Midnight Caller

Here's a television program I haven't watched since it went off the air over 15 years ago, and I'd give anything to see it again on a DVD package.

Gary Cole, as "Jack Killion," was THE coolest guy on TV at that time, and I mean the kind of "cool" associated with Craig Stevens of TV's "Peter Gunn," or Steve McQueen in the 1950s and '60s movies. Cole a.k.a. "The Nighthawk" in here was just cool....what else can you say?

Jack was a combination late-night radio talk show host and an ex-cop. If I recall, he was off the force after a tragedy cost the life of his partner and the event was still haunting him. He would hear a bunch of troubled people on the radio, some needing assistance quickly or they would be a crime victim. Jack would help them out.

The atmosphere was very moody, the music was good and the whole thing was just different, very different from most "crime shows." Until I looked at the title page I couldn't remember anyone else on the show but I've never forgotten this program. I can only hope I see it again some time.

This show is amazing. I started watching it because I recognised Gary Cole, but it didn't take long to enjoy the show, and not just the actor. I found no fault with the program. The mood is perfect for insomniac nights up, coming off the nightshift or settling down with a bottle yer favourite beverage.

A classic

This series has been consistently overlooked and underscheduled, but to me that just adds to it. I don't know how things are elsewhere in the world, but in Britain it occasionally appears on TV in and around midnight, and even excepting the title it fits in perfectly.

The action feels quite lonely, like the people listening to late night phone-ins. Although it is often sentimental in its message, it is underplayed and well acted. This is a detective series that definitely doesn't end with a freeze frame of the regular cast laughing.

When I do find this on television, I feel like I've stumbled across a minor gem, in the same way you might enjoy finding a good CD from an underappreciated band.

I've heard that the lead actor Gary Cole doesn't have much of a reputation in the US, although I've never seen him in anything else and know nothing about him. He does a good and convincing job in both the conventional dramatic segments of Midnight Caller, and the urban philosophical monologues that begin, join together and end the episodes of this unusual and surprisingly engaging series.

And of course the theme tune is absolutely top whack brilliant.

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.

I simply don't understand why this series has never been given a DVD release, unlike some of the contemporary crap that festers on our screens