Midnight Caller (1988–1991)

Jack Killian is an ex-cop in San Francisco. He quit the police force after accidentally shooting his partner. He was approached by Devon King, the manager of a local radio station, and ... See full summary »

Creator:

Richard Di Lello

Stars:

Gary Cole, Dennis Dun, Arthur Taxier

Won 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 win & 9 nominations.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Gary Cole	...	Jack 'Nighthawk' Killian (61 episodes, 1988-1991)
Dennis Dun	...	Billy Po (61 episodes, 1988-1991)
Arthur Taxier	...	Lt. Carl Zymak (61 episodes, 1988-1991)
Mykelti Williamson	...	Deacon Bridges (47 episodes, 1988-1991)
Wendy Kilbourne	...	Devon King (44 episodes, 1988-1990)
Jerado Carmona	...	Jerado (30 episodes, 1988-1991)

Storyline

Jack Killian is an ex-cop in San Francisco. He quit the police force after accidentally shooting his partner. He was approached by Devon King, the manager of a local radio station, and accepted a job as a talk-back host. Ever the humanitarian, Jack (together with his side-kick Billy Po) often gets personally involved with the plight of those who call his show.

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Plot Keywords:

radio | detective | san francisco california | radio phone in

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 October 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

Llamadas a medianoche

Filming Locations:

San Francisco Studios, San Francisco, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

December 3rd Productions, Gangbuster Films Inc., Lorimar Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min 60 min (61 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

One of the earliest episodes dealt with the aftermath of AIDS, as Jack's old girlfriend (played by Kay Lenz) develops the disease, and Jack hunts down the man who infected her. The episode was eventually rewritten to show compassion for people with AIDS, and won Kay Lenz an Emmy award.

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Quotes

Jack Killian: [shouting, as someone is pounding at his front door, waking him up] Whoever you are, you're going to die!

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Connections

Referenced in Supernatural: Salvation (2006)

User Reviews

Excellent show that was overlooked by the viewing public

I was a college student when this show first appeared on NBC, and quickly grew to love it. Set in San Francisco, "Midnight Caller" was a well-thought-out and well-scripted drama that wasn't afraid to tackle some of the biggest issues of our time (e.g. the episode where Jack Killian with no notice discusses AIDS live on the air). He and the rest of the characters (played by an able supporting cast) all had depth, all had various warts... just like real people. The show also did a good job of reacting to and chronicling major events, such as the episode where various characters recounted on air their reactions to the 1989 World Series earthquake. As some have previously said, it also had a great soundtrack. (The title song was later re-recorded by jazz trumpeter Rick Braun on his CD, "Intimate Secrets," with song composer Brad Fidel accompanying him on piano.) Unfortunately, "Midnight Caller" was never a ratings darling, and was dropped by NBC after three seasons. A show well worth being on DVD!