen A. Larson
. Donald P. Bellisario was one of the writers.
), a retired bunco cop who once arrested Pete Ryan (Robert Wagner
), who was an ex-con, before he served as his trusted crime-fighting partner. After Ryan's release, the two open up their own detective agency in Los Angeles
that specializes in "out-conning the cons" by using the same sorts of double-crosses and deceptions used by con men in order to capture criminals. Assisting them is another former con man of Mac's, restaurant owner Malcolm Argos (Charlie Callas
) who went straight and Maggie Philbin (Sharon Gless
), Mac's and Pete's young receptionist who helps them out in each of the cases, known as the all-around girl Friday.
Originally, Switch started out as an adventure series, it did pretty well in the ratings at the end of the first year, in addition to Charlie Callas's contribution to the show. Midway through the second season, the show turned into a crime drama, playing second-only to shows like: Kojak
, Hawaii Five-O
, McMillan & Wife, Police Woman
, The Streets of San Francisco
, The Rockford Files
, among many others. The series pilot
for CBS aired on March 21, 1975, as a 90-minute made-for-television movie.
During the show's run the series became more serious in tone and more of a traditional crime drama. William Bryant joined the cast as Lt. Shilton. In the final season, Pete moves into an apartment above Malcolm's bar and Mindi Miller and James Hong
joined the cast.
The modestly successful show was put on hiatus in early 1978, being replaced by The Incredible Hulk; it came back during the summer to air its final 10 episodes before ultimately being canceled that August because of low ratings. Years after the show was canceled, it began airing in rerun
s.
Eddie Albert and Robert Wagner are the only two actors to appear in every episode. Sharon Gless appeared in all the episodes, with the exception of three, and Charlie Callas missed four episodes throughout the run.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
action-adventure, tongue-in-cheek
Tongue-in-cheek
Tongue-in-cheek is a phrase used as a figure of speech to imply that a statement or other production is humorously intended and it should not be taken at face value. The facial expression typically indicates that one is joking or making a mental effort. In the past, it may also have indicated...
detective series
Detective fiction
Detective fiction is a sub-genre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator , either professional or amateur, investigates a crime, often murder.-In ancient literature:...
starring Eddie Albert
Eddie Albert
Edward Albert Heimberger , known professionally as Eddie Albert, was an American actor and activist. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1954 for his performance in Roman Holiday, and in 1973 for The Heartbreak Kid.Other well-known screen roles of his include Bing...
and Robert Wagner
Robert Wagner
Robert John Wagner is an American actor of stage, screen, and television.A veteran of many films in the 1950s and 1960s, Wagner gained prominence in three American television series that spanned three decades: It Takes a Thief , Switch , and Hart to Hart...
, who worked as private eyes, for a deceptive sting operation. It was broadcast on the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
network for three seasons between September 9, 1975 and August 20, 1978, bumping the Hawaii Five-O
Hawaii Five-O
Hawaii Five-O is an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productions and Leonard Freeman. Set in Hawaii, the show originally aired for twelve seasons from 1968 to 1980, and continues in reruns. The show featured a fictional state police unit run by Detective Steve McGarrett,...
detective series to Friday nights.
History
It was inspired by the 1973 movie The StingThe Sting
The Sting is a 1973 American caper film set in September 1936 that involves a complicated plot by two professional grifters to con a mob boss . The film was directed by George Roy Hill, who previously directed Newman and Redford in the western Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.Created by...
and was similar to The Rockford Files
The Rockford Files
The Rockford Files is an American television drama series which aired on the NBC network between September 13, 1974 and January 10, 1980. It has remained in regular syndication to the present day. The show stars James Garner as Los Angeles-based private investigator Jim Rockford and features Noah...
, which debuted a year earlier. It was created by Glen A. Larson
Glen A. Larson
Glen Albert Larson is an American television producer and writer best known as the creator of Battlestar Galactica, The Fall Guy, Magnum, P.I. and Knight Rider.-Career:...
. Donald P. Bellisario was one of the writers.
Plot
The series focused on two main characters, Frank MacBride (Eddie AlbertEddie Albert
Edward Albert Heimberger , known professionally as Eddie Albert, was an American actor and activist. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1954 for his performance in Roman Holiday, and in 1973 for The Heartbreak Kid.Other well-known screen roles of his include Bing...
), a retired bunco cop who once arrested Pete Ryan (Robert Wagner
Robert Wagner
Robert John Wagner is an American actor of stage, screen, and television.A veteran of many films in the 1950s and 1960s, Wagner gained prominence in three American television series that spanned three decades: It Takes a Thief , Switch , and Hart to Hart...
), who was an ex-con, before he served as his trusted crime-fighting partner. After Ryan's release, the two open up their own detective agency in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
that specializes in "out-conning the cons" by using the same sorts of double-crosses and deceptions used by con men in order to capture criminals. Assisting them is another former con man of Mac's, restaurant owner Malcolm Argos (Charlie Callas
Charlie Callas
Charlie Callas was an American comedian and actor most commonly known for his work with Mel Brooks, Jerry Lewis, and Dean Martin and his many stand-up appearances on television talk shows in the 1970s...
) who went straight and Maggie Philbin (Sharon Gless
Sharon Gless
Sharon Marguerite Gless is an American character actress of stage, film and television, who is best known for her roles as Maggie Philbin on Switch , as Sgt. Christine Cagney in the police procedural drama series Cagney & Lacey and as Debbie Novotny in the Showtime cable television series Queer...
), Mac's and Pete's young receptionist who helps them out in each of the cases, known as the all-around girl Friday.
Originally, Switch started out as an adventure series, it did pretty well in the ratings at the end of the first year, in addition to Charlie Callas's contribution to the show. Midway through the second season, the show turned into a crime drama, playing second-only to shows like: Kojak
Kojak
Kojak is an American television series starring Telly Savalas as the title character, bald New York City Police Department Detective Lieutenant Theo Kojak. It aired from October 24, 1973, to March 18, 1978, on CBS. It took the time slot of the popular Cannon series, which was moved one hour earlier...
, Hawaii Five-O
Hawaii Five-O
Hawaii Five-O is an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productions and Leonard Freeman. Set in Hawaii, the show originally aired for twelve seasons from 1968 to 1980, and continues in reruns. The show featured a fictional state police unit run by Detective Steve McGarrett,...
, McMillan & Wife, Police Woman
Police Woman (TV series)
Police Woman is an American television police drama starring Angie Dickinson that ran on NBC for four seasons, from September 13, 1974, to March 29, 1978.-Synopsis:...
, The Streets of San Francisco
The Streets of San Francisco
The Streets of San Francisco is a 1970s television police drama filmed on location in San Francisco, California, and produced by Quinn Martin Productions, with the first season produced in association with Warner Bros...
, The Rockford Files
The Rockford Files
The Rockford Files is an American television drama series which aired on the NBC network between September 13, 1974 and January 10, 1980. It has remained in regular syndication to the present day. The show stars James Garner as Los Angeles-based private investigator Jim Rockford and features Noah...
, among many others. The series 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 CBS aired on March 21, 1975, as a 90-minute made-for-television movie.
During the show's run the series became more serious in tone and more of a traditional crime drama. William Bryant joined the cast as Lt. Shilton. In the final season, Pete moves into an apartment above Malcolm's bar and Mindi Miller and James Hong
James Hong
James Hong is an American actor and former president of the Association of Asian/Pacific American Artists . A prolific acting veteran, Hong's career spans over 50 years and includes more than 350 roles in film, television, and video games.-Early life:Hong was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His...
joined the cast.
The modestly successful show was put on hiatus in early 1978, being replaced by The Incredible Hulk; it came back during the summer to air its final 10 episodes before ultimately being canceled that August because of low ratings. Years after the show was canceled, it began airing in 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...
s.
Cast
- Eddie AlbertEddie AlbertEdward Albert Heimberger , known professionally as Eddie Albert, was an American actor and activist. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1954 for his performance in Roman Holiday, and in 1973 for The Heartbreak Kid.Other well-known screen roles of his include Bing...
- Frank MacBride - A retired police officer - Robert WagnerRobert WagnerRobert John Wagner is an American actor of stage, screen, and television.A veteran of many films in the 1950s and 1960s, Wagner gained prominence in three American television series that spanned three decades: It Takes a Thief , Switch , and Hart to Hart...
- Det. Pete Ryan - Mac's ex-con man turned partner - Charlie CallasCharlie CallasCharlie Callas was an American comedian and actor most commonly known for his work with Mel Brooks, Jerry Lewis, and Dean Martin and his many stand-up appearances on television talk shows in the 1970s...
- Malcolm Argos - Mac's ex-con man who worked at the restaurant recruited by Mac & Pete - Sharon GlessSharon GlessSharon Marguerite Gless is an American character actress of stage, film and television, who is best known for her roles as Maggie Philbin on Switch , as Sgt. Christine Cagney in the police procedural drama series Cagney & Lacey and as Debbie Novotny in the Showtime cable television series Queer...
- Maggie Philbin - Mac's & Pete's classy receptionist who worked at MacBride & Ryan investigations - William Bryant - Lt. Shilton - Mac's & Pete's partner (seasons 2-3)
- James HongJames HongJames Hong is an American actor and former president of the Association of Asian/Pacific American Artists . A prolific acting veteran, Hong's career spans over 50 years and includes more than 350 roles in film, television, and video games.-Early life:Hong was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His...
- Wang - Malcolm's cook (season 3) - Mindi Miller - Revel - Waitress who work at Malcolm's restaurant (season 3)
- Anne ArcherAnne ArcherAnne Archer is an American actress who has performed in feature films, television, and stage and was named Miss Golden Globe in 1971. Among her best known roles is that of Beth Gallagher in the 1987 movie Fatal Attraction, for which she received a nomination for an Academy Award.-Career:Archer's...
- Laurie - played one of the semi-regular cast of grifters who helped Mac and Pete with their sting operations. Although only seen in a handful of Season One episodes, she and her bikini stayed in the title sequences for all of Season One and at least part of Season Two.
Eddie Albert and Robert Wagner are the only two actors to appear in every episode. Sharon Gless appeared in all the episodes, with the exception of three, and Charlie Callas missed four episodes throughout the run.
Season 1 (1975-1976)
| № | Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The James Caan Con" | 1975 September 9 |
| 2 | "The Late Show Murders" | 1975 September 16 |
| 3 | "The Old Diamond Game" | 1975 September 23 |
| 4 | "Stung from Beyond" | 1975 September 30 |
| 5 | "The Deadly Missiles Caper" | 1975 October 7 |
| 6 | "The Man Who Couldn't Lose" | 1975 October 14 |
| 7 | "Death Heist" | 1975 October 21 |
| 8 | "The Body at the Bottom" | 1975 November 4 |
| 9 | "The Cruise Ship Murders" | 1975 November 11 |
| 10 | "Kiss of Death" | 1975 November 25 |
| 11 | "Death by Resurrection" | 1975 December 2 |
| 12 | "The Cold War Con" | 1975 December 9 |
| 13 | "Through the Past Deadly" | 1975 December 16 |
| 14 | "Mistresses, Murder and Millions" | 1975 December 23 |
| 15 | "The Walking Bomb" | 1976 January 6 |
| 16 | "Ain't Nobody Here Named Barney" | 1976 January 13 |
| 17 | "Come Die with Me" | 1976 January 27 |
| 18 | "One of Our Zeppelins Is Missing" | 1976 February 10 |
| 19 | "Before the Holocaust" | 1976 February 17 |
| 20 | "Big Deal in Paradise" | 1976 February 24 |
| 21 | "The Case of the Purloined Case" | 1976 March 2 |
| 22 | "The Girl on the Golden Strip" | 1976 March 16 |
| 23 | "Round Up the Usual Suspects" | 1976 March 23 |
| 24 | "Death Squad" | 1976 April 6 |
Season 2 (1976-1977)
| № | Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | "The Pirates of Tin Pan Alley" | 1976 September 21 |
| 26 | "The Twelfth Commandment" | 1976 September 28 |
| 27 | "Fleece of Snow" | 1976 October 5 |
| 28 | "The Argonaut Special" | 1976 October 12 |
| 29 | "The Things That Belong to Mickey Costello" | 1976 October 19 |
| 30 | "Quicker Than the Eye" | 1976 November 9 |
| 31 | "Gaffing the Skim" | 1976 November 16 |
| 32 | "The Lady from Liechtenstein (Part 1)" | 1976 November 23 |
| 33 | "The Lady from Liechtenstein (Part 2)" | 1976 November 30 |
| 34 | "Switch Hitter" | 1976 December 7 |
| 35 | "Maggie's Hero" | 1976 December 14 |
| 36 | "The Hundred Thousand Ruble Rumble" | 1976 December 21 |
| 37 | "Portraits of Death" | 1977 January 4 |
| 38 | "The Snitch" | 1977 January 16 |
| 39 | "Eyewitness" | 1977 January 23 |
| 40 | "Camera Angles" | 1977 January 30 |
| 41 | "Butterfly Mourning" | 1977 February 6 |
| 42 | "The Four Horsemen" | 1977 February 13 |
| 43 | "Eden's Gate" | 1977 February 20 |
| 44 | "The Hemline Heist" | 1977 February 27 |
| 45 | "Three for the Money" | 1977 March 6 |
| 46 | "Two on the Run" | 1977 March 13 |
| 47 | "Whatever Happened to Carol Harmony?" | 1977 March 27 |
| 48 | "Heritage of Death" | 1977 April 3 |
Season 3 (1977-1978)
| № | Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 49 | "Net Loss" | 1977 September 23 |
| 50 | "Downshift" | 1977 September 30 |
| 51 | "Legend of the Macunas (Part 1)" | 1977 October 21 |
| 52 | "Legend of the Macunas (Part 2)" | 1977 October 21 |
| 53 | "Fade Out" | 1977 November 4 |
| 54 | "Dancer" | 1977 December 5 |
| 55 | "Go for Broke" | 1977 December 12 |
| 56 | "Lady of the Deep" | 1977 December 19 |
| 57 | "Thirty Thousand Witnesses" | 1977 December 26 |
| 58 | "Dangerous Curves" | 1978 January 2 |
| 59 | "The Death Tong" | 1978 January 9 |
| 60 | "Who Killed Lila Craig?" | 1978 January 16 |
| 61 | "Three Blond Mice" | 1978 January 30 |
| 62 | "Coronado Circle" | 1978 February 7 |
| 63 | "Stolen Island (a.k.a. Death Island)" | 1978 March 28 |
| 64 | "Formula for Murder" | 1978 April 28 |
| 65 | "Blue Crusaders Reunion" | 1978 May 5 |
| 66 | "Mexican Standoff" | 1978 May 5 |
| 67 | "Play Off" | 1978 June 18 |
| 68 | "The Cage" | 1978 June 25 |
| 69 | "Photo Finish" | 1978 July 2 |
| 70 | "The Siege at the Bouziki Bar" | 1978 July 9 |
See also
- McCoyMcCoy (TV series)McCoy is the title of an American action-adventure television series that aired on NBC during the 1975-1976 season.The series starred Tony Curtis as a con man who "out-cons" bad guys in order to steal back their ill-gotten gains and return the loot to its rightful owners...
, a similarly themed TV series that also debuted in 1975.