In the American detective series Harry O (1974–1976), David Janssen starred as Harry Orwell, a former San Diego police officer forced into early retirement after being shot in the back. Living in a beach house on Coronado Island, Orwell supports himself as a private investigator, often taking the bus because his car—a temperamental Austin-Healey—is frequently in the shop. Premise: Unlike the typical high-action detectives of the 1970s, Harry Orwell was a cynical, world-weary investigator with a physical disability (a bullet lodged near his spine) that often prevented him from engaging in standard "heroic" tropes like foot chases. Network & Duration: The show aired for two seasons on ABC, comprising 45 episodes between September 1974 and April 1976. Supporting Cast: Lt. Manny Quinlan (Henry Darrow): Harry's police contact during the first half of season one. Lt. K.C. Trench (Anthony Zerbe): The acerbic officer who became Harry's primary foil when the series moved its location to Los Angeles. Zerbe won an Emmy for this role in 1976. Sue Ingham (Farrah Fawcett): Harry's flight attendant neighbor and occasional girlfriend. The show was known for its "character-driven" approach and Janssen's trademark raspy-voiced narration. Despite its critical acclaim, it was canceled in 1976 to make room for Charlie's Angels. Janssen later expressed frustration over the cancellation, noting that network executives preferred flashy action over the human stories he wanted to tell. The character debuted in two television pilots: Such Dust as Dreams Are Made On (1973) and Smile Jenny, You're Dead (1974). S1.E3 Guardian at the Gates Episode aired Sep 26, 1974 Linda Evans and David Janssen in Guardian at the Gates (1974) Harry is hired by his beautiful neighbor to find out who is trying to kill her curmudgeon father. Paul Sawyer is an eccentric, arrogant architect, considered to be a genius, but the list of his enemies is quite long. Director: Jerry Thorpe Writers: Stephen Kandel, Robert Dozier Stars: David Janssen, Linda Evans, Henry Darrow, Barry Sullivan David Janssen (as Harry Orwell) and Linda Evans appeared together in the Harry O episode "Guardian at the Gates" (Season 1, Episode 3), where Evans played Marian Sawyer, the daughter of an arrogant architect (Barry Sullivan) who hires Harry to protect him from assassins, exploring complex relationships and obsession. This 1974 episode showcased Evans' guest role in the detective series, noted for its rich character development.

Harry O TV Series 1973–1976 Harry O (1973) After being shot in the line of duty, Harry Orwell was forced to retire from the San Diego Police Department. To supplement his police pension, Harry runs a private detective agency out of his beach house. Creator: Howard Rodman; Stars: David Janssen, Anthony Zerbe, Paul Tulley S01.E02 The Admiral's Lady Episode aired Sep 19, 1974 David Janssen in Harry O (1973) Harry's search for a missing woman leads him to death, infidelity, and a woman in danger. Director: Paul Wendkos Writers: Howard Rodman, Del Reisman, Robert Dozier Stars: David Janssen, Henry Darrow, Leif Erickson

In 1974 I was 10 years old and one of my favorite TV shows was David Janssen starring in Harry O. It is unusual for TV shows to get a "2nd Pilot" made for TV movie but, here it is. The second Harry O movie, "Smile Jenny, You're Dead." An ex-cop protects his ex-partner's supermodel daughter when she becomes the target of an obsessed psychopath who kills the men intimately involved with her. Director: Jerry Thorpe Writer: Howard Rodman Stars: David Janssen, Jodie Foster, John Anderson

1973 Harry O, Such Dust as Dreams are Made On. Before the official episodes of the great TV series called "Harry O", starring David Janssen started in Sept 1974, there were two pilots released. This first one, from March 1973, was a short film length pilot, which actually became known as episode zero for the first season. Almost a full year passed, and another pilot dropped - this one a full film length episode. I presume there were some doubts as to whether the series would get released after this first pilot episode, but the second one seemed to do the trick, as only another five months passed until the first official episode was aired. And what a totally fantastic series it was - lasting for two seasons, and 44 more episodes - with David Janssen becoming a legend in the process as private eye Harry Orwell - or just Harry O. After of course first becoming a legend in the sixties in "The Fugitive" This first pilot episode has a strong cast, including Martin Sheen, Margot Kidder and Sal Mineo.