Peter Gunn: Season One

Before Miami Vice, before Law & Order, the coolest and most sophisticated TV detective was definitely Peter Gunn, created and produced by Blake Edwards (The Pink Panther, SOB). Set in a nameless waterfront city, the series features stylish film noir cinematography and a stylish musical score written by Henry Mancini, whose "The Peter Gunn Theme" won an Emmy Award and two GRAMMY Awards. In fact, Peter Gunn was the first TV show featuring modern jazz for a soundtrack. Edwards himself directed many episodes, as did an impressive roster of Hollywood's best TV directors, including Robert Altman. Craig Stevens plays Gunn, Pete to his friends, a handsome, suave detective tough enough to take on the hardest of hard cases, but a soft touch when it comes to the ladies. His girlfriend, the gorgeous singer Edie Hart (Lola Albright) is the featured singer at 'Mother's' (and later 'Edie's'), a smoke-filled jazz club used by Gunn as his unofficial office. Other regulars at the club include a colorful cast of musicians, pool hustlers, artists and a sculptor. His standard fee is $1,000.00, and his reputation keeps the customers lined up for his services, sometimes referred by Mother (Hope Emerson, Season One; Minerva Urecal, Seasons Two and Three), or his police buddy Lt. Jacoby (Herschel Bernardi). A man with expensive tastes, Peter Gunn drives a stylish two-tone Plymouth Fury Convertible, equipped with a mobile phone! So settle into your favorite easy chair, dim the lights, and enjoy this classic series, one of the best TV detective shows ever!