Tag: NBC

When a PROBE agent is abducted while trying to crack a counterfeiting ring in the UK, Cameron calls in Nick Bianco, an “Omega Probe” who handles especially hazardous cases. Bianco is brought up to speed on the counterfeiting operation, which has been pumping thousands of $100 bills almost indistinguishable from the real things into world markets, before jetting to London to join forces with an undercover IRS agent. Bianco can barely hide the fact that he’d like to be under her covers, but pleasantries have to wait as a series of escalating encounters with seemingly disconnected people across London make it clear that Bianco is closing in on an operation that threatens to undermine American currency around the globe.

written by Leslie Stevens
directed by Phillip Leacock
music by Dominic Frontiere

Cast: Tony Franciosa (Nick Bianco), Burgess Meredith (Cameron), Angel Tompkins (Gloria), Stefanie Powers (Jill Davenport), Allen Garfield (Marty Zakarian), Milton Selzer (Lucas Kaplos), Jacquelyn Hyde (Lena Kaplos), Ford Rainey (Dr. Barnett), Larry Linville (Emery), Henry Capps (Bartender), Lou Peralta (Voit), Harold Oblong (Aaron Kaplos), Ian Abercrombie (Florist), Tony de Costa (Ramos), Byron Chung (Kuroda), Ginny Golden (Keach), Albert Popwell (Griffin), Amy Farrell (Murdock), David Gilliam (Arthur Burrell)

Notes: Another one of the major changes that Search underwent in the transition from TV movie to weekly series was a rare “rotating leading man” arrangement. This not only afforded the series a little bit of flexibility with a complex location shooting schedule, but in more practical show business terms, it meant that the show’s entire future couldn’t be held hostage to the salary demands of a single star. In story terms, it lent some realism to the PROBE operation: a security operation with global reach couldn’t plausibly depend on the services of just one agent. While future Hart To Hart star Stefanie Powers steals the show, Larry Linville can be seen in a bit part; this episode of Search aired just three nights after he made his debut as Major Frank Burns in the first episode of M*A*S*H on rival network CBS.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

The enigmatic Dr. Carl Mowen, one of the architects of PROBE Control, goes rogue, taking with him an invention called Megatrans, which can shut down an entire national power grid with microwave radiation. Backup PROBE agent C.R. Grover is called into action to assist the agent already on the case, only to discover that the primary agent has died under mysterious circumstances: Grover is now the man on the spot. Mowen drops, via parachute, a Megatrans device which kills all electrical power at an entire airport, and promises that his next target is PROBE Control. Grover races to stop Mowen before he can get close to PROBE’s home base in the World Security Corporation building, but it’s inevitable that the desperate fight to save the lives of everyone in PROBE Control will be fought on home turf.

written by Leslie Stevens
directed by Allen Reisner
music by Dominic Frontiere

Cast: Doug McClure (C.R. Grover), Burgess Meredith (Cameron), Marianne Mobley (Lilia Mowen), Jeff Corey (Dr. Carl Mowen), Nate Esformes (Landis), Carol Jean Norman (Car Rental Girl), Read Morgan (Flight Officer), Ed Arnold (News Commentator), Barbara Rucker (Student), Suan Damante (Picnic Girl), Tony de Costa (Ramos), Amy Farrell (Murdock), Ginny Golden (Keach), Albert Popwell (Griffin), Keone Young (Nagada)

Notes: This episode introduces the third of Search’s three recurring agents in the form of Doug McClure (one of the stars of The Virginian); director Allen Reisner once directed McClure in an episode of The Twilight Zone (Mr. Denton On Doomsday). Jeff Corey (1914-2002) had already guest starred in Star Trek (The Cloud Minders), The Outer Limits (O.B.I.T.), and Night Gallery, in addition to dozens of movie roles, and would go on to guest on The Six Million Dollar Man, The Bionic Woman, Starman, Babylon 5, and Charmed.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

The most recent Apollo mission to the moon has brought back an enormous chunk of diamond found on the lunar surface. The sample of moon rock is so valuable that World Securities Corporation had to be entrusted with transporting it upon its arrival on Earth…and somehow it was misplaced. Fearing the effect on the world’s economy if the huge diamond hits the black market, PROBE Control dispatches Lockwood to find and retrieve the otherworldly treasure…with the full understanding that it represents a fortune for which some men would gladly kill.

written by Leslie Stevens
directed by William Wiard
music by Dominic Frontiere

Cast: Hugh O’Brian (Hugh Lockwood), Burgess Meredith (Cameron), Jo Ann Pflug (Dr. Trapnell), , Ann Prentis (Annie Mulligan), Ford Rainey (Dr. Barnett), George Pan (Abbas Mirzah), Leo G. Morrell (Colonel Mirzah), Alizia Gur (Deva Siri), David Mauro (Dimas), William Wintersole (Dr. Van Owen), Joshua Bryant (Air Reservationist), Dee Gardner (Stewardess), Anakorita (Stewardess), Ron Castro (Carlos), Byron Chung (Kuroda), Ginny Golden (Keach), Albert Popwell (Griffin)

Notes: Lockwood sarcastically comments “book me on the next Apollo”…but there was only one Apollo lunar mission remaining (December 1972’s Apollo 17 flight) at the time of this episode’s broadcast. The remaining Apollo flights from 1973 to 1975 ventured no further than low Earth orbit. Lockwood apparently enjoys slow-dancing to an easy-listening version of the Search theme music.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

A PROBE agent trying to track down an international crime boss in Latin America is reported killed in action. Nick Bianco was already under orders to coordinate with his fellow agent, but the fact that he was an old friend makes it personal; Bianco even has to deliver the news to the widow. Backtracking the dead agent’s trail leads to France, where Bianco encounters a beautiful woman who insists that she was the agent’s lover, and that he is still alive and plans to defect from PROBE. But her refusal to answer Bianco’s straight questions about his fellow agent’s whereabouts trouble him, and in no time at all Bianco is being tailed by murderous thugs. Worse yet, having learned that her husband may have had a lover, the missing agent’s wife goes to France to look for him herself, placing her in mortal danger.

written by Irving Pearlberg
directed by Marc Daniels
music by Dominic Frontiere

Cast: Tony Franciosa (Nick Bianco), Burgess Meredith (Cameron), Louise Sorel (Magda Reiner), Leslie Charleson (Nancy Kubica), Torin Thatcher (Stonestreet), Martin Koslek (Josip), Tony Matranga (Kubica), Penny Santon (Concierge), Norman Stuart (Dr. Rickman), Bryn Morgan (Vavin), Gino Gottarelli (Garcon), Robert Manuel (Waiter), Felipe Turich (Krishna Singh), Terry Leonard (Montalambert), Ron Castro (Carlos), Byron Chung (Kuroda), Amy Farrell (Murdock), Ginny Golden (Keach), Albert Popwell (Griffin)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

For years, a mysterious figure known only as the Iceman has stalked the world of organized crime, carrying out “hits” only on major players in the underworld. But now the Iceman has killed a PROBE agent, and Cameron assigns multiple agents, including Nick Bianco and the soon-to-retire mentor who brought Bianco into the PROBE fold, to track the killer down once and for all. No matter where Bianco or any member of his team go, the Iceman is a step ahead of them, taking out key witnesses before they can talk. Even Bianco’s mentor becomes one of the Iceman’s victims, and Bianco suspects that the Iceman has an ally within PROBE control…

written by S.S. Schweitzer
directed by Robert L. Friend
music by Dominic Frontiere

Cast: Tony Franciosa (Nick Bianco), Burgess Meredith (Cameron),
Edward Mulhare (David Pelham), James Gregory (Gordon Essex), Mary Frann (Stephanie Burnside), Edward Bell (Andre Gerard), Poupee Bocar (Kalia Soulvan), Harve Selsby (Epstein), Patrick O’Hara (Mr. Johns), Russ Marin (Ginelli), J. Ben Hur (Secretary), Loren James (Guard), Abraham Sofaer (Lokarno), Ron Castro (Carlos), Byron Chung (Kuroda), Amy Farrell (Murdock), Ginny Golden (Keach), Albert Popwell (Griffin)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

After an attempt to extract an eastern European weapons designer from behind the Iron Curtain fails, it falls to PROBE to help him defect and get him out alive, along with his designs and formulas for a poison-coated bullet that can kill a target even if it only grazes them. Lockwood ventures into enemy territory, and finds that his arrival has been anticipated. The defector whose life Lockwood means to save is killed, and when he himself is grazed by a bullet, Lockwood finds that the poisonous ammo is already in use in the eastern bloc.

written by Judy Burns
directed by William Wiard
music by Dominic Frontiere

Cast: Hugh O’Brian (Hugh Lockwood), Burgess Meredith (Cameron), Ina Balin (Alexia Trepov), Malachi Throne (Colonel Nobokov), Alan Bergman (Rolf Wentzel), Peter Von Zerneck (Bremer), Robert Boon (Balzak), Byron Mabe (Eagan), Genadii Biegouloff (Lieutenant), Stafford Morgan (Martin), Ron Castro (Carlos), Byron Chung (Kuroda), Amy Farrell (Murdock), Ginny Golden (Keach), Albert Popwell (Griffin), Walter Beakel (Harrison)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

A fierce rivalry between two Las Vegas construction companies seems like a surprisingly local concern for PROBE Control’s attention, but the reclusive nature of one of the companies’ founders has gotten enough attention for someone to hire PROBE. C.R. Grover is called into action, and finds himself working alongside gossip columnist Kate Dawes, for whom this is just another attempt to interview enigmatic construction magnate J.R. Devlin. Grover assumes the guise of a city official, which brings him to the attention of both Devlin and his competitors, who suddenly withdraw their bid and focus their energy on Grover. Why is Grover suddenly the center of attention…and who hired PROBE?

written by John Christopher Strong and Michael R. Stein
directed by Nicholas Colasanto
music by Dominic Frontiere

Cast: Doug McClure (C.R. Grover), Burgess Meredith (Cameron), Barbara Feldon (Kate Dawes), David Brian (J.R. Devlin), Logan Ramsey (Kenyon Wade), George Gaynes (Major Matthews), Richard Le Pore (Striker), Wallace Chadwell (Barton), Harper Flaherty (Grady), Tiger Joe Marsh (Butler), Tony de Costa (Carlos), Byron Chung (Kuroda), Amy Farrell (Murdock), Ginny Golden (Keach), Albert Popwell (Griffin), Keone Young (Nagada)

Notes: Oh, bother – the “C.R.” in Grover’s name is revealed to stand for Christopher Robin.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

The secretary of talk show host Mark Elliott (who also happens to be running for a seat in the United States Senate) is kidnapped and held for a ransom, and Lockwood is called in to try to recover her, or at least find out where she’s being held. Curiously, there seems to be a rush on Elliott’s part to give in to the kidnappers’ demands and pay the ransom, which raises Lockwood’s suspicions even more. Every clue seems to be a dead end, because no one has considered the possibility that the kidnapper and the kidnap victim are the same person.

written by Jack Turley
directed by Joseph Pevney
music by Dominic Frontiere

Cast: Hugh O’Brian (Hugh Lockwood), Burgess Meredith (Cameron), Bill Bixby (Mark Elliott), Deanna Lund Matheson (Linda Harte), G.D. Spradlin (Mr. Ackerman), Victoria George (Anne Delaware), Brenda Benet (Carol Lesco), Philip Bourneuf (Mr. Kinser), Robert S. Carson (Mr. Hartley), John Warburton (Mr. Thomas), Peggy Walton (Sandra Elliot), Jim Goodwin (Hotel Clerk), Byron Bradley (Studio Guard), Byron Chung (Kuroda), Tony De Costa (Ramos), Ginny Golden (Keach), Albert Popwell (Griffin), Roy Jenson (Spencer)

Notes: Bill Bixby (1934–1993) had just ended a three-year run as the star of The Courtship Of Eddie’s Father at the time of his guest shot on Search; he had also already been one of the stars of My Favorite Martian in the 1960s. Still ahead of him were a brief starring stint in The Magician (1973-74), and a five-year run as Dr. David Banner in The Incredible Hulk.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Cameron is kidnapped from inside PROBE Control, and there are few clues as to where he’s gone. C.R. Grover leads the search for Cameron, but he finds that even Cameron’s own niece – the only family member anyone can find – has little knowledge of Cameron’s private life. Cameron finds himself trapped in a cage, with an interrogator repeatedly asking him where and how someone will arrive. Cameron eventually recognizes his captor as a soldier who he once conditioned during the Korean War to give the enemy false information, and expresses great remorse…but that doesn’t mean he won’t keep fighting to escape.

written by Richard Landau
directed by George McCowan
music by Dominic Frontiere

Cast: Doug McClure (C.R. Grover), Burgess Meredith (Cameron), Patrick O’Neal (Ralph Byron), Brooke Bundy (Virginia Carr), Keith Andes (Dr. Barnett), James B. Sikking (Callas), Jan Merlin (O’Toole), Frank Maxwell (General Hack), Lenore Kasdorf (Addie), Soon-Teck Oh (Interrogator), Robert Brubaker (Dr. Weld), Tom Hallick (Harris), Pamela Jones (Miss James), Bill McConnell (Corning)

Notes: Brooke Bundy, appearing as Cameron’s niece, would go on to be the first (but certainly not last) chief engineer audiences would meet aboard the new Enterprise in Star Trek: The Next Generation.

LogBook entry by Earl Green