Alright, let’s gab about them detective shows from the 1960s. You know, the ones we used to watch after supper, when the kids were finally asleep and the dishes were done, or mostly done anyways.
Back then, TV was simpler, not like all this fancy stuff they got now. But those detective shows, they were somethin’ else. They had this… this mystery, you know? Kept you guessin’ till the very end. And the detectives, they weren’t all fancy-pants like today. They were tough, smart, and sometimes a little rough around the edges, just like us folks.
Now, I ain’t no expert, but I remember a few of them good shows. There was this one, “The Avengers”, yeah, that’s it. Had this fella, John Steed, always dressed all proper, and he had these sharp ladies with him, fightin’ and kickin’. They weren’t just sittin’ around lookin’ pretty, no sir! They were tough as nails, takin’ down bad guys left and right.
Then there was “The Saint”, with that Simon Templar fella. Oh, he was a smooth one, always jet-settin’ around, solvin’ crimes and lookin’ good doin’ it. A real charmer, that one. Made the ladies swoon, I tell ya. My old man used to grumble about him, said he was too slick, but I secretly liked him, don’t tell nobody!
- Tough Detectives: These guys weren’t afraid to get their hands dirty. They’d chase down crooks in alleys, wrestle ‘em to the ground, and make sure justice was served. None of that fancy lab work, just good old-fashioned detective work.
- Smart Ladies: And the women weren’t just there for decoration neither. They were smart, resourceful, and could handle a gun or a fistfight just as good as the men. Showed them city slickers a thing or two, that’s for sure.
Some of these shows, they even had them private eyes, you know, like in “Hawaiian Eye”. Two fellas down in Hawaii, solvin’ crimes and lookin’ at the pretty scenery. Tom, that was one of their names, always had a tan and a smile. Made me wanna pack my bags and go to Hawaii myself, but then I remembered I had chickens to feed and a garden to tend.
And let’s not forget them shows about the police, the real cops. Like that fella, Chief Inspector Morse, I think that was his name. He was a bit of a grump, but he was sharp, real sharp. Always listenin’ to that fancy music and drinkin’ beer while he solved the toughest cases. He wasn’t one for chasin’ folks down alleys though, more of a thinker, that one.
America had its share of detective shows too, of course. “The Rockford Files” came a bit later, I think, in the seventies. But it had that same feel, that detective charm. Jim Rockford, the fella in it, he was always gettin’ beat up and his car was always gettin’ wrecked, but he always caught the bad guy in the end. Reminded me of my cousin Billy, always gettin’ into scrapes, but with a good heart, you know?
“Target: The Corruptors!” and “Tightrope!”, those were some other American ones. Always about fightin’ against the bad guys, the ones who thought they could get away with anything. Showed ‘em that even in the big city, there was still some good folks fightin’ for what’s right.
Now, I never watched that “Dr. Fu Manchu” show myself, seemed a bit too spooky for my taste. Poisoning and all that. I like my mysteries a little less… well, less poison-y, you know? Give me a good old-fashioned bank robbery or a missing person case any day.
So, yeah, them 1960s detective shows, they were somethin’ special. They had good stories, tough detectives, and always kept you guessin’. They weren’t fancy, but they were real, in their own way. Made you feel like you were right there with them, solvin’ the crime and catchin’ the bad guys. And that’s why I still remember them, all these years later.
They don’t make ’em like that anymore, that’s for sure. Too much violence and explosions now. Back then, it was about the story, about the mystery. And that’s what made them so darn good. Now, where’s that remote? I think there’s a rerun of “The Avengers” on tonight…
