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Wire Service

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Wire Service
Dane Clark as Dan Miller, 1956.
Also known asDeadline for Action
GenreDrama
Written byAl C. Ward
Frederick Brady
Directed byLance Comfort
Tom Gries
StarringDane Clark
George Brent
Mercedes McCambridge
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes39 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersWarren Lewis
Don Sharpe
ProducerBuck Houghton
Running time45–48 minutes
Production companyDesilu Productions
Original release
NetworkABC
ReleaseOctober 4, 1956 (1956-10-04) –
June 17, 1957 (1957-06-17)

Wire Service is an American television drama series that aired on ABC as part of its 1956–57 season lineup.

Synopsis

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Wire Service focuses on three reporters for the fictional Trans Globe wire service,[1] which was similar to (and obviously inspired by) real-life news wire services such as the Associated Press and United Press International. It was the first hour-long, weekly scheduled dramatic series with continuing characters to last a full season on network television.[2][citation needed] However, the three reporters functioned independently of each other,[3] meaning that the series was essentially three different ones sharing a time slot and title.

This program was aired at 9 p.m. (Eastern Time) Thursdays from September 1956 to February 1957, when it was moved to Mondays at 8:30. It was not renewed for a second season, and the last prime time broadcast under this title was in September 1957. However, when a gap developed in the ABC schedule in February 1959, the episodes starring Dane Clark (only) were then rebroadcast under the title Deadline for Action.[4] The last of these repeat episodes was broadcast on September 13, 1959.

The series sometimes delved into topics that were controversial for its era. They included profiteering, nuclear testing, and prison reform.[5]

Cast

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Episodes

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Episode # Episode Title Director Writer Original Airdate
1 "The Blood Rock Mine" Alvin Ganzer Al C. Ward October 4, 1956
2 "Campaign Train" Tom Gries Story by : Gordon and Mildred Gordon
Teleplay by : Frederick Brady
October 11, 1956
3 "Hideout" Alvin Ganzer Story by :
Teleplay by : Gabrielle Upton
October 18, 1956
4 "The Johnny Rath Story" Robert Florey Story by : Al C. Ward
Teleplay by : Frederick Brady
October 25, 1956
5 "Night of August 7th" Alvin Ganzer Al C. Ward November 1, 1956
6 "Conspiracy" Reginald Le Borg Seeleg Lester November 8, 1956
7 "The Tower" Reginald Le Borg Story by : Merwin Gerard
Teleplay by : James Edmiston and Merwin Gerard
November 15, 1956
8 "Deported" Tom Gries Story by : Joel Kane
Teleplay by : Jack Jacobs, Joel Kane, and Malvin Wald
November 22, 1956
9 "Until I Die" TBA Gabrielle Upton November 29, 1956
10 "The Avengers" TBA Malvin Wald and Jack Jacobs December 6, 1956
11 "The Deep End" Tom Gries Story by : Fredric Brown
Teleplay by : James Edmiston
December 12, 1956
12 "High Adventure" TBA TBA December 20, 1956
13 "Chicago Exclusive" Alvin Ganzer Story by : Steve Fisher
Teleplay by : Steve Fisher
January 3, 1957
14 "World of the Lonely" Tony Leader Gabrielle Upton January 10, 1957
15 "The Third Inevitable" John Peyser Frank L. Moss January 17, 1957
16 "Flowers for the General" Alvin Ganzer László Görög January 24, 1957
17 "The Comeback" Reginald Le Borg Samuel Elkin January 31, 1957
18 "Atom at Spithead" Lance Comfort Story by :
Teleplay by : Frederic Brady
February 11, 1957
19 "El Hombre" Alvin Ganzer Story by : Richard M. Bluel and M.L. Lynn
Teleplay by : Frederic Brady
February 18, 1957
20 "Profile of Ellen Gale" Reginald Le Borg John Copeland February 25, 1957
21 "Dateline Las Vegas" Reginald Le Borg Al C. Ward March 4, 1957
22 "Forbidden Ground" Tom Gries Story by : Malvin Wald, Jack Jacobs, and Seeleg Lester
Teleplay by : Jack Jacobs and Malvin Wald
March 11, 1957
23 "No Peace in Lo Dao" Reginald Le Borg Story by : Lowell Barrington
Teleplay by : Elliot West and Lowell Barrington
March 18, 1957
24 "A Matter of Conscience" Harold Schuster Stephen Thornley March 25, 1957
25 "Misfire" Tom Gries Story by : Daniel Mainwaring
Teleplay by : Wilton Schiller
April 1, 1957
26 "The Indictment" Tony Leader Seeleg Lester April 8, 1957
27 "Ninety and Nine" Harold Schuster James Edmiston April 15, 1957
28 "The Oil Man" Tom Gries David Chandler and Lowell Barrington April 22, 1957
29 "Run, Sheep, Run" Tony Leader W.R. Harris and Frederic Brady April 29, 1957
30 "The Death Merchant" Michael McCarthy Story by : Jack Laird
Teleplay by : Marc Brandel
May 6, 1957
31 "Violence Preferred" Tom Gries Stanley Niss & Lowell Barrington May 13, 1957
32 "The Last Laugh" Tony Leader Andrew Solt and Glen Bohannan May 20, 1957
33 "Confirm or Deny" Harold Schuster John Michael Hayes and E. Jack Neuman May 27, 1957
34 "Four Minutes to Shot" Tom Gries Frank and Doris Hursley June 3, 1957
35 "The Washington Stars aka The Washington Story" TBA TBA June 10, 1957
36 "A Death at Twin Pines" Harold Schuster Story by : Harold Channing Wire
Teleplay by : A.I. Bezzerides
June 17, 1957
37 "The Nameless" TBA TBA September 9, 1957
38 "Rehearsal for Sabotage" TBA TBA September 16, 1957
39 "Escape to Freedom" TBA Malvin Wald and Jack Jacobs September 23, 1957

Production

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The producers were Don Sharpe and Warren Lewis.[3] Directors included Lance Comfort. Some episodes were filmed in England.[6] Wire Service initially was broadcast at 9 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursdays. Beginning on February 11, 1957, it was moved to Mondays at 7:30 p.m. ET.[6] R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company was the sponsor.[7]

The program was produced by Desilu Productions at Desilu Studios in Hollywood, California.[citation needed]

Home video

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A DVD set, Wire Service Volume 1, was released by Alpha Video on March 1, 2016.[8]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of television shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 1185. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.
  2. ^ Castleman, Harry, and Podrazik, Walter (1984): The TV Schedule Book https://www.amazon.com/TV-Schedule-Book-Programming-Sign/dp/0070102775
  3. ^ a b McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television (4th ed.). New York: Penguin Books USA. p. 919. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
  4. ^ Books, Tim; Marsh, Earle (1979). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows: 1946–Present. New York: Ballantine Books. p. 689. ISBN 0-345-25525-9.
  5. ^ O'Brien, Scott (Spring 2015). "George Brent: Hollywood's Mysterious Lone Wolf". Films of the Golden Age (80): 55.
  6. ^ a b "Tele Followups: Wire Service". Variety. February 13, 1957. p. 74. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  7. ^ "ABC-TV Takes Dim View Of '57-'58 'Wire Service'". Variety. May 8, 1957. p. 28. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  8. ^ "Wire Service Volume 1". TCM Shop. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
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