Chase (1973 TV series)

Chase is an American crime drama television series that aired on the NBC network from September 11, 1973, to August 28, 1974. The show was a production of Jack Webb's Mark VII Limited for Universal Television and marked the first show created by Stephen J. Cannell, who later became known for creating and/or producing his own programs, including NBC's The A-Team. Jack Webb directed the pilot, which aired March 24, 1973.

Chase
Mitchell Ryan as Chase Reddick, undercover from a car's back seat.
GenreDrama
Created byStephen J. Cannell
Robert A. Cinader
StarringMitchell Ryan
Wayne Maunder
Reid Smith
ComposerOliver Nelson
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes23 (list of episodes)
Production
Running time60 minutes
Production companiesMark VII Limited
Universal Television
DistributorNBCUniversal Television Distribution
Release
Original networkNBC
Audio formatMonaural
Original releaseSeptember 11, 1973 (1973-09-11) –
April 10, 1974 (1974-04-10)

Overview

The show's title had a double meaning: it was at once the first name of the lead character, Chase Reddick (Mitchell Ryan), the leader of a special team of the Los Angeles Police Department that specialized in solving unusually difficult or violent cases, and indicative of the show's emphasis on the determined pursuit and undercover surveillance of hardened criminals. The unit, headquartered in an old firehouse, relied mainly on alternate/undercover means of transportation such as helicopters, motorcycles, custom vans, taxis, four-wheel-drive vehicles, sports and muscle cars, work trucks (vehicles from the Public Works Department, the telephone company, tow trucks and/or the Postal Service and civilian delivery services) and high-speed driving to apprehend its suspects.

For the first fourteen episodes, Reddick, an LAPD captain, was accompanied by K-9 Sergeant Sam MacCray (Wayne Maunder) and three young officers: Steve Baker (Michael Richardson), Norm Hamilton (Reid Smith), and Fred Sing (Brian Fong). In January 1974, Webb and Universal dropped all the regulars except Ryan and Maunder in favor of a new group of officers: Frank Dawson (Albert Reed), Ed Rice (Gary Crosby, who frequently appeared on the other Mark VII shows), and Tom Wilson (Craig Gardner). Never seen, but "appearing" in every episode was actual LAPD dispatcher Shaaron Claridge, who had worked on Dragnet and Adam-12; according to the pilot script, she was assigned especially to Chase.

NBC first scheduled the show on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. Eastern, opposite CBS' hit series Maude and Hawaii Five-O. At about the same time as the casting change, the network moved Chase to Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. against the Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour. Despite the declining appeal and ratings of the latter (and the couple's forthcoming divorce), Chase did no better there and ended after a one-season run. Cannell would re-use the format of a team of specialists in The A-Team, co-created with Frank Lupo a decade later. Robert A. Cinader, who also supervised Mark VII's Adam-12 and Emergency!, was executive producer of Chase.

Cast
  • Mitchell Ryan . . . Capt. Chase Reddick
  • Craig Gardner . . . Tom Wilson
  • Brian Fong . . . Off. Fred Sing (episodes 1–14)
  • Wayne Maunder . . . Sgt. Sam MacCray
  • Albert Reed . . . Frank Dawson
  • Gary Crosby . . . Ed Rice
  • Reid Smith . . . Off. Norm Hamilton (episodes 1–14)
  • Shaaron Claridge
  • Michael Richardson . . . Off. Steve Baker (episodes 1–14)

Episodes
Nº Title Directed by Written by Original air date
0"Pilot"Jack WebbStephen J. CannellMarch 24, 1973 (1973-03-24)
1"The Wooden Horse Caper"David FriedkinMichael DonovanSeptember 11, 1973 (1973-09-11)
2"Gang War"Christian I. Nyby IIMichael DonovanSeptember 18, 1973 (1973-09-18)
3"Foul-Up"TBATBASeptember 25, 1973 (1973-09-25)
4"The Winning Ticket"Alan Crosland Jr.James SchmererOctober 2, 1973 (1973-10-02)
5"One for You, Two for Me"Christian NybyLou ShawOctober 9, 1973 (1973-10-09)
6"The Scene Stealers"Georg FenadyMichael DonovanOctober 23, 1973 (1973-10-23)
7"Six for Five"Arthur H. NadelArthur RoweOctober 30, 1973 (1973-10-30)
8"The Dealer-Wheelers"Christian NybyJerry ThomasNovember 6, 1973 (1973-11-06)
9"The Dice Rolled Dead"TBATBANovember 20, 1973 (1973-11-20)
10"The Garbage Man"Arthur H. NadelMichael DonovanNovember 27, 1973 (1973-11-27)
11"A Bit of Class"Christian I. Nyby IIStory by : R.A. Cinader
Teleplay by : Carey Wilber		December 11, 1973 (1973-12-11)
12"Sizzling Stones"William WiardJoseph PolizziDecember 18, 1973 (1973-12-18)
13"Right to an Attorney"Alan Crosland Jr.James BaslerJanuary 8, 1974 (1974-01-08)
14"John Doe Bucks"Alan Crosland Jr.TBAJanuary 16, 1974 (1974-01-16)
15"$35 Will Fly You to the Moon"Georg FenadyWilliam KaydenJanuary 23, 1974 (1974-01-23)
16"The Game Ball"George FenadyMichael DonovanJanuary 30, 1974 (1974-01-30)
17"Vacation for a President"Arthur H. NadelWilliam DriskillFebruary 6, 1974 (1974-02-06)
18"Hot Beef"Alan Crosland Jr.Lou ShawFebruary 13, 1974 (1974-02-13)
19"Out of Gas"TBATBAFebruary 20, 1974 (1974-02-20)
20"Remote Control"Arthur H. NadelCarey WilberFebruary 27, 1974 (1974-02-27)
21"Eighty-Six Proof TNT"Georg FenadyJerry ThomasMarch 20, 1974 (1974-03-20)
22"The People Parlay"Alan Crosland Jr.Joseph PolizziApril 10, 1974 (1974-04-10)

Sources
  • Total Television: A Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present, Alex McNeil, New York: Penguin, revised ed., 1984. ISBN 0-140-15736-0
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