Genre Crime drama Theme music composer George Duning | Starring Mike Connors | |
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Created by Clarence Greene
Russell Rouse Written by Frederick Brady
Berne Giler
Clarence Greene
Steven Ritch
Russell Rouse
Al C. Ward Directed by Abner Biberman
Irving J. Moore
Russell Rouse
Oscar Rudolph | ||
Tightrope is an American crime drama series that aired on CBS from September 1959 to September 1960, under the alternate sponsorship of the J.B. Williams Company (Aqua Velva, Lectric Shave, etc.), and American Tobacco (Pall Mall). Produced by Russell Rouse and Clarence Greene in association with Screen Gems, the series stars Mike Connors as an undercover agent named "Nick" who was assigned to infiltrate criminal gangs. The show was to have originally been titled Undercover Man but it was changed before going to air.
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Synopsis
Mike Connors' character would narrate the episode, echoing film noir technique. He starred as an undercover police officer, known only as "Nick" (although some sources revealed that his last name was "Stone", his last name was never shown in the series' ending credits). Only his immediate superior on the Police Force knew he was working undercover. Because the police often did not know that Nick was working for the law, he was often in danger from both the good guys and the bad guys, as he walked the "tightrope" between good and evil. A special gimmick was that in addition to a gun in a shoulder holster, he carried a second gun, a snubnosed revolver in a holster behind his back; he was often searched by both cops and bad guys, but they stopped searching after finding the first gun.
Cancellation
Despite the show's popularity, it was canceled after only one season. Mike Connors stated in an interview that the show's primary sponsor (J.B. Williams) refused the network's request to move it to a later time slot on a different day. When CBS head Jim Aubrey stated the show was going to move, take it or leave it, the sponsor dropped Tightrope, and underwrote another program on another network. Connors also did not want suggested changes to the show to turn into an hour format with a sidekick to be played by Don Sullivan. He thought such an alteration would eliminate the suspense element of the program. Also, another factor in the show's eventual cancellation were complaints concerning its alleged excessive violence. Seven years later, Connors would go on to star in the successful, long-running CBS crime series, Mannix.