TMC
05-23-2022, 12:14 AM
https://lebeauleblog.com/2022/05/22/may-22-happy-birthday-quinn-martin/
Since good photos of TV producer Quinn Martin (1922-1987) are very hard to come by, I went with a visual example of the way in which millions of Americans learned of him in the 1960s and 1970s. Martin (his given name was Irvin Martin Cohn) served in the Army signal corps during World War 2, and began working in television in the mid-fifties as an audio supervisor.
In 1959, Martin was hired to produce a TV movie for Desilu, The Untouchables, which became a series later that year. He then formed his own production company. His first series as an independent producer was a crime drama, The New Breed.
The most famous series Martin ever produced began running in 1963. The final episode of The Fugitive aired in August 1967, and when it aired it became the most-watched television broadcast of all time.
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In 1965, Martin began producing The F.B.I., which became his most durable series. It ran for 9 seasons and a total of 240 episodes. His next major series was a rare venture out of the crime drama territory, with the sci-fi drama The Invaders.
During the 1970s, Martin stayed on familiar ground, creating three successful crime series which lasted for over 100 episodes apiece. Cannon, starring William Conrad, was about a private detective, as was Barnaby Jones, which starred Buddy Ebsen. In between those came a series about a pair of detectives with the San Francisco police, The Streets of San Francisco.
In 1978, Martin sold his production company, and agreed with the buyers not to form a rival company for five years. When Barnaby Jones was canceled in 1980, it ended a stretch of 21 years when at least one of Martin’s creations aired in prime time in the US. After his non-competing agreement expired, Martin seems to have made a few efforts to get back into production, but without success. He died of a heart attack in 1987.
Since good photos of TV producer Quinn Martin (1922-1987) are very hard to come by, I went with a visual example of the way in which millions of Americans learned of him in the 1960s and 1970s. Martin (his given name was Irvin Martin Cohn) served in the Army signal corps during World War 2, and began working in television in the mid-fifties as an audio supervisor.
In 1959, Martin was hired to produce a TV movie for Desilu, The Untouchables, which became a series later that year. He then formed his own production company. His first series as an independent producer was a crime drama, The New Breed.
The most famous series Martin ever produced began running in 1963. The final episode of The Fugitive aired in August 1967, and when it aired it became the most-watched television broadcast of all time.
CDb7pligfRA
In 1965, Martin began producing The F.B.I., which became his most durable series. It ran for 9 seasons and a total of 240 episodes. His next major series was a rare venture out of the crime drama territory, with the sci-fi drama The Invaders.
During the 1970s, Martin stayed on familiar ground, creating three successful crime series which lasted for over 100 episodes apiece. Cannon, starring William Conrad, was about a private detective, as was Barnaby Jones, which starred Buddy Ebsen. In between those came a series about a pair of detectives with the San Francisco police, The Streets of San Francisco.
In 1978, Martin sold his production company, and agreed with the buyers not to form a rival company for five years. When Barnaby Jones was canceled in 1980, it ended a stretch of 21 years when at least one of Martin’s creations aired in prime time in the US. After his non-competing agreement expired, Martin seems to have made a few efforts to get back into production, but without success. He died of a heart attack in 1987.