Barbary Coast (TV)
Encyclopedia
Barbary Coast is a short-lived American
television series that aired on ABC
. The series began with a television movie
that first aired on May 4, 1975. The series itself premiered September 8, 1975; the last episode aired January 9, 1976. Barbary Coast was inspired by a similar 19th-century spy series, The Wild Wild West
, and like the earlier program, Barbary Coast mixed the genres of Western
and secret agent drama
.
), and his pal, conman and gambler Cash Conover (Doug McClure
). This was Shatner's first attempt at a live-action series since Star Trek
(also produced by Paramount Television
). While on the college lecture circuit in the late 1970s, he said the show "lasted about five minutes."
In their battle against various criminals and foreign spies, Cable and Conover operated out of the latter's saloon and casino located on San Francisco's notorious Barbary Coast
. Cable frequently donned outré disguises in the course of his investigations, à la Wild Wild West's Artemus Gordon, and the writers worked hard trying to create a James West/Artemus Gordon-type friendship/partnership in the Cable/Conover pairing, but there simply wasn't the same chemistry. The producers also undisguisedly modeled the show's Byzantine plotlines/conspiracies on the Mission: Impossible
paradigm (in fact, they hired a number of Mission: Impossible's writers), but again failed to coax lightning into striking twice. Other regulars on the series included recurring Wild Wild West villain actor Richard Kiel
as Moose Moran and Dave Turner as Thumbs.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television series that aired on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
. The series began with a television movie
Television movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
that first aired on May 4, 1975. The series itself premiered September 8, 1975; the last episode aired January 9, 1976. Barbary Coast was inspired by a similar 19th-century spy series, The Wild Wild West
The Wild Wild West
The Wild Wild West is an American television series that ran on CBS for four seasons from September 17, 1965 to April 4, 1969....
, and like the earlier program, Barbary Coast mixed the genres of Western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
and secret agent drama
Spy-fi
-Definition and characteristics:It often uses a secret agent or superspy whose mission is a showcase of science fiction elements such as technology and ideas used for extortion, plots for world domination or world destruction, futuristic weapons, gadgets and fast vehicles that can travel on land,...
.
Synopsis
Barbary Coast featured the adventures of 19th century government agent Jeff Cable (played by William ShatnerWilliam Shatner
William Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
), and his pal, conman and gambler Cash Conover (Doug McClure
Doug McClure
Douglas Osborne "Doug" McClure was an American actor whose career in film and television extended from the 1950s to the 1990s...
). This was Shatner's first attempt at a live-action series since Star Trek
Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
(also produced by Paramount Television
Paramount Television
Paramount Television was an American television production/distribution company that was active from January 1, 1968 to August 27, 2006.Its successor is CBS Television Studios, formerly CBS Paramount Television...
). While on the college lecture circuit in the late 1970s, he said the show "lasted about five minutes."
In their battle against various criminals and foreign spies, Cable and Conover operated out of the latter's saloon and casino located on San Francisco's notorious Barbary Coast
Barbary Coast, San Francisco, California
Barbary Coast was a red-light district in old San Francisco, California. Geographically it constituted nine blocks bounded by Montgomery Street, Washington Street, Stockton Street, and Broadway...
. Cable frequently donned outré disguises in the course of his investigations, à la Wild Wild West's Artemus Gordon, and the writers worked hard trying to create a James West/Artemus Gordon-type friendship/partnership in the Cable/Conover pairing, but there simply wasn't the same chemistry. The producers also undisguisedly modeled the show's Byzantine plotlines/conspiracies on the Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible is an American television series which was created and initially produced by Bruce Geller. It chronicled the missions of a team of secret American government agents known as the Impossible Missions Force . The leader of the team was Jim Phelps, played by Peter Graves, except in...
paradigm (in fact, they hired a number of Mission: Impossible's writers), but again failed to coax lightning into striking twice. Other regulars on the series included recurring Wild Wild West villain actor Richard Kiel
Richard Kiel
Richard Dawson Kiel is an American actor best known for his role as the steel-toothed Jaws in the James Bond movies The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker as well as the video game Everything or Nothing, and Mr. Larson in Happy Gilmore...
as Moose Moran and Dave Turner as Thumbs.
Episodes
| Episode # | Episode Title | Original Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Barbary Coast" | May 4, 1975 |
| 2 | "Funny Money" | September 8, 1975 |
| 3 | "Crazy Cats" | September 15, 1975 |
| 4 | "Jesse Who?" | September 22, 1975 |
| 5 | "The Ballad of Redwing Jail" | September 29, 1975 |
| 6 | "Guns for a Queen" | October 6, 1975 |
| 7 | "Irish Luck" | October 13, 1975 |
| 8 | "Sauce for the Goose" | October 20, 1975 |
| 9 | "An Iron-Clad Plan" | October 31, 1975 |
| 10 | "Arson and Old Lace" | November 14, 1975 |
| 11 | "Sharks Eat Sharks" | November 21, 1975 |
| 12 | "The Day Cable was Hanged" | December 26, 1975 |
| 13 | "Mary Had More Than a Little" | January 2, 1976 |
| 14 | "The Dawson Marker" | January 9, 1976 |