The Plainclothesman
Encyclopedia
- For other uses, see Plainclothes Man (disambiguation)
The Plainclothesman was an early American television program
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
broadcast on the now defunct DuMont Television Network
DuMont Television Network
The DuMont Television Network, also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont, Du Mont, or Dumont was one of the world's pioneer commercial television networks, rivalling NBC for the distinction of being first overall. It began operation in the United States in 1946. It was owned by DuMont...
.
Broadcast history
The series ran from 19491949 in television
The year 1949 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1949.-Events:*January 3 – Colgate Theatre premieres on NBC....
to 1954
1954 in television
The year 1954 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1954.-Events:*January 1 – NBC broadcasts the Rose Parade in NTSC color on 21 stations.*January 3 – RAI launched in Italy....
. It was a detective show starring Ken Lynch
Ken Lynch
Ken Lynch was an American film and TV actor best known for his starring role as 'the Lieutenant' on the 1949-1954 Dumont detective series The Plainclothesman, on which his face was never seen, and for his co-starring role as Sergeant Grover on McCloud.-Career:Lynch appeared in numerous TV series...
, whose character was known only as "The Lieutenant". Uniquely on television, the main character's face was never seen on camera, as the series used the cinema verite
Cinéma vérité
Cinéma vérité is a style of documentary filmmaking, combining naturalistic techniques with stylized cinematic devices of editing and camerawork, staged set-ups, and the use of the camera to provoke subjects. It is also known for taking a provocative stance toward its topics.There are subtle yet...
technique.
The program, produced and distributed by DuMont, aired Wednesday nights at 9 (Eastern Standard Time) on most DuMont affiliates during the 1949-1950 season, at 9:30 on Wednesdays during 1950-1951, and at 9:30 on Sundays during 1951-1952. The Plainclothesman was cancelled in 1954; the last program aired on September 12.
Only around four episodes were preserved. One kinescoped episode of the series is housed at the Library of Congress in the J. Fred and Leslie W. MacDonald Collection.
See also
- List of programs broadcast by the DuMont Television Network
- List of surviving DuMont Television Network broadcasts