The Richard Boone Show

As a somewhat geeky kid of 8, I'd somehow usually manage to stay up a little late on the nights when The Richard Boone Show was on. It was in a way an echo of earlier TV classic shows like Plahouse 90, in that each week there would be a new show with a new cast, but the twist was this was all done by the show's repertory company. The company was filled with excellent actors; some of whom were already quite well known and respected, like Harry Morgan (who directed a few episodes), Jeanette Nolan, Guy Stockwell, Lloyd Bochner and the always excellent Michael Constantine. Also on hand was Robert Blake, a long time veteran but a few years away from starring roles in "In Cold Blood" and later TV's "Baretta". Part of the excitement was each week that the spotlight would shine on the chosen cast. Richard Boone added substance to the show in his tasks as narrator, sometime ensemble actor and if memory serves even worked as an episodic director on the show as well. The writing of the show was varied and of quality with some great writers in the company like Clifford Odets. It was a disappointment to me that the show did not last beyond one season. It was a gem that for some sad reason did not click with the ratings. It would be great to see the show on Nick or some cable station sometime.

Oh for the days when great writers, directors and actors populated TV with shows other than Police and Medical soaps, reality shows and sitcoms. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy many sitcoms, but I miss the variety of good dramas and even the variety shows like Ed Sullivan, Hollywood Palace, The Danny Kaye show, etc.

If you ever see this show listed or shown anywhere-- do try and catch it.

I was five, yes,five, when this show first ran. Until recently, I judged on a single, wonderful episode, "Vote No on Eleven" which I somehow managed to see. Jeannete Nolan was nominated for an Emmy for her portrayal of a bag lady. Recently, I have been able to catch some episodes on You Tube, and what I have seen is truly excellent.It is very sad that this show failed to be a hit, as Richard Boone and Buck Houghton put a lot into it. The cast of the show was uniformly excellent.The shows music was by Henry Mancini, except for the first episode, "Statement of Fact' which featured music by Bernard Hermann.

This show is fondly remembered by those of us who saw it, but not as precisely as might be. One reviewer remembers John McIntyre on it, which he was not, and speaks of the various roles of "Bobby Benson," by which I think he means Robert Blake, as there's no Bobby Benson in the cast list. Another person remembers it being an alternative to "The Fugitive," but my family and I saw every episode of both of those shows, so they couldn't have been on opposite each other. Nevertheless, this was as great a show as everyone says. The rotating cast members distinguished themselves before, during and especially afterward in many memorable roles on stage, screen, television, radio and recording. Boone himself, alas, had little chance to fulfill the versatility he showed in the various plays, being mostly typecast in villain roles for the rest of his career. The Richard Boone Show itself quickly joined the list of excellent TV programs that simply never caught the fancy of the general audience. There's never been another show like it.

I recall seeing this in reruns in the mid 80's on a local (Detroit) UHF station (Channel 62)...Didn't the opening voice over say "These are the actors...and this is the play", or something along those lines? A great show that was way ahead of it's time.I also remember the Robert Blake parts that were mentioned. Sadly, Boone pretty much disappeared after this grand, failed experiment, only to surface occasionally in the odd movie role.I first encountered him on the old "Hec Ramsay" television series in the mid seventies, which was the last role he was identified with. It would have been very interesting if he had NOT turned down the McGarrett role in what eventually became Hawaii Five-O...

We watched "The Richard Boone Show" regularly during its all-too-brief run. Everyone else in the country appeared to be watching "The Fugitive", which--to our way of thinking--couldn't't't't compare in quality to Richard Boone. This was a repertory company, and all the regulars played many different types of characters. Many of them went on to star in better-known productions, while their excellence in this show went largely unnoticed. I'm glad to see that it did receive some nominations and one Golden Globe award, but it should have had a much longer run and received many more awards. I agree with a comment on the message board, that there should be copies available for purchase. I would greatly enjoy seeing these episodes once more on one of the cable or dish channels that feature "oldies but goodies".