San Francisco International Airport (TV series)

Infobox Television
show_name = San Francisco International Airport
format = Drama
runtime = 60 min.
starring = Lloyd Bridges
country = USA
network = NBC
first_aired = TV-movie pilot: September 29, 1970
Regular series: October 28, 1970
last_aired = December 2, 1970
num_episodes = 7, including the pilot movie
imdb_id = 0065343

"San Francisco International Airport" was a television drama aired in the United States by NBC as a part of its 1970-71 wheel series "Four in One".

The series starred Lloyd Bridges as Jim Conrad, the manager of the gigantic San Francisco International Airport, which at the time the series aired was said to be handling over 15,000,000 passengers annually and employing over 35,000 persons. Bob Hatten (Clu Gulager) was his chief of security, an important role at a time when security was beginning to emerge as a real-life major issue in air transport. June (Barbara Werle) was Conrad's secretary. Airport situations drawn from real life were addressed, such as protesting demonstrators, mechanical malfunctions, and similar problems.

"San Francisico International Airport" was the second program in the "Four in One" rotation, following "McCloud". The six episodes were first shown in order from late October until early December, 1970, and were then replaced in the Wednesday night 10 PM Eastern time slot by "Night Gallery". Once "Night Gallery" and "The Psychiatrist" had completed their first runs, episodes of all four series were rerun interspersed with each other. "Night Gallery" was picked up for the next season as a stand-alone series and "McCloud" was renewed as an element in a new wheel series, "NBC Mystery Movie", but "San Francisco International Airport" and "The Psychiatrist" were cancelled with no more episodes ordered beyond the initial six.

The pilot for this series, also called "San Francisco International Airport" or simply "San Francisco International", had been aired in the spring as a TV movie before the series premiered. It was largely similar, but starred Pernell Roberts as Conrad rather than Bridges. Despite the fact that critical response was underwhelming, the six episodes that comprised the series were ordered -- with the stipulation that Roberts be replaced in the starring role by Bridges. This pilot was the subject of an episode of "Mystery Science Theater 3000".

References

* Brooks, Tim and Marsh, Earle. "The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows".

External links

* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066326/ Pilot film] at the Internet Movie Database
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065343/ Series] at the Internet Movie Database