Coronet Blue (1967– )

Mike is running from some men when he falls into the harbour. He climbs out remembering only that he was running and the phrase 'coronet blue'. As the show continues from week to week, Mike... See full summary »

Creator:

Larry Cohen

Stars:

Frank Converse, Joe Silver, Brian Bedford

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Frank Converse	...	Michael Alden (13 episodes, 1967)
Joe Silver	...	Max Spier (10 episodes, 1967)

Storyline

Mike is running from some men when he falls into the harbour. He climbs out remembering only that he was running and the phrase 'coronet blue'. As the show continues from week to week, Mike tries to piece together clues as to his identity as individuals he refers to as Greybeards seem to be intent on killing him.

---

Plot Keywords:

amnesia

---

Genres:

Drama | Mystery

---

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 May 1967 (USA)

Also Known As:

Das Geheimnis der blauen Krone

Filming Locations:

Pathe Studios, New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Plautus Productions, Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min 60 min (13 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Coronet Blue connects to The Nurses. In the pilot, the character Frank Converse plays is taken to the fictional Alden Hospital, which is where The Nurses took place. He takes the hospital's name as his own last name.

---

Soundtracks

"Coronet Blue"
(uncredited)
Music by Laurence Rosenthal
Lyrics by Earl Shuman
Sung by Lenny Welch

User Reviews

BOURNE IDENTITY Variation, Years Ahead of It's Time...

There had never been a show quite like "Coronet Blue"; the 'hero' (Frank Converse) emerges, half-dead, from a watery 'grave', with no recollection of his past, and only the phrase 'Coronet Blue' to guide him. Soon it becomes obvious that some very mysterious and powerful people would prefer him dead, and his life, much as Jason Bourne, in THE BOURNE IDENTITY, becomes a race to pick up clues about himself, while trying to stay alive. Each week would introduce a new piece to the jigsaw puzzle, offering a glimpse of a possible past, while asking even more questions...Who does "Michael Alden" (a name created when he could not remember his own) work for? Is he a hero or a criminal? And why is it so important to silence him?

CBS thought the premise was worth taking a chance on, and had green-lighted 13 episodes, but then decided it was too 'intellectual' (this WAS the network of "The Beverly Hillbillies" and "Gilligan's Island"), and condemned the series to a summer run, when TV viewing plummeted, and the regular series were 'between seasons'. Many 'failed' programs debuted during the summer, giving the networks a chance to recoup production costs by advertising revenue, and to brag that they were offering more than just endless reruns to TV viewers.

Then something remarkable happened; TV critics, previewing the first episode, were universally in praise of the quirky drama, making the show's debut an 'event'. And viewers, tuning in, were introduced to the Robert Redford-like charisma of blond, 29-year old Converse, making him an instant sex symbol. CBS was astonished and pleased by the response, but unprepared for the word-of-mouth that soon made the series a 'Must See' for fans. Hastily, the network attempted to revive the program for the fall season, but Plautus Productions, who created the series, had folded after CBS axed the show, and Converse had signed as a regular on "N.Y.P.D." (the ground-breaking cop show that would pave the way for "N.Y.P.D. Blue", and "Law and Order"). The 13 episodes would become the legacy of a show that would have been a long-running hit, had CBS been willing to gamble on viewers' intelligence!