The sendoff from ABC—and a historic day …
The FBI ended its nine-year run on ABC on a Sunday night, 8 September 1974, when a rerun of the 17 February 1974 episode, “The Animal,” aired. As a sendoff episode, the series ended on a truly high note. At that time, The FBI was the longest-running crime television series.
Originally airing on 17 February 1974, “The Animal” had not only the three leads for Season Nine, but frequent baddie Peter Mark Richman … and William Reynolds, returning as Special Agent Tom Colby.
When the episode aired, the big news that day was President Gerald Ford’s pardon of Richard Nixon, who had resigned in disgrace the previous month, a result of the same Watergate scandal that had taken its toll on the television series. At that time, President Ford decided to pardon Mr. Nixon because it would allow the country to focus not on him, but on the pressing problems the country faced. And they were many.
That said, this had unforeseen consequences, especially as it pertains to the issue of Donald Trump’s immunity, as well as his apparent disdain for the FBI as an agency. While the agency has had its issues at times, it has also done immense good for this country and other lands. And that is what the 1965-1974 series showcased in its nine-year run. “The Animal” is proof of this, along with the other 240 episodes.