"M Squad" (1957) TV series 1957-1960

User Rating:

8.9/10   

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3

Release Date:

20 September 1957 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Crime

Plot:

The hard-hitting adventures of tough Lieutenant Frank Ballinger, a member of the Chicago Police Department's M Squad, an elite crime-fighting unit.

Plot Keywords:

Police

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Lee Marvin	...	Detective Lt. Frank Ballinger / ... (117 episodes, 1957-1960)
Paul Newlan	...	Police Capt. Grey (103 episodes, 1957-1960)

Runtime:

30 min (117 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Latimer Productions

Trivia:

An episode featuring a Chicago cop taking a bribe led to Mayor Richard J. Daley banning any TV show or film from doing any shooting in Chicago at all. That ban was later broken with the filming of The Blues Brothers (1980).

Quotes:

Lt. Frank Ballinger: [spoken in voiceover near beginning of each episode, as he tells audience about a recently committed crime] My name is Frank Ballinger, detective-lieutenant, M Squad, a special detail of the Chicago police.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Beastie Boys: Video Anthology (2000) (V)

Soundtrack:

Theme From M Squad

Count Basie made this series a WINNER!!!!

"When I was a child around 7-8 years old I loved the police series that came on in the 50s Highway Patrol, The Lineup, San Francisco Beat,Mike Hammer, but I think that M-Squad was my favorite. Lee Marvin was DANGEROUS as Lt. Ballanger. But the sound track of Count Basie was what made me watch this show every week, and made me a life long Basie fanatic. I hope somebody will put all 117 episodes on video because I would certainly buy all of them.