We haven’t posted much this past year because of a tumultuous work situation, but it was notable for being the 50th anniversary of the series’ end. In November and December, we had the following birthdays and anniversaries:
• 30 November: Birth anniversary of Efrem Zimbalist Jr. (1918);
• 1 December: Anniversary of the passing of Stephen Brooks (1999);
• 9 December: Birth anniversary of William Reynolds (1931); and coming up,
• 10 January: Birth anniversary of Shelly Novack (1944).
But more importantly …
This month marks the 60th anniversary of the announcement that the series would go into production. Based on 1959’s The FBI Story and 1962’s FBI Code 98, this would be the first time that a television series would be based on an actual Federal agency. The series premiered in a 1965-1966 season that would start off brutally for ABC, in that most shows would end up cancelled due to low ratings. The FBI ended up the longest-running show that debuted in that season, and is one of the longest-running crime dramas in television history.