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{{short description|American television series 1981-1982}}
{{Infobox television
{{Infobox television
| image = [[File:Today's FBI logo.svg|220px]]
| image = Today's FBI logo.svg
| caption = Logo of ''Today's FBI''
| caption = Logo of ''Today's FBI''
| show_name_2 = Today's F.B.I.
| alt_name = Today's F.B.I.
| genre = [[Crime drama]]
| genre = [[Crime drama]]
| creator =
| creator =
| developer =
| developer =
| writer = Rogers Turrentine
| writer = Rogers Turrentine
| director = Harvey S. Laidman<br>[[Stan Jolley]]<br>[[Virgil W. Vogel]]
| director = Harvey S. Laidman<br>[[Stan Jolley]]<br>[[Virgil W. Vogel]]
| creative_director =
| creative_director =
| presenter =
| presenter =
| starring = [[Mike Connors]]<br>[[Carol Potter (actress)|Carol Potter]]<br>[[Johnny Seven (actor)|Johnny Seven]]<br>Rick Hill<br>[[Harold Sylvester]]<br>[[Joseph Cali]]
| starring = [[Mike Connors]]<br>[[Carol Potter (actress)|Carol Potter]]<br>[[Johnny Seven (actor)|Johnny Seven]]<br>Rick Hill<br>[[Harold Sylvester]]<br>[[Joseph Cali]]
| judges =
| judges =
| voices =
| voices =
| narrated =
| narrated =
| theme_music_composer =
| theme_music_composer =
| opentheme = [[Elmer Bernstein]]
| opentheme = [[Elmer Bernstein]]
| endtheme =
| endtheme =
| composer = [[Elmer Bernstein]]<br />[[John Cacavas]]<br />[[Charles R. Casey]]
| composer = [[Elmer Bernstein]]<br />[[John Cacavas]]<br />Charles R. Casey
| country = USA
| country = United States
| language = English
| language = English
| num_seasons = 1
| num_seasons = 1
| num_episodes = 18, plus 1 TV-movie
| num_episodes = 18, plus 1 TV-movie
| list_episodes =
| list_episodes =
| executive_producer = [[David Gerber]]
| executive_producer = [[David Gerber]]
| producer =
| producer =
| editor = Herbert H. Dow
| editor = Herbert H. Dow
| location =
| location =
| cinematography =
| cinematography =
| camera =
| camera =
| runtime = 60 min.
| runtime = 60 min.
| company = David Gerber Productions<br>[[Columbia Pictures Television]]
| company = David Gerber Productions<br>[[Columbia Pictures Television]]
| channel = [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
| distributor =
| first_aired = {{Start date|1981|10|25}}
| channel = [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
| last_aired = {{End date|1982|4|26}}
| picture_format =
| related = ''[[The F.B.I. (TV series)|The F.B.I.]]'' (1965-1974)
| audio_format =
| first_run =
| first_aired = {{Start date|1981|10|25}}
| last_aired = {{End date|1982|4|26}}
| status = Ended
| preceded_by =
| followed_by =
| related = ''[[The F.B.I. (TV series)|The F.B.I.]]''
| website =
| production_website =
}}
}}


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==Cast==
==Cast==
* [[Mike Connors]] as Ben Slater, a veteran "G-Man" who is the head and father figure of an elite unit of agents.
* [[Mike Connors]] as Ben Slater, a veteran "G-Man" who is the chief and mentor of an elite unit of agents.
* [[Joseph Cali]] as Nick Frazier, the one "ethnic" member of the team, a young and determined agent.
* [[Joseph Cali]] as Nick Frazier, the one "ethnic" member of the team, a young and determined agent.
* [[Carol Potter (actress)|Carol Potter]] as Maggie Clinton, the one female member.
* [[Carol Potter (actress)|Carol Potter]] as Maggie Clinton, the one female member.
* [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0384605/ Rick Hill] as Al Gordean, a "country boy" and strongman of the group, is often partnered with Nick.
* Rick Hill as Al Gordean, a "country boy" and strongman of the group, is often partnered with Nick.
* [[Harold Sylvester]] as Dwayne Thompson, the one African American member of the team, often acts as the member who keeps the others focused.
* [[Harold Sylvester]] as Dwayne Thompson, the one African American on the show; he often acts as the member who keeps the others focused.


==Episode list==
==Episode list==
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| OriginalAirDate={{start date|1981|10|25}}
| OriginalAirDate={{start date|1981|10|25}}
| ShortSummary=TV-movie pilot; 2 hours.
| ShortSummary=TV-movie pilot; 2 hours.
Mike Connors plays Ben Slater, a veteran G-man who heads an elite unit of agents.Slater and his team move to New York to investigate corruption on the waterfront. The target is Joey D'Amico, national vice president of the Stevedores Association of America, a man with a bad habit of exterminating dissenters. The key informant is Pete Kositchek, the owner of a company on the docks.
Mike Connors plays Ben Slater, a veteran G-man who heads an elite unit of agents. Slater and his team move to New York to investigate corruption on the waterfront. The target is Joey D'Amico, national vice president of the Stevedores Association of America, a man with a bad habit of exterminating dissenters. The key informant is Pete Kositchek, the owner of a company on the docks.
Nick gets a job as the union leader's chauffeur. Joey becomes fond of the undercover agent, looking upon him as a younger version of himself.
Nick gets a job as the union leader's chauffeur. Joey becomes fond of the undercover agent, looking upon him as a younger version of himself.
| LineColor=000070
| LineColor=000070
Line 201: Line 193:


==Reception==
==Reception==
The series suffered from low ratings as a result of direct competition from CBS's Top 20 hits ''[[Archie Bunker's Place]]'' and ''[[One Day at a Time (1975 TV series)|One Day at a Time]]'' and was cancelled after only 18 episodes.
According to Michele Malach of [[Fort Lewis College]], the series attempted a more positive portrayal of the FBI by using diverse characters and a "fallacious assumption that its audience still viewed special agents as 'us' rather than 'them'," in contrast to federal agents with "a rigid, dogmatic, inhumane bureaucracy" depicted in later media, like ''[[Point Break]]'', ''[[Betrayed (1988 film)|Betrayed]]'', and ''[[The X-Files]]''. Viewers "did not buy either the image or [the series]," prompting a cancellation.<ref>{{cite book |title=Deny All Knowledge: Reading "The X-Files" |page=68 |chapter=I Want to Believe... in the FBI |first=Michele |last=Malach |year=1996 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=grY6uVffr4UC&lpg=PA68&dq=fbi%201981%20abc&pg=PA68#v=onepage&q=fbi%201981%20abc&f=false |editor-first1=David |editor-last1=Lavery |editor-first2=Angela |editor-last2=Hague |editor-first3=Marla |editor-last3=Cartwright |isbn=978-0815604075 }}</ref> Richard Gib Powers called it "pointless and a cover-up [of] the FBI villany[.]"<ref>{{cite book |publisher=[[Oryx Press]] |year=1999 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=VnQduXa4JdoC&lpg=PA293&dq=%22today's%20fbi%22%201981%20abc&pg=PA293#v=onepage&q=%22today's%20fbi%22%201981%20abc&f=false |first=Richard Gib |last=Powers |editor-first=Athan G. |editor-last=Theoharis |page=293 |title=The FBI: A Comprehensive Reference Guide |chapter=The FBI in American Pop Culture |isbn=0-89774-991-X }}</ref>

According to Michele Malach of [[Fort Lewis College]], the series attempted a more positive portrayal of the FBI by using diverse characters and a "fallacious assumption that its audience still viewed special agents as 'us' rather than 'them'," in contrast to federal agents with "a rigid, dogmatic, inhumane bureaucracy" depicted in later media, like ''[[Point Break]]'', ''[[Betrayed (1988 film)|Betrayed]]'', and ''[[The X-Files]]''. Viewers "did not buy either the image or [the series]," prompting a cancellation.<ref>{{cite book |title=Deny All Knowledge: Reading "The X-Files" |publisher=Syracuse University Press |page=[https://archive.org/details/denyallknowledge0000lave/page/68 68] |chapter=I Want to Believe... in the FBI |first=Michele |last=Malach |year=1996 |url=https://archive.org/details/denyallknowledge0000lave |url-access=registration |quote=fbi 1981 abc. |editor-first1=David |editor-last1=Lavery |editor-first2=Angela |editor-last2=Hague |editor-first3=Marla |editor-last3=Cartwright |isbn=978-0815604075 }}</ref> Richard Gib Powers called it "pointless and a cover-up [of] the FBI villainy[.]"<ref>{{cite book |publisher=[[Oryx Press]] |year=1999 |url=https://archive.org/details/fbicomprehensive0000theo |url-access=registration |quote=today's fbi 1981 abc. |first=Richard Gib |last=Powers |editor-first=Athan G. |editor-last=Theoharis |page=[https://archive.org/details/fbicomprehensive0000theo/page/293 293] |title=The FBI: A Comprehensive Reference Guide |chapter=The FBI in American Pop Culture |isbn=0-89774-991-X }}</ref>


==References==
==References==
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==External links==
==External links==
*{{IMDb title|0081948}}
*{{IMDb title|0081948}}
*{{tv.com show|todays-fbi}}
*{{epguides|TodaysFBI}}
*{{epguides|TodaysFBI}}


[[Category:1981 American television series debuts]]
[[Category:1981 American television series debuts]]
[[Category:1982 American television series endings]]
[[Category:1982 American television series endings]]
[[Category:1980s American television series]]
[[Category:American crime television series]]
[[Category:Television series by Sony Pictures Television]]
[[Category:Television series by Sony Pictures Television]]
[[Category:American drama television series]]
[[Category:1980s American crime drama television series]]
[[Category:American Broadcasting Company network shows]]
[[Category:American English-language television shows]]
[[Category:Television series about the Federal Bureau of Investigation]]
[[Category:English-language television programming]]
[[Category:FBI in fiction]]
[[Category:Television shows set in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:American Broadcasting Company television dramas]]




{{US-tv-prog-stub}}
{{US-drama-tv-prog-stub}}

Latest revision as of 02:11, 16 May 2024

Today's FBI
Logo of Today's FBI
Also known asToday's F.B.I.
GenreCrime drama
Written byRogers Turrentine
Directed byHarvey S. Laidman
Stan Jolley
Virgil W. Vogel
StarringMike Connors
Carol Potter
Johnny Seven
Rick Hill
Harold Sylvester
Joseph Cali
Opening themeElmer Bernstein
ComposersElmer Bernstein
John Cacavas
Charles R. Casey
Country of originVereinigte Staaten
Original languageEnglisch
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes18, plus 1 TV-movie
Production
Executive producerDavid Gerber
HerausgeberHerbert H. Dow
Running time60 min.
Production companiesDavid Gerber Productions
Columbia Pictures Television
Original release
NetworkABC
ReleaseOctober 25, 1981 (1981-10-25) –
April 26, 1982 (1982-04-26)
Related
The F.B.I. (1965-1974)

Today's FBI is an American crime drama television series, an updated and revamped version of the earlier series The F.B.I.

Like the original program, this series is based on actual cases from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the F.B.I. was involved in the making of the show. Unlike the original series, which ran for nine seasons, this show ran for only 18 episodes (following a TV-movie pilot) on ABC, during the 1981–82 season.

Cast

[edit]
  • Mike Connors as Ben Slater, a veteran "G-Man" who is the chief and mentor of an elite unit of agents.
  • Joseph Cali as Nick Frazier, the one "ethnic" member of the team, a young and determined agent.
  • Carol Potter as Maggie Clinton, the one female member.
  • Rick Hill as Al Gordean, a "country boy" and strongman of the group, is often partnered with Nick.
  • Harold Sylvester as Dwayne Thompson, the one African American on the show; he often acts as the member who keeps the others focused.

Episode list

[edit]
Titel Original air date
0"The Bureau"October 25, 1981 (1981-10-25)

TV-movie pilot; 2 hours. Mike Connors plays Ben Slater, a veteran G-man who heads an elite unit of agents. Slater and his team move to New York to investigate corruption on the waterfront. The target is Joey D'Amico, national vice president of the Stevedores Association of America, a man with a bad habit of exterminating dissenters. The key informant is Pete Kositchek, the owner of a company on the docks.

Nick gets a job as the union leader's chauffeur. Joey becomes fond of the undercover agent, looking upon him as a younger version of himself.
1"Hostage"November 1, 1981 (1981-11-01)
A religious leader (David Carradine) takes hostages in a Federal building, demanding that five inmates convicted of murdering members of his family and church be turned over to him — for execution.
2"The Charleston Case"November 8, 1981 (1981-11-08)
Ben sets up a "sting" to break a distribution network for child pornography.
3"Terror"November 22, 1981 (1981-11-22)
A paramilitary faction of the KKK terrorizes the black leaders of a Southern town.
4"The Fugitive"November 29, 1981 (1981-11-29)
When three convicts escape from prison, Al learns that one of them is an old friend. Al decides to join the hunt; he starts by talking to his family to find out what went wrong.
5"Career Move"December 6, 1981 (1981-12-06)
Small-time hoods luck into an $8 million heist, attracting the interest of both the FBI and the mob.
6"The El Paso Murders"December 13, 1981 (1981-12-13)
Nick tries to nail a border guard suspected of the rape-murder of an illegal alien.
7"Skyjack"December 27, 1981 (1981-12-27)
A mentally unstable skyjacker demands $3 million and safe passage to Libya.
8"Spy"January 10, 1982 (1982-01-10)
A spy ring is selling American laser technology to the highest bidder.
9"A Woman's Story"January 17, 1982 (1982-01-17)
An agent's marital woes may jeopardize an operation aimed at stopping a truck-hijacking ring.
10"Hit List"January 31, 1982 (1982-01-31)
Mideast expatriates are being assassinated by a mercenary hired by their homeland.
11"Deep Cover"February 8, 1982 (1982-02-08)
Ben fears an undercover agent is so involved that he may have forgotten which side he's on.
12"Serpent in the Garden"February 14, 1982 (1982-02-14)
A medical lab is suspected of falsifying Medicare claims.
13"Blue Collar"February 21, 1982 (1982-02-21)
The collapse of a building at a federally funded housing project prompts an investigation.
14"Surfacing"February 28, 1982 (1982-02-28)
After 10 years underground, anarchists surface to kill a judge.
15"Bank Job"March 7, 1982 (1982-03-07)
With the FBI hot on the trail, a team of bank robbers decides to pull one last job.
16"Gulf Coast Murders"March 14, 1982 (1982-03-14)
An ex-cop attempts to steal cocaine from the police evidence storeroom.
17"Kidnap"April 19, 1982 (1982-04-19)
Ben and his crew investigate the kidnapping of a Houston banker's son.
18"Tapper"April 26, 1982 (1982-04-26)
A refinery whose output of gasoline is four times its intake of feedstock is targeted for investigation.

Reception

[edit]

The series suffered from low ratings as a result of direct competition from CBS's Top 20 hits Archie Bunker's Place and One Day at a Time and was cancelled after only 18 episodes.

According to Michele Malach of Fort Lewis College, the series attempted a more positive portrayal of the FBI by using diverse characters and a "fallacious assumption that its audience still viewed special agents as 'us' rather than 'them'," in contrast to federal agents with "a rigid, dogmatic, inhumane bureaucracy" depicted in later media, like Point Break, Betrayed, and The X-Files. Viewers "did not buy either the image or [the series]," prompting a cancellation.[1] Richard Gib Powers called it "pointless and a cover-up [of] the FBI villainy[.]"[2]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Malach, Michele (1996). "I Want to Believe... in the FBI". In Lavery, David; Hague, Angela; Cartwright, Marla (eds.). Deny All Knowledge: Reading "The X-Files". Syracuse University Press. p. 68. ISBN 978-0815604075. fbi 1981 abc.
  2. ^ Powers, Richard Gib (1999). "The FBI in American Pop Culture". In Theoharis, Athan G. (ed.). The FBI: A Comprehensive Reference Guide. Oryx Press. p. 293. ISBN 0-89774-991-X. today's fbi 1981 abc.
[edit]