Inside Detective

I used to watch this as a kid and I mean kid: I was five when it went on the air and I don't believe I ever missed an episode. Maybe because my father was a detective, but I would beg to be allowed to stay up and and watch Rocky King. Roscoe Karns was as real as any detective I knew and I knew all of them at the local police department. They all looked just like average men and Karns fit in perfectly. I am sure by today's standards this show looked hokey but back then it was as real as walking in the detective offices where my dad worked. Interesting how some shows just stick in the memory. Recently I found an old episode on the Internet and as I watched it I waited for that trademark ending wherein Karns would be on the phone with his wife and after hanging up would say, "Wonderful girl that Mabel." Wonderful show that Rocky King.

I must have seen a different television series than the three previous reviewers. I have seen several early 50s t.v. shows and this one was the only real stinker in the bunch. I've seen a couple of episodes, most recently Murder Scores a Knockout. First of all, the music has to be the absolute worse ever heard on a show - melodramatic organ music that is so bad it's laughable. The sets are flimsy, the supporting actors give pathetic performances and production values are sub- standard in every way. I watched this because of Roscoe Karns and his performance was passable except that he kept flubbing his lines, at one point calling one of the characters by the name of another character (and then quickly correcting himself) and then when asking the coroner about the poison used says "Does it have any special smell or odor?" His actor partner tries to cover up the mistake and they just move on with the dialog. No retakes in this show. It is a nice touch hearing Inspector King's conversation with his unseen wife Mabel (wonderful girl, that Mabel) but this is hardly enough to save this abysmal production. Even though I enjoyed the story of the one reviewer who so fondly remembered the series from when he was a young boy, I doubt if I could suffer through any more of these episodes.

I remember watching this in the early 50s, paired with Man Against Crime with Ralph Bellamy

Years later I was sure Columbo was fashioned after Rocky King. He wore a rumpled raincoat, a hat, and talked about and to his wife who was always behind the scenes and never appeared on screen. I don't remember the stories, only that I enjoyed them very much.

I assume it was placed in New York. I remember very well Rocky King's office where he used to hang up his coat and hat.

I was just a kid but enjoyed the mysteries. Black and white television and a 10-inch screen!

I remember liking Rocky King a little better then Man Against Crime.

Great memories.

Fond memories of this show, and of Rocky,,, from a past when I was just beginning to collect the first memories of ANYTHING. I don't remember any details,, other than the last few minutes of the last episode. Rocky broke the fourth wall, and said that many fans have written in, asking to see Mabel, and being the season and series finale, he said that Mabel had come down to the studio to say a few words, so,, here she is, folks~! The camera panned over to Mabel who was standing beside him, and AUUUUUGHHHH - - - was badly out of focus~!~! ( probably on purpose ) Rocky made some "lame",,, ha ha,,, excuse about "technical difficulties", and signed off for the last time. The only other series finale that ranks up in the stratosphere with THIS ONE,,, was the Howdy Doody Show, when Clarabelle spoke his only two words - " Goodbye Kids." The Golden Age Of Television. It was Wonderful, Magickal, and will never be repeated.