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

[at the end of every episode]
Jack Killian: This is Jack Killian, the Nighthawk, on KJCM, 98.3, and good night America... wherever you are.

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Connections

Referenced in Reasonable Doubts: The Iceman (1993)

User Reviews

A TV-series: of a cop like radio detective.

I don't remember much about this series I just remember it was on NBC and only lasted from 1988-1991. Like most cop related dramas it was dark, and moody. "Midnight Caller" featured Jack Killian (Gary Cole) as a late night radio talk show host. He was a former San Francisco cop who with his troubled past, went on the air to purge both his own demons and help callers with their own problems. Often Jack had to once again take on the role of a cop as many callers had problems that were crime related and he found himself investigating out into the streets of San Francisco. The best reason I remember to watch the show was the beautiful Wendy Kilbourne she played stylish Devon King who was Jack's boss at the radio station. The only episode I remember was the 2-Hour Movie Premier which was advertised perfect in a issue of TV Guide. I remember the picture in the TV Guide so well it was of Wendy Kilbourne and she had a piece of white tape around her mouth. This episode featured a guest villain who had a grudge against Jack (Gary Cole) so he holds Devon (Wendy) hostage at the radio station she is tied to a chair and has her mouth taped. Though hours later Jack came to Devon's rescue. That's all I remember about the show I don't know why it didn't last longer.