If you like history, watch only for the cars, wardrobe, hairstyles, telephones, home interiors, and exterior shots of Los Angeles. The 1950's is perfectly and entirely depicted in this crime drama, but the 30 minute episodes make it extremely watchable in 2021. My favorite vintage tv network called DECADES is currently running a weekend marathon, and as I write this, I hate to see it end!
You'll see Mulholland drive, the streets of Silverlake, Chatsworth, Pasadena, The Valley, Malibu, Griffith Park, and since it is an anthology style show about the highway (CA freeways don't play a role at all) there are cars cars cars speeding and bouncing around everywhere. Often, a crazy looking transparent bubble helicopter joins in the pursuit. Much of the crime seems quaint and mundane, but there is some gritty behavior, and guns are brandished often. The cops seem to shoot at every criminal for any reason. Yet, most every shooting victim is grazed only with a flesh wound for the sake of the plot. Similarly, there are lots of car chases, but very few crashes, and the Highway Patrol always outwits the criminal in the last 2 minutes. Still, Broderick Crawford's acting, to me, is very strong and believable. He's got a strange rapid fire delivery, but he is pretty real. There are various men and women guest stars in each episode, but an interesting imprint of history too, is that the entire recurring cast and production team in the credits seems to be male. It's "A ZIV TELEVISION PRODUCTION" .
And, no joke, the visuals are incredible, even more so in black and white, perhaps. Wardrobe is nothing super fancy but of the era and thus beautiful to see...AND...if you like vintage cars, my goodness, you would be in hog heaven with this show.
You'll see Mulholland drive, the streets of Silverlake, Chatsworth, Pasadena, The Valley, Malibu, Griffith Park, and since it is an anthology style show about the highway (CA freeways don't play a role at all) there are cars cars cars speeding and bouncing around everywhere. Often, a crazy looking transparent bubble helicopter joins in the pursuit. Much of the crime seems quaint and mundane, but there is some gritty behavior, and guns are brandished often. The cops seem to shoot at every criminal for any reason. Yet, most every shooting victim is grazed only with a flesh wound for the sake of the plot. Similarly, there are lots of car chases, but very few crashes, and the Highway Patrol always outwits the criminal in the last 2 minutes. Still, Broderick Crawford's acting, to me, is very strong and believable. He's got a strange rapid fire delivery, but he is pretty real. There are various men and women guest stars in each episode, but an interesting imprint of history too, is that the entire recurring cast and production team in the credits seems to be male. It's "A ZIV TELEVISION PRODUCTION" .
And, no joke, the visuals are incredible, even more so in black and white, perhaps. Wardrobe is nothing super fancy but of the era and thus beautiful to see...AND...if you like vintage cars, my goodness, you would be in hog heaven with this show.