Shaft (TV series)

This article is about the television film series. For the 1971–1973/2000–2019 theatrical film series, see Shaft (franchise) § Feature films.

Shaft is a television series that aired along with Hawkins during 1973–74 television season on The New CBS Tuesday Night Movies. Broadcast every third week, the series is a follow-up continuation of the three feature films that preceded its release. Starring Richard Roundtree as private detective John Shaft, it serves as the fourth installment overall in the Shaft franchise. Ed Barth costars as Al Rossi.^[1]

Shaft
Richard Roundtree and Ed Barth in "The Killing", 1973.
Genre	Detective fiction
Based on	Shaft by Ernest Tidyman
Starring	Richard Roundtree
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
Production
Production company	MGM Television
Original release
Network	CBS
Release	October 9, 1973 (1973-10-09) – February 19, 1974 (1974-02-19)
Related
Shaft  (2000 film)

Production

Because it was to be aired on over-the-air television, CBS felt that the narrative of Shaft needed to be toned down as compared to the original three films. Now instead of opposing the police, Shaft worked with them, creating conflicts with Hawkins starring cinema legend James Stewart, another police series with a starkly different viewership. Contemporary analysts suggested that since Shaft and Hawkins appealed to vastly different audience bases, alternating them only served to confuse fans of both series, giving neither one the time to build up a large viewership.^[2][3][4][5] A further contributor to its ratings failure was competition from other crime drama series starring African-American private investigators, NBC's Tenafly and ABC's Get Christie Love!.^[6] Richard Roundtree himself publicly expressed disdain for the small-screen version of Shaft.^[7][8]

Episodes

No.	Title	Original release date
1	"Shaft and the Enforcers"	October 9, 1973 (1973-10-09)
When a lawyer friend fails to return home after successfully defending a man accused of slaying a police officer, Shaft is summoned by the wife. When the lawyer and his client are fished out of the river, Shaft discovers they are the latest in a line of similar murders that have stumped police Lieutenant Al Rossi for months.
2	"Shaft and the Killing"	October 30, 1973 (1973-10-30)
An ex-girlfriend of Shaft’s, Diana Richie, is badly beaten and ends up in hospital. Shaft goes up against the pimp who delivered the beating, but when the pimp later turns up dead Shaft is the chief suspect.
3	"Shaft and the Hit-Run"	November 20, 1973 (1973-11-20)
Shaft is hired to help David Oliver, who is accused of killing Eddie Simmons in a hit-run with a stolen car. The investigation leads Shaft to come up against Clifford Grayson who is running an illegal gambling joint and for whom Simmons was a collector.
4	"Shaft and the Kidnapping"	December 11, 1973 (1973-12-11)
Three kidnappers, disguised as black men, break into Williamson’s house in a small upstate town and kidnap Nancy and leave the banker bound and gagged. They demand a ransom of $250,000 be delivered by John Shaft the next day.
5	"Shaft and the Cop Killer"	January 1, 1974 (1974-01-01)
Shaft is asked by a former high school classmate to help her husband, Police Officer Jerry Tyler, who has been accused of taking bribes. Although Shaft accepts Tyler’s story of being framed up by bar owner, Larry Doyle and his stooge, Brock, he declines the case but offers to seek help from the police. But when Lt Al Rossi is shot, Shaft takes a personal interest.
6	"Shaft and the Capricorn Murders"	January 29, 1974 (1974-01-29)
Gil Kirkwood, a financier in deep corporate trouble, fakes his own death in a fire which was also meant to kill his wife, Joanna, who is independently wealthy. With his wife dead, and himself presumed dead, Kirkwood had hoped to escape to South America with $3 million in diamonds from her safe deposit box. But when Joanna is rescued from the fire she hires Shaft, who has previously worked for her father, to investigate.
7	"Shaft and the Murder Machine"	February 19, 1974 (1974-02-19)
Shaft puts himself up as bait for hit-man Richard Quayle who inadvertently murders the fiancee of a friend whilst carrying out the assassination of a state witness.

Cast and characters

• Richard Roundtree as Det. John Shaft:

A private detective working with the New York Police Department (NYPD). Roundtree reprises his role from the theatrical Shaft film series.

• Ed Barth as Lt. Al Rossi:

An NYPD police lieutenant working with Shaft. Barth replaces Angelo Gnazzo, who portrayed the character in Shaft's Big Score! (1972).

Overview

List indicator

• This table only shows characters that have appeared in three or more films in the series.
• A dark grey cell indicates that the character was not in the film or that the character's presence in the film has yet to be announced.

Character	Episodes
	The Enforcers	The Killing	Hit-Run	The Kidnapping	Cop Killer	The Capricorn Murders	The Murder Machine
	1973				1974
John Shaft	Richard Roundtree
Lt. Al Rossi	Ed Barth
The Detective	Rudy Doucette			Rudy Doucette			Rudy Doucette
The Hood	Arnold Roberts				Arnold Roberts
Laura Parks	Judie Stein						Judie Stein
The Pit Boss		Nick Borgani
The Sportsman			Robert Strong			Robert Strong
Marshall Cunningham	Robert Culp
Det. Sgt. Lew Turner	Richard Jaeckel
Gerald Felk	Kaz Garas
Juan Otero	Rafael Campos
Charles Dawson	Noah Keen
Judge McCormick	Dean Jagger
Bobby	Michael Gregory
Gordon Dana	Charles Boyd
Walter Anderson	Maurice Hill
Stan Burgess	Harv Selsby
Dr. Helen Connors	Jeanne Sorel
Sister Elizabeth	Diana Webster
Jane Cunningham	Barbara Babcock
Cathy Cunningham	Melissa Sue Anderson
Court Member	Dusty Cadis
Numbers	Peter Elbling
Court Member	Bill Hickman
Don Lewis	Richard Lawson
Diana Richie		Ja'net DuBois
Kyle Bruckner		Leonard Frey
Sergeant Duff		Michael Ansara
Sonny Bruckner		Michael Pataki
Stanley Hollister		Henry Beckman
Archie McGill		Ron Soble
Victor Perrine		Jared Martin
Captain Rigano		Val Avery
Charley		Vito Scotti
Jack Benjamin		Louis Guss
Mrs. Richie		Royce Wallace
Logan		Albert Popwell
Selma Thomas		Jacque Lynn Colton
Judge Graves		Michael Fox
Judge Weinberg		Jack Bernardi
Iggie		Lou Kane
Bailiff		Benjie Bancroft
Courtroom Spectator		Al Beaudine
Court Clerk		Billy Beck
Court Reporter		Dick Cherney
Juror		George Holmes
Passerby		Kathryn Janssen
Workman		Danny Sands
Gambler		Eddie Smith
Detective		Nico Stevens
Tom Oliver			Howard Duff
Marcus Lowell			Percy Rodrigues
Ann Lowell			Judy Pace
David Oliver			Tony Geary
Paul Hanson			Don Matheson
Clifford Grayson			Tony Curtis
Charles Harris			Nicky Blair
Mona			Pat Delaney
Secretary			Paula Shaw
Pit Boss			Ted Jordan
Jacquard			Jason Wingreen
Mrs. Pattion			Shirley Anthony
Hoods			Fred Carson
			Bill Catching
Croupiers			Sig Frohlich
			Joseph La Cava
Dealer			Bob Harks
Club Patrons			Eddie Garrett
			Robert Hitchcock
			Joe Pine
Bartender			Shep Houghton
Eddie Simmons			Charlie Picerni
Pit Boss			Hank Robinson
Crouper			George Washburn
Elliot Williamson				Paul Burke
Nancy Williamson				Karen Carlson
Matthew Potter				Nicholas A. Beauvy
Beck				Greg Mullavey
Hayden				Timothy Scott
Leo				Vic Brandt
Sheriff Bradley				Frank Marth
Deputy Walter				Philip Kenneally
Deputy Daley				Erik Holland
Deputy Milton				Frank Whiteman
Mr. Tolliver				Stephen Coit
Debbie				Jayne Kennedy
Potter				Richard Stahl
Cab Driver				Joseph Petrullo
Bank Customer				Robert Casper
Wally Doyle					George Maharis
Officer Charles Tyler					James A. Watson Jr.
Tom Donegan					Richard Schaal
Brock					Arch Johnson
Marcia Tyler					Kim Hamilton
Eve					Talya Ferro
Capt. Brian Brewster					Darren McGavin
Dr. Meyer					Gene Elman
Helen Rossi					Mitzi Hoag
Tony					Max Gail
Marks					Joseph George
Cargill					Peter Canon
Bartender					Vic Christy
J. L. Teague						Don Knight
Gil Kirkwood						David Hedison
Joanna Kirkwood						Cathy Lee Crosby
Harry Praeger						Robert Phillips
Fire Investigator						Bert Freed
Frank Lucas						Arthur O'Connell
Bank Clerk						June Dayton
Bank Officer						Dean Harens
Myrna						Candice Rialson
Carol						Thelma Pelish
Nicky						Jo Ella Deffenbaugh
Police Officer						David Armstrong
Franklin Carter						George Bryson
Boermer						Edward Colmans
Gunther						Gil Perkins
Detective						Ray Pourchot
Intern						Walter Smith
Richard Quayle							Clu Gulager
Louise Quayle							Fionnula Flanagan
Henry Kassner							Mills Watson
Gerald Wallace							Joe Warfield
Frank Higget							Sheldon Allman
Plainclothesmen							John Garwood
							Glenn Robards
Bookie							Danny Wells
Moon							Bill Walker
Girl							Janice Durkin
Higget's Bodyguard							Sid Haig
Corman							Than Wyenn