Fri 17 Jul 2009
A TV Series Review by Ted Fitzgerald: BRENNER (CBS; 1959-64).
Posted by Steve under Reviews , TV mysteries[3] Comments
BRENNER. TV series. CBS-TV, 1959-61-64. Ed Binns, James Broderick, with Dick O’Neill, Walter Greaza, Sydney Pollack, Gene Hackman. Executive producer: Herbert Brodkin. Various screenwriters & directors.
Brenner was one of those overlooked gems of the black-and-white TV era, a half-hour character-driven drama about two New York City cops, Roy Brenner (Edward Binns) a veteran member of The Confidential Squad (aka Internal Affairs), and his son Ernie (James Broderick), a rookie detective.
The focus was police corruption and the emotional cost of police work, themes explored at greater length and intensity by such later shows as Naked City and Police Story.
Brenner utilized a low-key approach, though, and it pays off. It doesn’t utilize the city as a character the way Naked City did, but its exteriors capture the time (1959) and place and Manhattan mood just as well.
A big help is the supporting cast of then mostly unfamiliar New York actors, including Simon Oakland, George Grizzard, Michael Strong, Frank Sutton, Frank Overton and an unbilled Gene Hackman, who pops up several times as a patrolman.
The recent DVD box set from Timeless Media features 15 of the 25 or 26 episodes produced. (See below.)
The visual quality on most of the episodes is outstanding. I’d seen a couple of episodes years ago and always hoped I’d get to see more. I was not disappointed.
NOTE: The series was first televised in 1959 (6 June to 19 September) and appeared in re-runs on CBS during the summmers of 1961, 1962, and 1964, with two new episodes appearing in 1961. In the fall of 1964 (17 May to 19 July) a summer season of several new episodes appeared. According to the The Classic TV Archive, the total number of episodes that actually aired is considered to be 25.
July 18th, 2009 at 11:28 am
I don’t remember this one, but looking at the cast list, that has to be the ugliest cast in the history of television — Binns, Broderick, Hackman, Sutton, Strong — when Frank Overton and George Grizzard are the best looking cast members … Guess they were overdoing the reality and New York grit thing. Even Naked City had Paul Burke and James Franciscus.
July 18th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
From the timetable of when the show was on, mostly during the summer, I’d be surprised if anyone remembers this series, and yet here it is, on DVD.
My copy from Amazon should be arriving either today or Monday. I didn’t know it was out myself until I read Ted’s review of it, but I’m looking forward to it now.
— Steve
November 17th, 2012 at 9:45 pm
I watched the 3 dvd set. Like a good book, I couldn’t stop watching episodes. This series, to me, was one that almost made you forget they were acting. Edward Bunks impressed me through all of the episodes. Compared to the crap they’re trotting out there as entertainment now, this was very enjoyable for me to watch. I wish there were more black and white shows of this quality to watch. Thanks,Jim