Nothing Leaves This Room! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Barnaby Jones

"Barnaby Jones" featured Buddy Ebsen as an elderly retiree who comes out of retirement and takes up his previous job as a private detective. Ebsen was in his 60s during most of the taping and so was not shown in physical confrontations as was seen in other crime dramas of the time.

He used his brains and quick evasion maneuvers when they were needed. He was depicted as an "All-American" good guy grown old. His partner was played by Lee Meriwether, the winner of the 1955 Miss America pageant. She was depicted as his loving daughter-in-law who had been widowed when Jones' son was murdered while on the job as a private detective.

Answer: False

"Cannon", was about a Los Angeles police officer who retired after becoming a widower. He used his background in law enforcement to become a private detective. Cannon was neither as svelte nor handsome as some of the other private investigators on television at this time, and was played by actor William Conrad.

He was extremely overweight, but was seen in many episodes attempting to chase the bad guy. He used his size to knock down his opponents and was portrayed as being a crack shot with his gun.

His fancy silver Lincoln was equipped with a mobile phone, decades before cell phone use became common. Depicted as a serious, but kind- hearted character, Frank Cannon was also portrayed as an astute and highly intelligent man. This role garnered William Conrad two Emmy Award nominations.

Answer: Horse

Set in New York City, the crime drama "McCloud" (1970-1977) features a lawman from New Mexico trying to adapt to an assignment working with the New York Police Department. Each week, the opening featured actor Dennis Weaver in a cowboy hat and boots, riding his horse at high speed down the street of New York City.

The show mixed the humor of clashing cultures with serious crime solving. The unconventional appearance of the lead character often led suspects to think that McCloud was naïve and/or ignorant.

His portrayal of the lead character in this program led to two Emmy nominations for Dennis Weaver.

Answer: Dan August

"Dan August", starring Burt Reynolds as a police lieutenant in the homicide division was a flop. Even with the help of major guest stars, as well as Burt Reynolds himself, the program did not offer anything new or original. Reynolds portrayed a white male macho-man type character.

The program took place in the fictional city of Santa Luisa, California. In a time of innovation, this program did not attempt to introduce a new angle on crime drama, nor a character that was different and interesting.

While the program did have its fans, unoriginal scripts and sometimes poor acting doomed this program after one season.

Answer: The Blue Knight

Although the Joseph Wambaugh novel was a number one best seller and the movie of the same name was somewhat successful, the television program that was based on them was not as popular. Even the skills of veteran actor George Kennedy were not enough to keep this program going for more than two seasons.

The program was about the last years of a street cop who is fixing to retire. Set in Los Angeles, California, the program is possibly, a more realistic depiction of law enforcement in the big cities than many other crime dramas of the time.

This is probably due to the fact that the original novel was written by an LAPD detective who was still working on the force.

Answer: George Peppard

George Peppard played the character of Thomas Banacek, who was depicted as a private investigator who specialized in solving extremely difficult theft cases. He was usually employed by insurance companies and was depicted as very a very debonair and intelligent Polish-American who made his home in Boston.

The episodes were often peppered with Polish proverbs and was one of the first to depict people of Polish descent in a positive manner. Banacek was depicted as a wealthy man who lived in a mansion, had a chauffeur and was very cultured.

He earned his money by recovering stolen objects/money and being paid 10% of its value. The intricate plots in this crime drama made it popular with those who tried to solve the complex crimes before the lead character did.

Answer: Paraplegic

In this popular crime drama, Raymond Burr portrayed crippled police detective Robert Ironside of the San Francisco Police Department. The show attempted to prove that those people who, at the time, were considered "disabled" were actually very important members of society.

This was a somewhat novel idea at the time. The lead character of this program was paralyzed after being shot by a sniper but still worked with the SFPD as a department consultant. His portrayal of Robert Ironside led to 6 Emmy nominations for Raymond Burr. "Ironside" was also one of the very first American programs to have a lead character in a wheelchair.

Answer: Mike Connors

For eight years (1967-1975), private investigator Joe Mannix was portrayed by actor Mike Connors. This was one of the first crime dramas to feature the use of computers, which was considered very innovative at the time. Joe Mannix, was a retired Army soldier who had been kept in a POW camp until he escaped.

The show successfully mixed the past (the Korean War), and the future (computers) into a cohesive mix that was popular for many years. The lead character was shot quite a few times over the years and got into physical confrontations during each episode. "Mannix" was just one of the many crime dramas that romanticized the occupation of the private investigator.

Answer: False

"Police Woman" (1974-1978) was one of the few crime dramas that featured a female in the lead role. Actress Angie Dickinson played Sgt. Pepper Anderson, and undercover cop for the Los Angeles Police Department. It attempted to show that a female cop could be beautiful, as well as smart.

It featured the role of undercover cops in a semi-realistic manner. This program was thought to have played a large role in the rise of female applicants into the field of law enforcement. Many social issues were featured in this groundbreaking program including gay rights, mental illness, and women's rights.

Answer: Richard Boone

"Hec Ramsey" starring Richard Boone, was one of the most unique programs of this television era. It successfully mixed the crime drama with the western drama, both of which were very popular at the time. The program told the story of an ex-gunfighter who decides to settle down and become a sheriff.

The show focuses on the new fields of forensics and criminology. Ramsey is shown using fingerprints, and his magnifying glass to solve crimes instead of using his gun. Despite only running for a couple of years, the program had a solid group of loyal fans who were sad to see it end.