Get Christie Love!

Last updated
Get Christie Love!
ABC Get Christie Love 1974.jpg
Promotional image
Genre Police drama
Created by George Kirgo & Peter Nelson
Developed by David L. Wolper
Written by Dorothy Uhnak (novel)
George Kirgo (teleplay)
Directed by William A. Graham
Starring Teresa Graves
Charles Cioffi
Jack Kelly
Michael Pataki
Theme music composer Jack Elliott
Allyn Ferguson
Glen A. Larson
Stu Phillips
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes23 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers David L. Wolper
Glen A. Larson
Lawrence Turman
ProducersPaul Mason
Peter Nelson
Ron Satlof
Mervin B. Dayan (associate producer)
Charles Washburn (associate producer)
Production locationsColonial Street, Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California
Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California
Cinematography Lester Shorr
Stan Lazan
Meredith M. Nicholson
Duke Callaghan
EditorsFabien D. Tordjmann
Jim Benson
Frederic L. Knudtson
Anthony Redman
Robert F. Shugrue
Michael Berman
J. Terry Williams
Running time45–48 minutes
Production companiesDavid L. Wolper Productions, Inc
Universal Television
Original release
Network ABC
ReleaseJanuary 22, 1974 (1974-01-22) 
April 5, 1975 (1975-04-05)

Get Christie Love! is an American crime drama TV series starring Teresa Graves as an undercover female detective which originally aired on ABC from January 22, 1974, until April 5, 1975. The starring television role made Graves the second African-American female lead in a U.S. network drama, after Diahann Carroll in Julia . The series is based on Dorothy Uhnak's crime-thriller novel The Ledger. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Synopsis

Based on the novel The Ledger, the main character "Christie Opara"—a white, New York City police detective—was dropped completely and "Christie Love" emerged. Det. Olga Ford of the NYPD served as the series' Technical Advisor. [4] Get Christie Love! was originally broadcast in January 1974 as an ABC Movie of the Week , inspired by the 1970s hero blaxploitation films such as Tamara Dobson's Cleopatra Jones (1973), and Pam Grier's Coffy (1973) and Foxy Brown (1974). The title character had a catchphrase; upon apprehending a criminal, Love would declare, "You're under arrest, Sugah!" The film proved a success, and consequently spawned a short-lived television series on the ABC network. 22 episodes were shown from September 11, 1974 – April 5, 1975, featuring Charles Cioffi as Love's supervisor Lt. Matt Reardon, who was later replaced by Jack Kelly as Capt. Arthur Ryan.

Financed on a meager budget and heavily sanitized to conform to Graves' religious morals (she had become a Jehovah's Witness since the making of the pilot, and eventually retired from the entertainment industry to focus on her faith), the series was cancelled after one year. One episode featured many of Graves' former Laugh-In co-stars such as Judy Carne, Jo Anne Worley, and Arte Johnson in particular playing a mad bomber. Another notable guest star was Jaclyn Smith, who appeared in an episode entitled "A Fashion Heist." [5]

Cast

Charles Cioffi played Christie Love's boss for the first 12 episodes of the series (his character was featured from the season premiere until "The Longest Fall") and Jack Kelly took over for the last 10 (beginning with the episode "The Deadly Sport"). The storyline in the pilot that had Christie having a secret affair with her police captain (played by Harry Guardino) was dropped for the regular series.

This list is for the ABC Movie of the Week of January 22, 1974, which served as the pilot for the series:

Episodes

Television film pilot (1974)

TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
Get Christie Love! William A. Graham George Kirgo January 22, 1974 (1974-01-22)

Teresa Graves stars as a police detective who tries to get the goods on a huge drug empire.

Note: This was originally aired as an ABC Movie of the Week.

Season 1 (1974–75)

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
1"Market for Murder" Gene Nelson Calvin Clements Jr.September 11, 1974 (1974-09-11)
Christie infitrates an international robbery ring and tries to find the top man.
2"Deadly Betrayal" Mel Stewart S: Olga Ford & Pam Fourzon;
T: Eric Kaldor & Charles Sailor
September 18, 1974 (1974-09-18)
A criminal accuses Christie and her partner of accepting a bribe.
3"Emperor of Death Street" Barry Shear Olga Ford & Gerald SanfordSeptember 25, 1974 (1974-09-25)
Christie poses as a heroin dealer.
4"Pawn Ticket for Murder" Mark Warren Joseph PolizziOctober 2, 1974 (1974-10-02)
Christie investigates a murder with a homicide sergeant who thinks that women don't belong on the police force.
5"Death on Delivery" Edward M. Abroms Brad RadnitzOctober 9, 1974 (1974-10-09)
Christie goes undercover to investigate a counterfeiting operation.
6"For the Family Honor"Sam RossSam RossOctober 23, 1974 (1974-10-23)
A mobster tries to blackmail Det. Caruso.
7"Highway to Murder"Sam RossDonn MullallyOctober 30, 1974 (1974-10-30)
Two Mexican farm workers are accused of murdering a police officer, but Christie thinks otherwise.
8"Fatal Image" Richard Compton Larry Alexander & Robert EarlNovember 6, 1974 (1974-11-06)
Christie investigates a murder in the company of a journalist, unaware that he is the killer she seeks.
9"Downbeat for a Dead Man"Mark WarrenPaul Mason, Joseph Polizzi & Gerald SanfordNovember 13, 1974 (1974-11-13)
Christie poses as a singer in order to investigate a record company owner.
10"Bullet from the Grave" Mel Stewart Booker Bradshaw & David P. LewisNovember 20, 1974 (1974-11-20)
A hit man, supposedly killed in an auto accident, is alive and has been hired to kill Det. Belmont.
11"Deadly Justice"Mark Warren Sean Baine December 4, 1974 (1974-12-04)
A deranged police academy dropout is executing criminals.
12"The Longest Fall"Mark Warren Glen A. Larson December 11, 1974 (1974-12-11)
Christie goes undercover at a flying school. This episode features the last appearance of Charles Cioffi as Lt. Matt Reardon in the series.
13"The Deadly Sport"Mark Warren Glen A. Larson January 8, 1975 (1975-01-08)
Christie takes on two jobs at once. This episode features the first appearance of Jack Kelly as Capt. Arthur Ryan in the series.
14"Too Many Games in Town" Bruce Kessler Lou ShawJanuary 15, 1975 (1975-01-15)
A 12-year-old boy is inadvertently drawn into his older brother's scheme to blackmail a Las Vegas kingpin.
15"Our Lady in London"Walter DonigerLou ShawJanuary 29, 1975 (1975-01-29)
When her police captain is blackmailed into taking a criminal mastermind (John Astin) to London, Christie goes undercover as a stewardess to save the day. Linda Dano has a small role as an airport pickpocket.
16"Murder on High C"Mark WarrenElliot Kaye & Albert ElmarFebruary 5, 1975 (1975-02-05)
Christie goes after a bomber (Arte Johnson) who gives clues to his intended targets in tape-recorded rhymes. This episode featured several of Teresa Graves' former co-stars from "Laugh-In" including Johnny Brown, Judy Carne, Henry Gibson, Gary Owens and Joanne Worley.
17"My Son, the Murderer"Phil Bondelli Gene Levitt February 12, 1975 (1975-02-12)
Christie tries to help a childhood friend.
18"The Big Rematch"Gene Levitt Howard Berk February 19, 1975 (1975-02-19)
$250,000 in prize money from a tennis match is stolen.
19"From Paris with Love"Bruce KesslerElliot Kaye & Albert ElmarMarch 5, 1975 (1975-03-05)
A charter service is suspected of being involved in smuggling and murder. Frank Gorshin guest stars.
20"A High Fashion Heist" David Friedkin Michael A. Hoey & B. Gerald BellMarch 12, 1975 (1975-03-12)
A diamond thief (Don Galloway) proves difficult to catch. Jaclyn Smith guest stars as a friend of Christie's who models and turns tricks on the side.
21"A Few Excess People"Bruce KesslerPeter Allan FieldsMarch 26, 1975 (1975-03-26)
Sgt. Gallagher's Uncle Harry (Phil Silvers) causes problems when he jumps in to help with a dangerous case. Rose Marie guest stars.
22"I'm Your New Neighbor"Ron SatlofS: Matthew Howard aka Douglas Heyes; [6]
T: Glen A. Larson
April 4, 1975 (1975-04-04)
When Christie goes next door to ask her new neighbors to keep the noise down, she gets mixed up in something much more sinister. This is a Glen Larson re-write of the very first episode of McCloud (TV series) titled "Who Says You Can't Make Friends in New York City?"

Syndication/reception

The series has aired in the U.S. on the cable network TV Land in 1997 and on Centric (now known as BET Her) in 2014 as part of the show's 40th anniversary. The show gave the first black woman to serve in a State Police force in the United States, Louise Smith, critical motivation to continue with her chosen career when she faced significant discrimination both in the barracks and on the streets. [7]

Cultural references

Reboot

In 2017, producers Courtney Kemp and Vin Diesel became attached to a reboot of the series for ABC, entitled Get Christie Love (without the exclamation point), a co-production between Lionsgate Television and Universal Television, which focused on an African American female CIA agent who leads an elite ops unit. [1] [2] [3] However, ABC later announced that it had decided not to pick the pilot up to series. [8]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Debi Mazar</span> American actress

Deborah Anne Mazar Corcos is an American actress and television personality who plays sharp-tongued women. She began her career with supporting roles in Goodfellas (1990), Little Man Tate (1991) and Singles (1992), followed by lead roles on the legal drama series Civil Wars and L.A. Law. She portrayed press agent Shauna Roberts on the HBO series Entourage. She also starred as Maggie Amato on TV Land's longest running original series, Younger, and alongside her husband Gabriele Corcos in the Cooking Channel series Extra Virgin.

<i>Charlies Angels</i> American crime drama television series (1976–1981)

Charlie's Angels is an American crime drama television series that aired on ABC from September 22, 1976, to June 24, 1981, producing five seasons and 115 episodes. The series was created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts and was produced by Aaron Spelling. It follows the crime-fighting adventures of three women working at a private detective agency in Los Angeles, California, and originally starred Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, and Jaclyn Smith in the leading roles and John Forsythe providing the voice of their boss, the unseen Charlie Townsend, who directed the crime-fighting operations of the "Angels" over a speakerphone. There were a few casting changes: after the departure of Fawcett, Cheryl Ladd joined; after Jackson departed, Shelley Hack joined, who was subsequently replaced by Tanya Roberts.

MacGyver is an American action-adventure television series created by Lee David Zlotoff and starring Richard Dean Anderson as the title character. Henry Winkler and John Rich were the executive producers. The series follows the adventures of Angus MacGyver, a secret agent armed with remarkable scientific resourcefulness to solve any problem out in the field using any materials at hand.

<i>Walker, Texas Ranger</i> American action crime television series

Walker, Texas Ranger is an American action crime television series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis. It was inspired by the film Lone Wolf McQuade, with both this series and that film starring Chuck Norris as a member of the Texas Ranger Division. The show aired on CBS in the spring of 1993, with the first season consisting of three pilot episodes. Eight full seasons followed with new episodes airing from September 25, 1993, to May 19, 2001, and reruns continuing on CBS until July 28, 2001. It has been broadcast in over 100 countries and spawned a 2005 television film entitled Trial by Fire. The film ended on a cliffhanger, which was never resolved. DVD sets of all seasons have been released. At various times since 1997, reruns of the show have aired, in syndication, on the USA Network and Action in Canada. Reruns are currently seen on CBS Action, WGN America, CMT, INSP, getTV, Pluto TV, Heroes & Icons, Grit, 10 Bold, Peacock TV, Up TV and Hulu.

<i>Starsky & Hutch</i> American action television series (1975–1979)

Starsky & Hutch is an American action television series, which consisted of a 72-minute pilot movie and 92 episodes of 50 minutes each. The show was created by William Blinn, produced by Spelling-Goldberg Productions and starred Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul in the title roles, Starsky and Hutch. It was broadcast from April 1975 to August 1979 on the ABC network.

<i>The Greatest American Hero</i> Television series (1981–1983)

The Greatest American Hero is an American comedy-drama superhero television series that aired on ABC. Created by producer Stephen J. Cannell, it premiered as a two-hour pilot movie on March 18, 1981, and ran until February 2, 1983. The series features William Katt as teacher Ralph Hinkley, Robert Culp as FBI agent Bill Maxwell, and Connie Sellecca as lawyer Pam Davidson. The lead character's surname was changed from "Hinkley" to "Hanley" for the latter part of the first season, immediately after President Ronald Reagan and three others were shot and wounded by John Hinckley Jr. on March 30, 1981. The character's name was reverted to "Hinkley" after a few months had passed.

<i>Cagney & Lacey</i> American police procedural television series (1982–1988)

Cagney & Lacey is an American police procedural drama television series that aired on the CBS television network for seven seasons from March 25, 1982, to May 16, 1988. The show is about two New York City police detectives who lead very different lives: Christine Cagney is a career-minded single woman, while Mary Beth Lacey is a married working mother. The series is set in a fictionalized version of Manhattan's 14th Precinct. The pilot movie had Loretta Swit in the role of Cagney, while the first six episodes had Meg Foster in the role. When the show was revived for a full-season run, Gless portrayed the role for six consecutive years. Each year during that time, one of the two lead actresses won the Emmy for Best Lead Actress in a Drama, a winning streak matched only once since in any major category by a show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grant Show</span> American actor

Grant Show is an American actor. He is best known for his role on Melrose Place as Jake Hanson, which he played from 1992 to 1997. From 2017 to 2022, he portrayed Blake Carrington in the soap opera reboot Dynasty.

<i>T. J. Hooker</i> American police drama television series (1982–1986)

T. J. Hooker is an American police drama television program starring William Shatner in the title role as a 15-year veteran police sergeant. The series premiered as a mid-season replacement on March 13, 1982, on ABC and ran on the network until May 4, 1985. The show was then picked up for a further single season by CBS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teresa Graves</span> American actress

Terresa M. Graves, credited as Teresa Graves, was an American actress and singer best known for her starring role as undercover police detective Christie Love in the ABC crime-drama television series Get Christie Love! (1974–1975). Graves was the first African-American woman to star in her own hour–long television series and the first for a drama television series.

<i>Love, American Style</i> American television series (1969-1974)

Love, American Style is an anthology comedy television series that aired on ABC from 1969 to 1974. The series was produced by Paramount Television. During the 1971–72 and 1972–73 seasons, it was a part of ABC's Friday primetime lineup that included The Brady Bunch, The Partridge Family, Room 222, and The Odd Couple. It featured some of the earliest work of future stars Diane Keaton, Sally Struthers, Albert Brooks, and Harrison Ford. Room 222 star Karen Valentine appeared in four episodes. Brady Bunch star Ann B. Davis and The Partridge Family star Dave Madden each appeared in two episodes.

Richard Douglas Hurst is an American actor who portrayed Deputy Cletus Hogg, Boss Hogg's cousin, in the 1980 to 1983 seasons of The Dukes of Hazzard as well as The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion! in 1997 and The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Atkins (actor)</span> American actor

Tom Atkins is an American actor. He is known for his work in the horror and thriller film genres, having worked with writers and directors such as Shane Black, William Peter Blatty, John Carpenter, Fred Dekker, Richard Donner, Stephen King, and George A. Romero. He is also a familiar face to mainstream viewers, often playing police officers and tough authority figures and is perhaps best known for his role as Lt. Alex Diel in The Rockford Files (1974–1977).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murray Hamilton</span> American actor (1923–1986)

Murray Hamilton was an American stage, screen and television character actor who appeared in such films as Anatomy of a Murder, The Hustler, The Graduate, Jaws and The Amityville Horror.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Pataki</span> American actor (1938–2010)

Michael Pataki was an American actor of stage, film and television.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah Drew</span> American actress

Sarah Drew is an American actress and director. She played Hannah Rogers in The WB family drama series Everwood (2004–2006) and Dr. April Kepner in the ABC medical drama series Grey's Anatomy.

<i>Police Woman</i> (TV series) Television series

Police Woman is an American police procedural television series created by Robert L. Collins, starring Angie Dickinson that ran on NBC for four seasons, from September 13, 1974, to March 29, 1978.

Charles M. Cioffi is an American film and television actor best known as Lt. Matt Reardon in Get Christie Love! opposite co-star Teresa Graves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blaxploitation</span> Film genre

Blaxploitation is an ethnic subgenre of the exploitation film that emerged in the United States during the early 1970s, after the demand of the Black Panthers for black artists to reclaim the power and rights to their image from the UCLA, and the new rating system within Hollywood allowed up and coming black film makers and actors to create black films for black audiences. The term, a portmanteau of the words "black" and "exploitation", was coined in August 1972 by Junius Griffin, the president of the Beverly Hills–Hollywood NAACP branch. He claimed the genre was "proliferating offenses" to the black community in its perpetuation of stereotypes often involved in crime. After the race films of the 1940s and 1960s, the genre emerged as one of the first in which black characters and communities were protagonists, rather than sidekicks, supportive characters, or victims of brutality. The genre's inception coincides with the rethinking of race relations in the 1970s.

Amy Lauren Ruth Rutberg is an American actress. She is known for her role as Marci Stahl in Daredevil.

References

  1. 1 2 "'Power' Creator Courtney Kemp Gets ABC To 'Get Christie Love'". 26 September 2017. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
  2. 1 2 "'Get Christie Love' Series Reboot From 'Power' Creator Courtney Kemp & Vin Diesel Set At ABC With Big Commitment". 26 September 2017. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
  3. 1 2 "'Get Christie Love' Reboot in the Works at ABC". www.hollywoodreporter.com. 26 September 2017. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
  4. The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present . Ballantine Books. 2003. p. 459. ISBN   0-345-45542-8.
  5. ""Get Christie Love!" A High Fashion Heist (TV Episode 1975)". IMDb .
  6. "Douglas Heyes Obit". 10 February 1993. Retrieved 6 July 2019.
  7. Staff, Fox 61 (March 2018). "First ever African American female state trooper pushes for more women in uniform". fox61.com. Fox Connecticut. Retrieved 27 June 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. Mangum, Trey (12 May 2018). "ABC Passes On Kylie Bunbury In 'Get Christie Love'; Also Not Picking Up NOLA-Set Magic Drama Starring Lex Scott Davis". shadowandact.com. Retrieved 19 November 2018.